Page 38 of Beaten

Emily

Damn but Jamie looked good in his running shorts. And his well-loved Parker County Police Academy t-shirt fit snug, showing off his flat stomach and thick biceps.He’s in great shape. I had to force myself to look away as he walked towards me. My mother’s ficus tree suddenly needed my undivided attention.

He gave me some safety tips, then we stretched.I can’t believe I teased him about running too fast for him to keep up.I hadn’t run in almost a year because of Asshat Craig.

After jogging for a few blocks to warm up, I picked up speed and ran at what I thought was a fast pace. Jamie ran beside me, always between me and the road, and matched me stride for stride. I felt a little awkward at first, but eventually I found my stride and settled into a rhythm.

I snuck a peek at Jamie when we stopped to wait for traffic at a four-way intersection. He was sweating, we both were,it was summer in Texas, but he didn’t look winded. Not even a little. Unlike me, I wasn’t gasping for air or anything, but I was grateful for the mini-break while we waited for the pedestrian light to change to the walk signal.

When we started running again I set a quicker pace, wanting to see if I could outrun him. He kept up without effort, so I pushed myself harder, speeding up again when we reached the running track at the park. He didn’t bat an eye as he adjusted his stride to mine. It wasn’t long before I was gassed and had to rest.What was I thinking? I spotted a water fountain and used taking a drink as an excuse to catch my breath. I doubted I was fooling Jamie with my I need for water act, but he didn’t say anything other than, “Thanks, I needed a water break.”

“Do you run a lot?” I asked as he wiped away water that had splashed on his upper lip.

“Not as much as I did when I was on the force, but often enough.” His grin told me what I’d already guessed—I wouldn’t be outrunning him. At least he was nice enough to not say it out loud. “How about you?”

“I haven’t run in about a year.” I didn’t mention Asshat Craig. “It probably shows.” My laugh sounded nervous.

“You’re keeping a good pace for taking a year off.” He said it casually but I felt heat rise in my cheeks at the small compliment.

“Thanks. Ready?”

“Whenever you are.” He winked as the left side of his mouth lifted in a grin.

Is he flirting? Because he legit just winkedat me.

I set a slow, steady pace for the run back. We both knew I couldn’t out run him, so there was no point in running myself stupid trying.

When we got back to the house, I invited him in. “You can take a shower if you want.” I didn’t think he’d relish the idea of sitting in his car in sweaty gym clothes or putting on his street clothes without showering.

“That’d be great. Thanks.” Jamie said before grabbing his bag and heading towards the full guest bath on the first floor.

I thought about running upstairs and showering, but decided it’d be better to wait until he was done. Most men I knew showered much faster than I did, mostly because of my long hair, and I wanted to see him again before he went back to shadowing me.

When Jamie was getting ready to leave, my mom invited him to stay for dinner.

“Thanks for the invite Mrs. Taylor, but I’m on the clock so I can’t.”

“But you’d be here with us, surely you could protect us from the inside as well as from the outside.” I had to constantly remind my mother that not only did she not need to feed the guys from SSI during their shifts, but she wasn’t supposed to interact with them at all.

“Not quite as well. The idea is to see, and stop, him before he gets too close.” Jamie showed off his diplomacy skills by adding, “But I wouldn’t object to having some leftovers delivered curb side.” He smiled at my mom, causing her whole face to light up. He’d made her day by letting her break his rules.

“I’ll send Emily out with a plate.”

“Thank you Mrs. Taylor.”

“Please, call me Anne.”

He nodded but didn’t respond, instead he asked me, “Walk me to the door?”

My mom went to the kitchen while I walked with Jamie. I had a feeling he wanted to say something, so I waited for him to speak first.

“Does your mom try to feed everyone?” He didn’t sound mad, just curious.

“She wants to, but I don’t let her. She knows she’s not supposed to talk to them but pretends to forget.” I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

“Thanks for that. I know she means well but it’s for everyone’s safety that we ask you to ignore us while we’re here.” Jamie’s hazel eyes looked distant, like he was thinking about something else. Not sad, per se, just thoughtful.

“You okay?”

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