Robin's Reward (Bonita Creek Trilogy Book 1) by June McCrary Jacobs Read Free Book Online Page B

from his anxiety no matter what he did. After he lay down, the strain of the day caused sleep to elude him. Whenever he closed his eyes a vision of Robin’s face danced before him. He felt like a certified ogre going over to her home for breakfast when he knew what may be in store for her after he completed his mission.
    When he finally slept, his restless sleep was filled with dreams of Mr. Brownstein chasing him across a barren desert. When his employer eventually caught up with him, he literally dragged Jeff before a student loan review board. Without allowing him to give any testimony or to present evidence in his own defense the board ruled Jeff was in default of his loans. Mr. Brownstein dramatically hauled the humiliated accountant off to a dreary dungeon where he was doomed to be served stale bread and tepid water for the rest of his life.
    Finally, he roused from his nightmares a few minutes before six o’clock on Saturday morning. As he sat up, he felt completely disoriented. He’d knocked his glasses off of the nightstand during the night and now stepped on them with bare feet. The frame was bent and didn’t sit right on his nose. He stumbled into the bathroom to discover his eyes were bloodshot and rimmed in red. He even looked a little pale. Perhaps Robin would attribute his impending rude behavior to the fact he had contracted some new, as-yet unnamed virus.
    He decided to stretch and go for a long run. The rhythm and exertion of running usually left him feeling peaceful and serene. Don’t kid yourself. There’ll be no peace or serenity for you today, buddy. He gulped down a glass of orange juice and choked down a couple of pieces of toast before stretching for his run.
    His thoughts never far from Robin and the unwelcomed task he faced, he realized he was feeling a bit fatigued. Man, am I ever dragging. Maybe it’s because I didn’t sleep well or maybe it’s the higher elevation here in Bonita Creek. When he finally glanced at his watch, he discovered he’d already run for fifty-five minutes.
    A quick glimpse at his trail map showed he wasn’t even close to the trailhead. Even if he sprinted, he wouldn’t make it back home in time to shower and get over to Robin’s by eight o’clock. He didn’t have the option of calling to tell her he would be late because the two hadn’t exchanged numbers.
    Suddenly his thinking shifted . . . This might be the perfect way to escape my current predicament. He would be late for breakfast, appearing at Robin’s without showering or shaving. Seeing him in less than pristine condition ought to convince her he wasn’t the sort of man who was interested in actively pursuing a relationship with her. Although being well-groomed was a personal dictate, he’d do his best to be at his worst with the librarian this morning. Maybe he could one day convince himself a relationship with her wasn’t meant to be.
    He immediately picked up his pace and was soon at the trailhead. He slowed down to a walk and headed home to change clothes and get a well-earned drink. He’d worked up quite an appetite with his long run. If yesterday was any indication, Robin was an excellent cook. He found himself smiling as he looked forward to eating a delicious home-cooked meal.
    Recalling his conversation with his boss yesterday afternoon swiftly wiped the smile off of his face as he struggled to convince himself any time spent with Miss Robin Bennett from now on would be strictly for purposes of official business.
     
    ~*~
     
    Robin frantically rushed around trying to complete the food preparations for her guest’s eight o’clock arrival. She’d thrown a bright patchwork quilt over the picnic table and placed some colorful seat cushions on the benches for comfort. Pale pink dogwood blooms and bright yellow daffodils arranged in one of her grandmother’s old Mason canning jars served as a centerpiece. She’d decided to use her everyday dishes, unadorned cloth napkins and flatware to