The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (138 page)

“Baby, please.  It’s not what you think,” I plead.

“Do you think for one minute I could ever look at you again after seeing this?  Everyone I know has seen this.  Everyone you know has seen this, or will see it.  You could have at least warned me.  You could have said something.  Or did you think you could wrap your legs around me and make me forget all about it?  Well not this time.  I’m done.”

“Evan, please don’t say that.  You don’t mean it.  You don’t know.”

“Oh, I think I do.  It’s time for you to go, Juliette.  I’ve packed all your things.  Take your car, you can keep it.  You earned it.  But I’m keeping the dog.”  Evan whistles and calls Maddy to come to him.

He walks to the door and opens it, placing my bags outside the door.  Completely at a loss for what to say, I numbly walk out the door, placing one foot in front of the other until I find myself standing on the front porch with Evan and Maddy standing in the doorway, watching me.  Without another word, Evan slams the door.

The sound shocks me, and I feel my heart pounding, about to burst from my chest.  I cry out “No!”  But it’s too late.  I’ve lost him.  I begin to sob until I feel a pair of strong arms on my shoulders, shaking me.

I rub the tears from my eyes and find Evan standing over me, wrapped in a towel, dripping wet.  “Juliette, wake up.  It’s just a dream.  Wake up, baby.”  Wildly, I look around and find that I’m still in bed.  It felt so real.  I can feel the pulse in my neck throbbing uncontrollably.

I throw my arms around him and squeeze with all my might.  It wasn’t just a dream, it was my worst nightmare.

Evan patiently holds me, wrapping his strong arms tightly around me like a cocoon. He whispers reassuringly in my ear, soothing and calming my frayed nerves.  “Shhh.  You’re safe.  I’m here.  It’s okay.”  He gently rocks back and forth until my breathing slows.  “Want to talk about it?” he asks.

I can’t speak.  I just shake my head emphatically.  Saying it out loud would make it seem more real.  It felt real enough.

He holds me at arm’s length and looks deep into my swollen eyes.  “I can’t help if you don’t tell me.”

Reluctantly, I tell him a little.  “You kicked me out of the house.”  I reach over and grab a tissue to wipe my nose.  “And you kept the dog too.”

Evan looks down at me and smirks.  He finds that idea humorous.  “Juliette, I promise you that day will
never
come.  You are my breath and my heartbeat, my inspiration and my soul’s fire.  That ring on your fingers is my promise to you.  Nothing is perfect and hardly anything is permanent, except for our love.  Don’t ever forget that.”

God, how badly I hope he means that.  If he ever finds out what David is doing, I may have to remind him of those words.

He releases me and heads back to the shower.  I glance at the clock and it’s only a few minutes past six.  “What are you doing up so early?  You had a game yesterday, so you should be off today, right?”

“Change in plans.  With yesterday’s loss and Christmas just a few days away, Coach Vinciguerra is calling everyone in for an additional session.”  He disappears into the bathroom, but calls back to me,  “I’ll be home by four.”

Is it wrong that my first thought about Evan having to drive down to the field for an extra practice is relief?  All I can think about is throwing on some running shoes and trying to expel some of my tension.  I also need to hook up with Derek today so he can give me David’s blood money.  Having Evan out of the house will make that a thousand times easier.

Those are selfish, self-serving thoughts.  I should be more concerned with Evan’s wellbeing.  His body endured punishing blows from his opponents charging at him like shots fired from a cannon.  His shoulder and elbow will be sore for days from the repetitive overuse and stress during the game.  But those thoughts are secondary to my own.

When I finally drag myself from the bed, I head into the kitchen to make us some fresh coffee.  While he finishes getting ready, I fix him a bowl of hot oatmeal with freshly sliced peaches – his favorite winter breakfast.  I set the table for him with natural honey and fresh cream just as he appears from the bedroom.  His face lights up when he sees it.

Without hesitation, he pulls out a chair and plops himself down, eager to enjoy the hot meal I’ve prepared for him.  “You, my dear, are a mind reader.  How did you know?”  He shovels a big spoonful into his mouth.

“It’s my job to know these things,” I remind him. 

He notices me watching him.  “Come.  Eat with me.  There’s plenty.”

“No, you eat.  Enjoy.  I’ll grab something later.”

“Suit yourself,” he replies, easily finishing off every last morsel until there’s not a drop left.  Evan leaves the house with a little bit of a spring in his step today.  It makes me more than happy to know I had something to do with that.

The moment I hear his car pull out of the driveway, I toss on my sneakers and put on a few layers of workout clothes.  Maddy knows what my intentions are, and rushes to the back door, her tail wagging furiously.  “Sorry, girl – not today.  It’s going to be a long one.”  I set my iPod to shuffle and head out for a nice long run. 

I decide to run the neighborhood today.  The ocean looks a little angry and I think a change of scenery might do me some good.  The air is cool and crisp this morning, hovering just above freezing.  Fortunately, there’s hardly any wind or sign of rain, so this run should be a good one.  Running in the cold is not about speed, but endurance, which makes it the perfect conditions for me. 

As I run, I think over and over about David’s demands and contemplate my options.  Do I face him alone, or bring backup once again?  It turned out that I didn’t really need Adam in Denver.  Aside from emotional support, he wasn’t really necessary.  If I reach out to him for help again, he will surely tell Evan, and I can’t risk it.  I can’t ask Emmy to go with me – I won’t do a single thing to put her within a mile of that sleazebag.  Auggie won’t fly and Reese will be gone for a week visiting with her family in Wisconsin for the holidays.  That leaves Derek, and he’s already done too much.

My mind is settled.  I’ll fly out to Indianapolis and face David alone.  I can join some of the other football wives who like to travel with the team.  I will not show fear and I will not show weakness.  I will do whatever it takes to end this once and for all.

By the time I return home, I feel rejuvenated and recharged, almost like I could conquer the world.  All I need is a quick shower to warm me back up again.

I grab a banana and check my messages, only to find that I’ve missed a message from Evan.  He’s going to be home early.  The coach is sending everyone home after the team meeting.  He’s going to stay and work out a little with the trainer, and then come straight home.  Shit.  That doesn’t give me much time.

I decide to call Derek right away.  He’s running errands with Shea, but agrees to meet with me around noon.  I can’t invite him here.  How would I explain that to Evan?  He doesn’t want to meet at his house, so the only option left is to meet him at Rush.  Since we’re closed on Mondays, it’s the perfect meeting place.

It’s still early, even though I’ve been up for a few hours.  There’s lots of time to waste until lunch, so I decide to take advantage of this rare alone-time and get a little last minute Christmas shopping done.

Time waits for no man or woman, and before I know it, it’s time to meet up with Derek.  The restaurant is empty when I arrive and I’m glad he’s not sitting there waiting for me. 

While I wait, I walk around checking on things that I normally don’t have time to follow up on.  The kitchen crew is doing a great job keeping things clean and tidy.  Behind the bar is just as good.  I’ll have to remember to compliment Marcus for making cleaning a priority for our staff. 

With nothing left to do, I busy myself watering my amaryllis flowers.  They’re the perfect flower for a restaurant, because they are fragrance-free and don’t interfere with the tastes and smells of our food and drinks.  I wonder if Evan knew that when he selected them for the bar.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.

Suddenly the door swings open and Derek comes waltzing into the bar looking like a million dollars.  He’s gotten a new, shorter haircut and he’s dressed in what I know to be very expensive jeans and shoes.  “Put your tongue back in your mouth, boss lady.  I know I look good, but you’re a day late and a dollar short.”

“My loss is Shea’s gain.  She’s one lucky girl.”

“Don’t I know it,” he boasts.  “So let’s get down to business.  I have something for you, but before I hand it over, I want to know what sort of plan you’ve hatched in that pretty little head of yours.”  He places his hand on the small of my back and leads me to a nearby table, pulling out a chair for me to sit.  I should have realized it wouldn’t be so easy.

Derek takes a seat directly across from me and waits for me to explain.

“Well, I’m going to fly out to Indianapolis with Brianna and Jocelyn.  Brianna is married to Cornerback Anthony Romeo Santos and Jocelyn is engaged to Running Back Xander Parish.  We haven’t spent much time together all season and I think it’s best if I go out there with some friends.”  It’s true enough that I’ll be travelling with them, but there’s no chance in hell I’ll involve them in any of this drama.

“That’s good.  You’ll all be staying at the same hotel?” he asks.

“Yes.  I booked my room this morning after I called the girls.”

“And how will the hand-off work?  I don’t like the idea of you going all the way out there to an unfamiliar place and being alone with this scumbag.”

I have to think quickly.  My plan is to meet David alone, but I can’t tell Derek that.  The first thing that comes to my mind is the movie
Pretty Woman
with Julia Roberts.  She leaves an envelope full of money at the front desk for her roommate to pick up.  It’s not a great plan, but it’s all I’ve got at the moment.  Maybe he’ll buy it.

“I think the best way to handle it is to not have any physical contact with him at all.  I’ll leave an envelope for him at the front desk of my hotel.  He can pick it up and leave me the memory card.” 

I can see him considering my scheme and looking for holes in my strategy.  “How do you know he’ll leave you the memory card?  We know he doesn’t give a shit about honor or integrity.” 

He’s right, and there’s no use in arguing, so I have no choice but to agree.  “True.  But isn’t that the chance you take when you negotiate with someone who’s blackmailing you?  Even if he does leave me the memory card, how do I know he doesn’t have a dozen more back home?”

“You don’t.”

“Exactly.”

“You’ll call me once the exchange is made?”

“I will.”

He reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a very thick envelope and hands it to me.  “Please be safe.  If you think at any moment that things are not going as planned, walk away.  Do you understand?”

Just as I’m about to make a final promise to Derek, the door swings open, and for a moment I fear it’s Evan.  But rather, in walks Shea with a young boy at her side, no older than two or three years old.  “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but Kai needs to use the bathroom and he says he can’t wait.”  She looks directly at me. “Would that be okay?”

“Of course, do you know where it is?” I ask.

“Sure I do, no problem.  Derek, honey, we’ll be right out, then we can go, okay?”

“Yeah, we’re just finishing up here anyway.”

As soon as Shea is out of earshot, I grill Derek for information.  “Derek, who is that adorable little boy?  He’s as cute as a button.”

“That’s Laci’s son.  He just turned two.  Shea’s been doing a great job helping her parents raise that little guy since her sister died.  It breaks my heart every time he asks when his mommy is coming home.”  I don’t think it’s public knowledge that Laci had a child. 

“Wow, I had no idea.  Where’s the father?  Isn’t he in the picture?  Can’t he pitch in to help?”  Every child needs his father in his life, especially a little boy.

“Laci would never tell anyone who the father was.  She said it was a one-night stand and the guy wasn’t worthy of being a part of Kai’s life.”

One of the greatest tragedies in my life is my ability to put puzzles together.  Sometimes it comes in handy, like when there’s a problem to solve and I can see how all the pieces fit together and I can identify exactly what’s missing or precisely where the next piece goes.  But not this time.  This isn’t a puzzle, it’s a chain that’s been forged together and I can see how each link is attached to the one before it.

This child is two years old.  I know Evan slept with Laci somewhere between two and three years ago, which places him at the scene of the crime, so to speak.  But someone as beautiful as Laci would likely have more than one sex partner during that time, so the chances of Evan being the guilty party are slim.

“So Shea has no idea at all who the father is?” I ask.

“Not that I know of.  If she does, she hasn’t shared it with me.”  Derek looks around and checks to see if Shea is around before continuing.  “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course, Derek.  You can tell me anything.”

“I know it’s only been a month, but I really think Shea could be the
one
, if you know what I mean.  How soon after meeting Mac did you know?”

“To tell you the truth, Derek, I think I fell in love with him the first time I saw him.  Something just clicked, and I’m pretty sure it was mutual.”

“That’s exactly what it’s like for us.  She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Jette.  Nothing in my life was going right for me until she walked through that door.  From that moment on, my life hasn’t been the same.”

“I know the feeling,” I confess.

“Wanna know what would really make me happy?  I want to marry her so we can adopt Kai and raise him as our own.  Shea’s a great aunt, and I know she’d be an amazing mother.  That kid deserves a stable family.”  I can see the joy in his eyes when he talks about Shea and Kai.

“And that young boy would be very lucky to have you, Derek Lattimer.”

Just then, Shea emerges from the bathroom with little Kai tagging along behind.  I get my first good look at the cherub and he’s even cuter than I thought.  He’s tall for his age, I’m pretty sure.  But he’s a little shy, hiding behind Shea for protection.