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The reality of that statement brought Meg completely back to the present. She relaxed her hands.
“Cool. I’m sure we’ll see you guys around then. Maybe we could all run together some days.”
Meg wasn’t one for crowds, but alone time with Chet was feeling scarier by the minute. Would running in a group be better or worse? Her feelings battled her mind for an answer but she blurted out, “Sounds good.”
They said their good-byes, and Tyler and Drew went to the counter to order. Meg was pretty sure Drew could have anythinghe wanted from the bakery for free, but he insisted on paying like everyone else.
Chet took his seat across from her.
“Tyler seems nice,” she said, to make sure the conversation stayed benign.
“So does Drew. It’s a little surreal meeting someone as famous as he is. But he seems pretty chill.”
Meg chuckled. “He’s very chill.” She tore off a bite of her cookie and placed it in her mouth, grateful her hands weren’t shaking so much anymore. “So, let’s talk running.”
*
Chet searched Meg’seyes for clues as to what had just happened, but she wasn’t giving anything away. She’d recovered fast, which made him think that panic wasn’t new to her.
He racked his brain to think of what could have triggered such a response in her, but nothing stood out. He and the other two men had shot the breeze about baseball and running and what workouts they liked. Not a single thing made him hear alarm bells.
And yet without a doubt in his mind, Meg had been only a few moments away from a panic attack. Having experienced them himself, and having helped others get through them, he was no stranger to how they looked or felt.
He put the last bite of croissant in his mouth.
“You wanted to meet to talk running plans, right?” Meg asked.
He had. Although now the enigma before him just got all that more intriguing. He took a sip of coffee to wash down his food. “Right.” Even though he could write her running schedule out on a calendar, he didn’t want to sound like a stalker.
“The entire town enjoys joking that they see me running all the time, so I’m surprised you asked for this meeting. You probably already know how often I run.”
Oh no.Had she read his mind? “I can’t say exactly how often you run, but it’s easy to see that you love it.” She had a body to prove it, as well. Her legs went on for days.
“Well, early mornings are best for me because of my hours at the diner.”
“Sounds good.”
“And you’re still good with up to seven miles a day?” Her eyes gleamed competitively, and he liked it. He liked it a lot.
“I am. Areyouup for the challenge?”
“Is it though?” She gave him a wicked smile.
Oh, he really liked this side of her.
He stuck his hand out for her to shake. She stared at it for a moment. He couldn’t tell if she was afraid of it or didn’t want to accept the challenge.
“You scared?” He gave her a big smile, just to add to the fun.
Her eyes narrowed, a smirk on her lips. She stuck out her hand and shook his.
Meg was a mystery for sure. One he was more than happy to spend his time solving.
Chapter Ten
Meg stood nearthe edge of the park, waiting for Chet. It was the biggest one in Silver Bay, located a few blocks down from Seapoint Boulevard, which was essentially the center of town. There was a small area created for people to work out, with various equipment for anyone who wanted to do weight-bearing exercises, and open space to get muscles warm before a run or work them out afterward.
It was also where the Harvest Festival would be held so there were already hay bales around for the maze, as well as scatterings of decorations to be put up in the next couple weeks. Pumpkins were sprinkled throughout various parts of the grass while scarecrows on sticks leaned against picnic tables. Meg smiled at the creativity of each scarecrow. Kids at the local elementary school got to decorate them so each one had its own unique character.
