**

Chapter 2

Dana slowed to a stop in front of her house. Breathing heavily she checked her watch. Twenty-one minutes, eleven seconds. Dammit. Still not at a six minute mile pace, the brunette chastised herself.

Even at 6:30 in the morning, the heat and humidity was beginning to become oppressive and it was only going to get hotter as the day wore on. Sweat poured off Dana, and as she took a swallow from the water bottle she put on the porch steps before her run she contemplated asking to switch to working out in the weight room today instead of tomorrow.

She is torn out of these thoughts by the sorely missed sound of her best friend’s voice.

“Fairbanks has returned,” Jamie yelled still half way down the block from here friend. “Thanks for the phone call, loser,” the redhead said jokingly.

“Sorry about that. My mom got ticked at me…”

“You’ve been home less than 48 hours, and you’ve already upset your parents,” Jamie questioned, raising an eyebrow at her friend?

“It was not my fault. I accidentally dropped the f-bomb and Howie heard and of course he starts not only repeating it… he starts singing it at the top of his lungs.”

At this, Jamie cracked up laughing just imagining the scene her friend was describing and thinking about Mrs. Fairbanks reaction.

“Yeah, yeah laugh it up,” the brunette said taking another drink of her water.

“I am so happy you are back! And of course, you go right back into your workout routine…with your crazy schedule.”

“Hey, no way I am going to run three miles this afternoon. It’s supposed to get into the upper nineties. No thank you. What about you? You’ve been working out this summer right?”

At this Jamie shrugged. “Yeah but your idea of working out and mine are worlds apart. I run two mile three times a week and get out on the court for two to three hours a day. You on the other hand…”

“…woke up at 6am during the last week of summer vacation to run. Yeah, got it. By the way, what are you doing up at this hour. I thought you refuse to wake up before noon during the summer?”