Chapter 29
”I”m gonna throw up.”Amber groaned. She paced back and forth in front of the clock tower on Main Street, trying to keep her eggs and green juice down—the breakfast Theo had made her when they woke up together this morning at his house, where she had woken up every morning of the last week.
”You”re not going to throw up. You”ve been training hard and working for this,” Theo said patiently.
He had been talking her off the proverbial ledge for the last half hour. He must be getting used to her theatrics seeing as they hadn’t spent a single night apart since that first night she did the walk of shame in the early hours of the morning only to have him come after her.
Theo wasn’t kidding. When he made up his mind, he didn’t waste any time. She didn’t know the endgame with their relationship, but he had spent the last week showing her exactly how good it could be between them.
Last night, they had been lying in bed after he had just convinced her to do something very naughty even for her that was probably still illegal in some states, when he threw her for a loop.
“Next year for the gala, you should hire someone to help you.” His hair was messy from her fingers, and there was a bite mark on his collarbone from when she got too excited. “You’re working too hard for what I’m paying you,” he said, cupping her bottom.
She lifted her head from his chest and stared. “Next year?” Her voice was faint. For some reason, she hadn’t ever thought of her job in Theo’s office as permanent. Maybe because she never stayed at one job long enough to make plans, but what really surprised her was her answer. “I won’t be here next year.”
“Where will you be?” His roaming fingers stopped at the crease of her thigh.
“I’m going to open my own clothing boutique.” She didn’t know where the words came from. She certainly hadn’t made any plans, but once they were out, they felt right. She could ask Charlotte to help her create a business plan, and Lily just opened her own studio. She could help her open a little shop in the village. Why couldn’t she take a shot at her dream too?
The enormity of it made the room spin. She stiffened, ready to defend her brash decision, but Theo let out a whoop and rolled her under him.
“Yeah?” Theo grinned down at her happily. “You’re going to be a kickass business owner.”
That’s it. No doubt that she would fail. No hesitation. He just assumed she would be successful. He probably had no idea what that did for her heart. It actually trembled. He kissed her long and deep then, and distracted her with his tongue and fingers until she couldn’t think straight, much less panic.
That seemed to be his strategy. All week long, the man kept her in a steady supply of food and orgasms and just as he sensed her anxiety rearing its ugly head, he made her run off the excess energy, and they started the process all over again.
The Dash for a Difference 5k had seemed so far away when Theo said that he signed them up, but today was the day for Amber to make a fool out of herself in front of the entire town.
Theo had insisted that they run a few laps up and down Main Street to get warmed up, but it hadn’t helped her anxiety to see all the people lined up to wait for the race to begin. Her entire family was there, including Cap, Sandy, Val, and Holly, not to mention all her regulars were either running or watching the race from the sidewalk on Main Street too.
Her stomach roiled again. “I don”t know why I let you convince me to do this. I”m not a runner.”
“Pull it together, Hart,” Theo said, giving her shoulders a brisk rub down. “You”re gonna kick ass and get a medal.”
“A medal? I’ve never won anything in my life,” she scoffed. “What if I trip and fall in front of everyone?”
“You”ll get back up again and finish the race.” Theo’s face was implacable. His aviators glinted in the sun, concealing his eyes but not his dimples.
“What if I throw up?” It was a distinct possibility.
“I’ll make sure not to step in it.”
“What if I have to pee?”
“It’s three miles, Amber. You can hold it.” He was trying hard not to smile now, and it made her even more mad.
“What if I just spent all these weeks training and I can’t even finish it?” She finally hissed what was actually making her sick to her stomach.
“You will,” he said firmly. “This was your goal, and you”re going to make it happen.” Theo’s confidence gave her a little boost. She bounced a little like Rocky, trying to pump herself up.
“Promise?” she asked.
“It”s you that has to promise yourself.”
”It’s so much easier when it”s for you,” she muttered.
“Stretch your sore calf, so you don’t get a cramp. Here,” he said, tossing her a T-shirt. “Take this to pin your race bib on.”
“I don’t need to stretch,” she said absently. “What’s this?” She held up the T-shirt. Theo’s name under the sponsors caught her attention first, then she read the title of the race: The Maple Street Center Dash for a Difference.
“This is what we’re running for,” he said simply. He smiled softly, nodding at what he saw on her face.
Her heart surged in her chest, clogging her throat, and she just stared because he knew. He knew what it meant to her.
”Amber! Amber!” Someone shouted, and she turned around before she could say anything. Allie and Davis with Sammy, Ben, Claire, Savvie, and Tessa all stood on the sidelines, waiting for her to run. Lily stood next to Evie. Annette, and the aunts were there. She wanted to find a rock to crawl under.
”Oh great, my whole family is here to watch me fail.”
“Racers, take your places,” they heard over the intercom. Theo led her over to the other racers and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. He looked entirely too fit and calm this morning in his gray shorts and snug T-shirt. His legs were hard with muscle, and his golden tan reminded her that he was a real runner while she was only pretending.
Theo seemed to sense her spiraling as usual because he looped his arms around her and settled her into his big body. It felt so good, Amber didn’t care if anyone thought the mayor hugging his assistant was strange. She settled her hips against his and breathed in—warm skin and clean soap, a purely masculine combination that worked on her like a grounding force.
“Remember, it’s just me and you running like we always do,” he murmured in her ear.
That made her feel marginally better. She adjusted her racing bib one last time.
Suddenly, she grabbed Theo’s arm. “If I don’t finish, don’t be mad, okay?”
Theo bent his knees to look in her eyes. “You”re going to run this race, and then we”re going to have a drink at the pub. And you”re going to feel amazing.”
”Get set.”
”If you say so,” she muttered.
He grabbed her hand. She pulled away, conscious of the people around them. She didn’t care about anyone’s opinion, but she didn’t want anyone to gossip about Theo. He gripped her hand tighter.
”Go.”
If Theo hadn”t been holding her hand, Amber would”ve stood stock still and let all of the other runners trample her, but he dragged her along with him. He must have known she needed that extra push.
The first mile was nice and easy. Theo had it all calculated out, so all she had to do was get into the right headspace and put one foot in front of another. Eventually he let go of her hand, and when she looked up, he smiled.
She was feeling pretty good now. The loop was a nice, scenic route along the Erie Canal, the weather was warm but not boiling, and it was good to feel alive and healthy in the middle of a crowd of people with a common goal.
She could totally do this.
She had been training for over a month.
She was strong and healthy.
She kept a steady stream of positive self-talk and focused on her breathing like the badass runner she was.
Theo ran easily next to her. His long legs could easily outrun her, but he kept near and chatted easily with the people running around him. Once, she looked over and caught him grinning at her. She gave him a cheeky thumbs up.
”You”re doing great,” he said, not even breathing heavily.
The second mile, things fell apart. The cramp in her calf that Theo had warned about hit her full force until she had to slow down to a stop. She was surprised by how crushed she felt.
“You go ahead. My stupid calf. Don”t you say I told you so,” she muttered as people passed them.
“Stop for a minute and stretch, and then we’ll keep going.” They were in a residential neighborhood now that was lined with maple trees. Theo helped her limp to the shady curb.
“I don”t think I can do it. It hurts.”
Theo stooped down to brace her foot up on his knee and started rubbing the knotted muscles there firmly with his thumbs until she felt it ease up. “Just take it easy. It will go away.”
“I knew I wouldn’t finish it,” she said sadly.
Theo crouched down in front of her. “Quitting isn’t an option, Hart. You’re crossing that finish line if I have to carry you over.” He had his stern all-business mayor look on his face and that eyebrow spiked up. She gave in to the impulse and reached up to kiss it. His skin was so warm and inviting, she did it again, on his cheek this time.
Theo sat back with a smile. “I can’t run with a hard-on, honey. How do you want to finish this?”
She tested her leg. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. I want to try running again.”
“That’s my girl,” he grinned, those sexy dimples creasing both of his cheeks.
She had to slow her pace down after that, and it had shaken her confidence, but the cramp held off. It was getting hotter, and her breathing felt tight and constricted in the humid air, while Theo didn”t even look winded by the end of the second mile marker.
One by one, the doubts in her head came back and no amount of positive self-talk could beat them out. She stopped abruptly and blurted out, ”I don”t think I can do it.”
“Come on, Hart, push!” Theo turned back, grabbed her hand again and tugged, but she dug her heels in.
She was panicking now. “I can’t do it after all. I’ll just cut across the green and meet you at the finish line.”
“We’re not doing that.” He half pulled, half dragged her along for a half a mile, prodding her and teasing her the whole way until she was forced to follow or be dragged. “I didn’t fall in love with a quitter,” he said so casually she almost missed it.
She stopped moving. “What did you just say?”
Theo grinned at her. “You heard me, Red Hot. I’m in love with the woman who’s going to finish this race.”
He loves me.
“Stop panicking and run,” he said. “Look how close you are.”
They were so close to the finish line now. She could see the balloon arch waving in the wind and hear Puddin’s excited yips waiting for them. The sight energized her, and with a renewed bust of confidence, she started to move again.
She smiled up at Theo. “We’re almost there,” she said, laughing with the sheer joy of seeing the end in sight.
She found herself grinning as she ran.
Fifty yards from the finish line. Forty yards. She had her groove back now. The warm breeze didn’t feel suffocating now, and she could appreciate the run for what it was. Mental stamina as much as physical. Maybe her legs were made for more than sashaying, after all.
She was so going to finish this race.
Theo let go of her hand and dropped back. “What are you doing?” She whipped her head back in confusion.
“Go on,” Theo said from behind her. “Run,” he yelled. He had dropped back even farther.
She started to panic. “I want to do this with you,” she said.
He shook his head, still smiling. Those fucking dimples. Her heart quivered. “Do it for yourself, Amber.”
She looked back at the arch where her family was screaming her name, and oh good lord, they were holding cardboard cutouts of her head.
She looked back at Theo and felt a surge of something so deep, so vast, it scared her. He had dragged her, pushed her beyond what she thought she could do, and now he was letting her go to take the last steps to finish on her own. He must have seen the emotions on her face because he nodded and gave her one last push. “Go get that medal.”
She took a deep breath, lifted her chin, and ran through the ribbon.
Annette reached her first and hugged her fiercely. ”I knew you could do it.”
Amber half cried and half laughed. ”You did?” she asked, dazed. “I didn”t even know if I could. How did you know?”
“Because you’re my daughter,” Annette said simply. She dabbed at her eyes with an Hermes handkerchief. “It was you who had to believe it.” And then her sisters were hugging her and making jokes about how she was only second to last after Mrs. Ludlowe, number 105, who strolled across the finish line while gabbing on her weekly phone call to her sister.
Amber looked for Theo in the crowd. He was standing off to the side chatting with the organizers. He looked up as if he felt her searching for him. ”Thank you,” she mouthed at him. He just nodded but she saw the pride on his face. It gave her that scary good feeling again. Oh God. She really was falling for him.
Later, after she collected her medal for finishing number 104, she hung it around her neck and caught up to him where he was petting Puddin’. Ford and Landon, his tow-headed son, each gave her a high-five.
“You crushed it,” Ford said. “I didn’t know you were a runner.”
“Yeah, me either,” she said. “104. Not bad, huh?” She held up the medal proudly.
“You were amazing. Number one in my book,” Theo said.
“Even with my wonky finish?”
“Especially with your wonky finish. Ready for that drink now?” Theo slung an arm around her neck and pulled her closer. She didn’t even bother to see if anyone was watching. She simply didn’t care.