Chapter 4
Chapter Four
B rielle almost turned around four times before she got to the running trail. The last bit of her vet appointment had been awkward, to say the least. After Levi had dropped the bomb that Ryan was going to be their extra man, Brielle had felt her red-headed temper nearly combust.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like Ryan. The problem was she liked him too much. Even though he broke her heart.
“A woman can only take so much disappointment before she quits trying to hang out with the people doing the disappointing,” she grumbled as she looked for a parking spot in the crowded space. Apparently, today’s nice weather was bringing everyone to the hiking path. That always made running in a group a little tricky.
The thought made her grin. Maybe she could lose her group on accident and do the practice run herself. No one had to know that she was avoiding a pair of greenish-hazel eyes. That could be her little secret.
Elyse was just getting out of her car as Brielle found a spot. The woman waited on Brielle with her hands on her hips. “Morning. ”
Brielle smiled. “Good morning to you too. Ready for a long one today?”
“Ha!” Elyse scoffed. “Bring it.” She grinned. “We’ll leave the boys in the dust, huh?”
Brielle fist bumped her teammate, and they walked together to the spot they usually met. They were the first ones there, and Brielle took the time to start stretching, while also planning her escape.
“Do you know if anyone found a replacement?” Elyse asked.
Brielle held back a snort. “Uh, yeah, Levi’s friend was able to come, I guess.”
“Perfect.” Elyse raised her hands over her head. “He better be good. We have a chance at being in the top ten this time.”
Brielle was quiet. Ryan had been a good runner in high school, but she had no idea how good he was now. Her best never could quite rival the top boys’ time in a longer race, but she’d worked her tail off to make sure she could beat them at the shorter ones. She had to make sure she won at something.
After Ryan left her away without a second thought, Brielle had thrown everything she had into proving them all wrong. She couldn’t change her body shape, and refused to change her personality, so she’d spent all she had to prove that she was worthy on the racetrack.
She might never live up to her mom and sister, but she could still contribute and maybe…eventually…someone other than Maeve, Riley and the gang, would find Brielle worth spending time with.
The thought of Maeve brought a frown to Brielle’s face, and she grabbed her phone out of her shorts pocket. “I need to make a quick phone call,” she said. “Be right back.”
Elyse waved her away, and Brielle stepped off the trailhead and walked to the far edge of the parking lot. She’d never contacted Maeve about Antony and right now was the perfect time since there was no one else there.
The phone rang several times, and Brielle sighed when it went to voicemail. “Hey, Maeve,” she said, hoping her voice was cheery. “I just wanted to check in. How’s Antony doing? I haven’t really heard what kind of injuries we’re dealing with and would love to be able to help out. Give me a call. I’m on a run this morning, but we can chat soon. Bye!”
Brielle tucked the phone away again, still frowning. She hated the radio silence she was getting from all the Harrison women. Though she was closest to Maeve, Brielle counted all the women as her friends. They’d spent many hours consuming Aspen’s cakes and laughing over everything from childhood pranks to bumbled relationships.
Small towns had both good and bad characteristics and she’d lucked out in the friends department. While everyone knew everyone else’s business, she also had people who knew the good, the bad, and the ugly and were still friends with her. None of them were quite enough to fill the hole she was sporting from being single in a group where most had a significant other, but still, they were good people and Brielle was grateful for them.
If Maeve wasn’t taking her calls then things with Antony must be worse than expected. Estelle’s outburst at Micah and Eden’s wedding had set everyone on edge, but by the time Antony had been set to arrive, the family had closed ranks and were keeping quiet about any details they’d received.
Muttering to herself, Brielle made her way back to the meeting point and nearly tripped over a root because her brain was everywhere but in the moment.
“Whoa.” That deep voice that had given her the warm fuzzies earlier in the week was back, and Brielle wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and let it bathe her in heat.
Instead, she forced a scowl and righted herself, pulling back before Ryan could touch her and break through the very thin facade she was managing. “I got it, thanks.”
Ryan hesitated, then dropped his hands. “Good to see you again.” He gave her a soft smile. “How’s Sparky?”
Brielle shrugged. Okay…he was the vet, it made sense for Ryan to ask about her dog, but it wasn’t like she was going to have answers for hi m. Answers were his department. “I’m still waiting to hear,” she said curtly.
Ryan put his hands on his hips and nodded. “Yeah…we should be able to have some answers soon. I’m sorry it’s taking so long. The lab isn’t always aware of how anxious we are.”
Brielle tried to smile, but she knew it didn’t come across as very friendly. Her emotions were in such a turmoil right now. They needed Ryan on the team, but she didn’t have to like it and she didn’t have to let him back in to her inner circle, teammate or not. They were here to do a job. She would run and support, and that would be all.
Her heart and self esteem couldn’t handle anything else.
Something had changed. Between their office visit and now, something had shifted in Brielle, and it gave him a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach.
He’d walked away from their meeting, thinking that maybe a door had been opened. Or at least cracked a bit. He hadn’t thought to see her again, but now that they were being thrown together it had absolutely sparked Ryan’s interest, and the tension between them at the clinic couldn’t have been one sided.
The office visit had ended on a quiet, awkward note, but Ryan had assumed it was mostly due to Sparky and her concern over his health. Her prickly behavior right now, however, said his ability to read a woman might be out of practice.
“I’m Elyse.”
The voice caught Ryan off guard as his mind had traveled to melancholy paths that were better left alone. He wasn’t sure he was ready to give up on the idea of him and Brielle quite this soon, but right now wasn’t a good time to examine it.
“Ryan,” he said, shaking the woman’s hand.
She gave him a smirk and looked him up and down .
Ryan wasn’t quite sure if she found him lacking or if she was interested. If he was to guess, however, he would say she was several years older than him, though sometimes it was hard to tell, and there were definitely people who weren’t bothered by age.
“You ready to pull the team to victory?” she asked, one side of her lips curling in amusement.
Ryan shrugged and put his hands on his hips. “It’s been a few years,” he admitted. “But I’ll at least try not to weigh you down.”
Elyse slapped his shoulder with a surprisingly heavy hand. “Good enough.” She turned, her voice growing loud enough to wake the dead. “Let’s get going, slowpokes! Daylight’s wasting.”
Ryan held back a laugh. Elyse was that type of team member. It seemed every group had one and from the looks of everyone’s obedience, it was clear to see that nobody minded her being in charge.
Ryan positioned himself next to Levi to start, though his eyes kept straying to Brielle. She held herself a few steps away from the group and Ryan frowned. Was she distancing herself because of him? Or was this normal behavior for her?
“Ready?” Levi asked, pulling his foot backward to stretch his knee and quad.
“As I’ll ever be,” Ryan shot back. He grinned and pushed his shoulder against Levi’s. “I have a feeling I’ll be dead tonight.”
Levi laughed. “It’s about time I beat you at something, old man.”
Before Ryan could retort, the group was moving. He took a deep breath and let old habits take over. It wasn’t long, however, before the stitch in his side told him he was going to be more than dead. Trail running was a far cry from the tracks he used to race on, and he was feeling it by the end of mile one. His calves were feeling tight and his thighs burned as if they’d climbed straight up instead of a slow incline. His breathing seemed heavier than it should have been for their pace while his brain screamed, you’re too old for this!
His eyes moved up, and he couldn’t help but grin, however, noting that like high school, his view was quite similar. He was still chasing the prettiest redhead he’d ever met .
“Careful,” Levi warned in a low chuckle. “If she catches you staring, you’re in for a beat down.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow. “It’s like that, huh?’
Levi grinned, his cheeks flushed from the run. “It’s totally like that. I think half the team hit on her in the first two weeks we ran together, but she slammed that door closed so hard it’s a wonder we still have our fingers.”
Ryan frowned. “Any idea why? Is she dating someone?” He hated how breathless he sounded, especially since it wasn’t all because of a lack of oxygen. Brielle still did something to him. She had when they were younger, and she did now. But did she feel the same pull? She hadn’t in high school, that was for sure.
Levi shrugged. “Not that anyone knows. But she’s…untouchable. Yeah, that’s probably the right word. She can outpace every one of us most days, except for maybe Elyse.”
“So you’re saying this whole team is run by women?” Ryan joked.
A scoff had them both turning their heads. By the glare on Brielle’s face, it was clear that she’d heard his teasing, only she hadn’t taken it as teasing.
“What’s the matter, Thatcher?” she snapped. “Still think we talk too much to actually succeed at anything?”
Ryan felt his face flush. “Sorry, Brielle,” he panted. “I was just joking.”
She rolled her eyes, faced front again and picked up the pace. Before long, she was definitely too far ahead to hear anything he said.
Levi whistled. “Well done, Thatcher ,” he said with a smirk.
Ryan glared back. “Good thing I’m dying for oxygen,” he threatened.
Levi’s laugh was long and loud. “Don’t worry. Bri’s a good one. She’ll come back around.”
Ryan focused on not tripping on roots and getting enough air to his brain rather than continue the conversation they were having. He wanted to apologize to Brielle again for the statement, but by the end of the run, two things had kept him from it .
One, it really had been a joke, even if it had sounded like the type of stuff he used to say as a cocky jock in high school. Only Brielle would know the type of lines he’d used to spark her temper.
And two, she hadn’t come anywhere near him since that moment. She’d stayed at the front of the pack and gotten in her car to leave before he’d ever managed to set foot on the asphalt of the parking lot at the end of the run.
Sucking in air like his life depended on it, Ryan leaned against his car and stared at the horizon. The run had been beautiful, at least the part he’d seen while he was trying not to die. But he hated how things had ended with Brielle, again.
He’d hated how things had ended with high school, and he hated how things had ended today. He’d see her again at the office and probably at least once more before the race, but it still didn’t settle well with him.
It had been years since their debacle of a relationship, and he’d moved on…or at least he thought he had. But it looked like Brielle wasn’t quite as over it. Which was interesting, considering she was the one who had dumped him.
Not that Ryan exactly blamed her. He’d definitely been on the egotistical side, but he hadn’t been cruel like many popular kids. Just immature.
Every guy in the popular-athletic crowd had noticed Brielle. With her flaming red hair and “can’t touch this” attitude, she had been impossible to miss.
But as far as he knew, Ryan had been the only one to get close to her. Her sister, Aurora, had sort of been his friend as well, and she was nice enough. She’d fit right in with the other popular girls. Cheerleader. Beautiful. Willowy. Spoiled.
But Brielle had been a different level, and every guy knew it. They were also too intimidated by her to do anything about it.
Except Ryan.
He’d gotten brave after they’d bickered for the thousandth time one day and kissed her. Flat out kissed her. No warning, just a momentary decision that had led to something earth shattering. At least in his eighteen-year-old mind. But the next day she’d walked into the cafeteria, glared at him, spun on her heel and never came back.
Shaking his head, Ryan unlocked his car and sat down with a sigh. His brain was too tired to figure this out right now. He’d see her again, and if he needed to apologize once more, he would, even though he really didn’t think he’d done anything wrong.
The puzzle that was Brielle Underwood wasn’t going anywhere. He knew it like he knew the results from Sparky’s blood test would be bad. And no matter her rejections, Ryan was going to be around whether she liked it or not.
Now he just needed to figure out if he was going to work at making their time together pleasant, or if some things were better left in the past.