Running Home to You (The Running Series)

by Sweeney, Suzanne

  One of the wives adds, “And definitely don’t go during the winter. Everything costs more because people are leaving the cold and snow to find warm weather. Spring’s the best.”

  I had no idea Callie had plans for Hawaii. “I didn’t know you were planning a trip. That’s so great,” I tell her.

  “The tickets were in the gift bag, Juliette. I’m surprised Evan didn’t tell you. I tried to give them back to him, but he wouldn’t take them,” she explains.

  “No way. They’re yours. You two deserve to go away on a romantic vacation. Don’t you have a big anniversary coming up?” I ask.

  Callie nods, “This February will be our ten year anniversary. Maybe we’ll go then. Football season will be over, maybe you and Evan can come, too.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” I turn to Camilla, “Speaking of wedding anniversaries, where are you going on your honeymoon?”

  Her entire face lights up when she talks about her upcoming wedding. The big day is in two months and the countdown has officially begun. Anthony and his fiancée Brianna are planning a wedding, too. The girls exchange ideas and phone numbers. While they discuss caterers and bands, I lean in closely for a private conversation with Carlo’s wife, Willow.

  “So Willow, I wondering about something. Does the trainer give Carlo any kind of special vitamins and minerals?” Maybe I can do a little digging for information.

  “Yeah, he does. Carlo takes B-Vitamins, Antioxidants, Calcium, Zinc and Iron. The trainer takes care of all of that. He tried to get me to take some, too, but I don’t think it’s necessary,” she explains.

  “Do all the guys take supplements?” I hate to wheedle information from a friend, but I don’t know any other way to get the information I need. I still want to know who is responsible for feeding Evan steroids.

  “Oh, yeah. It’s pretty common. Carlo’s been taking them for as long as I’ve known him.” Willow is very open with her answers. I don’t think she suspects anything out of the ordinary.

  “Can’t some B-Vitamins cause a false positive on drug screening? Evan is so cautious about taking anything that could affect his drug tests. He won’t even eat a bagel or a roll if it has poppy seeds. He heard it can show up as an opiate, so now he avoids anything with poppy seeds in it at all.”

  “Gee, I don’t know. Carlo never said anything about it. He gets tested a lot, too. As far as I know, he’s never had a false positive. I’ll have to mention it to him.”

  “Oh, I don’t think it’s necessary. Why give him one more thing to worry about? Evan does enough worrying for all of them.” I lean in a little closer and whisper, “I think he’s a little obsessive about his health, especially after his injury. Don’t say anything. Okay?”

  Willow tilts her head to the side and nods sympathetically, “Oh, Juliette, Evan’s doing so well, sometimes I forget how bad his injury was. Don’t worry, I won’t say a thing.”

  Well, that was a mixed bag. Now I know that the trainer routinely gives vitamins to all the players, so there is ample opportunity for him to slip in something that shouldn’t be there. But on the other hand, the players all seem to trust him.

  Troy’s wife, Delaney, moves her chair closer to us and joins the conversation. “Listen, girls. I don’t want to ruin the night, but I’m pretty sure there’s a bunch of photographers out there waiting on the sidewalk. Do you think we should tell the guys?” she asks, tilting her chin towards the large picture window in the front of the restaurant.

  “No, just ignore them. It happens a lot when Evan goes out in public. I’m starting to get used to it,” I tell them.

  “Well, you’re stronger than me,” Delaney admits. “Evan’s in the news a lot. I’m not even sure if the press knows how to spell Troy’s name,” she snorts. “If that’s not bad enough, Evan also has women all over him, following him around. I don’t know how you deal with it.”

  “I have my moments, but basically it comes down to trust. We’ve been through a lot together and I learned to have faith in him.”

  I scan the room, looking for Evan, and of the corner of my eye, I notice Derek setting up a row of shots along the bar for Evan and his buddies. The bar was supposed to stay open for paying guests, but that plan has long gone out the window. “If they keep that up, they’re going to get wasted.” Callie notices the same thing I do.

  I turn to Jocelyn, Xander’s girlfriend and ask, “I hope you two aren’t driving home tonight.” I don’t know where they live, but I know it’s nowhere nearby.

  “Oh, no. We’re staying just around the corner at the Berkeley. Our cars are there. Adam arranged for car service back and forth from the hotel to here.”

  “Wow. Adam really does think of everything, doesn’t he?”

  “He does. We’ve had player’s liaisons before, but none as good as Adam. He’s helped us find drivers, make dinner reservations, and even hook us up with doctors who make house calls.”

  “House calls? Really. I didn’t think they did that anymore.”

  “Me either. A few weeks ago, Xander got really sick, but he didn’t want the coach to know. He was coughing so hard, I thought he was going to cough up a lung. But he kept going to practice every day. I told him if he didn’t slow down, he was going to get pneumonia. Adam found someone to come to the house and prescribe something that would clear up his lungs in about three days. And it worked, too. Xander’s never missed a practice, yet.”

  “That’s great. Do you know what he prescribed?” I ask.

  “Yeah, it was something like Prednocone or Rednizone or something like that.”

  “Was it Prednisone?” Jocelyn nods her head. “That’s a steroid, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, and Xander was worried about that. Adam told him not to worry about the random blood testing. Lucky for him, Adam was right, and he still hasn’t been tested. But just to be safe, he keeps a copy of the prescription so he has documentation. I don’t think I’m supposed to talk about it, so please don’t tell Evan.”

  “Don’t worry, Jocelyn,” I tell her. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  I’m startled when a pair of strong arms wrap around my middle and a familiar voice whispers in my ear, “So, what kind of secrets are we discussing, may I ask.”

  It’s Evan and he’s in a playful mood. “Jocelyn and I were just talking about what a great job Adam’s doing. I was just about to go check on the food. It looks like you and your friends need something in your stomach besides alcohol.”

  Evan sweeps the hair off my neck and trails sweet kisses under my ear, giving me goose bumps. “Don’t be long,” he hums in my ear, teasing my earlobe with a playful flick of his tongue. I peel myself away from him and head straight for the kitchen, leaving Evan to entertain our female guests.

  I take a deep breath before entering the kitchen. Did Jocelyn just confess to me that Adam helped them acquire steroids and avoid drug testing or am I reading too much between the lines? I do my best to brush the thoughts from my mind, at least for now.

  I look around and see and it’s fully staffed, running like a well-oiled machine. Reese has line cooks at every station and it looks like our food is ready. “Hey, Reese. Can I give you a hand?”

  “Yeah, can you go get the waitresses to bring out the food? We’re serving buffet style. Marcus set up a few tables in the back corner. He said he couldn’t get anyone to sit down long enough to eat, so we improvised. I hope you don’t mind.” On one of the prep tables are serving dishes filled with Panini sandwiches, fried chicken sandwiches served on homemade waffles, and a variety of focaccia pizzas. She’s really outdone herself.

  “No, I don’t mind at all. I’ll go get the wait staff to set this all up. Meanwhile, you go clean yourself up and get your ass out here and join us. The line cooks can handle the few customers we have left.” Reese looks down at her filthy uniform and begins to shake her head.

  “I can’t go out there like this, I’m a mess!” She grumbles. “My hair is a disaster and just look at me.”

  “G
o in my office and get a clean staff shirt. I have makeup in my purse that’s locked in my desk. I’ll pull it all out for you. Put your hair up in a bun, and shut up already. I’m not arguing with you. Got it?”

  “Okay, once everything’s out of the kitchen, I’ll get ready.” Reese is making the final checks on the food before it goes out. “Thanks, Jette. You’re a good friend.”

  Marcus and I make quick work of getting the food out to our guests. Evan and I walk around, making sure everyone has plenty of food and drink. Once we’re satisfied that our guests are well taken care of, we fix ourselves a plate and find a small empty table away from the fray.

  Evan sits right next to me and pulls my chair close to his. “I told you all I wanted was a nice quiet dinner with just the two of us, and damn it, that’s what we’re going to have.” He places one hand on my knee and begins to eat with the other.

  “I give it five minutes before someone finds us. You’re the man of the hour. You don’t really expect everyone to leave you alone for that long?” I run my fingers up and down the hand he now has resting on my thigh.

  With a smirk on his face he confesses, “I told them all to give me ten minutes alone with you. We should have at least that long.” Evan gives me a sweet kiss. “Did I give you a proper thank you for all of this? I still can’t believe you did it.”

  “Yes, you did,” I tell him. “Eat your dinner before it gets cold. You can thank me again later when we get home.”

  He stares at me with a serious look on his face. “Oh, I’m going to thank you over and over again.” Evan hasn’t taken his eyes off me. I put down my fork, get up from my chair and sit on his lap, straddling him. He puts his hands on my hips and I nuzzle up to him. I close my eyes and inhale his manly scent. “I love you, Juliette. Every day, I love you more.”

  “I love you, too. And I’m so proud of you.” I look at his beautiful, perfect mouth, and then press my lips against his.

  “Congratulations, Evan!” Emmy shouts. “I didn’t get to talk to you all night, but I wanted to come by and tell you how excited I am for you.”

  Emmy has such a sweet look on her face. She is genuinely happy for Evan. I slide back onto my chair to give Evan a chance to talk to her. Evan stands up and leans down to give her a hug. “Thanks, Emmy.” She looks so tiny in his arms, it’s almost comical.

  “I’m sorry. You two were ... eating dinner. I should leave you alone. It’s just that you always have so many people around you, I didn’t know if I would get another chance to tell you. That’s all.” Emmy turns and walks away, waving her hand in the air as she hurries over to Adam.

  While Evan and I finish our dinner, we chat and talk about our night. “So, Callie told me about the tickets to Hawaii. Giving her all those gifts was pretty amazing. She’s going to use the tickets to celebrate her tenth anniversary in February.”

  “Just to be clear, I didn’t know at the time how things were going to turn out between the two of us and I didn’t want the tickets to go to waste.” He looks at me with a touch of sadness and regret. “When the season’s over, I’m taking you away. So start thinking about where you want to go, Running Girl.”

  “Someplace far away that no one will find us.”

  Evan smiles and nods his head, “Sounds great to me.”

  He takes me by the hand and leads me back to the bar where we rejoin our friends. By now, everyone is mingling together, laughing, and having fun. Reese comes out from the back at the same time, looking amazing. She picked a t-shirt that’s just a hint too small for her, so it shows off her cute little figure. Her beautiful bronze hair is arranged in a messy knot at the base of her long neck. She quickly gets the attention of all the men in the room.

  Evan takes Reese around and introduces her to our guests. Shaun’s eyes light up when Evan introduces them. He offers Reese his chair and orders her a Red Zone. Derek does not look happy at all as he makes the drink and hands it to her. “Let me know if you need anything else,” he tells her, leaving his hands on her glass just long enough that their hands touch when she reaches for her drink.

  I turn to ask Evan if he just witnessed the same thing, and when I do, I’m shocked by what I see. Standing near the door talking to Emmy with a drink in hand is Ryker.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  No Strings Attached

  I can’t imagine what Ryker is doing here. Emmy is showing off her new tattoo, courtesy of Ryker’s artistic interpretation, but that can’t be the reason why he’s here. Emmy may be a hopeless optimist, but even she wouldn’t dare invite him here tonight.

  When Evan sees the pained expression on my face, he turns to see what I’m staring at, and his jaw drops. “What the fuck is he doing here?” Evan growls.

  The expression on Ryker’s face quickly changes when he sees Evan. The hostility between the two is unmistakable.

  “No idea,” I tell him truthfully. “We are open to the public, you know. Maybe he just came in for a drink. He knows the staff’s schedules. I’m not usually here right now. We’re supposed to be out to dinner, remember? I’m guessing he came by to see Emmy and Reese.”

  Evan scowls at me, not satisfied by my answers. “Well, I don’t like it.”

  Before either one of us can do anything about it, Ryker spots us sitting at the bar, and makes a beeline directly for us. He puts out his hand. “Congratulations, Evan,” he offers.

  “Thanks,” Evan responds curtly.

  “I just stopped by to check on my girls.” There’s something confrontational about the way he said my girls. I hope he doesn’t include me as a part of that guild. “Listen, Jette, I was wondering if I could talk to you? It will only take a minute.” Ryker steps away towards the kitchen and he obviously wants me to follow him.

  I turn to Evan, “I’ll be right back. If I’m not out in five, come get me.” I can tell by the look on his face that he doesn’t want me to go. “Don’t worry. Trust me. I love you.”

  “I do trust you. It’s him I don’t trust. You have exactly four minutes. Go.” Evan looks down at his watch and I know he means what he says. If looks could kill, Ryker would be ten feet under by now.

  “Ryker, what can I do for you, tonight? It’s a little busy out there, you know.” I do my best to let him know that he only has my attention for a limited amount of time.

  “Big Mac has you on a pretty short leash, I see,” he says sarcastically.

  “No, not really. Don’t confuse caring for controlling,” I correct him. “Why do you feel like you need to say things like that?”

  “You’re right. That’s not why I wanted to talk to you.”

  “Good. What’s up?”

  “I didn’t get to see you after that night at the bar last week and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I’ve been worried, that’s all.” There is real concern in his eyes.

  “Well, there’s no need to worry. Everything is fine.” He looks at me sideways, raising his eyebrow and smirking. “Seriously,” I tell him.

  “That’s good to hear.” He chuckles sarcastically, but at least he got the hint.

  “Is there anything else you wanted? I have a busy party to get back to.”

  “Well, I was wondering how the business is going. Is Reese using all the techniques I taught her for keeping the kitchen running smoothly? There’s a pretty big crowd out there tonight.”

  “She’s doing an excellent job, actually. I’m glad I have this chance to thank you. You really worked a miracle in here. Our ticket time is down to fifteen minutes. The customers are happy and the staff is, too. Thank you for all you’ve done.”

  “You’re so very welcome. I’m glad to have been of service, ma’am.” He grins. “If you’re ever in need of assistance, I hope you’ll call me.”

  “Thank you, again, Ryker, but I’m sure we’ll be just fine. And by the way, thank you for stopping by Evan’s and returning my sweater. Where did you say you found it?”

  “You dropped it in the parking lot at work. I thought you’d want it
back. Besides, I was curious about that big old beach house you all keep talking about.” He pops a few bits of chocolate in his mouth, eying my reaction.

  “Funny, Evan said you found it at the bar.”

  “He’s confused. I said I found it the other night, that’s all.” He says it with such conviction, I almost believe him. “How have the female customers been? Have there been any more non-paying customers loitering around?” he asks, genuinely concerned.

  “No, it was just that one time. It’s not a regular occurrence. It usually happens the day after Evan’s been in the news and it only lasts a day. The locals are pretty good. They leave him alone. It’s mostly the Benny’s that are a hassle.”

  “Benny?” he asks. I forgot he’s not originally from here.

  “Yeah, Benny. Have you seen the Benny Go Home bumper stickers?” He nods. “Well, Benny stands for people from Bayonne, Elizabeth, Newark, and New York. Basically, the tourists who come down here just to cause trouble.”

  “Well, I’m not from the shore. Does that make me a Benny?” Ryker asks.

  “That all depends on where you grew up,” I explain.

  “Well, I grew up in Pennsylvania, near the Poconos. It’s a great spot for romantic getaways, you know.”

  “Nope, sorry, you don’t qualify.” He’s making me feel uncomfortable, so I try to change the subject. “So let me ask, are you here to see anyone in particular tonight?” I ask, wondering if he’s really here for Reese or Natalie.

  “No, just checking in on my crew. Making sure they didn’t forget everything I taught them,” he says as his eyes scan around the kitchen.

  “I know you and Reese were getting pretty tight. I thought maybe ...”

  “Nope. Not my type. Besides, there’s someone else,” he says, looking directly at me.

  “That’s great, Ryker. I didn’t know you had a girlfriend,” I tell him, genuinely happy to hear it.

  “I don’t. She’s with someone else right now. But it won’t last. I just hope he doesn’t break her heart too badly.”