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"I need to see you in my office for a few minutes if you have them."
Russ, who is never serious, looks way too serious for comfort. "Are you firing me?"
"The opposite actually. Come on. I'll show you what I've got."
I follow him to the office and sit in the chair in front of his desk.
"Now, pay attention," Russ says. "Your girl, Clover, has made a substantial deposit on the gym. Enough that I can't turn it down."
My heart sinks. "You sold her the gym."
Russ nods. "I sold her the gym. We close in two weeks. At that closing, you will buy the gym from Clover for one dollar."
I stare at him, totally confused. "Why would she do that?"
He grabs a sealed envelope from the edge of his desk and slides it over to me. "She left this for you. Said it would explain everything."
I grab the envelope, fold it, and stuff in the pocket of my workout pants, because Russ doesn't seem happy. "Is this legit? Are you sure it's not some sort of trick?"
He nods, but he's studying me like he's worried about my reaction. "It's not a trick. It's all legal and aboveboard."
"But you don't want to sell the gym," I say, finally getting it.
His brow crinkles. "Why the hell would I have put the gym up for sale if I don't want to sell the damn gym?"
"Because Galen's been pressuring you to sell." I worry I've crossed a line when his frown deepens.
"And you think I'd rather sit in this smelly pit than travel the world with the love of my life? Why the hell would I want to do that?"
I stare at him, thoroughly confused. "If you want to sell the gym, why'd you set me and Clover up to run a race I'm destined to lose?"
"To give you time to save the money up for the gym, numbskull. I've been where you are. I know how hard it is to get hired when you've got a record. Owning your own business is the only way to go."
"What were you going to do when I lost the race?"
He shrugs. "Clover Weston teaches yoga and tai chi, you've got as much a chance at beating her as she has of beating you." He shrugs and looks away. "Also, I might have noticed the way you looked at her when she wasn't paying attention. I thought there might be something there."
I gasp and slap a hand to my chest, playing up my very real shock. "You were playing matchmaker?"
He scowls. "For all the good it did. She's giving you the gym and leaving town."
I am thoroughly confused. "I thought you wanted me to get the gym."
"I do, but I wanted you to get the girl too. You deserve to have it all, Asher." He waves a hand. "Just read the letter. Everything you need to know's in there."
My heart sinks. I had a feeling the letter was bad as soon as he handed it over. Now, I know it's bad. Any joy I was beginning to feel about winning the gym is washed away. "You read my letter?"
He just shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Asher. I really thought you two had something."
"So did I."
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Clover
Ifeel like a loser. I should be in this race, instead of standing on the sidelines to cheer on my cousins and hope I don't run into Asher.
It rained all night, but my cousins don't seem deterred by the muddy trails.
