Can't Fight It (Fair Lakes 3)

“So, Hollis, what do you do?” Gabby asks, starting on her second piece.

I glance up and find three sets of eyes on me. I shift in my place on the floor, hating having all the attention on me. “Umm, I design websites mostly, but also some graphic design like logos and business graphics.”

“Oh, cool,” she says, leaning forward. “Websites, huh? Interesting…”

Chase looks at his wife and smiles. “I already know what you’re thinking.”

“Didn’t I just tell Harrison he needed an updated website?” She turns back my way and says, “The one we have now is not user-friendly. I’d really like to have a page we can keep updated with our calendar. We’ve been adding all sorts of special classes, and it would be nice to have them all displayed in one place. You know?”

“Absolutely. A good website can be a very effective marketing tool. If you constantly keep it updated, you will train your customers to look there for information.”

Gabby’s already nodding. “Totally. And you do logo design? We have four locations now, and I’d love to incorporate each location with the image.”

“What kind of business is this?” I ask, my design brain already starting to sort and file ideas.

“Oh, sorry. So, my brother-in-law, Harrison, and my sister, Gwen, own All Fit, a local fitness center, which specializes in personal training and fitness classes. Chase is the manager and his right hand. They started the first location together several years ago.”

“Cool. I designed a website for a national chain gym last year. You could always check that out for a reference,” I tell her, feeling a little weird about pimping a job mere hours after meeting these people. But hey, a girl’s gotta eat, right?

“Which gym?” Chase asks, hanging on our every word.

“Family Fitness.”

Chase whistles low and gives an appreciative nod. “They’re everywhere. That’s a pretty big corporation. You must be pretty good.”

I just shrug. I’ve done a lot of websites for a lot of companies. I love creating, giving them their own unique space to sell their product or services, to tell a story about their business, or even create a place of togetherness and solace, and many of them have come back for updates or redesigns. I’ve come a long way in the last few years, slowly but surely building a name for myself, site by site.

“I’m the office manager, and I’d like to talk to you soon about a possible design,” Gabby says. “Do you have a card or something? I mean, it’s not like I don’t know where you live or anything, but it might be easier to give you a quick buzz than just stopping by unannounced.”

“Yeah, I’ll leave you my card. It has my cell and email on it.”

“Awesome,” Gabby says, a wide smile on her face. She turns to Colton and adds, “This might be a great way to start promoting your new classes.”

Colton lifts his shoulders. “Whatever you think, Gabs.”

She rolls her eyes and turns back my way. “Colton is our newest trainer, and he’s starting a self-defense class for women. We’ve already had about ten ladies sign up at the gym.”

“That’s probably because he’s a Callahan,” Chase adds with a smile. “It’s a curse.”

Gabby snorts and rolls her eyes. “Be careful or you’ll trip over that ego.”

“The only thing I trip over is my large—”

“Stop talking right now, Callahan,” Gabby interrupts, holding her hand up in the universal stop sign.

“No shit, Teeny,” Colton mumbles, eating a little food, while still entertaining his son.

“Teeny? What the f—hell? I was defending you, and now you’re jumping on her side?” he says to his brother. I can’t help but smile at their goodhearted banter. You can tell the brothers are close.

“First off, she writes my paycheck,” Colton replies.

“So? I never told Dad about the Penthouse magazine I found hidden in your room when you were thirteen,” Chase says, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

Now it’s Colton’s turn to roll his eyes. “That’s because you were looking too. Don’t pretend you weren’t.”

“True. But… bro code.”

“Which brings me to my second reason as to why I’m on her side,” Colton says, kicking back and leaning against the wall, his legs extended in front of him and crossed at the ankles.

“Which is?”

“She’s way hotter than you are.”

Chase growls at his brother and throws a balled-up napkin. “Whatever, dude. I mean, yes, she is totally hot. The hottest. Right, Milo? Auntie Gabrielle is a fucking knock-out and gets Uncle Chase’s pee-pee hard all the time,” Chase says as he crouches down and swipes his nephew off the floor. Milo kicks happily and nestles into Chase’s arm, his little eyes hanging on his uncle’s every word.

“Don’t talk about your pee-pee in front of my son, Teeny.”

Chase, ignoring the comment from his brother, looks down at the baby and says, “Daddy knows it’s not teeny. In fact, it’s pretty big. Right, Aunt Gabby?”