Page 67 of Finally Mine
One look at Gloria in her red, white, and blue, and he was toast. Burnt, crispy, throw-him-in-the-trash toast. He’d worked hard these last few weeks, talking himself into accepting the fact that he and Gloria were over before they’d begun. That the timing and circumstances were proof that they weren’t meant to be.
But now?
A half mile was nothing to some men. To Aldo today, it was the world.
And now it was time to take his next step.
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“Here they come!” Sophie shrieked in Gloria’s ear and took off toward the finish line with her phone set to record.
Gloria jumped to her feet to watch Harper round the corner onto Main Street, her cheeks flushed with exertion, her ponytail swinging rhythmically. The cheer Gloria had ready died in her throat when she saw the man next to her.
Aldo Moretta paced Harper on a gleaming running blade. He was sweating through his National Guard tank and grinning like a madman. He was running. On his own two legs.
Emotions hit her in a tidal wave. Pride and longing and that low-level anger stewed in her blood. He was magnificent. The entire crowd was on their feet, screaming their heads off as he and Harper loped toward the finish line.
Claire, tears streaming down her face, hollered at the duo. Charlie, always the quiet one, swallowed hard and clapped.
They hit the finish line together to raucous cheers.
Gloria lost sight of them as half of the crowd spilled off the curb into the finish zone for congratulations. Runners were still finishing, neighbors still cheering. And Gloria was surprised to find a stray tear tracking down her cheeks.
That running fool looked more like the old Aldo than the man who’d come home in his place.
“Go give your congratulations,” Sara said, reading her like a pop-up children’s book.
Gloria nodded, not trusting her voice.
She found Harper sitting on the curb, sucking down water.
“Hey, Harper! That was some finish.” Gloria called.
Harper, face flushed with exertion and victory, grinned. “You look gorgeous! I’d hug you, but I’d ruin yourcute outfit.”
Gloria laughed. “Youcan hug me after you shower. I wanted to see if everyone wanted to sit with me at the parade? Youcan’t beat the seats.” She pointed back to her front steps. “The parade goes right past.”
Harper’s eyes lit up at the idea of not having to walk any farther. “That would be great, thanks! What time does it start?”
“It starts after the last finisher of the 5k. Theycall it leading the parade,” Gloria explained.
“Do you have room for one more? Maybe two? My mom’s a sucker for paradecandy.”
Gloria jumped at the sound of Aldo’s voice. Was he talking to her? She turned around slowly and felt her eyes pop out of her head.
He’d taken off his shirt and stood on the sidewalk in all his ripped, sweaty glory.She’d never seen a man look sexier or stronger. If she kept staring at him, she was going to pass out.
“Hi, Aldo,” she said politely through her tight throat.
“Hi, Gloria. You look beautiful and festive.”
She blinked, wondering if this really was Old Aldo that she was staring at. Or if New Aldo was playing a game. “Thank you. You look…good.” Understatement of the year. But it was all he was getting from her.
He grinned, and her knees nearly gave out. “Do you mind if I join you for the parade?”
Gloria breathed in a little too sharply and choked on her own spit. She covered it with a cough. “Sure, I mean. Not at all. The more the merrier.”No! Why was she saying that?She would be perfectly within her rights to figuratively kick him to the curb. Or off of it.
“Great. See you soon.” He walked off.
