Chapter 12
LANEY
I’ve never in my life been this excited to run.
I didn’t sleep. Well, I dozed off occasionally, but I think I slept better during that nap in Florida than for the eight hours I had to sleep at home. It’s a giddy feeling, like getting ready for Christmas morning.
Six thirty comes and I get out of bed and dress, wishing I’d told Burton an earlier time. Then again, I probably would’ve had the same issue.
I grab an apple from the basket on the counter and take a bite, trying to figure out what we’re going to do today. I’ve never had a desire to be a personal trainer, so this is unfamiliar territory. But if I can make running fun for myself, and have an accountability partner, it will be worth it.
Glancing out the window at six forty-five, Burton is rubbing his eyes as he sits on the front step of the lacrosse house.
I put on my gloves and walk out the door. He doesn’t see me until I’m halfway across the street, when he stands and grins.
“You got out here early,” I say, laughing.
He shrugs. “Maybe I was a little excited about this. What are you doing out here earlier than your set time?”
“I’m just making sure I don’t have to haul your behind out of bed.”
We both laugh, and he claps his hands and then rubs them together. “It’s colder out here than I expected. I need to invest in some gloves like those.” He points to mine.
“I’m hoping I won’t need them for too much longer. It’s been such a weird spring with the late snowfall.” Thank goodness the snow melted already.
Now I sound like my grandfather, which is not how I want to sound with Burton.
“True. I’ve had to play lacrosse in the snow before. It’s not my favorite, that’s for sure.”
“Let’s walk a bit and then we’ll, uh, figure something out.” I give him a little lopsided grin.
“You haven’t planned it out to the T?” he asks, looking devastated.
Shaking my head, I say, “No. This is usually how slow my brain is this early in the morning.”
We walk down the road, our breath visible in the frosty morning air.
“Where are you from, Burton-is-your-last-name?” I ask, giving him a sly grin.
He chuckles, making a cloud form in front of him. “I’m from Alexandria, Virginia.”
“And do your parents still live there?”
He nods, his smile fading somewhat. “Yes, in the same house they brought me home from the hospital. What about you?”
“I grew up here in Utah.”
“On a farm,” Burton says, leaning in with a smile.
I nod and say, “On a farm.”
“Any siblings?” he asks.
“No, sadly. My mom got sick when I was little and never had another kid. That’s why I lived with my grandparents until I left for Seattle a few years ago.”
“I’m sure they loved having you there.”
I stare at the mountains and nod. “I loved being there. It didn’t matter what happened, they were always there with a warm embrace and a plate of cookies.”
“Cookies are always a good thing. A necessity even. Which flavor is your favorite?”
“Chocolate chip. And yours?”
“Macadamia nut.”
“You mentioned earlier that you have sisters?” I ask, hoping I didn’t mishear.
Burton lets out a deep laugh and says, “Yeah, I’m the youngest and only boy of four kids.”
“What are their names?” I ask, wondering if there’s a family theme.
He gives me a sly grin and says, “Trying to get some more clues to my name, huh?”
Raising both hands above my shoulders, I say, “You caught me.”
“Well, this might or might not help. Connie is the oldest, Cecilia is second, and Camille is the third.”
I tap my chin and nod. “Okay, so either your parents continued the C tradition or decided that since you’re a boy, you needed something all your own.”
He nods, like he’s trying not to give anything away.
“You don’t really look like a Chris, but I could see Christian being a good fit.”
He laughs. “If only that were my name.”
“There’s Conrad, and I really can’t come up with any others right now.”
“It’s not one of those,” he says.
I laugh. “Then that leaves the other twenty-five letters of the alphabet. How about Uriah?” I say, going for the least-used letter first.
“I thought my name was bad, but that one is worse.”
I try to keep a straight face and say, “Say that to all the Uriahs in the world.”
“I kind of like this game,” Burton says, grinning at me.
“Leonard. Atticus, Jeremiah. Bob.”
We both start laughing at that one. “The way you said that was hilarious. Random name, random name, Bob.”
That makes us laugh even more.
“I’m glad I can amuse you. Should we pick up the pace?”
He gives me a look that says he has bad news. “Would it be terrible if we just kept walking? My muscles are dead from the long week, and I’m liking our conversation.”
I grin at him. “Absolutely. I was kind of hoping for that too. My motivation is at a three right now.”
Burton puts his hands out to the sides and says, “At least we’re already up and walking. I’d say your motivation is at a six already.”
“Well, since we aren’t using the coupon for an actual run, feel free to redeem it a second time at a later date.”
With a grin, Burton says, “Sounds like a plan.”
I smile, trying to think through our conversation so far. It’s been easy and fun, full of laughter.
I can’t complain about this start to the day, even as my brain knows I’m treading in unknown territory.