Heartache and Hope by Mary Manners

Author:Mary Manners
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: christian Fiction
Publisher: Pelican Book Group
Published: 2016-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

5

Tears burned Daylin’s eyes as she continued toward the door. Of course Patrick didn’t want to run with her. So what if they’d been teammates…even friends of a sort…in high school. He didn’t owe her anything, and sharing his training time with her was like asking a panther to run with an elephant. She didn’t even own a decent pair of running shoes, and the shorts, well, just forget about squeezing into them.

“Wait.” Patrick’s shoes tapped against the tile as he came after her. He touched her elbow, drawing her back to face him. Captivating eyes, framed by fluorescent lighting, resonated with a measure of sincerity. “I was harsh, and I didn’t mean to be. I’m sure you remember that sometimes my tongue races ahead of my brain. Mom’s right. I’m supposed to be captaining this group and how would it look if I shirked training? Besides, I can use someone to run with since my go-to guy is elbow deep in a new business venture across the county.”

“You’re just being…chivalrous.”

“And if I am”—his gaze narrowed with a hint of confusion—“is there something wrong with chivalry?”

“No. Of course not.” Daylin untucked her hair from the collar of her coat as she searched for the right words. Chivalry was something as foreign and dead to her as Latin. She flicked her hair over the jacket’s collar and sighed, keeping her voice light and steady so as not to wake Aubree, whose halo of curls spilled over Patrick’s strong arms. “It’s just…as I’ve said before I’m out of the running loop. I haven’t run so much as half-a-mile in one stretch during the past year. I’ll hold you back.”

“Or, conversely, I’ll push you forward.” Patrick nodded firmly, as if to cement the assertion. Daylin noticed a small, white scar near the cleft of his chin and remembered that he’d acquired it while attempting to conquer hurdles along the track. It was an accident worthy of a blooper award and they’d shared a good laugh together, despite the stitches his chin had required. “Does that frighten you?”

“Nothing frightens me.” The words leapt without thought, and Daylin wished she could retract them. Her cheeks heated at the complete and utter lie. Maybe Patrick wasn’t the only one whose tongue wagged ahead of his brain. Could he see through the flippant cover-up? Did he hear her pulse galloping through her veins like a team of wild stallions? No matter, she wouldn’t back down now. She couldn’t. Years in the foster system had taught her well: When all else fails, stand tough. Like a puffer fish that triples in size when it needs to appear fierce and unwavering. She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “I can do anything I set my mind to, even a silly race.”

“Good. That’s what I like to hear, and there’s the spark I remember. It’s settled, then. Let’s give training together a go and see what happens. That is, I mean, if you don’t mind spending some serious time with me.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.