With Courage and Commitment by CHARLOTTE MACLAY

Author:CHARLOTTE MACLAY
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-09-05T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Danny stroked his arms one after the other through the chilly ocean water. The two-and-a-half-mile swim was the hardest part of the triathlon for him, the most difficult part of his training regimen. Without much body fat, he had little natural buoyancy and sank below the surface between every stroke.

Today he welcomed the bitter taste of salt in his mouth, the burning sensation in his eyes and in his lungs, the ache in his arms and legs.

He hadn’t seen Stephanie in three days. He’d been punishing himself ever since the night they’d made love, and he damn well deserved this kind of torture.

How could he have been so stupid?

How could he have hurt her so badly?

He staggered out of the water and dropped down on the sand. On race day he’d be looking at an endless bike ride after the swim and then a run on top of that, all in memory and celebration of the lives of the buddies he’d lost in Idaho. But for the moment he could rest.

He looked back toward the line of waves rolling toward the shore. Tommy appeared on a crest then dipped out of sight. The kid was doing fine, getting stronger every day, although it was fortunate the junior division race involved shorter distances. But damn, the kid was determined.

In his own way as stubborn as Stephanie.

A cool breeze washed over Danny, raising goose-flesh, and he grabbed his towel, wrapping it around his shoulders while he waited for Tommy to reach the shore. Within minutes the boy stumbled up onto the beach.

Danny checked his watch. “Good job, kid. You took ten seconds off your time.”

The boy gulped in great lungs full of air. “A personal best?”

“You got it.” He grinned at the youngster. “So have you told Rachel what you’re up to?”

“Naw. I’m afraid I might drown or fall off my bike, or something. I’ll tell her after.”

“No, no. You gotta tell her now, casual like. She’ll be impressed that you’re entering the race at all, and then if you mess up—” He shrugged. “She’ll be sympathetic.”

“You think?”

“Trust me, when it comes to the ladies, I’m an expert.”

That was a damn lie. At least when it came to Stephanie, he didn’t know what to do. Or even how to act, now that he’d crossed that invisible line between friends and lovers.

In comparison, the other women he’d known had been easy. He could love ’em and leave ’em, walk away without either him or the woman getting hurt. They both knew the rules. With a couple of small exceptions—which had proved the point he was incapable of commitment—it had all seemed so simple.

Simple didn’t begin to explain how he felt about Stephanie. Confused was far closer to the truth.

He’d promised to be her birthing coach. He couldn’t renege on that. She needed someone to be there with her. Her boyfriend had let her down. Danny refused to leave her in the lurch, too.

But he wasn’t sure she’d want him around after his disappearing act the other night.

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