AllFreeNovel
Share Us
This piece of useless advice was given while Brett jogged, backwards, in front of me. Had I thought he was sexy? If so, I was changing my mind. He was nothing but a showoff. Finally, I saw our house and couldn’t help the groan that escaped when I realized that I’d have to haul my sorry ass uphill to get there. I didn’t die, but I’m pretty sure I came damn close.
Staggering up the drive, no longer jogging, I actually whimpered at the sight of the stairs I’d have to climb. I actually considered just dropping onto the lawn until I could move, but since there was a high possibility that might not be until… well, forever, I dragged myself up the steps by pulling on the railing. Brett bounded up like some overgrown puppy, opening the door and giving me a grin.
“You did it!”
Ignoring him and just barely managing not to kick him in the shin as I passed, I went to the first soft flat surface I could find and fell flat on my face.
“God, don’t ever make me do that again,” I said, though my words were muffled by the couch cushion.
Brett sat down and flipped me over, taking my feet and removing my shoes, and reminded me that he wasn’t a total monster by massaging my feet.
“It will get easier, babe. Every day, we’ll add a half-mile. Within a month, you’ll be ready to start the real training.”
Okay, monster it was. “Brett, I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack. I’m sorry I’m not as thin as I used to be, but, if you wanted skinny, you should have married some anorexic fashion model.”
His hands moved up my legs, massaging my calves. “Hannah, you are a beautiful, sexy woman. But I’ve missed some of the things we used to do. We used to run and hike all the time. You’ve forgotten how much you enjoyed being outdoors.”
Strong fingers dug into the muscles of my thighs, taking away some of the pain I’d felt. I tried to remember the last time we’d gone on a hike or canoed or hell, even taken a walk around the neighborhood. It shamed me that I couldn’t. When his hands moved beneath me, squeezing my ass, I also remembered that none of this would have begun if I hadn’t looked deep inside and found something vital was missing.
Opening my eyes, I looked up at him. “I guess I miss that too.”
He smiled and his hands moved again, this time to slide under my sopping wet t-shirt. I almost laughed at the look in his eyes when he moved to my breasts. He only had himself to blame that the mounds of my breasts were flattened by the sports bra he’d insisted I wear. That didn’t keep my nipples from puckering, but it did remind me that I was really sweaty.
“What will it take for you to carry…” Remembering the weight I’d gained, I changed mid-request. “I mean help me to the tub? I desperately need a bath, and I’m too tired to stand in the shower.”
Brett bent forward and gave me a kiss and then stood, lifted me into his arms, and carried me down the hall. “There isn’t a price for everything, babe. You soak and I’ll bring you a cup of coffee then I’ll go finish my run.”
“Have fun,” I said, already stripping as he left the bathroom. The water was wonderful, the mug of coffee delicious. By the time I climbed out, dried off, and dressed, I saw that it was not even eight o’clock. I couldn’t help but remember that ad that the army had run and decided it was true. Forget nine a.m. Soldiers did do far more before eight a.m. when I hadn’t even started my day.
