Running Back to You (The Running Series, #1) by Suzanne Sweeney Page A

don’t know anything about football and from what
I’ve seen on TV, most appear to be more like grown men with the mindset of a teenage
boy.  Hey, that reminds me.  There’s this fundraiser in a few weeks at Wilkinson’s
for Hurricane Sandy Relief.  Rumor has it some of the Sentinels players will be
there.  Do you guys know anything about it?”  I almost forgot to ask.
    Evan responds, “Well, Adam, you track the schedules.  Do we know anyone
planning on going?”
    “Yeah, I’m pretty sure Carlo Rivera and the
team’s new back-up quarterback are both booked.  What’s his name, again?”  Adam
is speaking directly to Evan.
    “McGuire.  They call him Mac.”  He shoots Adam a fierce look.  “I’m
sorry, Juliette, we must be boring you with all this talk about work.”  He
stands up and begins to clear away the dirty dishes.  “I’ll be right back,
please sit and relax.”
    I ask Adam about the house he’s closing on in a few days.  It sounds like
a cute little house in the heart of Point Pleasant Beach.
    Evan returns with my cake and dessert plates.  For the next half hour, we
eat dessert and the conversation returns to more mundane topics.  “So, Juliette,
what kinds of movies do you like to watch?”  Evan inquires.
    “Well, Auggie and I have been on a real eighties kick.  Today, we watched
St. Elmo’s Fire.  It’s one of those movies that will become a classic.  Don’t
you agree?” 
    Adam answers, “Anything with Demi Moore is okay in my book.”
    Evan reaches back and stretches.  Without much thought or concern, he
affectionately touches my back while talking to me.  “How about eighties
slasher movies?  You know, like Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday
the 13 th ?”  His fingertips graze my skin as he draws circles on my
flesh.  The sensation sends millions of tiny impulses through my body.
    “No .  Never.  You?”  That’s the closest I can come to complete sentences
right now.
    “I love them.  You have to let me introduce you to the world of Wes
Craven.  What do you say, Juliette?”
    “What do you mean, like tonight?”  I look at Evan and he’s just so
irresistibly sweet.
    “Yeah, tonight.  As soon as the sun goes down.  The only way to watch
Freddie Kruger is in the dark.  Hey, did you know Johnny Depp got his start in
the Nightmare on Elm Street movie?”  I contemplate the offer.  It’s almost dark
now, and I suppose I could stay for a few more hours.
    “Okay, sure.  I’m in.  But if I’m going to watch scary slasher movies,
I’m definitely going to need another beer.”
    This time, it’s Adam that responds.  “My turn, I’ll get this round.  Be
right back, kids.”  Moments later, he returns with only two bottles of Blue
Moon.
    “Sorry, guys.  I hate to break up this party, but it’s time for me to leave. 
You two have fun.  Evan, I’ll be back around midnight.  Jette, it really was a
pleasure to meet you.  I hope to see you again soon.”
    I get up and give Adam a hug.  He seems like a good friend and Evan’s
lucky to have someone like him watching his back.  I may have misjudged him.
    Evan excuses himself and walks Adam to the door.  I walk over to the
railing to watch the surf rise and fall.  I contemplate the chain of events
that led me here, when suddenly, I feel Evan’s arm around my waist and I’m
snapped back to the present.
    “Here, let’s sit and enjoy the view for a while.”  Evan motions to a
loveseat in the cabana.  He holds his hand out and leads me across the deck.
    The cabana is on the north corner of the deck and there is nothing
protecting us from the cool ocean breeze.  A chill overtakes me and my body
shivers.
    “Hang on, Juliette, I’ll be right back.”  He leans over towards an
ottoman and it opens, revealing a deep storage chest inside.  Evan pulls out a
gray woolen blanket and drapes it across our laps as he sits beside me.
    “Come here, I won’t bite.  Not unless you ask me