Romantic Tales - Contemporary

Relay to Love
by Shannon Randall
© 2001 Montgomery Creek Publishing, Inc., All Rights Reserved

"Would you like to take a T-shirt now or after the event?" The young woman smiled. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "We’ve got plenty of extra large sizes. The kids took all the smaller T-shirts last night."

Geri Robertson handed the attractive blond an envelope stained with drops of coffee. "No thanks, Jill. I’ll wait until I’m done walking."

"We’ve got a beautiful morning to wrap up the fundraiser." Jill’s hand disappeared into the business interoffice envelope and pulled out the donations Geri had collected over the past two weeks. She began totaling the checks and bills. "We missed your help at registration this year. Melanie and I were so swamped we barely had a chance to sit down."

"Sounds like you had a big turn out." She brushed a long silky strand of brown hair away of her eyes. "I’m sorry I couldn’t make it. My flight didn’t get in to O’Hare Airport until 7:00 p.m."

"No problem. A couple of volunteers called in at the last minute."

"Are we going to make our goal?"

"We’re nearly there." Taping the envelope closed, Jill dropped it into the box beneath the folding table.

Geri glanced around and admired the high school track. When she graduated from the school almost ten years ago, the track had still been in the planning stages. Today it was a place where hope and courage joined in a mutual goal. The morning dew was still fresh on the grass and already there were at least forty men, women and children taking the circle with unbridled enthusiasm. A feeling of pride melted through her like a sunbeam.

Friends and family had been generous with their donations. She knew it was because of Cathy Anderson. They knew how deeply her co-worker’s breast cancer had affected her life. Cathy was a breast cancer survivor and Geri wanted to help others be a survivor, too.

A sudden gust of wind swept across the field. The American Cancer Society banner fluttered madly in the breeze. Several brochures flipped off the table. Geri leaped forward and slapped her hand over the quickly diminishing stack.

"Oh, my goodness," Jill cried. "Quick, grab the stapler."

"A bit on the windy side," Geri said. She grabbed the heavy metal object and dropped it on top of the brochures. The others that had escaped were drifting over the grass like tumbleweeds in the desert. "Hold on a minute. I’ll go pick those up."

The wind subsided bringing back the gentle breeze to cool the runners and walkers on the track. Bending down on one knee, Geri began to pick up the lightly dampened brochures.

"It looks like you could use some help," a deep masculine voice said.

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