Page 67 of The Fix-Up

He frowned and I bit back my amusement. “I smile.”

“Sure.”

“I do.”

I yawned. “Okay.”

He muttered something under his breath as he sat down on the couch as far away from me as he could. In case my feelings rubbed off on him, I guess.

“I thought you were sleeping,” he said after an awkward moment of silence.

My head flopped back, and I rolled it in his direction. “I hear there are people who take naps whenever the heck they want.” I jabbed a finger on my chest. “I am not one of those people. But enough about me, how was the park?”

A co-op soccer team had started up in Two Harts last year. They met every Tuesday night at Legacy Park and Theo had invited Gil to give it a try. Which explained the gym shorts. His legs were stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles. Long, long legs, the muscles lean and defined. Sweat stains marred his t-shirt. His cheeks were ruddy and eyes bright. He looked…good.

“It was nice. I saw the Legacy Tree, too. Bigger than I thought it would be.”

“The tree is one of my favorite things in Two Harts. All those people who’ve carved their initials in it over the years. You know the biggest heart with the E and J in it? That’s from one of the Hart brothers, who founded the town. The rumor is that the two brothers were in love with the same woman. One married her; one pined for her his whole life.”

“That’s depressing.”

“Maybe. Or maybe it’s enough to love someone from afar as long as you got to be around them.”

“Bet it made for some awkward Christmas dinners.”

“That too.”

Then he did thisthing. He slid his glasses off and used the hem of his t-shirt to wipe his face, revealing a strip of pale stomach with a dusting of dark hair. Right there on the couch where I could see. Like his legs, his ab muscles were lean anddefined. Not like he spent four hours a day in a gym. More like he’d earned them playing driveway basketball or using this toolbelt to make things that required toolbelts. Obviously, he played soccer. I wondered if he played anything else. Maybe he was a runner.

The room had become very quiet in the last minute. Maybe because I was staring at Gil’s exposed stomach and Gil was staring at me staring at his naked stomach. Was it hot in here?

“Are you a runner?” I blurted.

“What?” he asked as his shirt slipped back into place.

“Nothing.” I tore my eyes away, praying he would let it go.

“Did you ask me if I was a runner?”

Of course he wasn’t going to let it go. “Just making conversation, you know. Just two people doing people things.”

The corner of his mouth tipped up. “Yes, I run. About four times a week.”

“Cool. I used to run. Especially when I lived in LA. Hated every single second. But anything to keep the weight off. Had to keep it tight and trim to fit in that kangaroo pouch.”

He laughed, sounded a bit rusty but it was nice. With twinkling eyes, he gave me a once-over that had me fighting a blush. “I think you’d fit just fine in it right now.”

“Oh, no thank you. Do you know how hot it was in that thing?” I shrugged. “I went to some auditions after Ollie was born but I never lost the baby weight, and I kept getting comments from casting directors about it. The dream lost its luster, you could say. Now I can eat muffins, and I don’t have to run.” I pointed out the window at the blue, cloudless March sky. “Although now that the weather is nicer, Oliver and I like to go on walks out behind the house.”

“I haven’t been back there.”

“You should come with us. It’s so pretty. One day, I’d love to have a gazebo, maybe put in a trail or two. It would be fun to have some chickens and a goat.”

“You’re a real farm girl, huh?”

“Me?” I laughed. “Oh, no. Raised in Oklahoma City in the ’burbs. My parents do live in the country now, though they moved after I left. But I love it out here with all the land. Gives Oliver lots of space to run and explore. What about you? City or country?”

“Mostly the city but my stepdad loved camping and fishing, so we were always outdoors doing something.” He leaned back and stared out the window across the room. “I loved it. Not necessarily because we were doing things outdoors but that we were doing things together.”

---