Page 104 of Love Among Vines

Jade hugged Cindy. “Believe it or not, it was his idea.”

Cindy snorted. “Oh, this should be good.”

Why was everyone so convinced he was going to die running three measly miles?

“Are Gemma and Elena coming?” Jade asked.

“Not for the race. Elena’s working and Gemma’s prepping for a case. But we might see them later.”

“Great. Should we get lined up?”

Twenty minutes later, Rett pulled to a stop and bent at the waist. He clutched at his side and took short, shallow breaths. Had he been stabbed on the track and just not noticed? It had only been half a mile. This pain wasn’t normal.

“All right, mate?” Tom and the apple-shaped hat he had donned for the occasion bobbed into view.

“Am I dying?” Rett asked Cindy. “It feels like I’m dying.”

Penny looked up at him with concern.

“You’re not dying,” Cindy said. “It’s a side stitch. Why did you think you could run three miles with absolutely no training? We’re not eighteen anymore. Our bodies don’t work like they used to.”

“Why don’t you guys keep going?” Jade said. “I’ll walk with Rett until he feels better.”

“I don’t need to walk,” he insisted. He was about to set off again when Jade hooked his arm.

Cindy nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll save you a piece of strawberry rhubarb for the end.”

“Cheers,” Tom said, and off they went.

“Here.” Jade pulled a Gatorade from her belt bag. “Let’s pull over for a second.”

He left the track and leaned against a tree. “You’re not even winded.”

She put a hand on his arm. “Cardio’s a different beast. Running requires training.”

A child who must have been seven or eight ran past them, clutching what looked to be a Game Boy in front of his face.

Rett shook his head and panted. “You think that kid trained extensively for this?”

“Children don’t count. They’re an exception to most exercise rules.”

Penny curled up on one of his feet and looked up at him. He scratched her behind the ears, still bent over.

“Side stitch?” Jade asked gently.

He nodded.

“Take some deep breaths, okay? Which side is it on?”

He pointed to his right side.

“Okay. Raise your left arm.” She guided his arm into the air. “Now lean towards the pain.”

She pressed on his upper body, and he leaned obediently.

“Great. Deep breaths.”

He begrudgingly followed her advice. He was a master of discipline. So why the hell couldn’t he run?

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