Somehow, Jack doubted Steph would let the sheriff or anyone tell her where she could train and where she couldn’t.
“I should head out,” he said, standing.
Liam looked up at him. “She’s not going to make this easy.”
“She’s made that clear already.”
“I’m not just talking about the business.”
Jack knew it but didn’t bother admitting it.
Chapter 7
Steph
The one-mile Fun Run started at five o’clock and the 5K at five thirty. That meant Steph needed to be at the staging area before two. An evening race was a rarity, but that was how they’d been doing it since its inception.
The mile run was an easy out-and-back, fast for those who wanted it to be. The 5K Jingle Run started at a popular park and wove through neighborhoods decorated for Christmas. The church Steph attended was along the way and set up as an aid station where runners could get water and snacks.
This year, almost three dozen hardy souls registered for both the mile and the 5K, most of them being members of the Basin County Running Club.
There was considerable community support for the race, with people along the route even setting up unofficial aid stations and cheering as people went by. The Jingle Run welcomed not only runners but walkers, many of whom wore some sort of festive costume to add to the spirit.
Truth be told, Steph loved the event and considered it the official kick-off for the Christmas season.
Correction: every year before this year, she loved the event.
Nothing was as it should be this year. The decorations were still put up—maybe even more than usual—and she’d heard from more than one person who lived along theroute how they’d be outside cheering. Steph understood what they were really doing was waiting for a glimpse of the almost-Olympian Jack Swisher.
Like he was some kind of big deal or something.
Newsflash, he’s only a big deal in his own mind.
Steph pulled into the parking lot at 1:50, her full-size SUV pulling an enclosed utility trailer and taking up several spaces. She kept the supplies needed for putting on a fundraiser run in a corner of her garage. She’d been accumulating things over the years, with a plan of one day putting on a major race.
So much for that.
Jack Swisher swooped in and ruined those plans.
And where was Jack now that there was work to be done? Not there, that was for sure. Steph was there alone, doing the setup, just like every year.
She shook her head. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get to work.”
She took a deep breath and thought through her plans. She’d done this enough times to have a system. There’d be volunteers arriving closer to the start time who would mark the course. Since they were using public streets, it was best to save that for later. She would focus on setting up the start corral, followed by the registration table and snack station.
They chose the park as their start specifically because of the covered picnic area with electricity. A winter run demanded hot coffee and cocoa, though she held off preparing them until everything else was ready. After that came the finish chute, the barricades, and the lighting along the final stretch, where the ground dropped just enough to be a hazard for tired runners in the dark.
She was halfway through the barricades when her phone buzzed. It was a text from one of her volunteers. Car trouble. He was sorry. He’d donate double next year.
She typed back that it was fine and kept moving.
Another text arrived a few minutes later. A sick child would prevent the person in charge of registration from attending.
Steph let out a breath. She could move people around. Brooke and Tyler could handle the registration table where they handed out the bibs and goody bags. They were supposed to be stationed on one of the corners, directing people on which way to go. She could put up an arrow instead. It’d be fine.
Most years, Brooke was among those who ran both the mile and the 5K, but this year, she was standing down to volunteer with Tyler. Tyler was also part of the running club, thanks to his relationship with Brooke, but he was recovering from a serious injury. An injury unrelated to running that nearly cost him and Brooke their lives.
“Hey, Steph!” Rachel called out as she approached. “Wow. Things look great.” She gave Steph a wide smile. “I heard you’d make it look nice, but it’s even better than I expected. It’s really going to be amazing when it gets dark.”
