Page 12 of Running Towards You

"Exactly, show respect, but no fear—those two are not mutually exclusive. So before the next time I see you, I want you to come out here at least two or three times to practice, okay? My instruction is only as good as your follow-through."

Russell gave me that good old boy smile of his. "I gotta tell you, Coop, you're an excellent instructor and a good friend, but you're way too honest to be a good business owner."

I rolled my eyes at him, and then something caught my eye. In the distance, I could see Haley scurrying back into the bungalow. My eyes couldn't help but follow her every movement. Russell must have noticed my distraction and jerked his head to see what I was staring at so intensely.

"Oh, that's right, you have a new neighbor," he commented. "I've seen her at the General Store a few times, but she seems to keep herself. Have you gotten to talk to her?"

Oh yeah.

"She's not a new neighbor," I corrected. "That's the Ellis' daughter," I explained, and Russell nodded sadly.

He'd moved to Hanalei three years before, so he got to know the Ellis’ for a short time before they died. "Well, it's good to see her back. Is she getting things in order to sell the bungalow?"

I looked at him sharply. It hadn't even occurred to me that Haley would ever contemplate selling it. "No, I think she's justtrying to get away from her real life for a while... that's just me guessing, though," I clarified, not wanting to spread any rumors.

Russell nodded in understanding. "Well shoot, I can understand the urge. I hope she gets more involved in the community while she’s here. Whatever she's running away from, this place will be sure to make her feel better," he announced with confidence, and I clapped him on the back.

"Yeah, Hanalei has a way of doing that."

Russell eyed me curiously. "Is this the same girl you used to have a little something with back in the day?" He asked conspiratorially.

I furrowed my brow at him. "How did you know about that?"

He shrugged. "Gossip gets around. I may have not been here when it happened, but people get bored and tell stories."

"Yeah, well, no one was supposed to know about that..."

Russell snorted, "Please, the entire island knows about it... except your sister as I understand it," he said looking at me, raising his eyebrow in question, "Wait? Does she still not know you and that girl were a thing?"

I glared at him and shook my head. "No, and she never will. We were kids. It was nothing, no reason to get Tess all upset."

"Mahina didn't seem to think it was nothing. She was talking about you like you were some sort of Romeo and Juliet, the island's own star-crossed lovers."

I pressed my lips together and growled out in frustration. "Mahina has the biggest mouth of anybody I've ever known."

Russell chuckled, "Well, you're right there, but boy does she have some juicy stories."

"If it's all the same to you, I would prefer if you didn't continue to spread them. Haley and I are adults now, and it’s water under the bridge."

Russell eyed me skeptically. "Oh yeah? Then why are you eyeing her like you haven't eaten for days and she's your next meal?"

I straightened up on my board and gave him a warning look, which caused him to put his hands up in mock defeat.

"Remember what I said about practicing, and get out of here for God's sake," I groused. I could hear him chuckling as he paddled towards the shoreline.

I waited until he was out of sight before I directed my eyes back to Haley's bungalow. As much as it irritated me to admit it, Russell was right. I couldn't deny that I'd been watching her closely, and she was worrying the shit out of me.

Since the day we almost kissed, she’s stayed penned up inside that bungalow, only darting out now and then for provisions in town. But everybody in town noticed how she kept to herself and hurried back to the house. The only time she seemed to go out freely was at midnight. Every night at midnight that girl ran the shoreline, her anxious energy wafting from the water straight to where I watched from the porch.

If someone had seen me, they would probably think I was being creepy, and maybe it was a little creepy, but mostly I was worried and that irritated me even more.

Haley had made it perfectly clear years ago that she was done with me. Then a few nights ago she'd looked horrified when I was about to kiss her. That just renewed my heartbreak. I was still nursing hurt feelings over our breakup, and she was figuring out how to not be some hot shot's wife.

Though in my gut, I knew there was more to it. Haley was never the kind of person to chase glory. In fact, it made her uncomfortable.

I signed on with an agent my junior year of college when it became apparent I would be drafted the following season. My agent, Bo, made the trip to Hanalei that fateful summer andwarned her things would move quickly once I was signed to the National Football League, so she would need to be prepared. After his visit, she was openly anxious about the future and how she would fit into an NFL player’s life. I promised her she would never lose me, but there was something about the new life we were facing that shook her foundation... or maybe that’s just what I told myself to ease the heartache of being unceremoniously dumped by the love of my life.

Love of your life? Listen to yourself, you sappy jackass.

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