The Running Series Complete Collection: 3-Book Set plus Bonus Novella (65 page)

We supported each other through family crises, boyfriend drama, and work-related anxieties. I watched her flit from boyfriend to boyfriend, always getting bored once the excitement of a new romance wears off.  She supported me throughout my two-year relationship with the jerk, David.  When I finally opened my eyes and realized what a manipulative ass he was, she never once said, “I told you so.”  She just helped me pick up the pieces and move on.

As I contemplate the events that occurred over the past few days, I can’t help but wonder if I could have handled things differently where Reese is concerned.  I knew deep down inside that I was asking too much of her.  But Reese has always been so amazing at everything she does, so I thought she would rise to the occasion.  Maybe with more support, she would have.

After I get dressed, I head back into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee before Auggie arrives.  “That’s not necessary, Jette my Pet.”

I nearly jump out of my skin.  I never even noticed anyone siting there.  “Holy crap, Auggie.  You scared the shit out of me.  How did you get in?  Evan never leaves me in the house alone without the doors locked and the alarm set,” I ask him as my heart rate slowly returns back to normal.

He hands me a macchiato from our favorite coffee house, Green Planet Coffee Co.  “Seriously?  You guys have me over here at least once a week to pick up Maddy and just now you’re wondering how I get in and out of the house?”  He takes a sip of his chai and continues, “Evan gave me the code months ago.  He wanted to make sure you always had someone looking out for you.”

I take a seat at the kitchen table across from Auggie, who’s been sitting here reading the news on his beloved iPad.  “So, what brings you over at this early hour?  It sounded pretty serious on the phone.”

After a long conversation, I discover that Reese has asked Auggie to help her find an apartment so she can move out on her own immediately.  He explains, “She feels like she can’t please you at work.  She’s not interested in pursuing a relationship with Derek, so she knows she’s disappointed you there, too.  Now, she says you made a remark last night about her getting free room and board.”

“So rather than make things right at work, she thinks this is the answer?  Move out?  What does that prove?” I argue.

“I know, I know.  I tried to talk her out of it, but she’s resolute.  Frankly, Jepetto, I was waiting for this to happen.  I think she’s in over her head.  I’m not sure she knows
how
to make this right.  You know her best.  Has this ever happened before?” he asks.

“Has what ever happened?”

“You know, has Reese ever struggled like this or failed at something?  She doesn’t seem to be taking it well,” he tells me.

“Actually, no.  Reese is beautiful, smart, and talented.  School, money, boys, it always came easily to her.  But nothing seems to be falling into place right now.  This is definitely new territory for her,” I explain.

“Well then, if you know her so well, why don’t you cut her a little slack?” he asks.

“Auggie, under normal circumstances, I would.  I really want to, believe me.  It’s tearing me up inside.  But people are counting on the success of Rush, Evan and I included.  We have to get the food and service right, or we’ll be closed faster than you can find us on Google Maps.”  I take a long swig of my macchiato, contemplating my next response before I continue.  “Maybe there is something I can do,” I tell him.

“Yeah?  What?”

“Help.  I can get her some help.  She just wasn’t ready.  That’s partially my fault, I think.  I can make this right, Auggie.”

Auggie and I agree and he explains to me his plan to help Reese find a place to live.  It turns out that he already has one picked out for her.  There’s a cute apartment available just down the road.  He’s pretty sure he can get the landlord to give her a six-month lease.

“So Auggie, listen, while I have you here, can I ask you about Lucas?”

“Sure, Jepetto, what do you want to know?”

“Well, for starters, how well do you know him?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” he tells me.

“There’s something I can’t quite put my finger on.  I can’t explain it.  I just don’t trust him,” I explain.

“You’ve met him exactly two times, My Pet.  How could you possibly have formed that type of an opinion in such a short time?” he pushes back.  “I know you and Brandon got pretty close for a while there.  Are you sure you’re not comparing them?  They’re about as different as any two men could be, you know.”

“You’re right, Auggie.  I’m sorry.  Forget I said anything.”  I’ll try to keep an open mind, but I’ll certainly be keeping an open eye, too.

“All is forgiven.”  He stands, takes my hand, and brings me in for a tight embrace.  “Listen, I’ve got to run.  I want to be home when Reese gets up.” 

After Auggie leaves, I call Marcus.  I tell him I want to move quickly to find someone to help things in the kitchen.  Within an hour, Marcus calls back to let me know that I have an appointment to meet with someone from an agency called Hire a Hero Now.  Time to make some changes.

I
t’s nearly noon and Cheri, a volunteer from the Hire a Hero Now Program should be arriving any time now.  The restaurant is closed and I’ve given the staff the day off today.  Last night was very stressful, and they all did a great job of pulling together as a team and making it a success.

I select a table in the middle of the restaurant, take the chairs down, and set the table for three: Cheri, Marcus, and me.  In the center of the table, I place my beautiful flowers that Evan gave me last night.  The sentiment of good luck and protection are needed once again today.  I prepare a pitcher of sparking water with fresh lemon wedges, three glasses, and a plate of my homemade macaroons.  Just as I’m about to scrounge around for something salty, Marcus and Cheri come walking in the door.  Introductions are made and we quickly get down to business.

Cheri begins by asking if I know anything about her program.  Unfortunately, I do not, so she begins by telling us a little bit about what her group does. 

“At Hire a Hero Now, we provide personalized job search assistance to veterans and their spouses,” she explains.  “We also help veterans create effective resumes that translate their military experience into civilian terms in order to show employers the value they can bring to a company, and then prepare veterans for job interviews through training, tips, and mock interviews.”

“What kind of guarantees do you provide for the employer?” I ask.  I want to make sure that the person I hire is someone who can be trusted and has the right training for this particular job.

“We do everything we can to check on the veracity of the claims made by the applicant.  We do not do criminal checks or drug screening, but through our intake process, we put them through a battery of psychological testing to make sure they’re ready to make the transition back into the civilian workforce,” Cheri responds.  She explains to us how her program has an excellent track record of successfully placing veterans in civilian jobs.

Marcus tells Cheri what we’re looking for in an employee.  “We’re hoping to find someone with culinary experience who can help train an inexperienced staff.  We have a young crew with very little practical experience turning out a large number of meals all at the same time.  It’s a very specific skill set we’re looking for.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me it might take a while to find the right candidate for us.”

“Actually, we do have someone ready for work immediately,” she proudly counters.  “His name is Ryker Donovan, and he’s a former Food Service Specialist for the Army.  Ryker’s story is unique, but not unusual.”

Marcus and I learn a little about Ryker’s service.  He began his training at the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence in Fort Lee, Virginia.  He then worked for four years at the DFAC in Fort Drum, New York.  I discover that DFAC stands for Dining Facilities Administration Center, which replaces the old-fashioned mess halls. While there, he learned cooking techniques, sanitary food handling, menu planning and more.  He worked in the dining hall as well as the Officer’s Lounge.  Over the course of his four-year assignment, he quickly moved from line cook to head chef.  He even competed in an Iron Chef Competition in Fort Lee where his team placed third.

“Wow, it sounds like a perfect fit.  But be honest, with training like that, why isn’t he working right now?  What’s his story?” Marcus asks Cheri.

“Two years ago, he was deployed to a Forward Operating Base in Afghanistan.  His twelve-month deployment was nearly up when they took some serious fire.  During a mass explosion, Ryker was pretty severely burned.  He’s the only soldier from the mobile kitchen that survived the attack.  He went through some pretty painful skin graft surgeries on his legs and wasn’t physically or emotionally ready to return to the kitchen until recently,” she sadly explains.

“What’s he been doing lately?” I ask.  “Does he live locally or would he need to relocate?”

“That’s the best part.  He lives alone just a few miles away.  He lives in Brick, near his family,” she says.

“Do you know anything about his cooking skills?  Does he have a specialty?  We’re a dessert bar, but I’m looking for someone with experience serving lunch and dinner,” I tell her.

“Well, I know he spends a lot of time working with fresh fish.  He was stationed at Fort Drum, which is near Lake Ontario.  He worked with a lot of fresh bass and salmon,” she claims.  “He likes to work with local products and sustainable food.  Every morning he goes surf fishing in Point Pleasant for striped bass.  He’s been preparing meals and bringing them to a soup kitchen in Red Bank almost every day.”

The moment I hear surf fishing in Point Pleasant, my imagination goes into overdrive.  My mind immediately flashes to the fishermen I encounter every day on my morning runs.  Most of them are older, retired men.  There’s one specific fisherman that seems to fit the bill.  However, Point Pleasant has several miles of beach and it’s entirely possible that she’s describing a completely different person, someone I’ve never even seen before.  It’s not likely, but I have to admit it’s entirely possible.

“Cheri,” I ask, “can you describe him to me?  I live in Point Pleasant and I think I may have seen him around.”

“Um, sure.  He’s thirty years old, has wavy black hair.  Average build, pretty tall, almost six feet.  He’s got a tattoo sleeve on one arm.  Very introverted, quiet, and cautious.  He’s got a heart of gold and would be the first one to help someone in need.”  Well, this sure does sound an awful lot like my lonely surf fisherman.

I turn to Marcus, “Listen, I’m pretty sure I’ve run into this guy on the beach.  I have a good feeling.  I think we’re supposed to help him, Marcus.  What do you say?  The decision’s yours.”

Marcus thinks for a moment, and then cautiously responds, “Cheri, can you set up an interview for tomorrow?  I’d like to meet him and look him in the eye before I commit.”

Cheri agrees, they set up a tentative appointment for tomorrow, and Marcus shows her to the door.

“Jette, please don’t go getting ahead of yourself with this.  I know you think you know this guy, but trust me.  If he’s not in a good place, we can’t bring him in.  Let me make sure he’s ready.  If it feels right, I’ll be the first to offer him the job,” Marcus warns.

“Deal.”  I have a really good feeling about this.  I feel like the universe put him in my path for a reason and I think we’re about to find out why.  Maybe Ryker is my way of paying it forward, passing along my good fortune to someone in need.

B
y the time I return home, Evan’s already returned from practice.  I find him in the living room reading his playbook, freshly showered and enjoying a serenade from Phil Collins.  I join him on the couch, snuggling up to his protective and safe embrace.

Evan closes his playbook and allows me to find a special place under his arm.  I place one arm behind him and the other finds an opening under his t-shirt and rests on his tight abs.  I love the feel of his skin against mine.  He traces invisible circles on my shoulder with his thumb.  I close my eyes, inhale deeply, and enjoy the closeness with Evan that I never seem to get enough of.