smiled. “Well, their respective significant others, Kaitlyn and Halona, will be here running with me. Josie and Brenna too.”
“We have some pretty supportive friends, huh?” Jack asked.
“The best.” Emma went up on her tiptoes and gave Jack another lingering kiss. “Okay, no more kissing until tonight. We need to focus.”
“Hard to focus on anything else when you’re around,” Jack said.
“Good luck with my dad. Even though I still don’t understand how running along with him will help.”
Jack shrugged and kissed her again. “See you later. I love you.” He turned and jogged away, leaving Emma standing at her registration booth, speechless. Had she just heard him say what she thought she did?
* * *
Jack was already sweating bullets, and he hadn’t even started running yet. He hadn’t meant to tell Emma he loved her. The words had just slipped out as natural as breathing—and now he was finding it hard to take in a full breath.
“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,” Granger said, stepping up to him. “You okay, man?”
Jack nodded. He wasn’t about to tell the guys he’d just told Emma he loved her for the first time and then turned and ran. He hadn’t even looked at her after the words had come out. He’d just left, processing what had just happened as he jogged away. What an idiot.
“Jack?” Granger said again. “You sure? You need water or something?”
“Nah. I’m good. You two are patrolling the event on bikes,” he told Granger and Luke, “and making sure that no one overheats or needs medical attention.”
Luke turned to Jack. “The Sweetwater Springs Fire Department is on standby to help in case of any emergencies.” Luke had been promoted to fire chief earlier this year and was doing a fantastic job from what Jack had heard.
“Thanks,” Jack said, trying not to think about his last words to Emma. He’d wanted to do something special to tell her, not just blurt it out.
“And you’re running?” Luke asked with a clear look of concern lining his brow.
“Yeah.”
“You don’t run regularly,” Luke pointed out. “You sure you’re up for it?”
“I’m in great shape. I go rock climbing and paddling all the time. I walk around this park all day, every day.”
“So walk today,” Luke suggested.
Jack shook his head. Emma’s dad was jogging, and Jack intended to be his running partner. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
“Well, we’ll just make sure to check on you a little more often,” Granger said. “To make sure you don’t pass out on the trail and eat those famous last words.”
“I love your confidence in me,” Jack said sarcastically. “There are walkies in the office for you two to communicate with each other on the trails.”
“Roger that,” Luke said.
Jack left the guys and headed toward the water table that Sam was manning. The fire department had donated and set up the bottles.
“Hey,” Sam said.
“Hey. Thanks for working this event today. It means a lot.”
Sam nodded. “No problem. Mom’s here, you know. In case you want to talk to her or something.”
Jack chuckled. “Yeah, okay. Probably not until later. I’m running. Water me when I pass by?”
Sam smiled. “Sure thing, Uncle Jack. So…you are going to talk to Mom though?”
Jack nodded. “I will.” Sometime between winning over Edward St. James and telling Emma that he loved her in the right way. Assuming he hadn’t scared her off and she hadn’t decided to run this morning and keep on running even after the event was over.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jack saw Edward St. James in the crowd that was collecting at the starting lineup and headed in that direction.
“Good morning,” he said as he drew closer.
Edward gave him a cursory glance and nodded. “Morning, Jack. I was wondering if you’d be here.”
“I’m here every day, even on my days off, it seems.” He rubbed his hands together. “I wouldn’t miss running in this event that Emma has pulled together. She’s worked hard these past weeks. It’s a lot to pull off in such a short amount of time.”
“And I hear you pulled some strings to help make that happen. Thank you.”
“It was nothing. The Women’s Wellness Fair seemed like a perfect fit for what Emma wanted to do, and Emma’s event is raising money for their cause. Win-win.”
“So it seems.” Edward kept his gaze forward. “I jog every day. This run will be nothing for me. Do you jog, Jack?”
Jack hesitated. “I have before. I’ve been a bit busy lately with work and…” His words trailed off.