Running Back to You (The Running Series, #1) (3 page)

Most mornings, I make the short drive to the beach for a run along the
ocean.  Running on the beach is a peaceful and calming experience.  The sounds
of the waves crashing along the misty shore early in the morning soothe my
over-active mind.  I forget about everything and I’m just there in the moment. 
I love to take Maddy with me; it’s our special time together.  She loves
chasing those menacing seagulls.  I know she’ll never catch one, but I don’t
have the heart to tell her.

After nearly a full week of behind-the-bar training at Wilkinson’s, I
finally have the day off.  With my first paycheck in hand, Auggie and I have
plans to do some antiquing on Arnold Avenue.  I still want to pick up a few
pieces for my room.  I spent many hours over the past week on Pinterest pinning
pictures of trunks, mirrors, lamps, shelves, and knick-knacks.  I am
particularly keen on finding some lighting fixtures using repurposed mason
jars.  Actually, I’d love to find any sort of bric-a-brac with mason jars.  I
don’t know exactly what I want, but I know I will find something.

Auggie and I quickly park right in front of my favorite coffee shop, the
Green Planet Coffee Company.  I purchase my usual large chai and plop myself
down in one on the Adirondack chairs arranged along the sidewalk in front of the
shop.  Auggie quickly joins me with his latte and together we sit and chat. 

“So, Jette, where to first?”  There are countless antique stores, shops,
and emporiums in downtown Point Pleasant.  We have the whole day to explore
each and every one of them.

“Let’s start at the Antique Emporium, Auggie.  I’d love to find a vintage
steamer trunk, not that I can afford one, but I’d love to try.  Where do you
want to start?”  Auggie doesn’t answer; in fact, I don’t think he heard a word
I said.  I snap my fingers twice as I wave them in front of his face, “Hello? 
I asked you where you wanted to go first.”

“Oh, sorry, Jette my Pet.  I was just admiring the eye candy that just
walked by across the street.”  Auggie gestures with his chin towards the two
men walking away from us.  I glimpse the image of two athletically built men
before they turn the corner and vanish out of my sight.

“What did I miss?” I wonder out loud.

“The two most beautiful straight boys I have ever seen in my life,” he
answers breathily as he fans himself.  “I can’t believe you didn’t notice
them.  Every female within half a mile noticed them, Jepetto.”  Sure enough, as
I look around at the other coffee shop patrons, there is a small group of girls
giggling and blushing. 

“I hate when you call me that, you know!”

“No you don’t – you love it.”  And with that, he grabs my hand and drags
me down the street. 

“But the Emporium is the other way,” I insist.  I fight against his grasp
on my wrist, but it is no use.  Auggie is deceptively strong and there is no
use trying to break free of his vice-like grip.  “Where are we going?”

“We’re going where ever those boys are headed.  Now be quiet and walk
faster, dammit.” 

We hurry down the sidewalk and cross the street, just barely missing an
on-coming car.  We follow the men as they enter Point Beach Interiors.  “You
said you wanted to go shopping.  This is as good a place as any to start.” 
Auggie gallantly opens the door and motions for me to enter, “After you.”

We take a quick glance around the store, and I don’t see them anywhere. 
This is no antique or vintage furniture store.  This is a beautiful home
furnishings store with large foundation pieces and accessories for a well-furnished
home.  Down the main aisle of the shop, there are small vignettes of furniture
arranged on both sides.  Each scene is packed with furniture and accessories so
there’s barely enough room to turn around.  Our targets could be anywhere
within the walls of this generous space.

I shrug my shoulders and throw up my hands. We decide to look around and
see if there’s anything that tickles my fancy.  Surprisingly, I find a wall
hanging I want to buy.  It is a cute distressed wooden sign that simply states,
“Bon Appetit”.  We take it to the counter, pay cash, and take one sweeping look
around the store before leaving.

After walking up and down Arnold Avenue, we visit every shop that catches
our eye.  Several hours later, we drop our bags into the car and head to
Frankie’s Bar and Grill for a drink.  I haven’t been to Frankie’s in a while,
but it looks exactly as I remember.  There’s a modestly sized bar surrounded by
small tables for dining.  Brick walls and brass fixtures give the bar a cozy
pub atmosphere.  Televisions are showing ESPN and music is streaming from the
speakers placed strategically throughout the bar.  Auggie and I find two empty
seats right at the bar.

After ordering a Jack & Diet Coke, I pull out my phone to check for
any missed calls or messages – nothing.  I don’t know why I bother checking,
habit I guess.  David and I broke up a month ago and haven’t spoken since.  My
Denver friends are all busy job hunting.  Auggie is the only person from high
school I really care to keep in touch with, and he’s sitting right next to me.

The door opens and a cool, crisp breeze whisks past me.  I turn
instinctively to see who entered, and my breath hitches in my chest.  I am
staring face-to-face with the most attractive man I have ever seen in my life. 
He gracefully walks past me to the back of the pub and takes a table in the
farthest corner of the bar.  He’s joined by another man, and both appear to be
in their late twenties.  He has dark unkempt chestnut hair that is short enough
to be manageable but long enough to run your fingers through.  He takes off his
leather jacket and places it on the back of his chair.  He’s wearing a
tight-fitting white V-neck t-shirt that shows off his pecs and broad
shoulders.  God, I love broad shoulders.  His face is sharp and angular,
softened by a five o’clock shadow.  From this distance, it’s hard to discern
the color of his eyes, but they are definitely a light shade of blue or green. 
“Holy crap, Auggie.  Is that the man you saw on the street this morning?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s definitely him.”  Auggie actually put his elbows on the
bar and places his hands under his chin like a dreamy schoolgirl.  He stares
and sighs; he actually sighs!  Subtlety is not exactly August’s strong suit.  “You
take that brick wall of a man, but leave me the blonde.  I do have a thing for
blondes, you know.”

The waitress walks over to them and takes their order.  She is totally
flirting with them both, biting her lip and leaning in a little too closely.  I
don’t blame her at all.

I find myself staring, too.  I’m wondering what it would feel like to be
held in those strong arms ... what the stubble on his chin would feel like
pressed against my skin ... what his favorite cologne is.  I am lost in thought
and all I can feel is my rapid heartbeat.  I’ve never been affected so greatly
by someone I didn’t even know before.  Panic sets in when he looks up at me and
catches me ogling him.  He smiles and shows the slightest hint of dimples.  I
immediately turn away, my face blazing with embarrassment.

I try to act nonchalant, like nothing happened, but inside, I’m
mortified.  I take a final gulp of my Jack & Diet Coke and convince Auggie
to leave.  Thankfully, he concedes and we turn to go.  I put on my jacket and
head for the door.  In my panic to make a hasty exit, I forgot to tip the
bartender.  I have no choice but to return to the bar and leave a small
gratuity.  My mystery man looks up, smiles at me and gives one small nod of his
chin.  There are those dimples again.  I know I’ll be seeing them in my dreams
tonight.

Auggie and I grab a pizza on our way home.  “So Jette, what are your
plans tonight?”  I know Auggie has plans, he always has plans.  But I also know
he would drop everything and just hang home with me if I asked.

“Nothing.  I’m going to hang here and catch up on some episodes of The
Walking Dead I’ve been meaning to watch.”  I didn’t really watch much TV in
Denver, and I have a lot of catching up to do.

“Jette, you can’t just lock yourself away in this house forever.  You’re
gonna have to get right back on that horse.  You can’t let one bad break up
turn you into a spinster.  There’s no way I’m going to allow you to sit home
and lick your wounds, you know.”

My ex-boyfriend David was a complete jerk and an imposter.  He pretended
to care, but it was all an act.  David was a pretty package, but nothing more
than an empty box.  I was immediately attracted to his good looks and forgot to
look deeper for the qualities that matter the most.  It turns out I wasted a
year and a half with someone who didn’t deserve my time.  I need a break from
men.  That’s one of the reasons why I moved back to Jersey after graduation.  I
could have easily started a life for myself in Colorado, but I had to put as
many miles between that SOB and myself as I could.  “I just need time, Auggie. 
Please don’t push it right now.  Besides, I like my life right now.  It’s safe
... predictable ... painless.”

“Safe, predictable and painless?  Boring!  How about wild, exciting and
adventurous?  We could go trolling for those two beautiful boys.  I bet we
could find them if we tried.”

“The last thing I need is another pretty boy.  I thought we covered this
topic already.” 

“Alright, alright, I get it.  But you have to admit that man would be
every girl’s fantasy come true.  Do you know who he reminds me of?”

I know immediately, “That’s simple – Channing Tatum, hands down.  He’s
got the right amount of steamy sexiness, light and bright eyes, and the complete
personification of a Greek god.  Don’t you think?”

“You’ve clearly given this a lot of thought, Jepetto.  I have to give that
one to you, though – you nailed it.  What about his sidekick, tall, blonde, and
hot?”

“Well, that one’s a bit harder to pin down.  I’m thinking ... Liam
Hemsworth?”

“No way.  Isn’t he that the guy from the Hunger Games?  He’s got really
dark hair.  My man was definitely a blonde.”

“He dyed his hair for the movie.  He’s really a blonde.  Remember, his
brother plays Thor in the Avengers movies.”

“Hmm, you may be right, Jette.”  Auggie checks the time on his phone.  His
friends won’t wait forever.  “Want me to stay?  We can get some ice cream and
veg out together.”

“No.  You should go.  I’m going to stay home and do some baking.  Any
requests?”  I promised my boss, Jack, that I would bring him some oatmeal
cookies with my special secret ingredient, Cardamom.  If they’re good enough,
he might sell them in the Sweet Shop.

“Cake pops!  I definitely want cake pops.  I don’t care what kind you
make, just give me cake on a stick, and I’m a happy man.”  In the area of
cuisine, Auggie has uncomplicated tastes.

Five minutes later, I hear music blaring from the bathroom and I know
he’s showering and getting ready to leave.  Auggie is a true chameleon.  He
changes his looks as much as any woman I’ve ever known.  For tonight, he’s
chosen a gray dress shirt with a white collar and a black cardigan.  His side
swept messy hair completes the look.  He blows me a kiss and he’s out the
door. 

I set up my laptop on the kitchen island and tonight’s Walking Dead
episodes have been replaced by “
The Vow
” and “
Dear John
”.  It’s
definitely going to be a Channing Tatum marathon tonight.  I want more than
just good looks.  I want romance and sweet seduction.

By the time Auggie gets home, I’ve made three dozen oatmeal cookies and two
dozen lemon chiffon cake pops.  I even baked a batch of special homemade dog
treats for Maddy. There’s no cleaning to do, I prefer to clean as I go.  I wrap
up the cookies and call it a night.

T
he next morning, I get ready and head out for a morning run.  I grab
Maddy and we’re out the door.  It’s cool outside, but I won’t let that deter
me.  I need to clear my head and a brisk run should be just the ticket.  No
more fantasies, it’s time to get my mind back on track.

We arrive at one of my favorite beaches in nearby Bay Head and apparently
we’re not the only ones with the ocean on our mind.  There are more than a few
cars.  I’m sure a number of them belong to the local fishermen who enjoy
fishing for stripers in the early morning twilight.  Maddy doesn’t usually like
strangers, so I have to keep her on a short leash today.  That means no seagull
chasing for her. 

This morning, I’m planning on a little bit of a longer run.  I usually
run one mile north up the beach, then turn around and run one mile back. 
Today, I’m going to try to go a little farther.  Running on the beach is harder
than running on solid ground.  The hard, wet sand closest to the surf is the
best to run on, so I try to hug the water’s edge.  Sometimes, the sand can
shift unexpectedly, so it’s important to remain focused on the terrain.

Forty minutes into my run, and I’ve reached my turn-around point.  Before
I resume my run, I stop to play catch with Maddy.  There’s a small piece of
driftwood lying in the sand and it’s perfect throwing and retrieving size.  I
take off her leash and she knows it’s playtime.  As soon as I bend down to pick
it up, Maddy’s little nub of a tail starts wagging.  I toss the stick and she
takes off like a bullet.  I take a moment to take in the beautiful crisp
morning.  The sky is the perfect shade of blue with wispy clouds floating by. 
The ocean is calm today, allowing me to relax and enjoy the beach, due in part
to the soft breeze gently caressing my skin.  There are a few fishing boats in
the horizon and beach fishermen dot the coastline.