DID YOU KNOW THATI
WAS ALL-STATE IN CROSS-COUNTRY, THREE YEARS
RUNNING?
DID YOU SEE WHATI
DID THERE?
RUNNING. . .
Harley laughed, a tear popping out all on its own. Her heart did some popping too. Right there in her chest, beating faster and louder as if, it too, was smiling.
WELL, THIS TIMEI’M
RUNNING TO YOU.
. . .
. . .
Who knew her happiness could come down to three little dots.
LET ME TEXT YOU THE
FINISH LINE.
PS. I’LL BE THAT GUY
ON THE SIDELINES
CHEERING YOU ON.
LAST TIMEIRAN A MARATHON
IWOUND UP AT A DOUGHNUT
SHOP.
THENIGUESSI’LL JUST
HAVE TO SCOUT OUT
EVERY DOUGHNUT SHOP
ON THE COURSE.
Harley was done with letters and coded messages. She wanted to hear his voice, tell him the one thing she should have told him months ago.
She pressed the phone button and dialed him. It rang exactly once before he answered.
“Hi,” she said the second the call connected.
“Hi back,” he said and, God, his voice made her want to laugh and cry all at the same time. His low, gravelly voice reminded her of every happy memory they’d had together—which was mostly all their memories together.
She clutched the phone closer. “I miss you.”
“I miss you so damn much it’s hard to breathe,” he said, his voice in stereo. She turned and there he was, standing at the top of a sand dune, looking like her very own prince, in flip-flops, a pair of low-slung jeans, and a dark gray T-shirt.
