Abel reached for Julie’s hand, curling warm fingers around hers. She regarded their intertwined fingers like a long-lost puzzle piece. They fit together. Swallowing, she looked up, meeting his gaze. The heat in his eyes had sparks igniting every erogenous zone in her body.
“Are you ready, Julie?”
It was the way Abel asked the question that made her heart thud rapidly in her chest. Though she’d expected the question to come up at some point in their relationship, now that he asked it, she was as ready as she had ever been in her life. The realization that he wanted an answer as he stared at her face with longing in his eyes only heightened her desire for him. Without breaking eye contact, she leaned in.
“I am,” she said biting her bottom lip. Now that she’d given him an answer, she pondered his next move. Seconds later, she knew the answer. Abel’s hold on her fingers tightened.
“Check please,” he said, raising his hand high in the air and waving his credit card.
“Put that away, I’m taking you to dinner,” she said.
“Nope, because then you will expect me to put out,” he said, scrunching his nose.
“You are going to put out anyway because I am giving you a skills assessment exam when we get to your house,” she said.
Abel opened his wallet and began to pull out membership cards to unions, special interest groups, and the Engineering Society of America.
“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked him.
“It means that I am certified to handle any issue that you need handling my dear,” he said, getting to his feet. The waitress was taking too long, and he had love to make. He handed Owen the bill on his way out the door. “Put it on my tab, run my card, get it to me tomorrow.”
“Have a great night,” Owen called after them.
The man practically dragged her down the stairs, and shoved her into the passenger seat of her own car, as he sped down the road like a bat out of hell. He wasn’t going to give her a chance to change her mind. Tonight, there was love to be made.
Chapter 5 – Going the Distance
THE AROMA OF COFFEE wafted through the air making Julie sit up in the bed like she’d been given a life-changing diagnosis of renewed life. She needed to get up right away and follow the wonderful scent into the kitchen, where she would also find the wonderful man who prepared the life awakening brew. Abel Burney didn’t lie to her – the man was indeed a skilled craftsman.
Meandering down the small hallway to the kitchen, she stumbled into the walls like a new credit card holder’s arrival at a major retailer having a discounted sale. Upon her arrival at the designated fueling station of liquid eye opener, she absently filled her cup, sipping, sighing and allowing the relief to wash over her. Savoring the delights of the cup of freshly ground coffee, she opened her eyes and noticed Abel sitting at the table, watching her over the morning paper.
“You may need to seriously consider switching to decaf to lessen your dependency on morning coffee,” he said, giving her a once over.
“That would imply my dear Abel, that you believe my relationship with coffee is symbiotic,” she mumbled, “You speak as if I am unable to function without it.”
“Julie, it would be a reasonable deduction indeed, unless you always enjoy your first cup in the nude,” he said with a wry smile. “Granted, she loved the morning view.”
She looked down at herself, unashamed of her nudity in his presence. Especially considering the night before. He combed over her flesh as if he were remembering every lump, bump, and hump on her female form. A familiar tingle embraced her when she thought of their coupling. Heavy lidded eyes gazed upon him, saying more with no words than her foggy brain could manufacture. She extended his view as she brushed past him with her bare hip, giving him a nicer object to stare at when she walked away. If Abel chose to follow her back to the bedroom, it would be too early in the morning to tell such a handsome man no, let alone send him away without at least something to ponder over for the rest of the day.
“I will take that as an invitation,” he said, leaving the paper on the table and following her to the bedroom.
If the freshly ground coffee were any indication, today was getting off to a wonderful start.
THE KNICKERBOCKER CANYON Trail Run encompassed a 35 km trot allotting the participants eight and a half hours to complete the course. Julie, having practiced riding the bike most of February and March, rode out to watch the racers complete the 1/2 Marathon and partial 5K and 10K races. She snapped photos of the runners’ hard-hitting feet along with the long historic Western States Trail out to the No Hands Bridge. The shorter distance races coursed along the banks and trails of the American River. Julie rode as far as the base of the incline of K2 , stopping at the edge of Dam Hill. She couldn’t foresee how many of the runners fared in staying the course with the constant variances in surfaces, terrains, and altitudes.
Elsie Devonshire loved the articles and especially the close-up photos of the looks on the athletes’ faces as they struggled through the physical endurance required to complete the races.
“What else is on the agenda for the remainder of the year?” Elsie asked.
“Let’s see, in April, there are a bunch of crazy people doing a 30-mile bike race nearly 2,000 miles above sea level,” she said looking at the calendar, “followed by other crazy people riding a horse for 50 miles.”
“That should be interesting,” Elsie replied.
“Not nearly as fascinating as the 110-mile bike race in June, or the nutty 100-mile race for the Tervis Cup, which is also on horseback,” Julie added.
“If you do this the right way, you could be up for a Pulitzer,” Elsie told her.
“Yeah, and later today, I am working on restoring my hymen,” she said with sarcasm, “which too will never happen.”
“Julie, it is important for you to focus on staying the course on this assignment. Getting distracted is easy,” Elsie added. “You’re on to something here. I can’t wait to see the end results.
“You and me both. The last event ends in September, but I was thinking of staying to cover some of the other special activities they hold here in the fall,” she said.
“The house is paid for through the end of the year,” Elsie said.
“Thanks, Elsie, I won’t let you down,” Julie said before ending the call. In her heart, she knew she wouldn’t let the magazine down, but she also wasn’t so sure about how she felt about Abel and saying farewell to him at the end of the year. She scolded herself for letting him get so close so fast. It was only March. There were still nine months to go. She wasn’t sure she was going to make it without coming out scarred, marred, or her heart being charred.
THE MONTH OF MAY BREEZED in and Julie only had a rough sketch of an outline for three possible book tropes: a Cyrano, a friend to lover’s plot, and a potential fake engagement. Frustration covered her as she rode her bike over to UC Endurance to look for a class or a workshop to help her get her act together. She walked into the registrar’s office overwhelmed by all the technological steps required to sign up for a class as a non-degree seeking student.
“Maybe this is a bad idea,” she said, staring at the computer screen. Clicking the mouse, she created a username and password. Placing her glasses on the tip of her nose, Julie thumbed through the course offerings. The English class she thought she needed and wanted soon was replaced by a history course taught by one Rui Conners on Asian Civilizations in Modern Times. She clicked the link.
“Oh, are you thinking about taking Professor Conners’ course?” the pretty young black girl asked.
“I think so,” Julie replied looking at her, “is he a tough professor?”
“He’s not one of my instructors, but I’ve heard he is really good with his students,” she said.
Julie thought she heard a hint of interest in the woman’s voice. She laid her pen on the table, shifting her body in the seat. The young lady had her full attention.
“Is that right?” Sh
e let a note of curiosity enter her tone. At her ‘tell me more’ look, a shy smile crossed the other woman’s face.
“Anyway,” she replied changing the subject. “I’m Autumn Raine, a music therapy major here at the university.” She extended a hand in greeting. “Julie, right? I’ve heard about you around town.”
“Pleasure to meet you, I’m Julie Kraztner,” she said with a firm shake of their hands. Admittedly, Julie had never met a music therapist, but it sounded like a fascinating course of study. “Forgive me for being nervous, but it has been a while since I’ve been in the classroom.”
“You know what?’ Autumn said, “I think Rui has office hours today. I am headed that way. Come on, I will point you in the right direction.”
“No, I don’t want to be any trouble,” Julie said.
“It won’t be,” Autumn said, leading the way.
The Humanities building was only across the quad as they walked up the two flights of stairs to the history wing. Professor Connors was an attractive man of Asian descent, with a goatee that gave him a certain finesse. Attractive, yet aloof.
Introductions made, it didn’t escape Julie’s notice that Rui Conners held Autumn’s hand longer than necessary. The little music major had been correct about the professor. He took his time explaining the course load, expectations, and the end of class project. It sounded fascinating to Julie, but she was more interested in the spark between the student and the teacher. A forbidden affair. A flash of information shared with her by Abel popped into her head: Endurance is the single dad capital of California. Was the Professor a single dad, too?
“Professor, this sounds like it is going to be a great class,” Julie said, shaking his hand. “I will work on my enrollment and will see you in class.” A perfect book title popped into her head.
A Forbidden Affair: Professor J and Sword of Destiny
Julie laughed as she rode her bike towards the center of town, stopping at The Cupcakery for a key lime cupcake and a few Snickerdoodles for Abel. He was coming over later that night, and said he wanted to talk. Almost seven months were left on her contract in Endurance. However, the new concern was if she could leave the man she’d fallen in love with, Abel Burney.
Chapter 6 – A Walk Through Endurance
Abel sat in the driveway of the old cottage he and his son once called home. Lately, he’d been staying here so often, it was beginning to feel that way again. He also started to feel another way again as well. Abel felt the start of love. It wasn’t necessarily the start of love since he was waist deep and ass high in processing the steady stream of emotions generated by the little wisp of a woman. She had him wrapped around her finger without barely trying. The beauty of the relationship hinged on Julie’s lack of requirements from him. No demands. No mandates. She just wanted to exist in the same time and space, sharing the moments with him.
He loved that about her.
She’d backed off on the coffee consumption in the past five months, drinking more green teas, exercising, and reducing the amount of red meat she ate. He never considered himself a health freak, but living in a town focused on physical fitness did require a few adjustments. Julie adjusted well, even signing up for a class at the University. He tooted the horn when she rode up the drive on the bike he left at the house for renters. He was glad that she was making good use of it.
“Hey Abel, ready to raise some cane?” She asked with a wink.
“I was hoping we could talk,” Abel said, exiting the expensive luxury sedan he loved to drive.
“Come on in. I have a roast in the oven, and I’ll make us some lemonade,” she told him, parking the bike on the porch.
Abel took a seat on the old couch that had become Julie’s favorite place to take a nap. On occasion, he would join her on the couch, on lazy Sunday afternoons as he read and she dozed. It was a comfortable friendship, or relationship, that had blossomed into what he felt had become meaningful, at least to him.
“Julie, I think, and please hear me out,” he began to say, holding the tips of her fingers into his hand, “we go back and forth from this cottage to my home. I would like us to reside in one place under one roof.”
“Abel, that’s sweet, but the company paid for this house for a year,” she told him. “Plus, I like my independence.”
“I love our independence as well, but I like waking up with you even more,” he said, sliding off the couch to one knee.
“What are you doing?” She asked with her eyes wide.
“Trying to propose,” he told her and reached into his pocket.
“Propose?” she repeated, narrowing her eyes. “You are asking me to marry you?’
“Well, I’m trying.”
“I don’t know what to say,” she said, pulling her hand away and clutching at the imaginary pearls she wasn’t wearing.
“Say yes,” he told her. “Julie, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life waking up next to you, seeing you stumble through the kitchen in the morning searching for hot coffee to drink, butt naked and confused. I love our Sunday afternoons, our Friday nights, and our Wednesday walks through Endurance. Marry me. Make me whole again.”
Julie gulped. Marriage. To Abel. She’d never considered marriage before, let alone settling down. Her life consisted of airplane rides, interviews, and challenging herself to learn new things. Until now, she hadn’t realized that she was tired of all the traveling. This assignment had not been what she expected, and quite honestly, one that she dreaded with every fiber of her being. But since arriving in Endurance, a new calm had entered the life she led. A nice calm. A reduced caffeine free calm sated in a bowl of happiness. A happiness that radiated through every solitary word she wrote on her screen and strung together to make beautiful sentences. Love got her to this point, and Abel was the band leader to a new group of notes that challenged the out of date tunes that used to play in her head.
Mentally, Julie was the sharpest than she’d been in years. Physically, she was more fit. Her diet had greatly improved, and true happiness had finally arrived in her life. More importantly, waking up next to Abel was fantastic. Her lips moved, giving him the correct answer, he sought.
“Yes, Abel... I will marry you,” she told him.
He sprang to his feet embracing her and showered her face with kisses. He loved his Julie. Happiness had come to him at last, and he had someone to share his life. The moment his hand touched hers on the plane, he knew a connection was shared between them. The smiles were often, and the love strong. More importantly, he could have a conversation with her on matters from the mundane to the ethereal. She was his partner, his friend, his lover. Abel was old enough to realize the shortfalls in life but young enough at heart to still take chances.
Julie took a chance with him, and he was prepared and ready to take every risk needed for a long term of happiness. Over pot roast and seasoned potatoes, they planned a life together. The wedding would be small with her brother giving her away. Her mother would come to town, and her few friends would comprise the wedding party. An autumn wedding was what she wanted.
An autumn wedding was what the lady would get.
“COME ON MRS. BURNEY,” Abel called to her from the large front porch of their home nestled behind the First Presbyterian Church.
“Stop rushing me husband,” she said, putting on her walking shoes. It was Saturday afternoon and a lovely day for a stroll through the town square.
Hand in hand, they left the house with the camera hanging about her neck. Riders were in town as well as horsemen preparing for the Fall Race. Elsie Devonshire had given her a permanent assignment in Endurance to cover the annual events in the town. Each year would have a different feel, and each race a different winner. It was her job to cover them all.
In between writing for Sports Complicated, she also created fresh content on festivals in the area reaching out into Sacramento, and as far as the San Francisco Bay. She loved her job and her life with a man who held her hand months ago on a bumpy plan
e ride to cover events she had no interest in. Today, she was high on the list of journalists and listed amongst the other residents as local experts. She was far from an expert but always asked great questions, which yielded great interviews that in turn, produced great human-interest stories.
Endurance was her new home. She loved the town, the people and all the quirks of living here. More importantly, she loved the weekly walks through the town.
Down the hill they walked, stopping into The Cupcakery for a cookie and cupcake, saying hello to Dr. Winter and Sherron Baker, the stuttering baker. In the corner sat Ivy Summers, the new helper at No Limit Bar and Grille, owned by Owen Tate. They passed by the Endurance Museum, waving to Amelie Bishop and Jose Primavera as they worked on the Aztec exhibit stands. On the second floor in the library, Professor Rui Conners sat with his daughter Simone in the children’s section. In a cubicle close by, she noticed, Autumn Raine sporting a pair of headphones as she stole glances at Rui, with a warm smile on her face.
“Hey Abel, hiya Julie,” was the normal greeting they received when people saw them together either riding their bikes or strolling through town. Julie wasn’t quite ready to learn how to play golf, much to Abel’s dismay. He really wanted to target women golfers, and possibly hold a golf tournament in the next few years. It would be a feather in his cap to have his wife as part of the spearheading team.
However, that would be later. His mind was on the present. A new movie was on the agenda for the evening, and Julie loved a good romantic comedy. He wanted to see a movie where things were blown up, but much like life, marriage was loaded with compromises. Julie selected a movie from the shelf with two happy faced people and a dog. He knew it was going to be the movie she selected. Abel frowned, not bothering to hide his distaste at her selection, but it was her night to choose.
A Walk Through Endurance Page 5