Cora ran along the shore, staying close to the water and running on the hard-packed sand. She knew she should run on the softer sand, but since today was the Fourth of July, she gave herself permission to take it slightly easy.
As she ran, she thought about the last two weeks. Through scattered conversations and long text messaging, Cora learned about Davis’ struggles growing up in a mixed family and feeling out of place wherever he went. Cora understood that on a slight level, due to the Native American features she’d inherited from her mother, and how dark her skin would tan as summer progressed.
Cora told him about her family, about her mother’s scary upbringing and heartbreaking adolescence. “She doesn’t trust men much,” she’d said on Sunday afternoon after church, sitting on her back patio and staring at a hummingbird dancing around the bird feeder she’d added to her town house’s back porch. “The fact that she agreed to this contract really blows me away. There’s no telling what thoughts have gone through her mind as all of the details were put into place.”
“Isn’t she the one who created this entire experience?” Davis had asked.
“The original idea, yes. The romance, probably not. But she would have been contacted by the advertising team before they put it together. It was her baby and they’ve respected that all along.”
The Sunday afternoon she flew home from a tournament in Seattle, she found a quiet corner of the airport and video chatted with him. Davis talked to her about his temper, and how his father had taught him how to focus it on the ice, making him a fierce hockey player who could control the rage inside himself through focus and concentration, making him calm and assured off the ice.
“I’m surprised about that,” she’d said, ignoring the first call for her flight. She watched his expression carefully. “You don’t seem to have a temper at all.”
His eyes widened, and then he smiled. “It’s been since I was a young teen that I lost my temper, and I hurt someone badly as a result. I made sure to be in control of myself ever since that.”
Thinking about how calm he took her mistreatment of him at the beginning of their contract with VelTech, and how easygoing he always was, she was impressed at what hockey had done for him.
These long conversations, either electronic, voice, or video, shifted the tide in their relationship. It brought them closer as friends and made her feelings for him grow. Every time her phone buzzed or rang, she jumped to answer it, hoping to see his face fill the screen. They covered their social media with little details about each other and kept their followers enthralled with the blossoming romance. Every day she missed him with an ache in her heart that didn’t make sense because they’d only spent one single week together.
Today, he’d be here, and so would her entire family on her mother’s side. Her cousin, Madeline, and Maddie’s husband Joe had arrived early this morning, bearing bagels from her favorite place in New York, and the rest of her family would arrive well before lunch. Davis had texted her at midnight to tell her he’d checked into his beach cottage. He only planned to spend last night, though, because she had to leave her tournament in San Francisco this afternoon.
As she turned to go up the path to her house, she spotted Davis stretching in the warm sand. Her heart leaped at the sight of him and her pulse started racing. With a huge grin covering her face, she sprinted up to him.
“Hey. I didn’t expect you so soon!” He stood and brushed sand off his hands just as she reached him. It felt good as his arms came around her and hugged her close. She stepped back, grinning. “Congrats on making the team!” She pumped her fist in the air and laughed, “USA!”
“Thanks. It’s not actually the team yet. I’m on the roster. So, this is just the team we practice with to see if I can make the team.” He chuckled and brushed his dark hair off his forehead.
“So, still more cuts?”
“More cuts. We have some exhibition games and stuff before the final team is announced.” She watched the muscles exposed by his tank top ripple in his arm. “Even though I got in late last night, I was hoping to get a workout in with you before your family descends.”
She picked up the towel and water bottle she’d left at the mouth of the trail and wiped her face. “Already have some cousins here. Did you meet them?”
“No. I saw the cars but didn’t go inside. I saw your stuff here and knew you were out running.” He lifted his arms above his head and leaned to the right then to the left. “You sure you don’t want to get a couple more miles in?”
“No. I wish, though.” Cora looked at her watch. “I’ve already done my five. Go on. When you come back, I’ll make you breakfast.” She leaned toward him. “Madeline brought me bagels from Marcus, my uncle’s pastry chef in New York. You will seriously fall in love in about an hour. Trust me.”
He looked her up and down, a serious look on his face, before he winked. “Count on it.” He started away in a slow jog. “Give me about thirty minutes.”
“Okay!” She watched him for a few seconds, then said, “Hey!”
He turned, jogging backward. “Yes?”
“It’s really good to see you in person.”
He didn’t speak, but smiled and saluted with his right hand before he turned and kept running. Cora slowly walked up the path, running her fingertips along the tops of the dune grass. When she got to the top of the dunes, she saw her brother on the back porch of the house. “Chase!”
Running the last twenty yards, she tossed her towel and water bottle into a chair and threw herself into her twin’s arms. He’d inherited their father’s height and size. At six-nine and two-hundred-fifty pounds, he looked exactly like a football player. He would start his senior year of college this year, while Cora would start the second semester of her junior year. She remembered all the news articles and discussion during his first year starting for Texas A&M about how his size fit more a linebacker instead of a quarterback. People only said that until they saw the precision and strength of his throwing arm. With his size, he rarely got sacked by the opposing team.
“You’re all sweaty,” he said, exaggeratedly wiping his chest and arms.
As she stepped back from him, she looked up at him, punching him in the shoulder. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“We’re all off for the week. Have to be back in Texas Sunday night,” he said, smiling. His bright blue eyes glowed in his tan face, contrasting with his dark hair. “Plan to fly out with you to California tomorrow. Might be a treat to spend some actual time with you.”
She squealed and hugged him again. “I’m stoked! I can’t remember the last time you were able to see me play!”
“Right? Actually, I think it was Rio. When’s the last time you saw me play?”
“That’s not even fair.”
The back door to the house opened and her dad stepped out. “Hey, Jade, Chase is here. Surprise!” he teased with a grin.
She stepped forward to hug him but cautioned, “I’m all sweaty.”
“How come you didn’t warn me?” Chase asked, laughing, as Barry hugged Cora.
“Where’s your hottie hockey player? Off taking selfies somewhere?” Barry asked, clearly tongue-in-cheek.
She gestured toward the beach. “He just left for a run.”
“Oh, I figured he’d go with you.”
“He got in late, so I went without checking with him.” She picked up her water bottle and towel. “Madeline brought some Marcus bagels.”
“And lox. Best get some before your Uncle Derrick gets here.”
“Maddie knows to get him his own bag. He’s not normal.” She pointed at Chase with a grin. “Good to see you, brother. Can’t wait for you to meet Davis.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Chase asked, his eyelids drooping and his head tilting slightly.
Ignoring him, she stepped into the house. Her mom and Aunt Robin stood at the kitchen island. Robin leaned against it, sipping an aromatic smelling cup of coffee, while her mom sliced melon. “Hello!” she said, grinning, as she walked toward them. “Happy Fourth.”
Robin hugged her tightly. “Well, look who it is! ‘Dorable-Cora! Happy Fourth to you.” She gestured toward the door. “Uncle Tony went to fill the propane tank. He’ll be right back. I know he’ll be thrilled to see you.”
Maxine set the melon on a tray and pointed at a cooler. “Robin brought the steaks. And some portabellas for Sarah in case she reverts.”
“Mom and I peeled and diced twenty pounds of potatoes yesterday and boiled a dozen eggs. That should just about cover the potato salad.” Cora went to the sink and used filtered water to refill her water bottle.
“Where’s your hottie?” Robin asked, looking at the back door. “Your brother didn’t 'Chase' him away, did he?” She winked. "See what I did there?"
Cora began to understand Davis’ objection to the descriptive term she’d come up with on the fly. “Davis went for a run. He should be back in about thirty minutes.” She flipped on the kettle as the front door opened.
“Hello!”
She walked around the corner and saw her Aunt Sarah walk in, carrying a giant bowl of watermelon. Cora rushed forward and took it from her hands. Behind her, Cora’s cousin Vincent carried a cake box.
Sarah instructed Vincent, “Put that in the fridge.” A full foot taller than aunt, Cora had to stoop to hug her around the bowl. “Happy Fourth, honey. It’s good to see you.”
“It’s so good to see you. Where’s the rest of the gang?”
“Uncle Derrick is bringing Angela and Rebekah. He’ll be here in a couple of hours. He took them to work with him this morning.” She walked into the kitchen to hug Maxine and Robin. “So! Where’s the hottie?” she asked, making Cora groan out loud.
A bonfire blazed on the beach, and Davis held a marshmallow on a stick closer to the heat.
“Another one, huh?” Cora asked over his shoulder. “Should I say the word training combined with Olympics?”
He turned his head and smiled at her. “I’m doing this for your cousin. She said the fire’s too hot for her.”
“Always the gentleman.”
He grinned. “I don’t mind at all. I like being manly for beautiful women.”
Cora looked over at eleven-year-old Rebekah, who sat on a lounge chair covered under mounds of blankets. A childhood bout with cancer had left her smaller than average. She could easily pass for a seven or eight-year-old. With little body fat, the cold night air assaulted her.
Cora got a graham cracker and a piece of chocolate, then took the marshmallow from Davis. “Mind if I take it to her?”
“Not at all. I’ll get another one going.”
Cora walked over to her cousin and held out the s’more. “Here you go, punk. Freshly made by Dauntless Davis himself. Don’t worry, the marshmallows are vegetarian so even Aunt Sarah can’t object.”
Rebekah smiled and held out her hand. “I like him, Cora,” she said, nibbling on the corner of the treat. “He’s really nice.”
Cora looked at Davis’s face reflecting in the firelight. “He is nice. Best part of it is, he loves Jesus.”
“Seems like that makes him the perfect guy for you.” She set the nearly untouched s’more on the table next to her and burrowed deeper under the blanket. “Maybe he’ll win the silver in Korea and you two can have matching medals.”
Cora smiled, thinking about all the different things about Davis that she really liked. To have something in common like Olympic medals would just validate everything. “Maybe. I think he’s hoping the team takes the gold, though.”
“They’d still kind of match. Does he speak Korean?”
Remembering him talking to his mom on the phone several times, she nodded. “He does.”
“You can be with him when you go to Korea in February. Then you won’t have to worry about not speaking the language.”
“That’s definitely a bonus.” She stood. “You good?”
“Yeah. Just cold and a little tired.” Rebekah yawned. “Mama said we’ll leave soon. I’ll sleep in the car.”
Davis approached them and stopped at Rebekah’s chair. “Want to walk?” he asked Cora. “I gave in and ate another s’more. Feel like I need to move.”
Rebekah said, “You sound like my Uncle Barry.”
Davis knelt next to the chair. “He is a rather intelligent man. That’s a high compliment, young lady, and I appreciate it.”
Rebekah snorted. “Uncle Barry would say that, too.”
With a laugh, Davis looked over at Cora. “Walk?”
She stood and brushed her shorts off. “I’d love to walk. I, too, gave in to temptation. I’m the one who has an early flight to a tournament starting tomorrow.”
She and Davis walked away from the bonfire, hand in hand. As the cool air hit her, she shivered. “I’m glad I put on a sweatshirt,” she said.
“I forget that the evenings get cold here. Mornings, too. When I was here before, I would go out onto the porch and drink coffee. I always forgot and had to go back inside and get a jacket.” He pulled her close and slipped an arm over her shoulders. She easily wrapped her arm around his waist, and they continued walking, slowly.
She thought back through the day, of the company, conversations, food, football game on the beach. “You seem to have made a hit with my family. I think they like you.”
“Probably because I let Chase tackle me during the game,” he joked.
Cora laughed. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s been a wonderful day.” He squeezed her to him. “It’s really good to be back here.”
“Lots of good picture fodder.”
He slowly stopped walking. No abrupt change, just a gradual lack of forward movement. “Speaking of, I left my phone on the table.”
She held up her free hand. “I haven’t had mine out for hours.”
“We’re not being very good VelTech employees.” He turned toward her and brushed a stray hair off her cheek. The touch of his finger against her skin sent a shiver through her that had nothing to do with the temperature. She kept one arm around his waist and he kept his arm over her shoulder. “So, it’s just the two of us, then? No world audience?”
Looking at his dark eyes reflected in the moonlight, she gave a small smile. “So it would seem.”
“Good,” he said, seconds before his mouth covered hers.
It felt right to step toward him and wrap her other arm around him. His lips warmed hers, and his free hand cupped her cheek in such a gentle way that she felt tears burn in her eyes. The light breeze blowing around them became a roaring sound in her ears. Her heart pounded as every sense became filled with Davis, with the feel of him under her hands, the smell of him, the taste of him, the warmth of him.
When he gradually softened the kiss and stepped back, she noticed the glow of the fireworks lighting up the water and the beach in magnificent colors of red and blue. She could see him much more clearly now, and felt her heart skip at the look of affection on his face.
“I’m glad that could happen away from the cameras, Cora,” he said softly.
She smiled, still feeling him on her lips. “I concur.” They linked hands and turned to walk back to her family. “I wish I could skip the tournament tomorrow. I’ve missed you and this is the end of your free time. I’m not looking forward to the next few months.”
“I am.” He squeezed her fingers. “It’s been my dream ever since my dad took me to see the USA hockey team play in Salt Lake City in 2002. We won the silver then. The last time we won gold was in 1980. I can’t wait to see what kind of history we make in February.”
Contrite, she stopped and stepped forward, slipping her arms around him. “You’re completely right. I’m being selfish. I’m sorry.”
“What did you tell me that time? Sorry isn’t necessary.” He hugged her tightly. “If it’s any consolation, I do wish I could take you with me. But I think I have to give everything I have to the team right now. There are only twelve teams competing this year. Our team is very, very good. But our competition is there to win, too. I have to leave everything I have on the ice. This only happens once in a lifetime.”
He released her after kissing her forehead, and they continued walking. In no time, they sat back around the bonfire, watching the rest of the fireworks with her family. Once there, Davis pulled out his phone and they took several pictures, including a kiss framed by a bright red starburst in the night sky.
Davis started to go inside his beach house, but halted when he saw Cora’s car pulling into his driveway. He slipped a hand into the front pocket of his jeans and leaned against the porch railing, waiting for her to park next to his rental.
“Good morning,” he greeted with a smile. “Didn’t expect you. Don’t you have a flight?”
“Hi. My Uncle Tony is handling my flight.” She slammed her door and raced up the steps. “We need to talk.”
The frown marred his brow as he tossed his cooled coffee into the bushes and followed her into the house, pausing at the doorway to kick his shoes off. He didn’t understand her tone or her abruptness. “What’s up?”
She walked around the small room. Pacing over the carpet, twirling at the fireplace, pacing to the French doors, twirling at the dining table, pacing to the bottom of the staircase, turning again.
“What’s going on, Cora?”
She stopped and said, “Do you have a laptop?”
He gestured at the little desk next to the couch. In seconds, she sat in the seat and clicked keys. When he looked over her shoulder, he saw a newscaster from a national news organization. Cora turned up the volume and sat back in the chair, arms crossed in front of her.
“While the world watched the very social romance bloom between the two athletes and felt like they were personally invested in the romance, one North Carolinian has had a different opinion. Last week, Mr. Stan Denney of Charlotte, who was cut from tryouts for the Team USA hockey team, Flittered this message:”
An image of Stan’s Flitter message covered the screen. His profile picture showed him on the ice, battling for the puck in last year’s nationals. Davis recognized the uniform:
Davis felt the slow burn of red anger begin to boil in his chest.
The announcer continued speaking, “After this message came out, the world responded in force. Just hours after the bombardment of social media responses, Mr. Denney’s home was vandalized. He would not meet with our reporter, but informed her by telephone that he had to go into hiding. Though it hasn’t stopped his very public berating of the relationship of ‘Dauntless’ Davis Elliott and Cora ‘Jade’ Anderson. His messages caused thousands of people to respond every time, and has created a storm of racial unrest on the popular social media network.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw and he realized he clenched his teeth together. As he forced himself to relax, forced his hands to unclench his fists in his pockets, he watched the end of the newscast and turned away from the laptop screen.
His ears roared, and his heartbeat accelerated. It took a lot of self-control not to acces Stan Denney's account to see what all he had to say about Davis and his heritage. Reading hate-filled words wouldn’t do anyone any good, though. In fact, it would be downright harmful and just add fuel to the rage stirring in his chest, and Davis knew it.
Determined to have self-control, to practice grace, and to love his enemies, he closed his eyes and intentionally started praying for Stan. Father, help him in his hatred. Send someone in his life to touch him. I don’t know what to do about this, so help me not be so very, very angry. Amen.
Cora shut the lid on the laptop and whirled around. “What is wrong with people?” she demanded.
“I’ve had some problems with him before. He filed an official complaint when he was cut and I wasn’t.” Wanting to calm her down and ease the hurt he could see behind the tears in her eyes, he said, “In general, people mostly stood up for us. The people supporting this guy don’t seem to be coming out of the woodwork.”
“I just can’t….” She put her hands on either side of her head. “I can’t comprehend it.”
“Me, either, but honestly, he’s not the first.” He sat down on the couch. “I don’t really fit completely in America, and I don’t fit completely in Korea. I kind of have a foot in both worlds. I can eat spicy kimchi one meal and a double cheeseburger the next, and both are right and normal to me.” He took a deep breath through his nose. “But to question whether I deserve to be on the team or not, I can’t understand that. I’m American with an American father. Heck. Truth is, my dad’s a veteran; a hero. Doesn’t get much more American than that. It’s not like Team USA recruited me from Korea or anything.”
She pursed her lips. “Maybe it’s bad blood about the team in general.”
“He feels like he got cut because of my Korean heritage. I can tell you that I simply outplayed him—so did three other forwards.” He gestured at the laptop. “Thank you for telling me about it, Cora. But I think we take your advice from when it first came up and ignore it.”
She looked at her phone. “I have to go. Chase and I are meeting the pilot in an hour. I’ll be lucky to get there.”
He stood and walked her to her car. Before he opened the door for her, he slipped his hand along the back of her neck and pulled her toward him for a long kiss. The red heat in his chest warmed and turned into a different kind of burn. As he opened her door, he winked. “I know you just came by to get another kiss.”
“You saw right through my cover. Here I thought I had such a perfect excuse.” She started the car and put her hand on the door handle. “I can’t wait to see you in November.”