Chapter Six
Ryan watched Shaylee stumble past another mile marker and winced when she stopped and bent over, her chest heaving, her lips chapped and cracked—they had already bled a few times, but he kept the Vaseline handy—the poor woman was miserable, and there was nothing they could do about it. He texted out their location.
Five miles to go. She’s fading.
Almost there. Found finish line and am working my way backward on bike. Tell her to hang on.
kk
He hoped she made it in time. It killed him to see Shaylee like this, and Chase was faring far worse. He had finally asked Chase to take over driving so the poor man could concentrate on maneuvering the truck instead of his mom. Which gave Ryan the terrible front row seat in a gruesome show where the woman he loved shuffle-jogged through agony. And neither of them could do anything but watch and be there to pick her up, feed her, hydrate her, or bandage her. This was killing him. But he knew he had to let her do this. On her own. Attacking her own destiny. He would catch her, be her safety net. But that was all she wanted and needed. He double-checked her heart rate on his watch. A little high, but not dangerously high. One man had been taken away by ambulance yesterday, when his blood pressure skyrocketed to 220 over 140.
That’s why everyone had a support team. To monitor each participant, and to make the most difficult race on the planet at least not life-threatening.
The numbers had dwindled over the past eight hours, racers dropping like flies. Some faded due to dehydration or fatigue. Others stopped after their bloody and blistered feet and exhausted legs gave out on them. But not his Shaylee. Yeah, dammit, his woman.
This determined woman who gave as good as she got; who always said what she wanted or needed; who worked past her fears of being judged and shunned for dating outside her age bracket; who asked for some things and respectfully demanded others… Yeah, this woman was going to make it through this race. She just didn’t realize it. She was giving up on herself, and to be perfectly honest, he would have stopped fifty miles ago. She was a much stronger person than he, and damn if it didn’t make him love her even more.
“Shay, can you walk to that crest?” He handed her an energy drink and pointed up the small incline four hundred meters out.
Her eyes widened, and she almost choked on her drink.
“It’s a small incline. It will be hard, but better on your knees than going downhill at this point. Just a quarter of a mile. Don’t worry about what happens after that? Can you walk a quarter of a mile?”
A small whimper escaped her throat, but she nodded her head and handed him back the bottle. “’kay.”
Her strangled reply almost caused him to bolt out of the truck. He wanted so badly to wrap his arms around her and carry her the last four and a half miles. He would, in an instant. Anything for her.
“Don’t.” Chase’s voice stopped his hand on the door latch. “She can do this. It’s hard, I know, but we have to stay in this truck. This is where she needs us right now.”
He met the younger man’s eyes and saw the pain in them. “You’re right. Thanks.”
Watching her wobble and stumble up the little hill broke his heart, and he wanted to avert his eyes. Close them for a while so he didn’t have to see her in so much pain. But no, he couldn’t do that. Shaylee was showing tremendous strength with each scrape of her foot in front of the other, each grimace-filled step and harsh swing of her arms as she put her whole body into practically dragging herself over that crest. If she could be strong enough to force herself through this, he could be strong enough to watch her do it.
Shaylee stopped with a groan and started to sit down. Ryan was by her side in a moment. He checked her temperature again and confirmed her heart rate. High, but not dangerously high. This was all coming down to will now. And she was losing it fast. “Come on, lady. You have come so far. Don’t give up now.”
She stifled a sob, and her red-eyed gaze met his. “I’m hallucinating again. I’m going to call this one. I’m finished.”
“What are you seeing?”
“My d-daughter on a bike, wearing a pink ski jacket and high heels.” She laughed maniacally. “Now, I know I’ve lost it.”
Ryan followed her gaze, and sure enough, a pink fluff ball, the spitting image of her mother, pedaled an old-time bike, a pair of high-heeled shoes hanging over the handlebars, toward them. “You’re not seeing things, Shay. As crazy as it looks, it’s Courtney.”
Chase was out of the truck, leaving it idling on the shoulder as he barked at the younger woman. “What took you so long?”
She rolled her eyes at her older brother and flung the bike to the side of the road before racing to Shaylee.
Ryan watched the two women sob in each other’s arms, interrupting one another with their apologies and love. Thank God she had made it in time.
“Thanks for calling me.” Courtney looked shyly up at him, mascara running down her cheeks, a wrinkle in her brow. “I was a jerk and didn’t give you much of a chance. I’m sorry.”
“You’re here now, and more than making up for it.”
Shaylee whispered a tearful thank you over Courtney’s head and hugged her daughter again, tight.
“Okay, Mama, I’m here. What do we need to do to help you cross that finish line?”
Shay looked between Courtney, Chase, and him.
“Anything you need. We’re all here for you,” Ryan said, sharing a look with the rest of her beloved family.
“Court, can you walk part of the way with me?” Shay glanced down at the high heels in her daughter’s hands. “Good Lord, never mind. With those heels, that’s not a good idea.” She gripped Courtney’s hand. “Just stay on the passenger side of the truck and talk to me, tell me funny stories from growing up.”
Defiance shot through the younger woman’s eyes as she glared hotly at all three of them. “For the record, Mother, I don’t own tennis shoes. I walk at least five miles in these daily. And if you want me to walk with you, high heels or not, I’m damn well walking with you. I will help you cross your finish line.”
He knew that look. The same one Shaylee gave right before gutting out the last five miles of a hard, long run or the last few reps of weights after her body had gone into muscle failure. Or when she decided she would date a younger man, damn whatever other people thought. That piercing look and flashes of pride and confidence were not only the mother’s trademark show of strength, they belonged to her daughter as well. And it was a beautiful sight.
“There’s no rule against her walking with you. She just can’t hold you up. You have to make forward progress on your own abilities.”
With a quick nod, and a hug for each of them, Shay was on her way. Chase drove so Ryan could sit in the backseat, watch, hand over water bottles, and take some pictures of this amazing moment—besides, he was too jittery to drive right now and would have steered them into the brush on the side of the road.
The two women gave each other a firm hand squeeze before cresting the hill and heading into the long four-mile stretch to the finish. One wore heels and a pink jacket, the other scrapes, bruises, and a dirty white jacket with the gym’s logo. And, on both faces, a look of sheer determination he would never forget. No one would because he made sure to get them on camera.
Defiance, strength, will, character—everything that made for a perfect happy ending. And Shay’s was less than five miles away.
~.~
“God, my feet are killing me. Oops, sorry.” Court glanced up at her sheepishly. “I’m not being too helpful if I complain about walking three-and a-half miles, am I?” She slipped off her shoes and handed them to Ryan who sat in the truck.
Shay tried to keep her voice from being too harsh. “Young lady, you are not walking the final mile barefoot. Pop into the cab and cheer me on from there.”
“Are you sure?” Courtney’s chin shook, and her lower lip wobbled. “I don’t want to let you down.”
She pulled Court into a big hug and kissed her on her forehead. “Sweet girl. If you hadn’t come, I would have stopped before that last crest. You are the reason I am here right now. And I’m going to jog the last bit. Go in strong.” Shay’s knees buckled, and she released a quick sigh. “Okay, I’m not going in strong. I’m going to wobble all over the place and fall a few more times. But I am going to try to finish this race the way I started. Jogging, while the people I love back me up and cheer me on.” She wiped away a tear trickling down her daughter’s cheek. “I love you. Now go get in the truck, and let me finish this.”
Ryan got out of his seat in the back and offered it to Court, so she could stay close to her, choosing to take the passenger side front. God, the man never ceased to amaze her. After Ryan’s determined, “You got this,” Chase’s hand pump, and Courtney’s teary, “Go, Mama!” Shay felt like she could run another hundred miles. The people she loved the most rode beside her, backing her every painful step of the last mile.
And it was by far the most painful thing she had ever done. Birthing her children? Yeah, they gave epidurals for that, and it took a lot less time. She’d thought those moments had been hard. But grunting and groaning, wincing and whimpering, tripping, getting back up, her knees aching, her lips bleeding, her poor body feeling like she wanted to shut down…all while seeing the concerned faces of her loved ones… These were the most difficult things she had ever done.
Divorcing Roger, raising her children, falling in love with a younger man who complemented her so perfectly—they were also among the most difficult things she had ever done in her life. But with every wince and stutter-step, knowing her loved ones felt her pain twice as hard while they watched and supported her… Knowing she couldn’t control any of it, and all she could do was place one foot in front of the other…
That was the hardest thing she had ever done.
She crossed the finish line to the cheers of a boisterous crowd of forty and collapsed into the arms of a nice man who placed a heating blanket around her and led her to a spot on the side where she could have orange slices, bananas—were those steak kabobs?— beer, champagne, Gatorade, water. The tables were packed with food and drinks. But all she wanted to do was find the truck. Ryan’s truck.
Support vehicles had to veer onto a small road around the finish line, so as not to congest the area. It meant Shaylee was on her own until they parked and found her. She sat down with a heavy thud and prepared to close her eyes for a few minutes, but strong arms circled her chest. She knew those arms; they had been wrapped around her on those cold nights in bed. They had lovingly toweled off her sweat after she keeled over from a sauna workout. Those firm hands had administered IVs, massages, and directed workouts. They had also given her the best orgasms of her life.
“I knew you could do it.” Ryan pulled her up onto his lap and kissed her. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I walked and ran over a hundred miles, and I could sleep for a week.” She leaned into his embrace, loving the smell of him.
“Okay, we can get you back to the hotel, but, first, you got something.” He took the medal from the race director, thanked him, and put it over her head. “You’re the first female to finish in your age group, and fifth overall.”
“I can’t believe it,” she said, beaming through her tears at both men. “Thank you.”
“Most people don’t finish the race.” The race director handed her a small towel with the race’s name and year embroidered on it. “You should be proud.”
“I am.” Both she and Ryan spoke at the same time and laughed.
“Congratulations. We hope to see you again next year.”
He asked if she was willing and able to stand for one picture for their website, and she inwardly groaned at the thought of standing up again. Her legs were shot. But two sets of firm arms wrapped around her and pulled her to her feet, holding her tightly as she leaned against them and posed. Her two favorite men.
“Do you want her by herself?” Ryan asked.
“Oh hell, no.” She clung to Chase and Ryan, and they both winced at her death grip. “You guys were just as big a part of this thing. You will be in this picture.”
The race director assured them the picture would be the best one on the website. Most on the site showed the very realistic pictures of the clawed their way through hell finishers and non-finishers. But this one, he explained, showcased love at its rawest, perseverance, and true surrender to the ultimate goal. Shaylee would cherish this photo.
“You sure Court’s okay with missing her chance at being in the pic?”
“Without her hair done properly and with her makeup all jacked up? Nah, she’ll be thankful,” Chase joked and handed her a protein drink. “We’ll sneak in a pic later when she’s not looking.”
“Are we done?”
The director thanked her and congratulated her again before leaving to talk to other participants. Shay’s knees finally gave out.
“Okay, who’s carrying me back to the truck? I’m never walking again.” She groaned and felt Ryan lift her up against his chest.
“That’s my job. I’ll walk for you, if you’ll let me.” He kissed her forehead. Chase walked in front to give them some space. “I’d walk the whole course by myself, to show you how much I care for you. How much I respect you, and how in awe I am of what you did this weekend.”
“What are you saying, exactly?” She tilted his chin, forcing his gaze down to hers.
His eyes flashed with determination and love as he shifted her higher into his arms. “I’m saying I love you. So much it hurts. I’m saying, it killed me to watch you hurting, and to have to sit there and do nothing. But I’d do it again, all of it, just to show you how much I love you, and if you don’t feel the same way yet, it’s okay. We can take it as slowly as you need. But know that I love you, and I would walk the entire course barefoot with no water, no gels, no truck behind me, so you would know how I feel.”
“Then you’re stupid.”
He stopped and tilted his head, his eyebrows furrowing, confusion and hurt apparent on his face.
“I won’t be moving these sore legs anytime soon, but, next year, or maybe the year after, I’m doing this again. And you are going to be in the support truck, doing so much more than nothing. You’ll be cheering me on, monitoring my levels, keeping me hydrated, feeding my body, my heart, and my soul as I drag one foot in front of the other. And you’ll be doing it because I need you to. Because I love you, too, Ryan Banks. One step at a time, right? First step, saying I love you. Second step, massage and making love back home. But, first, I’m going to sleep for a while.” She kissed his firm lips, wincing as they made contact with her dry, cracked ones. “Okay, no kissing for now. I’m going to take a nap. Wake me up when it’s time for the next step.”
“I love you, too.”
He kissed her forehead gently, and she closed her eyes and let the warm, dark tunnel of sleep take her.
Their relationship would have its ups and downs. But if they could make it through the most difficult race in the world, they could battle through a few miles of downhills.
They’d logged over a thousand miles in their relationship so far. And she was already planning for the next thousand.
They were racing toward love. One step at a time.
The End