Why hadn’t the girl just called or e-mailed her?
“Of course you can run with me,” she replied. “We could tackle these bleachers together if you wanted.”
The pretty, rounded apples of Alexis’s cheeks plumped with happiness. “That would be awesome. Hard, but awesome.”
“Why don’t we walk around the track once, just to get you warmed up,” Audrey suggested, her heart pinching at how easily her coaching instincts kicked in. And at how happy it made her.
The pair set off, taking the quarter-mile in quick, brisk steps. “So is everything all right?” Audrey asked after a moment, glancing sideways at Alexis. As she did, the screen lit up on the slim phone tucked into the running band on the girl’s arm. It glowed eerily in the fading darkness. Audrey figured it for a text message. Her students texted like they breathed. “Things okay with you?”
Alexis’s ponytail bounced as she worked her arms and legs. “Um, I guess they’re okay. The new coach, Mr. Frace? He’s such a joke. He barely makes us do anything, like he’s so worried that we’ll break a sweat or something. It’s like he thinks we’re swooning ladies in those books he teaches— Pride and Prejudice or whatever.”
Audrey smiled, though her chest tightened to think about the girls’ track team barely practicing. They’d never make it to district finals at this rate—never mind State.
“You’re signing yourself up for two practices today, you know,” Audrey said. “Just because you’re running with me this morning doesn’t mean you get out of Mr. Frace’s practice later, no matter how lame it is.”
“I get it,” Alexis said, her mouth pulling downward.
“If it’s too much, you can always run with me on the weekends. I always get a good workout in on Sunday mornings.”
Alexis flashed a smile, which disappeared as quickly as it came. “That would be great. Because the whole team misses you, you know. It’s stupid what they did to you. And I…”
Audrey arched a brow as the girl’s words faded. Alexis bit her lower lip and appeared to have more to say.
“And?” Audrey prompted gently.
“Nothing,” Alexis replied, shaking her head. They were back at the bleachers, and the slender girl put her hands on her hips. The screen on her phone lit up again.
“Is someone trying to get in touch with you?” Audrey asked. “Seems awfully early for texting.”
“No, it’s fine.”
The screen lit up again. Audrey paused, inviting her to say more, but Alexis pushed past it.
“God, running these bleachers is going to suck,” she said instead.
“Sure you want to?” Audrey asked, allowing Alexis to change the subject. She figured out early on in her career that pushing teenage girls to talk would get you nowhere. Best to let Alexis reveal what she had to say in her own time.
“Oh, heck yes. And I bet I can beat you.”
“Oh, you think?” Audrey asked. “On your mark, get set—”
“Go!” Alexis cried, taking off ahead of her. On her arm, her phone’s screen glowed again, dimming as the girl raced away.
Audrey followed, letting Alexis get a big head start. She watched Alexis hurtle herself up the bleachers, and couldn’t help but be impressed. Alexis would win their race today for real.
And Audrey figured she’d find her own way to win today, too—or, at least try something totally new—at the dealership. She was going to shake up her life somehow. It was time.
Whether or not it involved Kieran Callaghan was an entirely different issue altogether.
* * *
An hour later, Audrey watched the steam rising from her mug of coffee as she waited for her sister, Casey, to pick up the phone. Outside her kitchen windows, birds darted from tree branch to tree branch, trilling and singing in the pale sun. They’d finally returned from their long winter somewhere far away from White Pine.
Welcome back to the best place to be, she thought. Her gaze traveled from the birds to the battered notebook resting
“Of course you can run with me,” she replied. “We could tackle these bleachers together if you wanted.”
The pretty, rounded apples of Alexis’s cheeks plumped with happiness. “That would be awesome. Hard, but awesome.”
“Why don’t we walk around the track once, just to get you warmed up,” Audrey suggested, her heart pinching at how easily her coaching instincts kicked in. And at how happy it made her.
The pair set off, taking the quarter-mile in quick, brisk steps. “So is everything all right?” Audrey asked after a moment, glancing sideways at Alexis. As she did, the screen lit up on the slim phone tucked into the running band on the girl’s arm. It glowed eerily in the fading darkness. Audrey figured it for a text message. Her students texted like they breathed. “Things okay with you?”
Alexis’s ponytail bounced as she worked her arms and legs. “Um, I guess they’re okay. The new coach, Mr. Frace? He’s such a joke. He barely makes us do anything, like he’s so worried that we’ll break a sweat or something. It’s like he thinks we’re swooning ladies in those books he teaches— Pride and Prejudice or whatever.”
Audrey smiled, though her chest tightened to think about the girls’ track team barely practicing. They’d never make it to district finals at this rate—never mind State.
“You’re signing yourself up for two practices today, you know,” Audrey said. “Just because you’re running with me this morning doesn’t mean you get out of Mr. Frace’s practice later, no matter how lame it is.”
“I get it,” Alexis said, her mouth pulling downward.
“If it’s too much, you can always run with me on the weekends. I always get a good workout in on Sunday mornings.”
Alexis flashed a smile, which disappeared as quickly as it came. “That would be great. Because the whole team misses you, you know. It’s stupid what they did to you. And I…”
Audrey arched a brow as the girl’s words faded. Alexis bit her lower lip and appeared to have more to say.
“And?” Audrey prompted gently.
“Nothing,” Alexis replied, shaking her head. They were back at the bleachers, and the slender girl put her hands on her hips. The screen on her phone lit up again.
“Is someone trying to get in touch with you?” Audrey asked. “Seems awfully early for texting.”
“No, it’s fine.”
The screen lit up again. Audrey paused, inviting her to say more, but Alexis pushed past it.
“God, running these bleachers is going to suck,” she said instead.
“Sure you want to?” Audrey asked, allowing Alexis to change the subject. She figured out early on in her career that pushing teenage girls to talk would get you nowhere. Best to let Alexis reveal what she had to say in her own time.
“Oh, heck yes. And I bet I can beat you.”
“Oh, you think?” Audrey asked. “On your mark, get set—”
“Go!” Alexis cried, taking off ahead of her. On her arm, her phone’s screen glowed again, dimming as the girl raced away.
Audrey followed, letting Alexis get a big head start. She watched Alexis hurtle herself up the bleachers, and couldn’t help but be impressed. Alexis would win their race today for real.
And Audrey figured she’d find her own way to win today, too—or, at least try something totally new—at the dealership. She was going to shake up her life somehow. It was time.
Whether or not it involved Kieran Callaghan was an entirely different issue altogether.
* * *
An hour later, Audrey watched the steam rising from her mug of coffee as she waited for her sister, Casey, to pick up the phone. Outside her kitchen windows, birds darted from tree branch to tree branch, trilling and singing in the pale sun. They’d finally returned from their long winter somewhere far away from White Pine.
Welcome back to the best place to be, she thought. Her gaze traveled from the birds to the battered notebook resting
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