Going the Distance (No Excuses Book 1) (13 page)

Sam nodded and handed her the popcorn bowl.

“How about we put on a movie and don’t let this popcorn go to waste?” Danielle suggested.

“Sounds good to me,” Clare said. “How about it, Sam?”

Sam didn’t think she’d be able to pay attention to a movie now, but she agreed to make her friends happy. They’d come over to keep her company during the fight; the least she could do was sit through a movie with them, even if all she could think about was Trent, the new light heavyweight champion of the world.

***

The next day, Sam ran all over town, taking care of errands and dropping off groceries for Hank and Adele, which she sometimes did to help them out. By the time she made it back home, it was early evening and Trent was waiting for her at her door.

“Hey,” she said surprised, staring as though he was a vision. “What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too,” he said with a smile, then stepped aside so she could unlock her door.

She walked in and dropped her purse and keys on the console by the entrance. “You haven’t answered my question,” she pointed out, giving him a wary look.

Yes, she was surprised that he was suddenly standing at her doorstep, but that could be for all sorts of reasons. Until he explained himself, she wasn’t going to jump to conclusions.

“Did you see my fight?” he asked, standing in the doorway.

She nodded and contemplated whether to let him in or whether that would invite trouble.

“So then you know I won,” he stated, grinning at her.

“I do. Congratulations, Trent. I know you worked hard for that win and I’m happy it paid off.”

He let out what sounded like a satisfied breath.

“I’m surprised you’re back so soon,” she said, leaning against the door. “Why aren’t you celebrating in Vegas?”

“Because I wanted to celebrate here.”

“Oh yeah? I’m sure Adele can whip up another meatloaf if you’d like.”

He threw back his head and barked with laughter. “That’s not what I had in mind, babe.”

The use of that nickname made her all warm and fuzzy again. She’d missed being called that.

“So how do you plan on celebrating?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“On you.”

She focused on the collar of his black T-shirt. “You want to celebrate with me?”

“Babe, I wanna do everything with you,” he said, pinching her chin and tilting her head up until he held her gaze.

"Why?"

"Because I can still feel the tingle of your slap on my cheek and the cold ice as I fell on my ass next to you. My heart still pounds like it's gonna jump out of my chest at the thought of letting you drive or letting you pick a movie. And my body still craves all the promises you made when you melted in my arms." He ran a thumb gently over her bottom lip. "You made me feel, babe, and that's worth celebrating.”

She gulped and rested her hands on his chest. Her own feelings right now were making her dizzy at the declaration.

“I’m a very busy woman now that I’ve talked The Punisher into an interview, you know. Not sure I’ve got the time to celebrate,” she teased, feeling her heart beat so rapidly, surely he could feel it too.

“Make time,” he said, looking suddenly serious. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I’m so fucking crazy about you, babe, that it makes me wanna punch somebody. Which is probably why I won the last fight.”

Her lips curved into a smile.

“And since you made me realize that I had to change some things and wake the fuck up, I’m here to do you the same favor.”

“Is that so? I don’t see what I have to change.”

“For starters, how about you hang some pictures in your place?” he replied, handing her a wrapped present.

She looked at it unsure.

“Go ahead, open it.” He looked as eager as though he was the one getting a gift.

She tore away the wrapping and stared at a picture of him holding up his championship belt.

“It was taken last night,” he said, sounding suddenly unsure. “I thought I’d give you a head start on those empty walls you got there.”

She continued staring at his smiling picture, not trusting herself to open her mouth and speak. It was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever done for her.

“Maybe the second picture you hang can be of both of us,” he said, taking the frame out of her hands and setting it on the console next to her purse and keys. He turned to her once more and cupped her face, making her look up into his dark blue eyes.

She thought of the man she’d slapped the first time they met, and the man who was hugging her now, looking so passionately at her, that she had to pinch herself to make sure this really was happening.

“Now you’re finally talking sense,” she said, touching his cheek.

“In that case, maybe the celebration can begin right now,” he said, squeezing her butt.

“Touch my ass again, Punisher, and you’ll find yourself on the floor,” she warned with a smile.

“The floor will work just fine,” he said grinning, then covered her mouth in a demanding kiss.

Dear Reader,

I hope you enjoyed reading
Going the Distance
as much as I loved writing it. I have a weakness for boxers and can safely say that I understand what the hell goes on during a fight on TV. It’s pretty much the only sport I can keep up with, so I feel comfortable writing about it. Trent was the first character who said things that made me cringe. Gotta love him for who he is though. And a guy like that needs a girl who can stick up to him, which is why Sam was the perfect match. She didn’t take his BS and that’s of course what stood out to him. Guys and their big egos…. I’m happy to say that this is the first in the
No Excuses
trilogy, although the next two books won’t feature the same couple. Book 2 makes way for a Russian fighter and Book 3 features a street brawler. Hope you check those out when they’re released.

Until then, let me tell you about my novella
Fast Times
, a story about second chances. The heroine is one of those girls who just sticks out wherever she goes, not because she is drop dead gorgeous, but because she says what’s on her mind and doesn’t apologize for it. Unfortunately she also does whatever she wants, which sometimes makes people wince. But I didn’t want to shy away from a character like that because there are those people in real life, and I like writing about all sorts of personalities. Wanna know what the story is about? Well, when you leave your fiancé behind only to realize that he’s what you’ve needed all along, how do you win him back? That’s the dilemma Lisa Wilde faces in her quest to win back Ryan Wingate’s love. Will he or won’t he take back the spunky firecracker? I hope you decide to give that story a try to find out.

Either way, I’d love to hear what you thought about this or any of my other stories, whether you loved or hated them. I can be reached at
[email protected]
.

Finally, if you feel like leaving a review for
Going the Distance,
I’ll be your best friend. Just kidding, I don’t know you. But I will be very grateful for your time and support. Here’s a link to my author page on Amazon, where my books are listed:
amazon.com/author/milarossi
.

Thank you so much for reading
Going the Distance
and spending time with me.

Best wishes and many, many thanks!

Mila Rossi

Read on for a peek at
Fast Times
,

another novella by Mila Rossi

featuring a feisty woman intent

on getting her man back.

on sale now

When Lisa Wilde left her fiancé Ryan behind five years ago, she thought she’d never come back to Collinstown, and yet here she was again, returning to her roots. The small California mountain town was at once familiar, as though nothing had changed. Time had stood still while she had gallivanted around the country.

She unzipped her suitcase that was sitting on the bed and began to unpack. Her room in her parents’ house hadn’t changed either. She’d been twenty when she had moved out and gotten her own place in Collinstown, so at least the room’s decor didn’t look like a little girl had deserted it. That had been a few years before she’d moved in with Ryan.

“You hungry, darlin’?” her mother asked as she peeked in the room.

“No thanks, Mama,” Lisa replied and pulled out a wrinkled blouse from the suitcase. She felt her mother’s gaze on her, so she turned and smiled.

“It’s good to have you home again,” her mother said with misty eyes.

Lisa dropped the blouse on the bed, walked to the door and pulled her mother into a hug.

“It’s good to be back, Mama. And thanks for letting me stay here.” She looked her mother over, searching for signs of aging and fatigue, but her mother looked great. Lisa just hoped she’d take after her at that age. Her mother had a quiet elegance about her when she wasn’t covered in flour or other baking ingredients. She was still slender, fixed her hair with hot rollers and acted like a lady. It was comforting to see that she wasn’t letting herself go, even in old age.

“You look just as pretty as the day I left, Mama.”

Her mother pinched Lisa’s cheek and patted it as if she was still twelve. “That’s the nicest thing I heard all day, sugar.”

Lisa grinned, then went back to her luggage and grabbed clothes to hang in the closet.

“Let me know if you need a thing,” her mother said before walking downstairs.

“Sounds good,” Lisa called over her shoulder. She stuffed more items into the tiny closet, pushing against the clothes to make more room. Not that she had much to put away. She’d left town with one suitcase and come back with the same. It didn’t matter. She wouldn’t stay with her parents for too long. Besides, she was used to small spaces.

After leaving Collinstown, she’d seen most states and had even traveled to Europe a couple of times. She’d worked small jobs, met people and had short flings, looking to see what she’d be missing if she settled down. There was nothing to get excited about. She’d still had the best sex with Ryan. And everything else that Ryan had given her, the other guys had lacked. His warmth, devotion and love were all things she’d missed. After doing enough soul-searching to last her a lifetime, she’d realized that Ryan was the best thing that ever happened to her. And she’d blown it big time. No matter, now she was back and hoped to set things right.

She knew he wasn’t married or attached to anyone. She’d made calls before coming back to get the latest scoop. It would have been stupid to return hoping to get her ex-fiancé back, only to find out he was taken. But that wasn’t a problem, so she was armed with plenty of apologies, courage and lacy lingerie. Hopefully the combination would result in a miracle.

Once the suitcase was empty, she zipped it back up and stuffed it into the corner of the closet floor. There wasn’t room for anything else, which meant that shopping for new clothes was out of the question. She went to plug in her cell phone charger and put her keys back in her purse, which was hanging on a hook on the bedroom door.

It was already dark outside and soon her mother would call her down to dinner. They’d all eat together tonight. Even Cassie, Lisa’s younger sister was coming over. Their mother complained that since Cassie moved out a few years ago, they never saw her anymore. Lisa wondered if she was rubbing off on her sibling.

She’d always been reckless and impulsive, but Cassie wasn’t. Or at least hadn’t been. Apparently things had changed. Lisa couldn’t wait to see her baby sister and decide for herself whether things were as bad as their mother made them out to be.

She walked to the armoire and pulled open the top drawer. Her scrapbooks were lined up neatly next to each other. Even the one she’d made of Ryan and her was there. She pulled it out and sat on the bed, leafing through it. Pictures of them at various events and locations reminded her of her best two years. How stupid to have thrown it all away.

The wind was howling outside and blew so strong that the tree out back swung from side to side, scraping against the house. Lisa felt at once homey. In addition to the photos she was staring at, the familiar sounds of the outdoors brought even more memories back. She took her time flipping through the book until she heard the dinner announcement, then went downstairs.

“Hi Dad,” she said once she walked into the dining room and saw her father setting the table.

He walked around the table to give her a big hug. “Can’t believe our wild child is home again.” He sounded as relieved as her mother.

She hugged him tightly and buried her face against his chest. Although she’d been gone only five years, there was more gray in his hair, and either she’d grown taller, or he’d shrunk just a bit. She realized how important her decision to come home had been. Her parents were getting older and she should be home with them.

“There you are,” Cassie’s voice came from the doorway, and not a moment later, she wrapped her arms around Lisa.

“Hey Sis,” Lisa said, squeezing hard before pulling back and holding her sister at arm’s-length. “What’s with the ’80s look?”

Cassie waved the comment away and sat at the dining table. “That’s the only thing you can find at the stores nowadays.”

“I doubt that,” Lisa remarked and helped her dad set the glasses.

“What happened to your hair?” Cassie asked with a frown.

Lisa ran one hand through her curls, realizing she probably looked a mess. She had unpacked, but hadn’t fixed herself up after the long drive home. She needed a shower for sure.

“What’s wrong with my hair?” she shot back, knowing that at least with the new haircut, her hair looked decent most of the time.

Cassie shrugged and assessed it from side to side. “You don’t look like yourself, that’s all.”

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” their father said under his breath.

All three women turned to stare at him.

“What? Just saying. Maybe less folks will recognize her and not give her a hard time, now that she’s back,” he reasoned.

“Oh honey, don’t you listen to your father,” Lisa’s mother said, waving the comment away.

“Thanks, I won’t,” Lisa grumbled unsure.

Her mother put the food on the table and they all sat down. Lisa’s father said the prayer, thanking the Lord for bringing Lisa safely back home again.

“It’s not like I went to war, Dad,” she said with a chuckle.

Cassie helped herself to a big load of mashed potatoes. “You’d think that’s where you were. We haven’t seen you in forever. Can’t you call or write?”

Lisa grimaced. “I know, I’m terrible. But it’s hard to do that when you’re constantly on the move. You know how it is.”

“As a matter of fact, no, I don’t,” Cassie replied.

Lisa’s mother lifted the serving platter and handed it to Lisa. She helped herself to a slice of roast pork, then passed the platter to her dad.

“Well, I’m here now and that’s all that matters.”

“I hope so. You ain’t plannin’ on leavin’ again anytime soon, are you baby?” her mother asked.

“I’ll be here for a while,” Lisa replied, knowing that details were needed. “Maybe even for good.”

Three pairs of eyes looked up from the table.

“Have you finally decided to settle down?” her father asked, cutting into the pork on his plate.

Lisa picked up her water glass and chuckled. “Let’s just say I’m done traveling for a while.”

“Good enough for me,” he replied.

Lisa had not shared her plans with anyone, not even her parents. She did want to stay in Collinstown, but first she had to sort out some things. She needed a job, a place and a strategy for winning back Ryan. Only after all those things were taken care of could she think about any kind of settling. She had moved back to create a life with the man who had doted on her. The problem was, she wasn’t so good at being the perfect housewife. Hell, she hadn’t been good at being a fiancée even. Making the decision to settle down with Ryan now had been huge. Provided he’d forgive her and take her back. But actually going through with it, that would be a challenge. The prospect made her stomach turn, but she honestly didn’t know whether in a good or a bad way.

***

The sun was coming down fierce on Monday, and had it not been for the still cool April breeze blowing, it would have been a scorcher. Ryan Wingate set the wrench down, stood and stretched his legs. He’d been crouched down for most of the morning, trying to fix a customer’s bike at his motorcycle repair shop.

“It’s gonna start picking up again,” his co-worker Dave said from across the garage.

Ryan grabbed a rag and wiped the sweat off his neck. “Yeah. I saw at least a dozen ride through town in the last couple of days.”

Collinstown was a biker’s dream come true. A small place in the midst of Southern California mountains. The riding was perfect in the area. This also meant that Ryan’s shop saw plenty of action. Not many major repairs, but enough maintenance on bikes riding through.

He threw the rag on top of the bike and went into the office to get water. He’d finish Chris’s bike by tomorrow, then help Dave with the other one. Then he’d have to change the oil and clean the air filter on his own bike.

After finishing the water, he stepped out into the sun again just as Chris showed up to do measurements for the suspension, which needed to be adjusted. They’d set the sag and Chris could take off again.

An hour later, Chris left and Ryan had to inspect the chain and sprocket. He set the bike upright and got the rear wheel off the ground, then positioned himself for easier access and looked for broken teeth on the sprocket. The sound of approaching footsteps reached him and someone’s shadow blocked his light. He moved his head to the side to look up at the person, but only managed to shift into the blinding sun.

“Hey there, stranger,” a female voice greeted him, and he didn’t need to see to know who the voice belonged to. He gripped the bike so tight, if she was paying attention, she’d probably see his knuckles turn white.

He sat up on the asphalt and shielded his eyes to look up at Lisa. She stepped forward to block the sun for him. The result was more disturbing than if he’d seen her randomly walking down the street. She glowed from behind, an ironic play on the angel he knew she wasn’t.

“What are you doing here?” he found himself asking.

She gave him a brilliant smile. “Nice to see you too, Ryan. I see you’ve turned more sour over the years.”

“And you haven’t changed a bit,” he said gruffly.

She laughed, a light carefree sound, and it instantly stirred something inside him. He hoped it was indigestion.

“I take that as a compliment,” she said, fluffing her hair.

He grunted and stood.

“Still as tall as ever,” she remarked and checked him out from head to toe.

He grabbed the dirty rag and wiped the grease off his fingers, trying not to stare at her curves outright. She was wearing tight jeans, short boots and a flimsy white T-shirt that fit snugly up top. Her freckles popped out from under her bronzed skin and her flirty half-smile hadn’t changed a bit. She looked like she’d only gotten prettier and he was sure she’d even look good in rags.

“Some things don’t change,” he replied to her comment.

Her eyes held his gaze for a moment, but then all seriousness vanished from her face. She walked around the bike, running one hand along the seat. He remembered taking her for rides through the mountains, getting away for the weekends.

“How have you been?” she asked. Her blonde hair that had always been long was now grazing her shoulders in playful curls. How fitting, even her hair didn’t want to be serious.

He turned and walked toward his office. “Fine.”

Her footsteps echoed behind him. “I wasn’t sure if your folks told you I was back in town, but I wanted to show face in person.”

“How considerate,” he mumbled, opening the office door. He’d have a talk with his parents about this later. If they’d known she was back, they should’ve warned him. He pulled his chair out, sat down and started shuffling through papers on his desk. She walked into the small space, and instead of staying put by the entrance, she sat her butt on the corner of his desk. He frowned at her but she didn’t seem to notice.

“We’ve got catching up to do.” She looked from him to the papers, then back to him.

He tapped a stack vigorously against the desk. “The hell we do.”

She merely gave him her cheeky smile that he hadn’t seen in five years. Jesus, he’d been willing to do anything for that smile. That was a long time ago. Now she could smile like that all she wanted.

“Fine, you want to catch up? You took out the trash and never came back. Who does that?” he barked, fighting the anger he’d long ago put to rest. “We have nothing to talk about now. We should’ve talked five years ago, but you decided that you didn’t want to talk. You missed your chance.”

For a moment, she appeared blindsided. “I panicked. I was turning thirty. I had a midlife crisis. Didn’t you get my letter?” she asked, as if that made everything alright.

He got the damn letter, which he’d read a million times. “Leave me alone,” he said, grunting in disgust.

She twirled a curl around her finger. “You don’t really mean that.”

“Oh, I mean it, sweet cheeks.”

Her right hand gripped the edge of the desk and one leg dangled in no particular rhythm to smack against the side of the desk. “What’s the matter, sugar? You afraid of little old me?”

He set the stack of papers down and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’d love it if I was, wouldn’t you? I’m just not in the mood to play games, Lisa. Why are you here? How long are you staying? Stopping by to cause havoc again?”