Page 2 of He Saved My Boy
“Dani and Luke just arrived, so when you get home, you’re gonna have to up your game if you want that role of favorite uncle,” he teases. “Enjoy your getaway, and we’ll video chat once we’re home from the hospital.”
“Will do, D. Love you.”
“Love you more, Davy,” he says just as the line goes dead.
Damn. I’m an uncle—again. Seeing my brothers and sister become parents has been a welcomed change to our family dynamics. Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like to find a partner in life like they have, to settle down and have a family. But then again—I do enjoy being single—with my long hours at the hospital, that’s what fits my lifestyle the best.
To finish my run, I pick up my pace and continue up the road. After a few minutes at my full speed, I notice a woman running about two hundred yards ahead of me. As I close the gap behind her, I see her dart down my next turn to the right. Not wanting her to think I’m a creeper, I slow my pace and wait to see where her next turn is.
We keep pace for quite a while, and I’m surprised to see it’s not far off from my regular stride. Damn, even from here, I can tell she’s much shorter than I am, but she’s got some legs on her. Not only are they fast but sexy as hell, poking out of her running shorts. They’re long and tone from years of running. When she makes the final turn down the driveway to Tilly’s Place—the bed and breakfast that’s also my destination, I can’t help but chuckle.
Maybe I am a creeper. The way I’ve been admiring her backside for the last three quarters of a mile has me dying to know if the rest of her looks just as good as my view from the back. Eventually, she slows her pace to a walk, and I do the same. No sense in making this any more awkward.
I watch her raise her hands to rest on her head as she regulates her breathing, just as I hit the gravel behind her. Instantly, she turns with a startled expression, and I feel like a total jackass for not announcing my presence earlier. “I… Uh… didn’t mean to startle you,” I quickly explain. “I guess we’re both staying here.”
Shaking her head, she grins. “That’s what I get for getting in the zone. I’m used to paying attention in the city, but I let my guard slip.”
Fuck. Now I really feel like an asshat. “I tried to stay far enough back, so you wouldn’t feel creeped out—but what were the odds of us both ending up at Tilly’s?”
“It’s fine,” she quickly reassures me. Then she gasps, pointing to my shirt. “Wait… you’re a Rainier Renegades fan?”
From the shocked expression on her face, I hesitate for how to proceed and for the first time in forever, I swear my heart stalls. “Uh… yeah.”
When her face morphs into a grin from ear to ear, I instantly release the breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. “So am I. You’ve gotta be a die-hard fan—sporting those colors in Texas.”
“Trust me—I know.” I grin as she has no clue how deep my loyalties lie. “Our loyalty to the Renegades runs in the family,” I add flippantly because hell, my family had been a fan of the Renegades long before Dani even knew my brother-in-law, Luke, existed. But damn—I’ll never forget the day he walked into our house.
“I take it you’re from Washington?” she says in a distinctly non-Southern drawl.
“Yep—I grew up outside of Leavenworth. You?”
Reaching for her foot to stretch her quad, she shrugs. “I’m currently living in Seattle.”
Interesting. I’m half-tempted to say I will be, too—but that’d probably make me sound like a soon-to-be stalker—so I skip to a safe topic. “I’ve always liked visiting Seattle.”
As I start my post-run stretching, we both sit in casual silence. When she leans into a calf stretch further, I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit my eyes linger on her much longer than they should. Damn. I was right about her. She’s even more striking from the front. Her long, brown hair is pulled back in a tight ponytail. Wisps of hair have fallen out in the front to shape her beautiful face. Without a stitch of makeup—her light-blue eyes and long, dark lashes captivate me. They’re a stark contrast to her golden-brown skin, and I suddenly find myself wanting to get lost in them for days.
When she glances my way and catches me staring, I quickly blurt out, “Are you in town long?”
Taking in a deep breath, she switches legs. “I’m…” She pauses, then straightens her shoulders as she looks me in the eye once again. “I’m staying here for the rest of the week.”
Seeing as it’s only Tuesday, I grin. “Well, I’m here for the next few nights, too. Are you here with your family?” I dart my eyes to her ring finger, and my body loosens when I find it ringless.
“I… I’m here to see family of sorts—but to answer the question you actually asked…” She blows a bit of hair from her face, then turns a smile my way. “I’m taking a much needed me-cation.”
A light laugh escapes at her sudden relief. “Well, everyone needs to unwind a bit. I guess that’s why I’m here, too,” I admit, then realize I have to know her name. “I’m Davis, by the way.”
I swear, her cheeks darken as she glances quickly away, then returns those sky-blue eyes on me at full force. “I’m Teagan. It’s nice to meet you. Are you visiting family?”
“No—they’re back in Washington. I’m flying solo on this trip—a me-cation—as you called it.”
A flock of birds takes flight from the trees that line the back of the property, momentarily drawing Teagan’s attention. As soon as they’ve flown off, I swear I hear a rumble from Teagan’s stomach. She closes her eyes momentarily, then turns to me and straightens her spine, looking far more confident and gorgeous than before. “I’m starving and need some breakfast. Care to join me?”
I had a bagel at the coffee shop earlier, but if she’s asking me to spend more time with her, I’ll gladly eat again. “Sure.”
She sighs heavily, then hops up from the ground. “Okay. I need to grab a shower. Want to meet back in the lobby in thirty minutes or so?”
And just like that—I’m picturing her in the shower.
