20
Julia
“Why the hell am I awake this early?” I asked, squinting blearily into the hot West Texas sun.
It was only eight o’clock, and already, it was ninety-five degrees outside. The weather was hot and dry and dusty. I could already see the characteristic red haze on the horizon that meant this Fourth of July weekend was doomed.
“Maverick is in the marathon,” Sutton said next to me. Her son, Jason, was passed out on a blanket on the parade line, and I seriously considered joining him. “I had to be here before seven. Be glad you got to miss the opening and all that. I barely got a kiss before he took off.”
“Why would anyone want to run a marathon in this Texas heat?”
Sutton shrugged. “He’s obsessed. This is his third this year. He’s constantly training. He runs, like, a hundred mile
