“I pay half the rent, so I’m staying no matter whose side I’m on.” Jill considered the impulse buy Olivia held up in front of her. “You can have that shirt if you want. That color looks awful on me.”
Olivia’s blue eyes sparkled in delight as if Jill had offered her a diamond. “Really?”
Jill shrugged. She may as well let Olivia have the shirt she’d never wear instead of finding it in Olivia’s closet later on. “It’s all yours.”
Olivia gave her a quick hug and sprinted down the hall to try it on.
Bobbie got to her feet and stepped in front of her daughter. “Well, sweet girl, I guess I’d better head home.”
“Thanks for your help today, Mom.” Her mother’s embrace held everything Jill loved about home, including the unmistakable smell of Shalimar perfume. “I couldn’t have lugged all this stuff by myself.”
“I hate that I won’t see you everyday like before, even though I’m glad you’ve recovered so well. I liked having you at home. Your dad and your brother are so…well, they’re men.”
“I’ll miss you, too, Mom, but I need to be on my own. I’m only thirty minutes away.”
“I know, sweetie. I guess I didn’t realize how much I missed you until you came back home.”
“I’ll be at Sunday dinner like always.”
“You’d better be. And bring Olivia some time. I like that girl, even if your dad thinks she’s wild.”
Jill let loose a roaring laugh. “She’d love that. Wild Olivia Golden.”
“I think it’s just an act,” Bobbie whispered to Jill.
“You’re mostly right, Mom.”
“Mostly?” Bobbie’s lashes fluttered. “Should I be worried about you?”
“Me?” Jill snorted. “Between workouts and work, I don’t have time to even think about being wild.”
Bobbie picked up her clutch, but stopped at the doorway with her hand on the doorknob. When she turned around, the corners of her mouth were turned down. “Jill, I’m proud of the way you’ve come back from your injury. Your dad and I both are, but there’s more to life than running. Do yourself a favor and make some time to be wild.”
When Jill’s mouth hung open and the words she tried to form died on her tongue, her mother said, “You’re young, you’re healthy, and you deserve to have some fun every now and again. If you get the chance to do something different, something exciting, don’t turn your back on it just because you don’t have time.”
“Okay,” Jill finally managed as the door gently closed.
Olivia came out from her room and modeled the shirt Jill had given her. “I love it. Thanks, Jill.”
Jill nodded, but couldn’t think of anything but what her mother had just said.
“What’s wrong?” Olivia asked. “You look funny.”
Jill shook her head and smiled at Olivia when she plopped on the couch next to her. “My mom just said the strangest thing.”
“What?”
“I think she wants me to be more like you.”
Olivia barked out a laugh. “Ha! I knew I liked your mom, but what does that mean, exactly?”
“She wants me to make time to do something crazy.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. But she said I shouldn’t ignore an opportunity to have fun just because of my schedule.”
“Sounds like great advice to me. I’ve never known anyone who works as hard as you who doesn’t ever do anything for fun.”
“Running is fun.” Or at least it used to be. “I enjoy it, or I wouldn’t spend every day training.”
“I know. I love rafting, but I still manage to squeeze in some fun.”
Jill lifted her brows at her gorgeous roommate. “You manage to more than squeeze in some fun. You’re a walking party.”
“Hey, I’m always on time for work, I’m going to graduate eventually, and I know how to have fun. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing, according to Bobbie Jennings.” Jill looked down at her hands, wrapped tightly together in her lap. She let go and flexed her fingers, willing herself to relax. “I think I’ve forgotten how to have fun.”
Olivia wrapped her arm around Jill’s shoulders and squeezed. “That’s what I’m here for. You just sit back and let me show you how it’s done.”
Chapter 7
Ty pulled up in front of the cabin he’d rented last summer and eased out of the driver’s seat. After two days in the car, the sight of the cottage in the woods brought as much relief as the cool mountain air on his face. He’d enjoyed the drive. It wasn’t often a man got to be alone with his thoughts through six states and countless interstate miles. When he drove out last summer, he’d been in awe of the changing landscape and the beauty of his country. This time, his mind was full of Jill.
He knew he’d gambled quite a bit on instinct and an undeniable attraction. He felt pulls of lust and licks of sexual compatibility from other women in his life. He hadn’t lived to be twenty-four in a vacuum. He’d never pigeon holed a type of woman as his ideal, for just as soon as he decided he preferred brunettes over blondes, a flaxen haired beauty would catch his eye and blow his theories to smithereens. So he enjoyed them all. Tall and thin. Short and curvy. Boisterous. Loud. Quiet. Shy. There wasn’t a category of woman he’d yet to consider not his type.
So how had Jill Jennings, who’d largely ignored him for the better part of the months they spent in each other’s space, managed to slither into his blood? How did she give him the kind of tunnel vision that made all others pale in comparison for almost a year? Had he, by making her seem just outside of his grasp, made her out to be more than she was—a flesh and blood human who might not live up to his image of her?
He’d pondered those questions on his drive, the answers to which he felt eager to seek, but not before using the bathroom and getting settled. He found the key under the empty planter right where the landlord said he’d leave it and let himself into his home for the next three months.
The wood paneled walls held the same decorations as last summer: a mounted mule deer, a series of Indian arrowheads artlessly arranged in a display box along the hallway, and an oil painting of a snow covered mountaintop that Ty found strangely appealing above the leather couch. He flung the keys into the empty basket by the door as if he’d never left.
Unpacking took no time at all considering he didn’t have to think about where things went. He dumped his suitcases on the queen-sized iron bed, stored his fishing gear in the extra bedroom, and set the meager box of kitchen supplies on the small counter. He needed groceries, but knew better than to go to the store on an empty stomach. A quick stop at The Golden Tap would kill several birds with one stone, including his main mission: information about Jill.
He didn’t see her at the bar, but if she had resumed her job at the restaurant, her shift would have ended a few hours ago. He did spot Shane Richards, one of Tommy’s fishing guides, sitting at his favorite spot at the bar next to local cattle rustlers he knew only as Eddie and Cody.
“Well, if it isn’t the east coast pretty boy.” Shane smirked when he saw Ty wedge himself onto the stool next to him. “I heard you were coming back to work for Tommy.”
Ty had to force himself not to rub his shoulder where Shane had slapped him in greeting. As with all fisherman, his arm strength was astounding, especially considering his slight frame. “I couldn’t spend the summer without you, Shane.”
“I thought you were going to work the North Platte this year,” Eddie chimed in from the other side of Shane. His brown hair looked as if it hadn’t been washed in days and the chaps he wore were coated in dirt.
“I changed my mind.”
“It’s just like old times around here,” Cody piped up from Eddie’s right. He took a long sip from the dark beer he was famous for drinking like water. “Everybody’s back.”
“Who’s everybody?” Ty asked as he perused the menu. Not much had changed as far as he could tell.
“Jill’s back on the lunc
h shift,” Shane said. “Tommy hasn’t had reliable service since she broke her leg and left.”
“She’s back?” Ty set the menu aside, his hunger forgotten. “Recently?”
“Just yesterday. Looks good as new.” Eddie slurped his Coke from a straw. “She doesn’t have a limp or anything. My friend, Billy, he broke his leg two years ago and he still walks with a limp.”
Shane slapped Eddie on the head. “Do you seriously think Jill got the same medical care as your back woods drifter? Her dad’s a big wig at the college.”
“What’s she been up to?” Ty asked after ordering a beer from the bartender. He didn’t want the three of them to get off the subject of Jill.
“The runner?” Shane asked and slapped Ty on the shoulder again. “You always did have a thing for her. I gotta tell you, man, you’re barking up the wrong tree with that one. She’s laser focused on running.”
“I didn’t ask for your assessment of my chances. I asked about her.”
“She’s doing better. Out of the brace. She spent the winter in rehab.” He shrugged and tossed the shaggy hair from his eyes in a move so routine, he probably didn’t realize he’d done it. “She’s back training and back here, which you now know.”
“Yeah.”
“She hasn’t changed enough for you to work your magic,” Shane added. “I’ve never seen a woman so immune to my charm.” He looked up with a twinkle in his baby blue eyes that led the girls to him in droves. “You don’t have a chance in hell.”
“Good thing I’m not in hell,” Ty countered with a lift of his arms. “Most folks call this paradise.”
“This ought to be entertaining.” He leaned his elbows on the bar and shouted to the men at his left. “Hey, guys? You wanna place odds on Ty here hooking up with Jill?”
“You and Jill?” Eddie asked and scratched his jaw.
Cody pursed his lips. “The ice queen?”
“Who?” asked a guy Ty didn’t recognize at the table behind them.
“Olivia’s roommate,” Eddie answered. When the guy continued to look at him with a blank stare, Eddie said, “The lunch waitress.” Eddie turned to Ty. “I’ll give you 20 to one.”
Ty took a sip of the beer and smiled. “Ye of little faith.”
“We’ve got faith,” Shane said. “And I hope you do, too. You’re going to need some divine intervention. That girl’s got one thing and one thing only on her mind, and it isn’t a North Carolina pretty boy.”
“I don’t need divine intervention,” Ty said with a lift of his glass. “All I need is time and the Bloodworth charm. I’ve got plenty of both.”
***
Olivia squealed Jill’s name as soon as she entered the apartment. Jill had just gotten out of the shower and came running into the hallway wearing only a towel and dripping water. “What’s wrong?” Jill asked.
“I’ve got news!” She flung her messenger bag off her shoulder and onto the floor before grabbing Jill by the shoulders. “You’ll never guess who’s back in town.”
Jill’s mind went blank. Who in the world would elicit that kind of reaction from her overconfident roommate? “I give up.”
“I’ll give you a hint.” She let go of Jill to tick clues off on her fingers. “He’s a gorgeous fisherman, and he’s asking about you already.”
The muscles in Jill’s body that were so fatigued from her run suddenly tingled with excitement. “Tyler? He’s back?”
“I haven’t seen him, but Rob talked to Cody and he’s back.”
“Who’s Rob?” Jill asked.
“He works at the raft shop. He overheard Shane talking to Tommy about how Ty was at The Golden Tap earlier asking how you were and making bets on him hooking up with you this summer.”
“He’s making bets? About hooking up with me?”
Olivia grabbed Jill’s shoulders again and gave her a quick shake. “Focus, please. The hottest guy to hit the Lower Fork in over a decade is back and what’s the first thing he does? Goes into town for information about you.” She rubbed her hot pink nail polish along the sleeve of her bright yellow swim shirt and wiggled her fingers. “I think we’ve found your fun.”
“Why would he make bets on hooking up with me?”
“Who cares?” Olivia asked as she pushed Jill down the hallway and into her room. Olivia bounced on her bed as if she’d come straight from middle school with a love note in her pocket. “I used every trick in my well stocked arsenal to get his attention last summer and he never took the bait. He only had eyes for you. Strange how he never made a move,” she pondered while staring at the ceiling, “but, nonetheless, he’s back and this time, you’re going to be ready.”
“He had a girlfriend last summer,” Jill mumbled. “Wait!” Her stomach rolled at the excited glimmer in Olivia’s eyes. “Ready for what?”
“Ready for anything.” At Jill’s scowl, Olivia said, “Remember what your mom said, Jill. You can’t ignore the chance to have fun. And, sweetheart, I’d bet all the Olympic gold in the world that man knows how to have fun.”
Chapter 8
Jill would bet Tyler Bloodworth knew how to have fun. What she didn’t know was why on earth he’d make bets about hooking up with her. There were so many things about what Olivia told her that sat unsettled in her chest, she found herself unable to regulate her breathing and struggled to keep pace on her short warm up run around the college track. It didn’t take her father long to notice.
“Pick up the pace a little, Jill,” he called from the starting mark. She lengthened her stride and focused on exhaling. She’d been excited to get out of the gym and the pool and get onto the track. It was the first step toward running on the roads, where she could think and reconnect with everything she loved about the sport, but so far, every step felt like drudgery.
“You look a little sluggish out there. Is your leg feeling okay?” her father asked after looking up from his stopwatch.
“My leg’s fine.” She took a sip of water from the bottle she’d brought with her this morning. “I thought you said I’d do some road work today.”
“You can. I want you to take the Harper trail and loop around by the hospital twice. I’ll be behind you in the van.”
“Why?”
“Why?” he asked. “On your first run after a major leg break? I can’t believe you have to ask.”
“Don’t you have a class to teach or something? I thought you were working this summer.”
“I am working this summer, but not during our training hours. I’ve got a class this afternoon.” He quickly zipped up the gold windbreaker as a gust of wind slapped him in the face. “You’re impatient enough to push too hard. I don’t want you running without me, at least not for a week or two.”
Jill had to bite her tongue to keep from suggesting he attach a leash and run alongside her. Knowing her father, he’d probably consider her suggestion an option.
“I think one week is enough. You must have better things to do than to follow me in the van.”
“You’re my daughter and, for now, my only coaching client. I don’t have any problem trailing you. Besides, I don’t like the idea of you running alone. I’m going to put some feelers out and find you a running partner.”
“I don’t want a running partner.”
“Tough. You need one. You know it’s not safe to run alone, unless you want me trailing you day and night.”
“Fine, but I get a say in who you choose. I don’t want to spend a huge chunk of my day with some dork.”
“You’ll spend your day running with whomever I can find to match your pace and schedule.”
“I’ll ask Lyle,” Jill suggested as she stretched her quad muscle. “He’s writing now, so his schedule is flexible.”
“You’re an elite athlete, Jill. Lyle isn’t even training anymore.”
“He was one of your top runners.”
“That was two years ago. I’ve got to find someone of your caliber.” He rubbed his forehead. “Our pool of options is the size
of a puddle.”
Jill stretched out her calf muscle in an attempt to end the conversation. These days, she and her dad couldn’t say two words to each other without ending up in an argument. “I’m getting stiff standing here talking. I’m going to go.”
“I’ll find you along the route. Be careful, Jill. Don’t push too hard your first time out.”
She turned and walked away without a word. She picked up her pace as she weeded through the parking lot, past the intramural fields, and out onto the street that would lead her toward the Harper Ranch. It was a short loop, only two miles back and forth, but she’d always enjoyed running through the small college town and out to where the Harpers’ nervous cows grazed along the wire fence. She normally ran well beyond the property, but she understood she had to take it slow.
Jill tried to settle into her run and find the calm that usually took over her mind during these moments of solitude. She hadn’t experienced the kind of freedom she only ever found while training in months. Her muscles began to warm along the residential street, the crunching of the road underfoot sounded sweeter than her favorite country song, and she lengthened her stride as the houses started to thin. She tried to focus on leveling out her breathing, but the air kept clogging in her chest despite her best efforts.
The sound of the van in the distance seemed to snatch all the oxygen from her lungs. The peace she’d been searching for that was just out of reach took a nose dive to the bottom of nowhere. Abruptly, she stopped mid-stride and leaned over to clutch her knees, gasping for air.
“It’s too soon,” her father said after jerking the van into park and exiting the vehicle. “Damn it, I should have kept you on the track.”
“No,” Jill huffed, sucking in air as fast as she could. “My leg’s okay. I’m just…I…” She stood up and moved her hands to her hips. When she met her father’s eyes, the wariness in them almost stopped the words from leaping off her tongue. Almost. “I can’t do this anymore.”
“Jill.” He grabbed her arm and led her to the side of the van, yanking open the door and shoving a bottle of water in her hand. “Take a couple of sips and get your breath back. You’re good; we just need to take it slower.”
Mending the Line Page 4