A Rose in Bloom

“No, we're not dating... I promise you. And she has a very low opinion of me, anyway.” Jaxon shook free of his grasp. “It’s just as well, anyway. Something terrible would happen to her if she got involved with me. I’m bad luck for girls.” Hadn't Elyssa almost been killed? It was too bizarre to be a coincidence.

“How would you know whether you were bad luck for girls? In the six years since I’ve known you, you haven’t so much as gone on a date.”

“I just couldn’t bring myself to date. Not after Shelly…”

“But you and Shelly never even dated, did you? I thought you were just good buddies. Not that it wasn’t tragic and all, but I don’t see what it has to do with you dating. Or not dating, as the case may be.”

“We were more than buddies... we were like family. We grew up together—me and Shelly and my sister—and we all had dreams of making it in the city. Now both of them are gone, and I can’t risk another girl getting involved in my life.”

“Are you trying to say Jessie and Shelly died because of you? I don’t think—”

The front door crashed open and Sadie’s cheery voice interrupted. “Hey guys! I just finished a ten-mile run. I’m so pumped—I’m way ahead on my marathon training schedule.”

Jaxon took advantage of Nate’s distraction, slipping up the stairs as Sadie rambled on about her new fuel belt. Almost to the safety of his office, he heard Nate’s voice, and turned to find him lunging up, two steps at a time.

“Not so fast, Mack! Just hold up.” Nate reached the top and stepped to block the office door. “You haven’t told me the story about your flower girl. What’s her name? Rose?”

“Rose is her last name. She’s Elyssa Rose, but she’s not my flower girl. She’s just the girl who owns the flower shop across the street. That’s all.”

“Really?” Nate’s face had a surely-you-don’t-expect-me-to-believe-that expression.

“Really.”

“Then why did your face turn red when I talked about her coming to work out here? And why did you say you didn’t want to see her?”

“No reason. I guess I’m still mad about the whole building thing. That’s all.”

“So it’s about the building? It’s not about the girl? What’s her name? Elsa?”

“Elyssa. Her name’s Elyssa.”

Nate bit his lips, obviously trying not to laugh. Why do I let him bait me like that?

“Sorry… I’m bad with names.” Nate’s tone didn’t even hold a hint of sincerity. He moved away from the office door and leaned on the loft railing, overlooking the workout area below. “But like you said before, you’re not dating her, right?”

“Of course not.” Not unless you call one kiss, working like slave labor at an event, and her telling me to stay out of her life, dating.

“So you don’t like her or anything.”

“No way.” I hope he buys my story this time. It’ll be true once I get away from here so I don’t have to think about her all the time.

“Then you don’t mind if I ask her out, right?”

“Huh?”

Nate looked back with a lopsided smile, waggling his brows. “’Cause she’s pretty hot.” He pointed down to the workout area with a sweep of his chin.

Part 28: Winning the Race

“YES, AUNT LAUREN, I’m going back over there this morning, but I’m telling you it’s a waste of time. I won’t be able to impress Jaxon today even if he’s back in town. I’m so sore I can barely hold my cell phone up to my ear. I could hardly clean my teeth—I had to lay my toothbrush on the counter and move my head back and forth. I didn’t even have enough strength to lift the mascara tube.”

“I’m certain you look beautiful without mascara, Elyssa. You have a lovely face. You don’t need makeup at your age.”

“But I won’t be able to work out. It hurts too much.”

“You just have to push through the pain, Sweetie. It’ll feel better after you get started. Why, after I ran my marathon last year—”

“Wait! You ran a marathon last year? At your age?”