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“So you’ve said, but by the look on your face, I expected all time to freeze to give you that chance.” Emilia laughed, leaning back and peering closer at her. “Was it like in the books? You know, love at first sight?”
Charlotte’s stomach clenched and soured and dropped all at the same time until she thought her legs would go out from under her. Yeah, it was love at first sight, but that had been twelve years ago. Her town joined up with the surrounding smaller towns for high school, and when she stepped off the bus on that first day of her freshman year, she had looked up right into the eyes of Austin…that had been it. Her whole life centered on him from that day on.
And it irked her to no end that the moment she met his eyes today set her right back to that moment…to her wanting to wrap her life around him.
She had spent years getting over him, hours of praying at first for God to bring him back to her and then for Him to heal her heart. She thought it had healed, but if so, today had ripped the wound wide open once again.
TWO
Austin gripped the railing of the arena until the splintered wood dug into his hand. She had disappeared, faded into the crowd as if she had been an apparition the entire time. He had stood frozen, watching her unbelievable performance and then her humility as she received her score. When she turned to meet his eyes, he had remained in that frozen state even while his body lit on fire. He had to do something. He had to move and say…anything—anything to bring her back into his life. With a herculean effort, he pushed off the railing, coming to her like a sailor to a siren…when she vanished.
He dropped his hand, rubbing out the splinters on his jeans as he wove through the crowd with one intent. Tell the girl, who was now very much a woman, that he was sorry, that he had made a terrible mistake.
The guilt and heartache had lived in his chest for too many years. The continuous shoving down hadn’t done him any good. Just the sound of her name had his heart racing, and seeing her…well, let’s just say his body and heart still thrummed for her.
It had taken him years, but when he finally had the guts to call her, to tell her he had been a fool, her number was no longer valid, nor her parents’ number either.
The loss had felt complete then, and he had sealed up that part of his life, or at least he had thought he had. Today showed him just how wrong he had been.
Well, he would not let her slip through his fingers again, at least not without telling her how he knew he had messed up. Did she still have feelings for him? Did she even remember him? She was probably married by now… The thought had his feet stumbling.
“Hey there,” Jake said, grabbing Austin’s arm as he lost his balance. “You should know by now that the loss of the adrenaline after an event like that makes your legs all wobbly.”
Austin glanced at Jake but returned his gaze to where he had seen Charlotte disappear.
“Unless it’s not the win, but…a girl?” Jake’s eyes gleamed as he followed Austin’s gaze.
Austin shook his arm from Jake’s grasp and brushed down his shirt, making himself, as hard as it was, look at Jake. The man’s grin almost caught hold of him, making his lips twitch in response. “Aren’t we a little old for girls?”
“Yeah, yeah. I know, my wife keeps telling me I’ve got to stop calling her and her friends girls. They’re women.” Jake shrugged. “Some of us just never want to grow up.”
“Yet, you’ve got a kid now,” Austin said, glancing around for Beth and their sweet son.
Jake sighed a content sigh that brought peace to the man’s face. “Yeah, and he’s the best.”
A twinge of jealousy sparked through Austin. Shouldn’t he be thinking of settling down and having kids? If he didn’t, he’d be like Pops and have to hope for a widow with kids. His heart softened at seeing the transformation in Jake’s expression. “He is adorable. Where is he? Beth not come to this event?”
“Beth comes to every event. She is the most faithful person I’ve ever met,” he said, shaking his head.
“You lucked out with that one,” Austin said, looping his fingers and trying not to pretend every part of him was primed to continue his hunt for Charlotte.
“Luck? Nah, it was God. Plain and simple.” Jake patted him on the back, looking off into the crowd. “Maybe instead of chasing down your prey, you should ask the Big Guy, huh?”
Austin narrowed his eyes. It wasn’t that he wasn’t a believer, sure he was. He went to church and knew his Bible, but God was someone to worship, not to ask for selfish desires. He didn’t understand people like Beth and Jake, who talked about God as if He were their friend…someone involved in every aspect of their lives. God was too busy to care what was going on in their measly lives. To each their own. Austin shook his head.
“So, who was it?” Jake narrowed in. “One of the vaulters, I bet. They’re new.” Jake turned to look at him, searching his eyes. “Nah, there’s too much behind that look. It’s someone you know.”
Austin sighed, knowing he wouldn’t get rid of his friend until he gave him a little information. “Knew. I used to know.”
“Ah, the one that got away,” Jake said, smiling in satisfaction.
“More like pushed away,” Austin muttered, heat creeping up his neck as he realized he said it louder than he meant to.
“Oh, in that case, pursue, my friend. I’ll be here if you want to talk about it!” Jake stood aside, urging Austin on.
Austin stepped into the crowd, but the stalls were a maze of milling people, horses, and tack. He had lost her…again.
Adam caught up with him, rattling on about something that Austin was too distracted to catch, and pulling him out of the crowd and into the lot behind the stables. Austin left the steamy air of horse, leather, and sweat for the scent of diesel and hot tires as Adam led him back to their trailer. He finally caught a bit of what Adam rattled on about.
