Midnight Run

Chapter Twenty-Five

Colleen's son had arrived in a private car with a driver, but Nora was too excited about the race to really enjoy the thrill of riding through New York behind tinted glass. When they pulled up to the park, Nora popped onto the curb and bounced on her toes.

"These feel great," she said, grinning at Colleen and her son. "Seriously the best shoes I've ever had."

Colleen smiled. "I know it's not ideal to run in a brand new pair, but I'd hate to think of you missing your first half."

Her son passed a stack of Band-Aids to Nora. "You might want these, just in case."

She smiled and tucked them into her arm band. "Thank you. And thank you both so much; I still can't believe I actually get to race today!"

Colleen and her son smiled matching smiles as Colleen leaned over to close the door. "You deserve to make your dreams come true. Now, go run like you've never run before!"

Nora waved and hurried over to the registration table. The crowd was considerably smaller than she expected, and she wondered if most of the other runners had started earlier. A woman at the table looked up at her and motioned her forward with a smile.

"Hi," Nora began, rocking back and forth in her new shoes. "I was registered to start at six, but, um, I had a work emergency."

"Happens all the time. Name?"

"Nora Willson." Nora held her breath, but the woman just skimmed the list and smiled.

"Here's your number," she said, passing a square of paper across the table to Nora. "You can start in the next group; they'll be going in five minutes. Is that okay?"

Nora grinned. "Perfect!" She pinned the number to her shirt and moved over to one side. She was too keyed up to do any kind of pre-race stretching, but she figured she'd take it slow, just like with the running group, and treat the first mile or so as a warm up. When the group lined up, Nora was in the front, a wide smile on her face.

It was strange for her to be running in the park in daylight; she'd gotten so used to her midnight runs that she might as well have been running in a totally new place, and her eyes drank in the springtime scenery. Trees that had looked like skeletons at night actually had green buds on their limbs, and a few early birds were singing, despite the chill of winter that still lingered in the air. Nora kept an easy pace, focusing on the familiar sound of her feet on the asphalt and ignoring the speed of the other runners around her. Instead of looping the park twice, the route veered off into the city, and tall buildings flashed by as Nora ran along the barricaded streets. People lined the path of the race, cheering and waving to their friends, but Nora was too focused to really notice them.

Her left foot felt like it was starting to blister by the time Nora finally neared the finish line, but she ignored the sharp pain and pushed herself for one final sprint. A race volunteer ran up to her with a cup of water as soon as she cleared the finish line, and Nora swallowed it quickly before bending over to catch her breath. Her lungs felt like they might burst, and her feet hurt in the unfamiliar shoes, but Nora was exhilarated. I really did it! She thought, sucking in air and starting to look around the finish line.

Someone barreled into her, and Nora let herself be pulled into a tight hug. "There you are!" Carl grinned at her. "I was worried you broke your leg or something."

Nora shook her head, sweat dripping into her eyes. "No, just lost my shoes."

Before she could tell him about her morning, she caught sight of Lynne and some of the other midnight runners over his shoulder. Carl let go of her, and she hurried over to the group.

When Lynne saw her, she grinned. "You finished!"

"You, too!" Nora said, raising her hand to give her five. "God, that feels good."

Lynne laughed. "That running high never gets old."

Nora nodded as she caught her breath. "How was your time?"

Lynne's smile stretched wider. "My personal best. What about you?"

"I haven't checked yet," Nora admitted. "I just got done."

"Well, don't let me stop you! We're still waiting on a few more from the group, but then we're all going out to celebrate. You in?"

Nora nodded. "Of course! I'll be back as soon as I check my time."

Pushing her way through the crowd of weary runners and their friends and family, Nora finally spotted the table with the race officials, but a pair of familiar broad shoulders made her falter. Kingston was standing there, his back to her, and for one moment, Nora actually considered skipping it and not finding out her race time. She hadn't seen him since their odd confrontation at the coffee shop, and she wasn't sure she could handle another rude encounter with him. But this might be your last chance to see him, a little voice whispered in her mind, and her heart clenched at the thought.

Squaring her shoulders, she made her way to the table, but she didn't bother checking her time. Standing on the tips of her toes, she tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around, but his smile slipped when he saw Nora. "You made it," he said, his twang sounding flat.

Nora nodded, suddenly shy. "You, too." She bit her lip, but then she took a deep breath. "I need to tell you something."

Kingston shook his head and stepped away from the table. "You really don't. It's all in the past."

"But I--," Nora stuttered, "I can't stop thinking about you!"

Kingston paused, his gray eyes searching hers. "Why?"

She hesitated. "I've thought about you ever since we met. At the coffee shop," she added.

He raised his eyebrow. "You admit that was you?"

"I never denied it," she said. "I just didn't think you meant me."

He put his hand under her chin and tipped her face up. "Why wouldn't I mean you, Nora? You're enough to set any man's heart racing."

Her mouth was dry. "That's just the half marathon," she tried to joke, but the words sounded stilted. Kingston's hand lingered on her face, and his touch was making it hard for her to think straight.

Kingston shook his head. "No, hon, that's just you." He leaned closer to her, and for one breathless moment, Nora thought he was about to kiss her, but then he pulled back, dropping his hand. "But what about your boyfriend?"

Nora laughed nervously. "Not my boyfriend; Carl's my best friend."

"It sure looked like you were clinging to him," Kingston said, his face unsure.

Nora reached up tentatively and wrapped her hands around his neck. "I've known Carl all my life," she said, slowly and deliberately. "He's the best friend I've ever had, but we've never dated. And," she added thoughtfully, "if all goes well, he'll be back together with Reggie soon."

Kingston raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me that all this time, you were available?" His hands circled her waist, and Nora tightened her grip on the back of his neck.

"No," she said softly, "all this time I was waiting to be yours."

He claimed her lips before she could say anything else, and Nora melted into the kiss. Pressing her sweaty body against him, Nora kissed him back for all she was worth as his hands slid down to cradle her hips, tugging her more firmly against him. Tangling her hands in his hair, Nora broke the kiss and pulled back to look into Kingston's gray eyes for a moment, and she smiled before pressing her lips to his again.

This is so much better than anything I could have dreamed.

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The End