Page 11 of XOXO, Valentina

I swallowed hard, still uncomfortable with the idea of my son at a party with girls even though he was in high school. He still seemed so young sometimes. “Okay. You can go.”

“And is there anything else to eat? I’m still starving.”

5

Chapter 4

Joey

I wasn’t built for cold weather.

Rain, I could handle. In Costa Rica, we have two seasons: the rainy season and the less rainy season. I’d take rain over cold any day.

The clouds hung so low in the air, they rested on my shoulders. A hazy fog clung to the treetops, and a smell I didn’t recognize hung in the air. It might have been snow.

I pulled my knit cap tighter around my ears and set out on an easy jog toward Ginger Cake Acres. Normally, I avoided the trails winding through the busy park. I much preferred the challenging terrain of the Sapphire Hills to the dirt path, which wound around the pond and forked into town, but I wasn’t training for anything. Without a marathon on my schedule, I ran to stay in shape, not to race. I didn’t always have to pick the hardest routes. Sometimes I could go easy on myself.

With every step I took, my body warmed up a little. By the time I got to the path around the pond, I no longer thought my extremities were going to freeze off. I settled into an easy pace and let my mind drift. I imagined the perfect day on the beach with my toes in the sand and an ice-cold Imperial in my hand.

Another runner popped out from behind a grove of trees, pulling me out of my daydream.

Crazy woman—she had on shorts.

She kept up a fast pace, probably trying to outrun the cold. I watched her quick turnover, admiring her form. She was an excellent runner, with a high kick and minimal bouncing.

Despite the cold, her legs were hot. The nice view took my mind off my frozen nose. Wanting a closer look, I sped up to catch her. My legs burned as I pushed faster, sprinting through the trees to the other side of the pond. The effort was worth it when I caught her. She was even better up close.

Toned and tanned despite the winter, her legs went on for days. Her ass was cute, too. It was just plump enough to jiggle… Hold on. I’d seen that ass before.

All that shiny brown hair was familiar, too. Although I was used to seeing it secured in a tight bun, I recognized the rich shade of my boss’s hair.

A grin tugged at my mouth when I recalled our meeting. When she’d left me alone in her office, I’d snuck a peek at the book she’d shoved in her desk drawer. I trusted my intuition, especially when it came to the opposite sex, and I knew by the way her eyes had widened when I mentioned my sister’s porno books that Mrs. Salinger was reading one just like them.

Sure enough, the real book cover under the handmade jacket was a half-naked man with an axe slung over his ridiculously-muscled shoulder. A quick scan inside the book confirmed it: she was reading a porno book. Just like Ava did.

When I saw the cover, I knew I’d misjudged Mrs. Salinger. She wasn’t the Iron Lady everyone thought she was. Underneath those conservative outfits, Principal Salinger was as hot-blooded as aTica.

I should have known she was a runner by her fabulous legs.

I sped up, letting my footfall thud harder than usual so she would hear me coming. There wasn’t anything worse than scaring a woman running alone. I’d almost been maced a few times.

I cleared my throat as I ran up beside her. “Morning, Principal Salinger.”

Her head whipped around at me. When she recognized me, her step faltered and her eyes went wide. She looked like she’d swallowed a box of fireworks.

“Mr. Morales?”

She was cute when she was startled. Her mouth formed a perfect circle, and a flush spread across her cheeks.

I grinned. “Call me Joey.”

Her answer was a huff of frosty breath and a burst of speed. She left me in the dirt, her ponytail swinging behind her in a jaunty dance. I watched her for a moment, then I picked up the pace and caught her. She sped up again, and so did I.

If she wanted to race, I was game. I lived to race. We sped around the edge of the pond, startling several squirrels digging holes in the dirt.

As we neared the trailhead splitting off from the pond, I lost myself in the demanding pace. The thrill of racing brought back my competitive spirit. I didn’t feel the cold anymore as my heart pounded and my legs burned. Cold air filled my lungs, and Mrs. Salinger’s electric energy buzzed through my veins.

I glanced at my boss and saw she was pushing herself to the limit. Her cheeks were pink, and her gaze was fierce. She was adorably determined to beat me. I might just let her win.

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