crouched beside her. “Are you all right?”
Her heart hammered out of control as she looked into his eyes.
Katelyn rolled to her bottom and sat up, taking the pain off her knee and sore hands. Too stunned to answer right away, she stared at him as he touched the small rip in her sweats. “Are you bleeding?”
She glanced at her knee. “It doesn’t feel like it.”
His large hand took hold of her ankle while the other hand slid up her pant leg. The warmth of his palm upon her skin startled her. When the injury was in sight, he bent his head, peering closer at the wound. His warm breath gently caressed her exposed knee and she felt like melting wax. Good grief! What was wrong with her?
Lightly, he brushed his finger by the sore. “It looks like your knee was just scratched.” He met her gaze and smiled. “Sorry I made you trip.”
She let out a gush of air. “You just took me by surprise, that’s all.”
Carefully, he pulled the material back down her leg before standing. He held out his hands to her. Although she didn’t want to touch him, she went ahead and slipped her palms against his, letting him pull her up. She wished her heart wouldn’t beat crazily, and she wished it wouldn’t feel so nice to have his large hands surround her fingers.
“Thank you.” She withdrew.
He winked at her. “It’s the least I can do after making you fall.”
She laughed softly. “I’m surprised to see you again.”
“Yes, it is a little weird, isn’t it?”
She shrugged. “I run here a lot. How about you?”
“I’ve recently moved into town, so I had to find some place to run. I hope you don’t mind if I barge in on your space.”
“It’s a free country. You can barge in anywhere you want.” She grinned, feeling like a complete idiot, again. No matter how badly she wanted him to leave—or wishing she could disappear—she must be nice.
“Can you still run?”
“Yes, I think I’m all right.”
He turned slowly and waited for her, and together they jogged. He glanced at her a few times, and she couldn’t quite read his expression. Sometimes it looked as if he were still upset with her like he’d been at the pancake house, but then other times his grimace was gone.
“Hey, Katelyn.” She turned her gaze back to him. “I want to apologize for the other morning at the diner. I hope you’re not still upset at me for those accusations.”
Her heart beat overtime now, for entirely different reasons. “Of course not. In fact, I’ve forgotten about it.”
“Good, because if we’re going to keep running into each other like this, I don’t want any hard feelings between us.”
She smiled. “Same here.”
Silence lagged between them and she quickened her speed. Memories from that morning poured through her head, especially what her friend, Melissa, had said. Dare Katelyn become friends with him? If it meant saving her hide and her reputation, she’d do anything.
Inwardly, she sighed with relief knowing she’d never get close to him like this. He may not remember her from college, but those memories were still fresh in her mind. She recalled how often she had dreamed of being the woman he loved, knowing it would never happen.
Regardless of how handsome he was—even more so now than in college—she must keep in mind the stories she’d heard from Tori. Katelyn wondered what had happened to him to make him do a one-hundred-eighty-degree turnaround. He hadn’t seemed that heartless when she knew him in college. Then again, she didn’t know him at all.
She couldn’t be rude. It wasn’t in her nature. She needed to be sociable instead of the frightened mouse she felt like right now. She glanced at him. “So, Shane?” He turned and looked at her, but she snapped her focus back to the path ahead. “Are you from around these parts?” Inwardly, she groaned. Her question sounded more like a pick-up line.
“Actually, I grew up here, but since I married, I have lived in
Her heart hammered out of control as she looked into his eyes.
Katelyn rolled to her bottom and sat up, taking the pain off her knee and sore hands. Too stunned to answer right away, she stared at him as he touched the small rip in her sweats. “Are you bleeding?”
She glanced at her knee. “It doesn’t feel like it.”
His large hand took hold of her ankle while the other hand slid up her pant leg. The warmth of his palm upon her skin startled her. When the injury was in sight, he bent his head, peering closer at the wound. His warm breath gently caressed her exposed knee and she felt like melting wax. Good grief! What was wrong with her?
Lightly, he brushed his finger by the sore. “It looks like your knee was just scratched.” He met her gaze and smiled. “Sorry I made you trip.”
She let out a gush of air. “You just took me by surprise, that’s all.”
Carefully, he pulled the material back down her leg before standing. He held out his hands to her. Although she didn’t want to touch him, she went ahead and slipped her palms against his, letting him pull her up. She wished her heart wouldn’t beat crazily, and she wished it wouldn’t feel so nice to have his large hands surround her fingers.
“Thank you.” She withdrew.
He winked at her. “It’s the least I can do after making you fall.”
She laughed softly. “I’m surprised to see you again.”
“Yes, it is a little weird, isn’t it?”
She shrugged. “I run here a lot. How about you?”
“I’ve recently moved into town, so I had to find some place to run. I hope you don’t mind if I barge in on your space.”
“It’s a free country. You can barge in anywhere you want.” She grinned, feeling like a complete idiot, again. No matter how badly she wanted him to leave—or wishing she could disappear—she must be nice.
“Can you still run?”
“Yes, I think I’m all right.”
He turned slowly and waited for her, and together they jogged. He glanced at her a few times, and she couldn’t quite read his expression. Sometimes it looked as if he were still upset with her like he’d been at the pancake house, but then other times his grimace was gone.
“Hey, Katelyn.” She turned her gaze back to him. “I want to apologize for the other morning at the diner. I hope you’re not still upset at me for those accusations.”
Her heart beat overtime now, for entirely different reasons. “Of course not. In fact, I’ve forgotten about it.”
“Good, because if we’re going to keep running into each other like this, I don’t want any hard feelings between us.”
She smiled. “Same here.”
Silence lagged between them and she quickened her speed. Memories from that morning poured through her head, especially what her friend, Melissa, had said. Dare Katelyn become friends with him? If it meant saving her hide and her reputation, she’d do anything.
Inwardly, she sighed with relief knowing she’d never get close to him like this. He may not remember her from college, but those memories were still fresh in her mind. She recalled how often she had dreamed of being the woman he loved, knowing it would never happen.
Regardless of how handsome he was—even more so now than in college—she must keep in mind the stories she’d heard from Tori. Katelyn wondered what had happened to him to make him do a one-hundred-eighty-degree turnaround. He hadn’t seemed that heartless when she knew him in college. Then again, she didn’t know him at all.
She couldn’t be rude. It wasn’t in her nature. She needed to be sociable instead of the frightened mouse she felt like right now. She glanced at him. “So, Shane?” He turned and looked at her, but she snapped her focus back to the path ahead. “Are you from around these parts?” Inwardly, she groaned. Her question sounded more like a pick-up line.
“Actually, I grew up here, but since I married, I have lived in
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