Page 94 of Running to You

“Still hurts, though, getting rejected.” She could remember the horror in Sam’s face the night before when he realized who was in his arms. Yeah, rejection was a knife to the heart. “You two never made up?”

“We’re fine. We didn’t talk about it or anything. Guys don’t do that.”

“No, guys sulk and carry grudges.”

He glared at her, but he couldn’t exactly argue.

“He was your best friend. What did you do after that? Start hanging out with…who’s next in line? Grant?”

Sam shrugged. “Grant and I never had much in common. I used to ride my dirt bike. That was my thing, the only thing I could do that my brothers couldn’t, not like I could, anyway.”

Sam had shown her photos from those days—races and bumpy tracks with jumps and dips. Terrifying. “You were good, right?”

“Yeah. Won a lot of races. I planned to compete in the New England Motocross, but I wrecked my bike at another event, and my mom…” His lips pressed together in a sort of smirk-smile. “She saw the crash, and that was it. She put her foot down, and not even Dad could budge her.”

Eliza couldn’t imagine letting Levi do anything so dangerous. “I bet you were disappointed.”

He shrugged like it didn’t matter.

“Did Michael ever see you race?”

“Why would he have?”

“Um, because he’s your brother?”

“He was busy with his friends.”

Ah. So it wasn’t just that one time. “You ever talk to him about it?”

“Right. I’m going to bring up a gripe from twenty years ago. How pathetic would that be?”

“No more pathetic than you continuing to punish him for it.”

“I’m not—”

“What would it hurt to talk about it? Maybe you two could find resolution. You could get over your bitterness—”

“Thank you, Dr. Phil. Can we talk about your stuff now? Seems slightly more urgent.”

“I’m just saying—”

“Eliza.” A hint of pleading tinged the name.

“Sorry. Okay. But you should call him. See if he’ll meet us. I don’t want us to go to Mom’s alone.”

Sam tore his gaze from the road to glare at her. “You’re getting on my nerves.”

He’d made that crystal clear. “But I’m not wrong.”

He grumbled. Then lifted his phone to unlock it. “Find his number. I’ll call him. To keep you safe.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Sam ended the call with his brother. As Eliza predicted, he was not only willing to help but seemed eager to.

“I’ll get there first,” Michael had said. “Stake it out. See if anybody’s watching it.”

Like he was some sort of super spy, but it seemed like a good idea. “Stay safe,” Sam said. “And also…maybe think about how we can get in. We don’t have a key.”