Running Home to You (The Running Series)

by Sweeney, Suzanne

  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.

  It’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.
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  “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.

  By 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.

  “Juliette, is something wrong sweetheart?” Evan asks. “You seem a little blue.”

  “Oh, Evan. So much happened today. I don’t even know where to start,” I tell him. He listens raptly, giving me his undivided attention as I fill him in on all of today’s events, starting with Auggie and Reese, and ending with Marcus and Ryker. He assures me that I’m on the right track with Reese. He likes what Marcus is doing about our new hire. And he promises me that no matter what, he will be here to help and support me throughout it all.

  The only information I leave out is the fact that our potential employee is a regular beach-goer and someone I see on an almost daily basis. I’m afraid that if I tell him, he will insist that I wait to talk to him until someone can join me, either him or Marcus, and I don’t want to wait. I need to talk to the fisherman right away and Evan won’t understand. I make a silent promise to myself to bring Maddy on my run tomorrow, no matter what. She will be my canary in the coalmine, warning me of impending danger, if any exists.

  Once I’ve gotten out everything I need to discuss, Evan has a small bit of business he’d like to discuss, too. “Now, Juliette,” he begins, “I’m going to say something you’re not going to like, but please try to see it from my point of view before you react.”

  “How do you know I’m not going to like it?” I ask. He’s been unduly worried about some recent bad press, and I can’t help but wonder if there’s more.

  “It’s about Derek,” he says.

  That is the last thing I expected to hear him say. I was prepared for some earth-shattering news about his practice schedule, online gossip, or even his recovery and rehabilitation, but Derek? He’s right about one thing, though – I do get defensive where Derek’s concerned. But what could he possibly wish to discuss? “I’m listening,” I tell him.

  “I want you to keep your distance from him. I don’t like what I witnessed last night. He was all over you, Juliette. If you give him the slightest indication, I’m pretty sure he’d try to take advantage.” Shit. I didn’t realize Evan saw us yesterday. I have to get him to see it from where I stand.

  “Oh, Evan, you’re just being ridiculous. That’s just Derek. He’s a big flirt. He’s like that with Emmy, too,” I remind him. “Besides, when I’m behind the bar, it’s just an act we put on for the customers. It keeps them entertained. You know what it’s like to put on a persona for the public, right?”

  “Not the same, Juliette. That little exchange I witnessed last night wasn’t for anyone’s benefit but his. There were no customers at the bar. You and I both know it. The question is, what are you going to do about it?” Evan demands.

  “I’m not going to do anything about it, Evan. I’m sorry if what you saw made you uncomfortable, but you finally got a small taste of what I experience each and every time we go out together. How about the women who take pictures with you, kiss you, and try to get you to sign their tits?” I remind him.

  “Again, it’s not the same thing. I don’t have a history with any of those women. I don’t even know their names. You and Derek have a past. There are unresolved feelings and emotions that are boiling just beneath the surface. Don’t you see it?”

  “Are you saying you don’t trust me? Because that’s what it sounds like to me.” I don’t like what I’m hearing.

  “It’s nothing personal, Juliette, but I don’t trust any man when it comes to you. I know how men think. I would feel the same way if it were Adam or some stranger off the street. Either you tell him to back off, or I’ll make sure he does,” Evan warns.

  “I will do no such thing, Evan.” I pull away from him and slide to the opposite end of the couch. “You better get used to the fact that I have male friends. We’ve been locked up in this house together for weeks, and you haven’t seen me in my element for some time now. I like being behind the bar. I like joking around with my friends. That’s not going to change just because it makes you nervous and uncomfortable, Evan.”

  “I’m not going to fight with you, Juliette, I’m just giving you fair warning. I better not see that shit again. I mean it. Next time, it won’t be you, it will be Derek getting my take on the situation. And I don’t think he’ll be happy with my thoughts on the subject.”

  “Well, I’m warning you. If you try to get between me and my friends, we’re going to have a problem, chief. I love you with all my heart, but I won’t be ‘handled’ by anyone, you included.” I get up and leave the room. I need some time to myself.

  For weeks, everything has revolved around Evan and his recovery. Now, suddenly, he’s not in the spotlight and he doesn’t like it. For once, I’m getting attention from someone other than him, and he can’t handle it. This is something we’re going to have to work out quickly, because I intend to spend a lot of time with my friends at Rush.

  Chapter Seven

  Sing For Your Supper

  I wake before Evan’s alarm goes off. Most mornings we wake in a tangled mess, arms and legs endlessly entwined, but not today. Evan soundly sleeps on his side of the bed and I lie awake on mine. Our bed is large, but lying here like this makes it feel enormous, like an entir
e canyon separates us.

  As his alarm sounds, he quickly reaches over to silence it. I remain still, hoping to avoid him until later today. He is still upset about Derek and my refusal to respond to his demands. I don’t want to give him an opportunity to bring it up again, at least not right now. I also don’t want to tell him about my plans for this morning. I’ve never been a good liar, and I fear he’d read the deception clearly written across my face.

  I hear the shower running, and I’m relieved. I pretend to sleep as Evan moves quietly from the bathroom and into our walk-in-closet. He turns on the light and shuts the door so as not to disturb me. He emerges fully dressed, kisses me silently on the forehead, and then slips out of our room. Within a few minutes, I hear the garage door open and Evan’s gone for the day.

  I feel terribly guilty for keeping my plans from him, but I know he would never let me approach a stranger on the beach alone. This is something I feel very strongly about and I’m not sure why. I just know that the familiar stranger on the beach will be there today and I know he’s the one Rush needs right now. Women’s intuition is a real thing, and I intend to listen to mine.

  I spend the next two hours wandering around the house waiting for the sun to rise. Time seems to be standing still. It’s like watching and waiting for a pot of water to boil. After what feels like an eternity, it’s finally time to hit the beach. The sun’s up and the waves are crashing. Time to meet my new employee.

  Every morning, my new friend is in the same spot along the beach, about half a mile north of our home. I take Maddy’s leash and together we begin our run, anxious to see what awaits us both. The first song to queue on my playlist is “Safe and Sound” by Capital Cities. I’m going to take it as a sign that everything is happening exactly as it should.

  It’s encouraging to see the large number of fishermen out today. They seem to be here in droves this morning. The fish must really be biting. As I get closer to my mark, I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Sure enough, the spot is empty. Am I too late? Too early? I know I’m in the right spot. The only thing to do is to continue my jog and hope he appears on my return route.