Chalk Dirty to Me (Madd CrossFit 3)

“Oh!” I cried out, surprised by the lazy sprawl. “Hello, big girl.”

Sally looked at me with doe-brown eyes and leaned forward to press her cold nose to my forearm.

I quickly put the numbers into the keypad, and then threw the front door open wide before saying, “Come on, girl.”

Sally looked at me like I was crazy.

Like I was a moron who had smoked something really good before coming over to get her.

But I’d also come prepared. Because I was not a moron. And I didn’t do the exercise thing, so chasing her around the neighborhood wasn’t for me.

“Look what I have,” I pulled out a Slim Jim that I’d purchased at the gas station. “I hear they’re good.”

I was talking to a dog.

I’d never thought I’d see the day.

Sally’s straight up pointed ears curled backward as her snout lifted to sniff the air.

I grinned.

“You want some?” I asked, creeping away from her and heading inside.

I threw the stick inside.

Then pulled out another one and opened it.

After breaking off a hunk, I tossed it on the floor of the porch, then broke off a piece for me.

“Hmm,” I said after chewing it completely and swallowing it down. This was another habit learned from my kidnapper that I’d tried to break myself from doing. “That’s not too bad. Though, just sayin’, paying four dollars for two sticks seems excessive.”

The dog jumped down and daintily licked up the piece I’d tossed onto the floor for her.

She looked at me, likely wanting more, but I tilted my head and said, “You’re going to have to go inside to get the rest.”

Her muscles tensed, and I knew what she was about to do before she even did it.

She bolted.

I followed directly behind her, barely fast enough to slam the door shut before she turned around and made a dash toward the closing door.

I kicked it closed just in time for her nose to barely be missed by the swinging door.

“Next time,” I said, gasping slightly at the sudden movement—movement that I didn’t do very often anymore—“you’re going to have to try harder.”

She gave a mournful yip, then sat down on her butt and looked up at me.

I offered her the last of the Slim Jim, then glanced around Will’s house.

Biting my lip, I looked at the pile of clothes that were in the entryway and wondered how messy Will actually was.

At first glance, it didn’t look too bad.

But then I thought about how much time he’d been spending here—and that wasn’t very much.

He’d spent the night at my place quite a few times in the last few weeks. He hadn’t had time to come home for more than a few seconds.

I…

Sally stepped on my foot and bumped my hand with her nose.

“I don’t have anymore, girl,” I apologized. “If you’re good, though, I’ll start keeping some treats for you in my bag. But, from what I hear, you’re not good very often.”

After Will had left to come deal with Sally, the girls had dazzled me with tales of Sally and her antics.

The girls thought they were hilarious.

I, on the other hand, didn’t think they were nearly as funny seeing as she ran willy-nilly around the neighborhood, and that had to scare a few of the neighbors based solely on her size.

She was a big girl, and if I’d met her on the street, I’d definitely be wary of her.

“Come on,” I said as I gathered the clothes up at my feet. “Let’s go run a load of laundry.”

I made it to the laundry room and my eyes widened.

“Okay,” I said, taking in the two overflowing laundry hampers. “Looks like it’s going to be more than a load.” I checked the dryer, and of course there were clothes that needed to be folded.

Folding them, and trying not to think about whether or not this would be weird for Will when he got home—I was trying really hard not to be one of those people that got clingy, or tried to force herself where she wasn’t wanted—I quickly got through the load of clothes.

Every single bit of them were workout clothes.

Cut off t-shirts, gym shorts, socks, and boxer briefs.

My phone pinged when I was on the last pair of underwear.

After folding them neatly into a separate pile, I pulled it out and grimaced.

Yet another text from another new number.

Unknown: while you’re at his house all alone, what do you think he’s doing? Do you want me to show you?

I deleted the text. But only after I blocked the number.

Growling in annoyance, I crossed my arms and looked at the half-folded laundry I’d just done for him.

Dammit!

Flicking through the texts until I could get to Will’s, I was seconds away from texting him when I decided that was a stupid idea.

Throwing my phone down on the small counter that was between the washer and the dryer, I finished folding his clothes.