Page 47 of The Contractor & the Entrepreneur

The sky started turning pink as she thought through their different interactions, how impressively he’d protected her from her cousins. When her mind happily slid into remembering his inspiring words and the intensity and beauty of their kissing exchange, she had to shut it down. She pulled out her earbuds and turned on a running playlist on her phone. The beat and music helped her run faster, and the fact that she could see the trail now helped as well.

It wasn’t raining this morning. As she glanced up at the sky, she was surprised to see only wisps of clouds and the sky turning a true blue as the sun lit it up from behind the mountain. Sun? Would she see the full sun today? Even in the nonstop rain, this mountainous valley was gorgeous. She could hardly wait to see it in the sun.

After three miles, she turned around and headed back. Thankfully the trail had followed the river, so she hadn’t needed to worry about getting lost.

She was nearing the stretch of homes along the park and almost done when she saw another runner racing toward her.

It was definitely a man—a tall, well-built man in a baseball cap, a T-shirt, and knee-length shorts. She couldn’t make out his face just yet. What if it was Rhett? Her stomach jumped at the thought. What if it wasn’t Rhett and she was all alone in the pre-dawn with some burly, unknown dude? Her stomach sank at the thought.

She reminded herself most people were not like her cousins and kept racing along the trail. She was nearing the backyard of the first of Rhett’s neighbors and close to help if she needed it.

The man jogged closer, and his face broke into a wide smile at the sight of her. “Sloan.”

Rhett. It was Rhett. How could he be so happy to see her? She’d turned him away last night and missed the chance for more incredible kisses and for a relationship with him.

“Hi.” She slowed to a walk as they approached each other.

He looked … really incredible. The T-shirt stretched across his shoulders and chest, and his muscular arms and calves were revealed. His face was shadowed by the hat, but his blue eyes were warm as he searched her face.

“Tough guys can’t run. But we try.” She read his shirt and laughed. “It looked like you were running.”

“I’ve got about two hundred yards in me, then I walk to catch my breath and repeat.” He grinned at her. “How are you?”

“Okay,” she admitted.

“Could I help you be better than okay?” His smile was alluring.

“Rhett Coleville,” she said in a shocked tone. “Your mother would not approve.”

He put a hand to his chest, the picture of innocence. “I was only saying I could make you breakfast. What were you thinking?”

What had she been thinking? That he’d kiss her to make this day incredible, not just okay?

“Ah, you were hoping I’d kiss you to start this day off right?”

“Are you a mind reader?” she demanded.

“Only with you.”

Their gazes held and the moment slowed down. He did seem to know what she needed and how she felt. It was uncanny. She drew in a breath and thought of Kathy’s cussing from last night. She had to take a leap of faith, trust Rhett, and more importantly trust herself.

“Breakfast would be … great.”

“Perfect.” His grin was wide and happy. Was he not upset at her about last night? “Let me run my two hundred yards back home, shower, and I’ll get to cooking.”

“Did you even break a sweat in two hundred yards?” she asked, laughing.

“I lifted weights for an hour before my long run.” He smirked and folded his arms across his chest.

“Oh.” She reached out and ran her fingertips across his arm muscles. “This isn’t all built from swinging a hammer?”

He trembled at her touch. “I have to supplement the hammer swinging with weights.”

She pulled her hand back and turned. “Race you.” Taking off at a sprint, she heard his laugh of surprise and then his footsteps pounding behind her on the trail.

He pulled even with her and grinned, but he was sucking oxygen.

“I thought you weren’t a runner,” she tossed at him.

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