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going on another run. She didn’t want to see Casey again, but if her tight pants had anything to say about it, she knew she needed to get back on the horse. Well, not that horse , she thought with a chuckle. She shook her head clear of her muddied imagination and decided to hit the trail again.
    Only today, she’d go earlier. Maybe she’d be lucky enough to miss Casey.
    Why was she even torturing herself with what-ifs? Casey might not even run at the same time every day. Hell, he might not even run at all. It was probably just a fluke. A man didn’t look like him by running alone. He no doubt hit the gym on a regular schedule.
    Before Katie drove herself crazy, she grabbed a scarf from the back of her chair, wrapped it around her neck, and headed down the stairs to the front door.
    She couldn’t afford to sit around all day and write. She had a choice to make. Either she could get off her ass and exercise, or she had to give up Sue Ann’s famous sandwiches and fries. Katie knew there was no way she was going to give up the cafe, so she sucked it up and headed out into the cold for another run.
    Alone.
     

CASEY
     
    Casey had brushed his teeth two times that morning and even combed his hair. And it was for nothing. She wasn’t even on the trail.
     

KATIE
     
    If Katie was being honest with herself, she was kind of hoping she’d see Casey on the trail today. Yesterday, she had tried to avoid him and she was successful. But she couldn’t stop thinking about the exchange they had earlier that week. They had barely said a few words to each other and she had more fun in that moment than she had her entire stay in Hope Falls. Worry started to settle in at that revelation, but she thought of what her mother had told her. Just because she didn’t want to date, it didn’t mean she couldn’t have friends.
    Maybe Casey could be a friend. Like Shelby. Or Sue Ann. Yes, she considered Sue Ann a friend. She was living temporarily in a new town; she had to take them where she could get them.
    But Casey? The guy acted like such a jerk the first time they met. Maybe he wasn’t friend material, after all.
    Either way, she wasn’t going to try to avoid him any longer. If their paths happened to cross, then so be it. She was okay with that. To prove it to herself that she was so okay with it, Katie took off on her run at the same time she met Casey days before.
     

CASEY
     
    When Casey finished his run, he couldn’t stop laughing. The day before, he missed Katherine. Today, he decided to head out early hoping he might catch her and he came up empty-handed.
    He rolled his eyes at the insanity of it all. Was he really changing his schedule around to hopefully catch a glimpse of a girl? A girl who could be gone tomorrow. Katherine had already been in Hope Falls for a few weeks. Tourists rarely stayed longer than that, which made him wonder what brought her to his town in the first place.
    What Casey did know is that he was going back to his routine the next morning. No more messing around. If he happened to run into Katherine, then score, it was a bonus. If not, then that was okay too.
     

KATIE
     
    After waking up late one day and missing her run, Katie was determined to get past it and keep her routine going. She was really starting to enjoy beginning her day with some outdoor activity before she settled in to write. The chill helped wake her up and get the creative juices flowing.
    It had been close to a week since she’d seen Casey, yet she still looked for him on the trail each day.
    About a half mile in, she heard footsteps behind her. It didn’t startle her anymore. She had gotten used to sharing the road with others. She looked up as the person approached getting ready to give a wave when she saw a familiar face. A gorgeous one with piercing blue eyes and a smile that wouldn’t quit.
    “Hey, Katherine,” Casey said. “Mind if I join you?”
    She tried not to, but she smiled right back. “That depends.”
    “On