Page 7 of Show Me

Ruby

The front desk at Iron House Fitness is exactly how I left it, which is both comforting and a little depressing. No one took out the trash. The same stack of waivers remains on the edge of the desk. And the faint smell of disinfectant tries and fails to cover up sweat and rubber mats.

“You hear about the Miller place?” I lean against the counter as Mr. Jensen finishes up on the leg press. The house had been empty for the last couple of years after old man Miller passed away.

He grunts as he pushes through the last rep. “Yeah, I heard the roof caved in.”

“Back half of it.” Here’s to hoping my roof is structurally sound. “Apparently they’re blaming the rain, but my money’s on it sitting empty for so long.”

“Or teenagers.” The foot plate clanks into place as he drops his feet to the floor, braces a hand on his thigh, and pushes upright to face me.

“That’s always a safe bet.”

He chuckles, grabbing his towel. “You’d think people around here would learn.”

“You’d think.”

They don’t. People don’t change, which makes it incredibly stupid that I’ve spent too much time the last couple of days wondering whether a truck would pull into my driveway.

He didn’t come by. Of course he didn’t come by.

I straighten, flipping through the schedule binder out of habit more than necessity. Everything’s filled for the next few hours. Lance is booked. Daniel has a full afternoon.

The front door opens. The bell chimes. And my stomach drops as the scent of warm cedar, clean musk, and sawdust fills the air. Because apparently, I don’t learn either.

I don’t look up right away. I don’t need to. I know exactly who it is.

He walks in like nothing happened. Like he didn’t stand in a hardware store aisle and offer to come by. Like I didn’t make the mistake of thinking that meant something.

“Morning,” I say, eyes still on the page in front of me.

A second set of footsteps follows his. Lighter. A sweet, floral scent drifts in after him, familiar and way too strong. Xavier. And Lindsey.

Right. Of course, he’d be with the most beautiful woman in town. I know her. Everyone knows her. Not personally, not really, but in that small-town way where you know exactly who someone is without ever having a conversation.

Blonde. Sophisticated. She’s the kind of gorgeous that doesn’t need hours to get ready. Except it’s clear she did.

She smiles. The expression is bright and practiced, but shy of being friendly.

“Hi.” Her emerald-green workout gear looks sharp and intentional, like everything else about her. “I was hoping you’d be here.”

“I usually am.” Even when I’d rather not be.

“I signed up a couple of weeks ago.” She steps closer to the desk. “You must’ve been off. They said I could get a membership card from you.”

“That was probably my boss.” I flip through the card box, find hers, and hand it to her. “Here you go.”

Xavier hasn’t said anything yet. Hasn’t moved closer. Hasn’t done anything that would make this feel like more than exactly what it looks like. He’s with Lindsey.

“Are you familiar with everything?” I’m careful to keep my tone light.

“Of course.” She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “I had a quick tour that first day.”

“If you need anything, let me know. That’s what I’m here for.” Because it is. Schedules. Structure. Consistency. Things you can rely on. Unlike–

I cut that thought off before it finishes.

“Just a reminder, the women’s restroom and locker room are combined.” I point toward the room in question. “The trainers are all with clients right now, so if you need anything, let me know. I can show you how the equipment works.”