Still The One - Carrie Elks Page 0,12

turn her head to look.

It only took a moment for her to recognize that gait. She’d seen it enough growing up. First when they played games here and there all over town. Then when he’d been part of the football team at school, throwing his body into winning games the way he always threw himself into everything.

She froze for a moment. If she recognized him, there was every chance he recognized her, too. There was no opportunity to leave and outrun him, either. Tanner Hartson could always catch her. It had been the source of much irritation when they were younger.

There was nothing to it but to get it over with. He was right. This was a small town and the likelihood was that she’d see him a lot more the longer she stayed in Hartson’s Creek.

“Hey.” He slowed down, his breath barely labored. “I didn’t know you ran.”

She shrugged. “I took it up a few years ago. When the chocolate started to make itself known on my hips.”

His gaze automatically dropped to her legs. She felt her cheeks warm at his scrutiny.

“I don’t believe that for a second,” he said, his jaw twitching as he resolutely pulled his eyes up to hers. “You could eat any guy under the table when we were kids, and never put on a damn ounce.”

The corner of her lip curled. “I guess things have changed since then.”

“I guess so.” He inclined his head toward town. “You going back?”

“As soon as I catch my breath.”

He ran his tongue along his bottom lip. “I’ll wait for you.”

Anxiety shot through her. “You don’t have to.”

“I want to,” he told her, his eyes still holding hers.

Okay then. So this was how it was going to be. Maybe it was time to take control of the situation.

She pushed herself off the peeling sign, and took a deep breath. “Race you back!” Launching herself forward, she felt the air rush past her as her gait sped up. She heard a chuckle, then the pounding of feet against the dusty country road as he easily caught her.

“So you still play dirty.” Unlike Van, he wasn’t breathless at all as he slowed his speed to run beside her.

“Gotta use whatever advantage I have.”

It was only when he was this close that she could see the difference in him. Sense it, too. His body was stronger than ever, his running shirt tight across his chest, revealing muscles that rippled a little too much for her liking. His legs were tan and defined as they moved in a laid back rhythm.

She’d never noticed the height difference between them so starkly before. Not even during junior year when he’d shot up almost a foot over the summer and all his jeans had ended above his ankles.

It was so strange running next to him. Familiar, yet completely alien, too. Ten years ago being together would have been their normal, but now there was so much history that it hurt like a knife.

He hadn’t said a word for the last five minutes, and neither had she. The air was silent, save for their soft breathing and the chirp of the birds in the fields. She found herself glancing at his legs again, then quickly pulling her gaze up. He was looking right at her. Had he noticed her scrutiny? Thank god her face was hot already and he couldn’t notice her blush.

When they reached the town square, she expected him to turn off and take the direct road home, but instead he ran next to her, taking the parallel street that led to her house. She gave him a questioning look and he shrugged. His thick, dark hair was ruffled by the breeze, lifting it from his chiseled face.

When they reached her street, Van slowed down to a walk, her breath shallow as it tried to catch up with the oxygen her body needed. Tanner slowed, too, and she turned her head to look up at him.

“You can carry on running,” she said between pants. “You’ve barely broken a sweat.” From the look of him he could probably handle at least another ten miles.

Van, on the other hand, was beat.

He shrugged. “I’ll walk you to your house.”

She blinked. “Why?”

“Because I want to.”

How many times had he walked her home in their lifetimes? First from grade school, then as she grew older and her mom was more neglectful, from his house after dinner, when his Aunt Gina insisted on feeding her. And after she started working at