Page 35 of Ugly Duckling (Content Advisory #6)

Twenty-Eight

Sneaking bourbon into work is pretty easy if you put it in your stomach first.

—Sutton to Gunner

SUTTON

Six months later

I was on pace.

I was going to make it.

I could see the finish line now.

My lungs were on fire.

There were spots dancing in my vision.

But I was going to make it.

The closer I got, the more the spectators screamed.

I was in sixth place for women.

That I knew.

I’d been getting race updates from Milena for the last two hours.

I’d trained for the last six months to get to where I was at today.

Boston.

I was running the Boston Marathon, and I was in sixth place.

“Run, baby!”

I looked over and spotted my mom and dad.

My mom was holding a sign with butterflies all over it.

My dad was holding one with flowers.

That was it.

No positive, uplifting message on their posterboards.

Just butterflies and flowers.

I passed more.

Milena.

Cutter.

Chevy and Aella.

Silver and Webber.

Audric and Creole.

Cakes.

Everyone was there to watch us run.

Gunner had already finished.

I’d made him promise to run his little heart out, and he had.

So had I.

I was almost there.

The woman who was right behind me picked up her pace, and I was forced to, also.

I couldn’t breathe anymore.

My lungs were one solid wall of fire.

Each breath I took came shorter and faster.

“Run, baby!”

I looked in front of me and there he was.

The crowd got louder, and I passed the finish line half a breath before the woman behind me.

I slowed my pace, then started to collapse, but my man was there to catch me.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and carried me off to the side.

Once there, he deposited me back on my feet, made sure I was steady, and then dropped down to one knee.

“What are you doing?” I gasped.

He had dried sweat on his forehead.

His eyes were an intense shade of blue when he replied, “I’m asking you to marry me, baby.”

I swallowed hard. “There aren’t any butterflies.”

He grinned. “Yes there are. Look.”

I looked around me, and sure enough, those flowers and butterflies written all over the white posterboards were all around us, being held in place by the spectator fence blocking them from getting any closer.

“You’re right,” I agreed. “There are.”

His face flashed with relief as he said, “Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me, Sutton Sway?”

I threw myself into his arms. “Of course I will.”

“Sixth place female finisher, with an official time of two hours, thirteen minutes, and eleven seconds, Sutton Sway!”

A sob broke free from my throat. “Soon to be Sutton Penn.”

Gunner sat up and hugged me tight. “God, I love you. And I’m so proud of you.”

I buried my face into his neck, uncaring of how stinky he smelled. “I’m proud of you, too. What was your time?”

He pulled back with his eyes shining. “Two hours and seven minutes.”

“Show off.”