He hadn’t missed a run since moving to New York, and lately, the idea of leaving Riley, lying naked and alone in the bed they shared, made his morning run not quite as appealing as it once had been. He showered and slipped into his running clothes as quietly as he was able, then wrote a note for Riley and placed it on the kitchen counter. He put on his running shoes and headed out the door, hesitating for just a second as he debated climbing back in bed beside Riley and missing his run—just this once. It was a slippery slope, and if he skipped one run, he’d have an even harder time getting out of bed the next day, and the next, and the next… He jogged through Central Park, watching the sun climb above the trees, its warm rays filtering through the umbrella of bare branches. Dawn was his favorite time of day, before the masses began hurrying about, when the birds still lingered on the dewy grass and the ducks slept lazily beside the water. When he reached the Dakota, he slowed to a walk and caught his breath.
