Page 346 of One More Kiss

Jules

Luckily,I don’t wake up with a hangover the next morning from all the free drinks Deac foisted upon me. Joni had kept them coming until I’d finally been forced to turn them down and ask her for a glass of water instead. The older woman had made a joke about young kids not being able to hang like they used to, but she’d given me a wink and brought me out a tall glass of water and a basket of bread.

“Helps soak up the booze,” she’d said. “At least, that’s what my ex-husband always said.”

She laughs, making me laugh along with her. True to my word, I tip Joni well at the end of the night, estimating what my tab would have been and leaving it for her on the table. I really hadn’t wanted Deac to give me free drinks, after all.

In the morning, I dress in lightweight clothes and a ballcap, making sure to slather myself in sunscreen. Then, I make my way over to where Anna asked me to meet her. It’s early, just after sunrise. But I know the heat will be unbearable within just a few hours. It’s why this race has always started so early in the morning. I find Anna at one of the tables handing out race packets for people whose last names start with A-G and join her. I help her hand out shirts and make sure each racer is checked off on the printed list. Before we know it, it’s time for the racers to line up at the starting line.

Anna and I move over to the finish line where there are two kegs of beer on tap, waiting for the racers. It’s just after 8am, but I know from experience that this town isn’t going to pass up cold beer on a hot, summer day. Especially when it’s free. Anna and I pass the time by people-watching the crowd of spectators with her filling me in on all the things I’ve missed over the years. Not once does she mention Cole. Which is why I’m stunned to see him cross the finish line a few steps ahead of Deac.

Seeing Cole standing a few yards away is like a punch to the gut. I feel like all the air has been sucked out of my lungs and I can’t remember how to fill them again. Why hadn’t I considered the idea that he might be here? Why hadn’t Anna or Deac warned me? It occurs to me to wonder if they deliberately held back the fact that he’d be here. I don’t know why it never occurred to me that Cole might have come back here after his time in the military. Was the idea really so far-fetched? I’d spent two hours with Deac and Anna last night, reminiscing over old times and catching up on everything we’d missed. You’d think one of them could have mentioned that little tidbit.

Whenever I’d pictured Cole over the years, I’d always pictured him in some far-away place, living out his life free from the memories I know this town must hold for him. I never imagined he’d come back here after everything that happened. Then again, I had. And I’m still not even sure why I did.

He looks good. Damned good. He’s a far cry from the teenaged boy I’d fallen in love with all those years ago. His hair is a bit shorter than when we were kids and dark with sweat after the run. His shoulders are broad and they more than fill out that t-shirt he’s wearing. He still hasn’t noticed me, and I can’t quite stop my gaze from roaming over him, taking in those defined upper arms in a sleeveless shirt that showcase a few brightly colored tattoos. He’s clearly kept in shape over the years. My eyes roam lower, admiring the way his gym shorts hug his hips. Looking even lower, I notice a knee brace on his right knee. That’s new. It hadn’t seemed to slow him down, though. He’d crossed the finish line just ahead of Deac, laughing and teasing him as he did.

“You know,” a voice says from behind me, “staring isn’t polite.”

I feel my face heat as I turn and see Anna standing behind me, a plastic cup filled with beer in each hand. She offers me one. Drinking beer this early isn’t normally my style, but it’s already getting hot on the beach and the ice-cold cup is tempting. So, I take the offered cup with a smile of thanks.

“I wasn’t staring,” I say after taking my first sip.

The truth is, I was staring, and we both know it. I’m grateful that Anna spoke up when she did. Otherwise, I might have gone on staring until Cole noticed himself.

“You didn’t tell me he was back in town,” I say, trying hard not to sound accusatory.

Anna’s eyes narrow in confusion. “I just figured you knew. I thought maybe—” she breaks off with a shrug.

“You thought what?” I ask.

She sighs. “I thought maybe you came back here for him,” she says, not meeting my gaze.

I realize that to anyone who knew Cole and me in high school, that’s probably exactly how my coming back here just a few months after my divorce looks. I shake my head.

“I didn’t even know he was here,” I say softly. “How long has he been back?”

“A couple of years,” she says, her tone lowering to match mine. “He moved back after the knee thing.”

My gaze goes to the brace on Cole’s right leg. “What happened?”

Anna shrugs. “Training exercise. But if you ask me, I’m glad it happened.”

“Why?”

“He wouldn’t have left the Army if it hadn’t been for that injury,” she says. “But he needed to get out.”

I study her face for a moment, trying to make sense of what she’s saying. Before I can ask her what she means by that, I hear Deac’s booming voice.

“Anna Banana!”

A small smile plays on Anna’s lips for just a moment before she forces her expression into a scowl and directs it at Deacon. Interesting.

“What?!” She barks out, earning a few startled glances from the crowd.

I feel my heart start to hammer in my chest as I watch Deac and Cole approach. Cole’s expression has gone blank. Gone is the laughter and teasing of only a few minutes ago. He follows along behind Deac, not glancing at me or Anna as he approaches.

“Jules of the Nile!” Deac calls, causing me to roll my eyes.

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