Page 2 of Stay this Christmas
The rest…well, I wasn’t looking forward to it as much this year. I adored Christmas, and was absolutely devoted to my family, but with just about everyone paired off and grotesquely happy, big family get-togethers didn’t have top spot on my list of favorite activities anymore. I’d managed Thanksgiving okay, but it’d been hard to know where to look to avoid witnessing starry-eyed gazes and adoring kisses. Christmas seemed guaranteed to bring out even more PDA from my loved-up relatives. Let’s not even think of all the mistletoe hanging everywhere. Only my cousin Jed and I were still single—maybe we could form an alliance and distract each other from the non-stop love-fest.
“Sounds like a good event to bring a sweetheart to.”
Her lilting hint held a question I wouldn’t answer. The same question my mother peppered me with every time we spoke.
“Could be.” I tried to sound both positive and noncommittal without giving actual information. Impossible not to be friendly and grow to care for my clients after working here over three years, but I couldn’t share too much about my personal life. I still needed to be professional, and discussing my love life would cross a line somewhere—even if there wasn’t much to discuss.
“Did you ever go rock climbing like you wanted to?”
Ugh. Case in point. I shouldnothave mentioned that. Not because it was unprofessional, more because people kept bringing it up.
It had recently come to my attention Imighthave dedicated myself a little too much to my work. I’d been so busy helping the residents of Fiesta Village improve their lives, I’d kind of forgotten to live my own. My social circle didn’t extend much beyond my sisters, Eden and Eliza, and our cousin, June. I basically lived my life within a three-square-mile radius. My hobbies had begun to overlap with those of my elderly patients, and while I could crochet with the best of them, I wasn’t exactly raising the roof. I needed something more.
Just what that something was…I hadn’t figured out. Rock climbing had seemed far enough outside of my norm to shake up my routine. Just needed to get around to it.
Eventually.
“I haven’t gone yet, no.”
“Maybe you need an instructor.”
“Probably would be best.” I shuddered, imagining the carnage if I tried without even taking a class. Broken legs everywhere. “That’s ten. I think you’re good for today.”
Diana turned on the spot to look past me. That little grin returned to her face, her bright pink lips set off by her stylish silver pixie cut. “I might have to try the yoga. What do you think?”
I moved the chair she’d used back into its usual spot and straightened up the PT room. We had a few exercise machines, a weight rack, and various sized yoga balls, with a privacy screen on one end of the room and my desk in the far corner. I’d felt right at home the last few years, sure of my work and my place here. Right up untilhot yogastarted in the next room.
Over time, I’d convinced myself I’d forgotten about Sam, and maybe I’d even occasionally succeeded, but his return had brought everything back out into the light. Our teenage friendship that had been my most important relationship in high school… The single, marvelous year that friendship developed into more. The day I’d lost both friend and boyfriend, when he said he couldn’t date me anymore, only to turn around and start dating someone new two weeks later.
Sam showing up again had taken my neat little world and shaken it like a snow globe, my heart rattling around in pieces like so much falling glitter.
“I think yoga could be good for you.” I shifted, allowing myself to look through that dang glass wall into the exercise room beyond. Sam had his class lying on their mats, finishing up their session. A few of the residents sat in chairs to avoid getting up off the floor, but had their eyes closed along with everyone else, exuding peace. A muffled snore drifted through the wall. “It might help you feel more limber. Stretching could be really beneficial.”
I had to admit, Sam seemed to know what he was doing. From everything I’d seen, his gentle routines were well-suited to our residents’ abilities, and his enthusiasm couldn’t be denied. Certainly, I’d heard no complaints. Quite the opposite.
So much the opposite.
If gossip was a flash flood, praise for Sam Donnelly had become the never-endingdrip-drip-dripof a leaky faucet I couldn’t fix.
“What a kind young man.”
“So good to volunteer his time.”
“Aren’t we lucky to get him?”
Sam had become a minor celebrity, the residents of Fiesta Village his adoring fans.
He’d always been that way, though. His outgoing nature, quick smiles, and infectious laugh made him an irresistible force. Once, I’d been drawn to him right along with everyone else. I liked to believe I had immunity now, like a vaccine against some deadly disease. My heart would recognize him, and reject him outright. My Sam-suppressants would eradicate all possibility of ever crushing on him again.
“Ooh, they’ve finished up,” Diana said. “Let’s go see what Sam thinks about your yoga plan.”
Myyoga plan?
She grabbed my hand and dragged me to the PT room door with a vigor she rarely displayed in our weekly sessions. In the next room, Sam helped a couple of the residents to their feet while others rolled up their mats and wandered out into the main hall. Everyone greeted me as they passed, since nearly all of the Village residents had seen me a time or two for physical therapy.
Although, they didn’t smile like this afterourappointments.
I smothered the jealousy trying to spark to life. Not that long ago, I’d been the new young thing the residents hadoohedandaahedover.
