She laughed as she shook her head. “I was a mental case. I’d made an unrealistic training schedule and drove myself too hard. My mind was a mess, and my body was trying to give out, but I still kept pushing. Did Gina tell you why we were caught in the storm up at Bearwater?”
He nodded. “She said it came in early. You all thought you had time to get the run done.”
“She’s being kind. It’s true the storm came in early, but instead of turning around and heading back, like a saneperson would’ve done, I insisted we keep going. I was going to make it to the top of the mountain no matter what. It was only a little over ten miles round trip, and we were close to halfway on the outbound when the snow started. I convinced myself we could make it to the turnaround and back before it got bad.”
“But you couldn’t.”
“No, no way. We were at the steepest part. Joe wasn’t used to the kind of climb we needed. The snow and wind were awful. We could’ve died right there if Gina and Nick hadn’t taken over. Somehow, they brought me to my senses.”
“They didn’t mention any of that,” he said, taking her hand. “They’ve got your back, Brooke.”
“Yeah, they do. That day and every day since. Joe too. He wrote the article about what happened up there, and it was very fair. He didn’t even completely throw Kelsey under the bus, though she probably deserved it. And his article helped me convince the organizers of the Moose Range Run 100 to allow me to drop to the shorter distance. They don’t usually allow a distance change.”
“It all worked out pretty well.”
She stared at their intertwined fingers. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft. “Except now, I’m rethinking things.”
“Rethinking what?”
She could hear the hesitation in his tone. She gave his hand a squeeze. “About the Moose Range Run. Things have been...weird lately. And now, with being attacked on the trail yesterday, I’m wondering if I have it in me to do the necessary training.”
“Gina said you’ll heal, that you’ll be fine in a few weeks. If you’re not starting your full training until January, you should be completely recovered.”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m more concerned about the mileage needed. About going out on the trails for a full day on my own. I’m thinking I should just stick to shorter distances. I need to be realistic about my limitations.”
Tyler was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was gentle but firm. “You’re the strongest person I know.”
Brooke laughed, but it came out bitter. “I’m not strong. I’m terrified half the time.”
“Being strong doesn’t mean you’re never scared. It means you do hard things anyway.” He shifted closer. “You got back up after last year. You survived what happened at Bearwater. You fought off your attacker yesterday. That’s not someone who gives up.”
“But what if I fail again?”
“Then you fail. And you get back up. Again.” Tyler’s thumb traced circles on the back of her hand. “Look, I’m not a runner like you are. I’ve never done anything farther than that trail run with the group last week. What was that? About five miles? But I could help you train when you’re cleared to run again.”
“How?”
“I’ll ride my bike on the longer distances. Be your support crew. Make sure you’re never alone on the trails. Whatever you need.”
The gesture hit her harder than it should have. He wasn’t trying to fix her fears or tell her what to do. He was offering to be there. To support what mattered to her, even though he didn’t fully understand it.
“Why would you do that?” Brooke asked quietly.
“Because it matters to you. Because I want to be there for you.” He paused. “Because I care about you.”
Something in Brooke’s chest gave way as her heart thumped louder.
“You loved your wife. Your son.” She wasn’t really asking, just confirming what she already knew.
“I did. Very much.”
Brooke leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’m not trying to replace her. I want you to know that.”
“I know.” Tyler’s arm came around her shoulders. “Jen wouldn’t want me to spend the rest of my life alone. She’d want me to be happy. To find someone who made me laugh again.”
“Do I make you laugh?”
“You make me feel alive. Right now, that’s better than laughing.”
