Summer on Main Street

by Crista McHugh

  ***

  “Is he gone?” Beth poked her head around the corner.

  Tara looked up from where she stood behind the front desk, typing something onto the keyboard. “I thought you left.”

  Beth shook her head. “I ducked into the meditation room.”

  “Oh, that’s right. I forgot we were still in eighth grade.” Tara rolled her eyes and got back to typing.

  “Shut up. I didn’t expect to see Jack here.”

  “He’s going to wake up with a killer stiff neck tomorrow.”

  “Why? You didn’t make him do some funky pose that hurt him, did you?”

  Tara cocked her head, as if thinking about the idea, and grinned. “Of course not. No matter what position we were in, he kept craning his neck around to check you out.”

  “Really?” She hoped Tara didn’t hear the sudden giddiness in her voice.

  The oh please look on Tara’s face told Beth she had.

  Beth cleared her throat. “I can’t believe he came to your class.”

  “The team trainer sent him. He’s recommending two, three classes a week when they’re in town.”

  “I mean, what are the chances that the first time I get to your yoga class in weeks is the same time that Jack decides to—”

  The bells on the door jangled and Susie rushed in, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “So?”

  “There’s your answer right there, I think,” Tara deadpanned.

  Beth was confused. “What?”

  “So... how was class?” Susie raised and lifted her eyebrows a few times in quick succession.

  “What? Wait. You did that?”

  Susie shrugged and grinned.

  “How could you have possibly known that he—” She narrowed her eyes. “You saw him on the sidewalk when you were in the display case, didn’t you?”

  Susie just shrugged and grinned.

  “You saw him going into the studio.” Beth wagged her finger. “That’s why you were suddenly so adamant about me going to yoga.”

  Susie and Tara high-fived.

  “Wait,” Beth said, looking back and forth between them, her gaze staying on Tara. “You were in on this, too, Miss I-Hate-Romance?”

  Tara grinned. “Oh, hell no. I’m just proud of Sooz for tricking you like that. She’s usually not so devious. There’s hope for her yet.”

  Beth made a frustrated sound through her teeth. “This isn’t good. I can’t get involved with him like that.”

  “Why not?” Susie asked. “You guys had so much fun together before.”

  “Yeah, and we both know how that turned out.”

  “You were both young and stupid back then.”

  “Well, now we’re older and apparently still stupid because we—” She blushed, unable to put her thoughts about Jack into words.

  “Because you still want to jump each other’s bones.” That from Tara.

  “No, because they still like each other.” That from Susie.

  “You’re over-thinking this, Beth,” Tara said, straightening out the stack of rolled yoga mats in the cubbies. “He’s only here for another few weeks, right?”

  “That’s his plan.”

  “So it’s not like he is thinking long term, right?”

  “Jack doesn’t do long term.”

  “If you can deal with that, then what’s the harm in just having a good time with him while he’s here? You’re both consenting adults.”

  Susie nodded. “That’s what I told her.”

  “He was looking at her ass the whole time in class,” Tara told Susie.

  “Really?” Susie sounded delighted. “That’s so sweet.”

  “So typical of a man,” Tara said.

  “He likes her.”

  “He just wants in her pants.”

  “She should find a boyfriend.”

  “She just needs to get laid.”

  “Um, hello.” Beth waved her hands in the air. “I’m standing right here.” She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to look mad.

  “She needs to get her own place,” Susie said.

  “Yeah, one that’s not right next to her mother-in-law.”

  “Ex-mother-in-law,” Susie corrected.

  “Whatever.”

  Beth pressed her hands against her temples and shook her head. “Gah! You guys are driving me crazy!”

  Susie and Tara looked at each other, grinned, then broke out in unison, “Jack and Beth, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes—”

  “Stop.”

  “...love. Then comes marriage. Then—”

  Beth clamped her hands over both their mouths, shutting them up. “Shut. Up.” She held her hands in place, raising her eyebrows as she stared at her sisters. “Enough. Okay?”

  They both nodded. She dropped her hands.

  “...comes baby in a baby carriage!” they rushed out in perfect unison.

  “I hate you both.”

  Chapter Ten

  A light rain pelted Jack as he ran along the Centennial Trail. Raindrops beat against the bill of his cap, and pinged against the shoulders of his nylon jacket, his feet slapping up water with every footfall.

  He’d forgotten how much it rained in the Puget Sound area. If he planned to keep running outside while he played in Twin Rivers, he should probably buy some waterproof gear. But eyeing the other runners he passed, nobody wore waterproof gear. People just got wet. The mark of a Washington native, he supposed with a smirk.

  He lowered his ball cap further over his eyes when the rain increased. His knee ached a bit, but he kept up his pace. It hurt whether he jogged or sprinted, so he might as well push himself. After Monday’s yoga class, his knee had hurt a bit more than normal. Casey said that was to be expected, and ordered him to go back again yesterday. He probably should have gone to class this morning, too, but he’d decided to run instead, hoping he’d run into Beth because she’d ignored his last couple of texts.

  A woman ran ahead of him about thirty yards. Squinting through the slanting rain, he thought it might be Beth. As he got closer, he recognized her easy, long stride and the nice, high shape of her bottom. Jack slowed his pace for a few yards to enjoy the view. He was such a jerk, but it was a great view. He loved the little sweat stain on her lower back. His mouth ached to nudge down her running tights, expose her tattoo, and kiss her right there.

  His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, remembering how her curves felt in his hands. It had been seven years ago, but he could still pull up vivid images in his head. God, he’d been so clumsy back then, both of them relatively inexperienced and fumbly. Yet, the chemistry between them had sizzled.

  He knew it would sizzle again now. And she’d feel even better in his hands as her body had filled out with more womanly curves. Shit. He wanted her now more than he had seven years ago. The sex had been great back then. It would be even better now that they both knew what they were doing.

  “Hey,” he said as he caught up to her. “You really shouldn’t run at the same time and the same place every day. There are a lot of nut jobs out there who might notice such a thing.”

  Her jaw tightened and she barely glanced his way. “Like you?” She kicked up her pace a notch. “Is this a coincidence that you just happen to be running at the same time and same route as me, or should I consider you one of those nut jobs?” Her voice was breathless and raspy, and sexy as all get out.

  He laughed and kept pace with her. She sped up. So did he.

  “Susie told me you were out here.”

  Her lips thinned. “I’ll have to thank her for that later.”

  “You won’t answer my texts so I had to resort to stalking.”

  “Should you be running so fast with your knee?” She shot him a quick glance.

  “It’s not so fast.”

  She shot him a dirty look, and kicked the pace up another notch. So did he.

  “I can’t imagine this is good for your rehab.” Her words sounded more sarcastic than concerned.

/>   “Probably not.”

  “Then you should probably slow down. Nice seeing you. Bye.” She tipped her head, and quickened her pace again.

  Grinning, caught up to her. “You can’t outrun me, Beth.”

  “I can try.” The words still hung in the air as she kicked into a sprint. Pebbles, mud and rainwater spewed up his pant legs as she took off in front of him.

  He gave her a ten-yard lead or so, then caught up, grinning as he passed.

  He was pretty sure she swore at him from behind. It wasn’t a moment before she ran next to him, matching him stride for stride. They sprinted about twenty yards. “You’re faster than you used to be,” he said, impressed.

  “Or you’re slower.” She moved slightly ahead of him.

  Not one to be outrun by a girl, he sprinted past her again, knowing he probably kicked up pebbles and mud onto her running tights. His knee killed like a son of a bitch, but he didn't slow down. He finally glanced over his shoulder and realized she'd slowed down to a walk. She hadn't even tried to keep up.

  He turned around and jogged back to her.

  She clapped her hands as he approached. “Your male ego intact now?” she asked, breathing hard. She planted her hands on her hips, her chest rising and falling beneath her unzipped jacket.

  God, she was sexy. The cool air had pebbled her nipples, and they pressed out against the thin fabric of her shirt. His hands tingled, remembering how her breasts had fit perfectly in his hands as they'd made love. Not too small, not too big. Just right.

  He forced his gaze back to her face. The way she pulled her jacket closed across her chest suggested she knew what he'd been looking at. He wasn’t sorry. Couldn’t help himself. They had some great memories. She was an attractive woman. He was a man. Enough said.

  “Yes, my ego is just fine, thanks.” He chuckled.

  “Remind me to never run at this time again if you’re going to stalk me and race me every time.”

  No, he wouldn’t. From the way his knee throbbed, he knew he’d overdone it, but like hell if he’d show weakness or let her know that. “What’s going on, Beth?”

  “What do you mean?” She wouldn’t look him in the eyes.

  “You’ve been avoiding me.”

  “I’ve just been busy. Between the call center and the store...” She shrugged, as if that explained everything. “Was there something you wanted?”

  You.

  The silent admission shouldn’t have surprised him what with the direction his mind had been travelling lately, but it did. “Yeah, I…ah...” He scratched his neck, swiping away rain water and sweat. “I haven’t seen Lindsey in a while, and want to—”

  A torrent of hail burst from the dark gray clouds above and pelted the tops of their heads and shoulders. Beth shrieked and covered her head with her arms. Jack grabbed her hand and tugged her toward a path that jetted off the paved pathway. They jogged through the hail that beat at them like tiny bullets, sharp bursts of pain against any exposed skin. He led her down the dirt path into the woods. The trees were slight cover for the downpour but not enough to escape completely. Jack backed up against a large fir tree and pulled Beth into his arms, lifting the edge of his jacket over her head and dipping his head until it was level with hers.

  "This is insane!" Beth said through the deafening sound of hail hitting the leaves above and around them.

  The deluge continued for a few minutes. Jack realized their hips were pressed together. And he realized he liked how she felt in his arms. He really liked it.

  Finally, the hail turned to rain, then it eased up all together.

  Cautiously, he lifted the jacket off their heads and they both peered up toward the dark sky. A giant raindrop plopped onto Beth’s face. Laughing, she swiped at it with the back of her wrist.

  He could tell exactly when she realized how they stood, chest to chest, hip to hip. Her cheeks reddened from more than the cold air, and she tried to move away.

  He pressed a forearm against her lower back, holding her in place. “Damn, you’re sexy.”

  She blushed and looked away. “I look hideous. Sweaty, probably red-faced, and muddy.”

  He shook his head. “Sexy as hell.”

  Uncertainty danced in her green eyes. Along with desire. Her pink tongue darted out and moistened her lips, leaving behind a wet sheen that drew his gaze. She obviously knew what he was thinking of doing. “Jack. This isn’t a good idea.”

  He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Maybe, maybe not. But it’s all I’ve been thinking about lately.” He lowered his head slowly, giving her every opportunity to turn away. But she didn’t, thank God. Her soft intake of breath right before their mouths touched made him go from interested to rock hard in about a millisecond. He thrust inside gently with his tongue and her mouth opened to receive his kiss. Seven years ago, he would have been fantasizing about shoving her against the tree, pushing her running tights down those shapely legs, and having his way with her, but not this time. Not that the idea wasn’t appealing. It was. But right now, he just wanted to savor this kiss.

  “I’ve been wanting to kiss you since I saw you in that wedding dress,” he murmured against her mouth. “It’s hard to forget all the fun we used to have together.”

  “That was a long time ago,” she said, her voice breathy and sexy as hell. “And all that fun got us into trouble. Things are different now.”

  “All that fun got us Lindsey. And things aren’t so different now. You’re still beautiful.” He trailed kisses along her jaw. “More beautiful, in fact.” He nibbled a path down her neck, pushing aside her jacket and the neck of her T-shirt to nip the tender skin of her shoulder. She gasped and a quiet moan vibrated deep in her throat. “And you still make me horny as hell.”

  He captured her mouth again and thrust his tongue deep inside, daring her to keep up. She did. Encouraged, he slipped a hand under her jacket at the waist, sliding under her T-shirt until he touched bare skin. Beth’s breathing sped up but she didn’t pull away, so he moved his hand a bit higher until he reached her sports bra. He cupped her small breast over the sweat-dampened material and she gasped and pressed against him, silently asking for more. He kneaded the firm flesh, feeling her nipple harden through the bra.

  He had to touch her. Had to feel more of her. And the way her body wriggled against him told him she wanted more, too. Without breaking the kiss, he nudged the sports bra upward, exposing her bare breast to his hand. Her skin was cold and clammy from the weather and the run, her nipple already pebbled as he rolled it between his thumb and forefinger.

  “Mmm,” she moaned against his mouth.

  Voices echoed from the path above them. With a loud sigh of regret, Jack broke the kiss and released her. “Holy shit,” he muttered.

  “I feel like I’m nineteen all over again.” She grinned, but her flushed face told him she was a bit embarrassed by what they’d just done. She quickly tugged her bra and shirt back into place, smoothing her jacket across her hips. She headed back toward the paved path.

  He fell into step beside her, adjusting his sweatpants around his fading erection. “Seven years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to resist taking you against that tree back there.” He loved the blush that crept up her neck and onto her cheeks.

  “We probably shouldn’t do that again,” she said as they stepped back onto the paved trail.

  “Again? I don’t remember ever screwing you against a tree.”

  “I meant the kissing.”

  “Why not? Didn’t you enjoy it?”

  She shot him a dirty look. “That’s not the point. It’ll confuse Lindsey.”

  “Beth. I think it would be highly inappropriate for us to kiss or screw against a tree in front of a six-year-old girl.” He feigned shock and disgust.

  She slapped him in the arm for that. “I meant, it will just confuse her if you and I—if we start, um—” She scooped the air a few times as if trying to come up with the right words.

  “Having sex?”

&n
bsp; There was the dirty look again. “No.”

  “No?”

  “Jack! If you and I kiss again, it’ll just—”

  “Lead to having sex?”

  She made a sound of frustration deep in her throat that made him want to yank her into his arms and kiss her senseless. “No. Well, yes. If we start kissing, then one thing will probably lead to another, and you and I just don’t need to go there again. Lindsey would get the wrong idea.”

  “I’m not suggesting we have sex in front of her.”

  Her irritated sigh turned him on even more. “What are you suggesting?”

  Hot sex and lots of it, in every conceivable way and place, with no strings attached.

  He shrugged. “We’re going to be spending a lot of time together while I’m in town. You’re single. I’m single. I’m attracted to you. You’re attracted to me. We’re both adults.”

  “I’m not sleeping with you, Jack.” She broke into a slow jog.

  He caught up to her, his stiff knee screaming at him with every agonizing step. This weather plus his earlier sprints were a bitch on his joints. He’d better get his ass back to yoga tomorrow. “But you’re considering it.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “But you’ve thought about it.”

  “Of course I’ve thought about it.” Her voice was a bit breathless, and he suspected it wasn’t due to the slow jog.

  “You’re thinking about it right now, aren’t you?”

  “Shut up.”

  “What about… now?”

  “You’re worse than a teenage boy.”

  He grabbed her arm and yanked her to a stop, pulling her into his arms. “Sweetheart, I’m way better than a teenage boy.” He lowered his head and kissed her again.

  ***

  Even though Beth had come to the trail on foot, Jack drove her home. Neither of them spoke, but Beth knew what he was thinking because she was thinking the same thing. After that last searing kiss, he’d asked her what time she worked today.

  “My shift starts at three,” Beth told him as they’d jogged back to the trailhead.