Torin (Hope City #9) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,57

admiring your form.”

Her brow now lifted as her lips curved. “My running form or my red hot, sweaty body?”

“Both, babe. Both,” he laughed.

She looked past him and said, “Oh, look, the theater district!”

They passed by several old theaters, the playbills plastered across the front. A few smaller concert venues were in the same district, and he wondered if Erin would like to attend one. So much of their time as they had gotten to know each other had been spent in training for the race. Now, he hoped they could enjoy other pursuits as well. Of course, staying indoors and in bed sounds good, too.

They left the arts district and were now running through the main business district of Hope City, the tall buildings lining the wide street. Focusing on running, they spoke rarely.

The next two miles passed, and they entered the part of the course that ran by the Inner Harbor. There was more room for spectators, and the cheers were encouraging. With the blue skies overhead, the water on one side, and the crowd on the other, his fortitude was beginning to return even though they’d just passed the halfway mark.

A blast of a horn sounded and, “Go, Torin! Go Erin!” rang out. He turned to see his grandparents standing on the sidewalk next to Maeve, Colm, Sharon, Tara, Harper, Sandy, and Hannah, all in a group and shouting in unison.

“There they are!” Erin cried out, lifting her hand and waving with great enthusiasm.

Pride surged through him at the encouragement given, seeing his grandfather jumping up and down. “Jesus, leave it to Gramps to bring a blow horn!”

He could tell from Erin’s grin that she also felt a sense of rejuvenation, glad that their families had managed to pick a spot that was at the right place in the race to give them a mental boost. She glanced at her watch and said, “Caitlyn is not too far ahead. I think she may be slowing some, so if we catch up, then I’ll run a bit with her and Bekki to get a selfie.”

“No worries, babe,” he said, finding it harder to talk while pacing himself. “I’ll stay close by.”

She nodded, and he figured she found it just as difficult to communicate after almost two hours of pounding the pavement.

After another fifteen minutes, the course had taken them from the retail area of the Inner Harbor to the industrial warehouses near the docks. He grinned as he saw encouraging banners flying from the sides of some of the warehouses with dock workers cheering. “Christ, I’ve never seen the city come together for something like this before. It’s totally different from any sporting event held in a stadium.”

“I was just thinking the same thing!” After another minute, Erin lifted her hand and pointed. “There they are! Caitlyn!”

Just in front of them ran Caitlyn, Bekki, Brianna, and Ryker. They pushed slightly and soon all six were running together. He and Ryker pulled out a bit, giving the girls a chance to run together and chat for a few minutes although he wondered how much energy would be expended in trying to have any type of conversation. At this stage of the marathon, saving energy was paramount to finishing.

Ryker must have come to the same conclusion. He said, “Brianna has been complaining about a cramp for the past couple of miles. After she greets Erin, I think that she’ll slow down more, and I’ll stay with her.”

Torin glanced behind, seeing the four women running closer to the sidewalk with their cell phones out. Erin was next to Caitlyn with the King women just behind them as they jogged along. Erin’s phone was held high, and he was sure she was getting the selfies she wanted to commemorate this event. It was too difficult to try to keep an eye on them and run, so he turned back and focused on continuing forward until Erin was ready to rejoin him.

Ryker had also looked back and said, “Uh oh, looks like Brianna is ready to slow things down. I’ll see you guys at the end.”

Torin offered a chin lift, saying, “Good luck.” He glanced back to see Ryker move to run next to Brianna, offering her a smile as they nodded to the others and slowed their pace. Bekki and Caitlyn waved to Erin, then she turned, and her gaze moved around until it landed on him. Despite her exhaustion, she smiled, and it speared him straight through his heart.

He slowed as she