AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, that’s not true!” I stop and point my finger at him. He’s awfully judgy, even by cat standards. “I did not dress up for Rogue. If he happens to be on the schedule to work at the gym, that’s not my fault.”
He meows again from his place high on his cat tree.
I sigh and scrutinize my clothing in the mirror. I paired a green sweater dress I found at the thrift store with brown leggings and secondhand boots. The outfit clings perfectly to my curves, and the earth tones make my skin look like I’m glowing. “I can’t get anything past you, can I? Alright, so he’s hot. I’m not going to do anything. You know that. We’ve talked about this.”
Even if he weren’t Mackenzie’s dad, Rogue is still two decades older than me, maybe more. A man like Rogue is experienced. He’s wild. He’s built like a polar bear. A great big, growly polar bear. One who could pick me up and carry me around in his strong arms.
The thought has my cheeks heating. I press my hands to them. “Stop this. The man has never even said a word to you.”
Lucky jumps fearlessly from his perch, landing right next to the tiny three-foot Christmas tree in the corner. The cheap dollar store ornaments on it sparkle as they tremble from the aftershocks. My little guy rubs himself along my legs, as if sensing where my thoughts have gone.
“You’re right,” I whisper as I lean down to stroke his back, just the way he likes. “It’s not so bad to be alone at Christmas. And besides, we have each other, so we’re not really alone, are we? Yeah, that’s what I thought too. We’re lucky. Both of us.”
After one last cat snuggle, I grab my keys and the gingerbread supplies. The gym is more than just where the people of Courage County work out. It’s quickly becoming a place where the community gathers, and tonight, we’re hosting a gingerbread house contest.
Sure, there will be plenty of people who show up with their own supplies. But Hale, the owner of the gym and my boss, told me to make sure there were extras. He didn’t want anyone turned away. That’s the kind of man he is.
When he found me sleeping in the women’s locker room last winter, he gave me a job right there. It didn’t matter to him that I had no references and was down to my last five dollars. He even rented an apartment to me without asking for a deposit.
Before I leave, I check over the boxes again. There are three big, white ones filled with sprinkles, gingerbread squares, and royal icing. I whipped up a huge batch last night, and I’m pleased to see the consistency is holding well.
On my way to the gym, I crank up the Christmas carols in my car and sing along. Today will be a good day. I can feel it. I’ll get to spread some holiday cheer and spend a few minutes discreetly checking out my crush.
Before I get out of my car, I check my reflection in the mirror one last time. “Today, I’ll do it. I’ll talk to Rogue and get him to talk back to me. It will be perfect and amazing.”
With my mind made up, I carry the boxes in and store them away for our decorating later. Then I jump into work, keeping an eye on the clock. It seems to take forever for Rogue to show up.
But the moment he does, I know he’s here. Even though my back is turned, I feel him. I feel the shiver that goes down my spine. I turn and give him a big smile. Maybe he just needs some encouragement to come out of his shell. “Good afternoon.”
He takes in the Christmas decorations I’ve scattered across the counter and the tiny Christmas tree I’m decorating. Hale already has a big one in the corner of the gym. People of the town can add their requests for gifts anonymously. If I know Hale, every person who puts a request on it will get exactly what they ask for.
Rogue grunts at me. We officially met at his daughter’s wedding. Does he remember me? I mean, it’s not like it was my big day. But you’d think he could at least do more than grunt. I push down the tiny bit of hurt at his lack of a response.
“He’s expecting you,” I finally tell him when he’s continued to stand there staring at me so long that I fight the urge to fidget under his gaze. Instead, I turn my attention back to the bow I’m trying to fashion. The online tutorial made it sound so easy to take ribbon and transform it into a cute bow.
I listen to the sound of Rogue’s footsteps as he moves away from the desk and breathe a sigh of relief. So much for my big plan to talk to him.
Before I can wallow in self-pity, Jamie rolls into the gym with his mom in tow. He’s a nine-year-old boy who had a complicated break of his leg three months ago. Since then, he’s had to go through two surgeries. The doctors think he’ll make a full recovery by next summer, but in the meantime, he’s using a wheelchair.
“You ready to race, Miss Susie?” He asks me, his eyes lighting up.
I step from behind the desk and nod to the flames on his wheelchair. They’re a new addition that he’s insisted will make him faster. “Yeah, let’s test out those flames!”
The two of us move to the walking track as Jamie tells me all about the action movie he watched with his mom last night. I climb onto a hoverboard, and then we’re off.
The two of us spend half an hour racing around the track. He wins most of the races, mainly because I fall off the toy. When his friends arrive at the gym, he joins them in a game of basketball on the court.
I watch him go, a smile still on my face. But my smile quickly fades when Rogue comes storming out of Hale’s office. I’ve never seen him look so angry with his clenched jaw and fisted hands. I wish I could ask him about it.
Since I can’t, I go back to the counter and finish working on the tiny Christmas tree decorations.
Rogue starts his project, repairing some drywall near the basketball hoops. Last week, a couple of the kids were playing around with the dumbbells unsupervised. One of them dropped his, and it went through the wall.
I keep glancing at Rogue, trying to read him across the gym. Normally, he laughs and jokes with some of the guys here. Today he’s not joking or laughing with anyone. In fact, when one of the men approaches him, I think he actually growls at him. He’s so grumpy, and I’m itching to know why.
When Hale emerges from his office later, he’s whistling under his breath as he prepares his smoothie.
“Is everything OK?” I ask him, keeping my voice pitched low. The people of Courage County are like family, but they’re also paying customers.
