Wassamattayu was the pinnacle of her volleyball career, but posh gym-member Venus could never understand that. “Wassamattayu membership isn’t just for me. The club is filled with wealthy, sports-oriented yuppies. It’s the perfect place to look for a sponsor for the team. For any of them, the cost for the girls’ playoffs would be hardly a blip in their checking account, and they could get a tax write-off.”

“Assuming you can convince one of them. Kind of a gamble, isn’t it?”

Venus’s dry voice sent a fizzle up Lex’s spine. “They’re athletes. We speak the same language. They’d understand my dilemma and be happy to sponsor the team.”

“If you say so.”

Her skepticism decided it for Lex. “I think it’s a good idea. I think I’ll use the money for Wassamattayu.”

Aiden was beginning to think God liked playing practical jokes.

He drove all the way out here to south San Jose to run some hills, and whom did he see? The one person he’d be most embarrassed to talk to. Did she even remember her proposal of marriage?

Lex didn’t even live in this area. What was the deal?

She hadn’t seen him yet – she struggled up the hill, limping a bit.

It looked like her ankle was bothering her.

He should avoid her. She represented everything his alarm system warned against: friends with a pushy girl he’d had to reject pretty hard, related to same girl, fanatically Christian enough to go to church regularly versus just talking about it. Common sense should tell him to stay away.

Except she was also attractive enough to make him lose his good sense. And then there was the small fact that she happened to be on his volleyball team, stole his phone, proposed marriage, and then waylaid his marathon training course.

He picked up his feet to catch up to her.

She veered left down a side street and out of sight.

His stomach bottomed out and left a little hollow spot down there. He needed to continue on his training course or he’d never be in shape for the race. He lost a little of his kick as he climbed the hill.

The first hill stretched his lungs as he sprinted to the top. On the way down, he cut through an empty grocery store parking lot and turned right around the corner of a trash shed.

“Ooomph!”

He hit someone soft, light. He staggered. She went down.

Lex. He’d collided with Lex. No way. God, you have a strange sense of humor.

He could have sworn he heard laughter.

“Are you okay? Your ankle – ” He offered a hand to help her up.

She waved it away. “I’m fine.” She hoisted herself up and took a few steps. “See?”

“You’re limping.”

“Am not.” Her bottom lip shot out.

His eyebrow shot up a fraction before he got his face under control. “Okay. You’re not.”

She glared at him. “Are you making fun of me?”

“Not at all.”

“Hmph.” She looked back up the hill, and her face sagged.

“Are you training?”

“How did you know?”

“You told me you never run except for training.”

“Oh.” Her pale cheeks flushed rosy in the morning sun. “I’m, uh… sorry I was so rude that time.”

His neck relaxed. “It’s okay.” A simple apology and he caved. He was pathetic.

“So, are you training?” Lex asked him back.

“Yeah.” He glanced at the hill. “I have a marathon in a few weeks.”

“Oh. Well, I’ll let you get to it.” She turned into the parking lot and pulled her car key from her pocket.

“But I thought you were running.”

She grimaced. “I feel kind of lazy today. I’ve… had a lot of stuff happen. Besides the bridal shower.”

“No, don’t do that. Come on.” He started jogging up the hill. “Come on.”

She stared at him with a confused, annoyed look.

He gestured her to come. “Don’t be a pansy.”

He knew it would spur her. Yup, she broke into a run after him.

“I’m not a pansy.” Her eyes on him were fierce.

“Of course not.” He turned his blandest face at her.

She frowned.

He grinned.

Lex had rarely seen Aiden smile. He was usually so reserved, so controlled. Gosh, it made him look like Orlando Bloom. Her heart did a little jump-skip before settling back into a steady rhythm.

He ran a lot faster than she did. She shouldn’t be so surprised. She’d never jogged with a true runner before. She usually set the pace with her volleyball friends, but here she struggled to keep up.

“Come on, you can do it. Just a few more feet at this pace.”

“Rah – ” Pant, pant – “rah.”

“I’m a physical therapist and a trainer.”

“So you’re – ” Pant, pant – “a professional bully.”

He laughed. “I thought you wanted to be in shape.”

“In shape.” Pant, wheeze. “Not dead.”

“Okay, now lift up your knees.”

Her legs burned hotter than the Arizona sun. Her lungs would burst any minute now.

“What are you training for?” Aiden asked her. He wasn’t even winded, the slime.

She gulped in air. “Wassamattayu.”

“Wow. Congratulations. Volleyball?”

“Yeah.”

“Pick up your knees more. When are tryouts?”

“Saturday.”

“Oh, just a week. Come on, don’t be lazy, pick up your knees. You want to do well, don’t you?”

Determination prodded her like a lance to her fanny all the way up the hill, down the other side, and up another one. Perversely, it pleased her when Aiden started to sweat.

They made it back to the grocery store parking lot none too soon. Lex’s entire body ached, even her skull.

“I’m sorry. You didn’t get a very hard run because of me.” If it had been her, she’d be mad and frustrated, but Aiden just shrugged.

“I had a harder training yesterday. I’ll do a little more after you leave.”

No way.

He cocked his head as he studied her. “You might want to close your mouth. There are a few bees around.”

She scrunched her face at him.

He smiled, transforming his face from nondescript to dreamy.

Why hadn’t she seen that before?

TWENTY-ONE

Rats, rats, rats! Of all times to be late! If not for that accident on the freeway, she would have been early instead of seven minutes late.

Lex screeched into the expansive parking lot for Wassamattayu’s complex just off Central Expressway. She grabbed her heavy gym bag and ran/waddled into the lobby.

“Lex Sakai, volleyball tryouts.”

The receptionist pointed her to the back of the sports club.

She entered the massive gym and tried not to pass out in awe. She always evaluated a new gym, and this one blew them all in the dust. Lofty ceilings, perfectly aligned lights so they weren’t glaring, set at the right brightness to more than adequately light up the courts. The soles of her sneakers crackled against the freshly waxed floor. New aluminum bleachers with wooden seats, folded up for now, lined all four walls, but even if they were pulled out, there would be ample space around the court. The highest grade nets available stretched tautly across the two courts – no sagging or bouncing from those puppies.

Nine other women stretched or warmed up on the sidelines. There were no other Asians, and they all towered over her by four inches or more. Not a good sign.

The women seemed to eye each other – no band of sisters here.

Lex recognized several from volleyball tournaments. They were all strong players.

Don’t psyche yourself out. She pulled on her shoes and started stretching. The last women stretching started warming up, throwing the ball to flex their shoulder muscles, then moving into bumping, setting, and finally peppering back and forth.

Lex stretched as fast as she could. Why had she been late again? She could have sworn she had been watching the clock. Regret and guilt pulled her shoulder muscles together, made her heartbeat quicken.