“All right, you kids go get some exercise. Run an extra quarter mile for me, okay? It’s about all I could ever manage.” Jeanie ushered them to the door.
Out on the sidewalk, Dot adjusted her hat and pulled her ponytail tighter. She stretched her quads but tried not to make a big show of it. She was trying to be super casual and wasn’t sure she was pulling it off.
“I THOUGHT WE’Dgo this way, up to the covered bridge. It’s one of the last left around here and has a historic designation,” Danny said. “It’ll be around a four-mile loop.”
“Perfect. Lead the way.”
“Let me carry that for you,” he said, reaching for her water bottle. She almost refused but let him have it. Their fingers brushed each other. And a shiver of electricity bolted up her arm.
They set out running. Danny kept the pace slow, and Dot pushed a little in front, showing him that it was okay to go faster.
Danny’s route took them to the opposite side of Main Street and onto a trail that followed the river. Along the way, he pointed out the elementary school he and the Taylor boys had attended.
“I bet you three were so cute together.”
“I’m not sure about that. We caused Mrs. Taylor a lot of headaches and she ended up doing more than her fair share of laundry. But I’m also not sure what my mom and I would have done without them. With my mom’s hours as a nurse at the hospital, I ended up at their place a lot.”
“Grace told me she loved it and that you were never a burden.”
“She’s an amazing woman,” he said. “She’s been like a second mom to me.”
They jogged past the original wool mill, next to the firehouse, and down from there to the beautiful City Hall, which had just been refurbished. Small businesses of all kinds were tucked alongside the historic stone buildings—sewing shops, chocolatiers, and clothing boutiques.
Lavender, deep purple, and royal-blue wildflowers covered the riverbank.
As they settled into a rhythm together, Dot asked him about his construction business. He mainly helped families remodeling their historic homes.
“I like helping people stay in town instead of seeing them move to one of those cookie-cutter subdivisions nearer Milwaukee. Cedar Falls is such a unique place. I want to keep it that way.”
“It’s so nice to know where you want to be.” She pumped her arms to keep up while they talked. “Have you ever been to New York?”
“Never had the chance. Maybe one day I’ll get there. The news makes it sound pretty rough.”
“Certain areas are. But I’d love to show you the good parts. It’ssucha great city. I think you’d love running in Central Park.”
“Running from what exactly?” he teased.
“Ha! It’s not as bad as that.” She waited a few paces. “Usually.”
They ran in silence for a while.
“How often do you run?” she asked.
“Enough to clear my head. So, most days I put in a few miles. Helps keep me sane.”
“Same for me. If I don’t run, I don’t know how to burn off my nervous energy.”
“You don’t seem like a nervous person to me.”
“Looks can be deceiving. I’m like a duck gliding across the pond.”
“You have webbed feet?”
“No, you just can’t see me furiously paddling below.”
“You’re a pretty cute duckling, though,” he said.
She smiled at the surprising flirtation. He thought she was cute. She felt she could run a few more miles after that.