Page 40 of Love Among Vines

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

RETT

An hour later, they rolled into town with Penny panting happily between them. The town square was decorated top to bottom with pennant banners, booths, and buckets full of vibrant fall flowers. A sign over Shethar Street proudly proclaimed Hammondsport Fall Festival.

Rett couldn’t take his eyes off Jade as they walked from the parking lot. Sunshine brought out a copper glint in her hair. Her lips were a distraction, her eyes a labyrinth.

Last night had been amazing. They had come together like they had known each other for eons. She had deftly and methodically lit every cell in his body on fire. It had been worth every painful second of waiting.

Something felt different this morning. They only had a week left to explore each other. And she still had a lot of learning to do before he set her loose. The date had failed to awaken her spark, so they needed to talk more seriously about alternate careers.

Graphic design was the easy choice for her. With a handful of à la carte classes, she would be a master in no time. With a refresher on interview skills and a new resume, she would be unstoppable.

And then there was the fact that graphic design could be done anywhere. She could even stay here, if she wanted. But that would complicate things.

Besides, she wanted to go back to the city. That had always been her plan. It was home for her. So why did the idea of watching her leave put his stomach in knots?

“Do you run often?” Jade asked as they approached the registration booth.

He almost jumped at the question. “Not really. I mostly lift weights.”

“So no cardio?” She raised her eyebrows.

“A little boxing here and there. But not much.”

Her lips pressed together like she was suppressing a smile. “And you thought you’d just wake up and run three miles with no training or conditioning?” she asked carefully.

His arms crossed over his chest. He was in great shape. He did strength training almost every day. “Sure. How hard can it be?”

“I’m sure you’re right,” she said.

They walked up to the registration counter and secured their numbers.

“Allow me.” He brushed her ponytail out of the way and slid a hand under the back of her T-shirt. In seconds, the number was safety pinned to her back. He finished with a quick kiss on her neck. She smelled like sunshine.

Cindy rushed over with Tom in tow. “I’m so glad you guys are running. How did you convince Rett?”

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?

He glanced at Jade, who was neither wheezing nor struggling. There was kindness in her eyes, but also a sparkle of amusement.

His phone buzzed, and he glanced at it expecting a teasing text from Tom. Instead, a far worse surprise waited: his brother was coming to the party. And that meant Alexa would surely be joining him.

He straightened, stomach in a hard knot. “Let’s go.”

He set off at a jog again, and Jade joined him.

“You know,” she said gently, “it’s probably just dehydration. We polished off that bottle of sparkling last night without a water nightcap. It’s a rookie mistake.”

Dehydration. Of course. Not the inevitable aging and failing of his body. A mile later, the deep burn in his chest had grown almost unbearable. Ragged breaths tore through him.

He couldn’t control his own body, and he couldn’t control the winery’s flatlining.

He couldn’t even keep his long-term girlfriend from falling in love with his jackass of a brother.

His attempts to help Jade would probably fail too.

They only had a week left together. What was it about him that was so innately destined for failure?

His pace quickened. Maybe if he just pushed hard enough, he could outrun everything. The stabbing pain worsened, and he pressed his hand to it.

“Why don’t we take a walking break?” Jade asked gently. “Penny would love the sniffing time.”

Rett nodded. “For Penny.”

Fuck.

Their pace slowed to a walk, and she wound her fingers through his.

“Are you okay?” she asked in a low voice.

“I’m fine.”

“Your vibe is super intense for someone who knocked their first attempt at sparkling wine out of the park.”

Penny paused her tree-sniffing duties to nose his hand.

He grunted.

“Party stress?”

He nodded. “My brother is coming.”

The words were out before he could second-guess them. What was it about her that pried the truth from him?

Jade stood tall. “Your brother the girlfriend-stealer?”

“The only one I have,” he muttered.

“Shit.” She tugged Penny away from a jogger. “I’m happy to spill wine on him. Or your ex. Or I could propose to you in front of everyone and totally upstage him.”

He cracked a smile against his will.

“Why did you invite him?” she asked.

“If I hadn’t, my parents would have. I didn’t want to rock the boat.”

“You don’t owe him anything just because you share DNA.”

“Maybe not. But if I have a family someday, I don’t want family gatherings to be awkward.”

She frowned. “You’re a better person than me. I would have dumped gasoline on that bridge, tossed a match, and never looked back.”

“Weren’t you just in your ex-boyfriend’s wedding?”

She faltered. “You have a point. Regardless, don’t let him steal your joy. This is your day. Your triumph. And if he tries to ruin it, I will at minimum fill his pockets with Penny’s poop.”

He squeezed her hand. Jade was like sunshine—bright, brilliant, nurturing. Even facing his brother and his ex sounded more tolerable with her at his side.

But it was only for another week. Then she would be back in the city, chasing her dreams. The reality of the timeline stirred something in him.

He pulled her roughly to him and pressed his lips to hers. She froze for an instant, then relaxed under his grip. Salt stung his lips. His heart rate, which had slowed down during their walk, ticked back up.

“Yoo-hoo!” someone called.

They broke apart. Jade looked a little dazed, and her cheeks were flushed. She glanced behind them.

“Hi, Margie,” she said with a smile.

Margie, decked out in tie-dyed sweatbands and followed by the book club, waved at them.

“I’m glad to see you safe, sweetheart. I was worried when you didn’t come home last night.”

“Sorry about that. I was—uh?—”

“She was with me.” Rett winked. “I wouldn’t expect to see her tonight either.”

“Oh, to be young and in love,” Margie said. “You kids have fun. I’ll stop by the booth later.”

The book club passed by with merry waves.

“Now this is just embarrassing.” He gestured down the hill where Mildred power walked in a purple leotard.

“Slow and steady,” Jade said. “Come on, let’s walk the rest of the way. I don’t want to be super sweaty for our shift at the booth.”

“If that’s what you want,” he said, lacing his fingers through hers again.

Together, they set off for the finish line.