Page 9 of Sizzling In the Mountains

“Talk about what’s making you slam that heavy bag into a crumpled mess. It looks like a crushed cigarette.”

I step back and take a heavy breath. My knuckle imprints are all over the bag.

“Is it about that girl? The librarian?”

I crack the bag with my fist. “Why did she pick Doug?”

He laughs. “You think she picked Doug?”

“She’s going out with him, isn’t she?!”

He grins as he picks the soot out of his fingernails. “Doug told me once that he could bench three hundred pounds. I made him prove it and he could barely lift one twenty. Another time, he said he could cook the world’s best lasagna. So, I brought in the ingredients and he nearly burned down the kitchen. We ate pizza that night.”

I shake my head, remembering the epic mess he made. “I remember.”

“Doug is a world-class bullshitter,” he says with a laugh. “He can’t help himself. If you like that librarian girl, I wouldn’t give up so easily.”

I stare at him as he opens the door. “Just a thought,” he says with a shrug before leaving.

It all falls into place.

She didn’t say yes to a night out with him. She said yes to a night out with all of us.

I put my hand on the old punching bag and grin.

She might have said yes to Doug, but by the end of the night, she’ll be saying yes to me.

CHAPTER FIVE

Victoria

Iwasn’t going to come. The Cracked Barrel Saloon is not the type of establishment I normally frequent, but it was either this or spending the night at home crying into a bottle of wine. I chose this.

But now that I’m parked in the parking lot, I’m not so sure it was the right choice. I turn my car off and look around at all of the rough scraggly men hanging outside the old building with the gray faded wood and the bright neon signs.

One tattooed behemoth sitting on a motorcycle throws a lit cigarette at another biker wearing one of those leather vests with nothing on underneath. I slip down in my seat as they start pushing and shoving.

“I should just go home,” I whisper to myself.

But the thought of that sexy fireman in there keeps me from starting the engine.

It’s been a hell of a day. After the firemen left, I called Gabby to let her know what I did. She couldn’t have been nicer, saying it wasn’t my fault and that she was so relieved no one got hurt. We both cried, but she made me feel a bit better, saying that we would get it rebuilt and everything would be okay.

I called the mayor to let her know and then I spoke with the insurance. It was so frustrating. I almost threw the phone at the wall.

Apparently a few years ago, after some budget cuts by the city, the insurance coverage for the library was reduced. So, they’re only going to cover half the price of the repairs. Half!

I can’t believe they’re not going to cover the entire thing. I told her the building was a National Heritage Site and she didn’t care in the least! I mean, come on! What kind of monster doesn’t care about child literacy?

I get so angry from thinking about it again that I storm out of my car and march right up to the bar.

The brutes and thugs all turn and stare at me in shock as I walk up to the front door. I guess they’re not used to seeing someone like me at a bar like this. I’m wearing a tasteful gray skirt to my knees and a long-sleeve green sweater with a white collared shirt underneath. My hair is tied up in a ponytail and I have my black-rimmed glasses on.

“Is the library closed?” the hooligan by the door chuckles as he looks me up and down. His friends snicker.

“Yes, it’s closed,” I say as I raise my chin in the air and walk past him. “I burned it down.”

The place is packed. It’s a maelstrom of cigarette smoke, shouting ruffians, and spilled beer.

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