Page 20 of Santa Maybe
“I don’t mind at all.” If anything, she wanted to know him better. For as many conversations as they’d had at the gym, they’d often been surface-level, chatting about movies, exchanging gossip about their jobs, and teasing each other playfully.
“The short version? They’re messed up. They weren’t always that bad. When I was a kid, they took me and my sister on these killer camping trips. We couldn’t afford much else, but those trips had a big impact on me. That’s why I love the outdoors so much. When I was eleven, they invested in a kayak rental business in Cowichan Bay. They partnered with a friend of theirs and sunk their savings into it, but that asshole ran off with all the money. A year later, they went out of business and ended up in debt. We had to sell our house and move into a crappy apartment. From then on, we were pretty much broke.”
“God, Drew, I’m so sorry.” What an awful way to grow up.
“That’s not the worst part. Sometimes when families don’t have much, they rally together. Not my folks. They started blaming each other, and it just got worse. It would have been better if they’d gotten divorced, but they were both too stubborn. So, they’ve spent years tearing each other down. That’s why I hate going home for Christmas.”
She wanted to curse them out for putting Drew through hell, but succumbing to a rant wouldn’t solve anything. Instead, she’d try to give him the support he needed.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with that. It’s so unfair. But, to your other question, if you’re worried about saving money, then the management job seems like a smart move. Unless you’re nervous about taking the next step. Which is understandable since you’d be dealing with a whole new level of responsibility.”
Last year, when she’d been offered the role of assistant manager at the hotel, her excitement had been tempered with anxiety over the thought of proving herself worthy.
“A part of me would like to stay where I am because I’m good at it,” he said. “If I try something new, I might fail miserably. My parents did that, and it destroyed their lives.”
“But you’re not them. You’ve got friends in your corner, and I’m sure the other trainers would support you.” She gave him a wry smile. “Maybe not Evelyn, but she’ll be gone soon.”
“When the job came open last time, she pushed me to take it. I told her I wasn’t ready for that kind of challenge, which was probably a big mistake since Jared was hired to fill the position.” He gave a harsh laugh. “Then he went after Evelyn.”
What a dick. Even if she’d never met him, Rosie knew his type. “He sounds like a jerk.”
“Pretty much. From day one, he rubbed me the wrong way. Super arrogant and dismissive. And definitely more ambitious than me. That’s one of the reasons Evelyn went back to him. I just wasn’t enough for her.”
Fighting back her anger—at Jared, Evelyn, and Drew’s parents—Rosie reached over and took his hand. “That’s her loss. Don’t let anyone tell you that you aren’t enough. You’re one of the sweetest, most wonderful guys I know. I’m lucky to have you as a friend.”
When he regarded her with tenderness, it was all she could do not to give him the biggest hug ever. But if she did that, she was afraid she’d cross the line from friendship into something more intimate.
“Thanks,” he murmured. “You’re pretty great yourself. I hope last Sunday’s dinner made you feel like you’re enough, too.”
“It did. It also made me realize I might have been projecting my own insecurities onto my family. Yes, they’re critical, but they’re also looking out for me.” For months now, she hadn’t been able to see this. But Drew’s presence had given her a new perspective. “They didn’t want Erik to screw me over—which he totally did—and they don’t want me getting screwed over by the Duchess, either. Even if I can’t ease up on my workload, I can accept their help. Thanks for getting them on board with the holiday ideas.”
“I didn’t do that much, but I’ll take the credit.” He grinned. “When’s our next dinner?”
“November eighteenth—if you’re available.”
“I’ll make sure of it. Thanks for going along with this dating scheme. And for listening to me tonight.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
She meant it. Even if she’d been a little skeptical of his ruse at first, it was working out just the way he’d suggested. The two of them, teaming up together to get through the holidays, offering each other support and friendship. Already, she was in a better frame of mind than she’d been last week.
But she also knew it would be far too easy to delude herself that this friendship could lead to romance. For that reason, she couldn’t get in much deeper.
* * *
After walkingRosie to her car, Drew headed back to Northlife Fitness. He still had to fill out his gym log and check tomorrow’s schedule. At eight thirty, the place was pretty empty, all the group fitness classes done for the night. A few of the treadmills were occupied, as were some of the weight machines, but that was it.
He jogged upstairs to the small office shared by the trainers and logged on to the staff computer. As he was pulling up his account, his phone buzzed with a text from his sister, Kate. He’d left her a message about Bones’ offer but hadn’t been sure if he’d hear from her tonight since she had a book club meeting.
Kate: You can call anytime. I couldn’t deal with book club.
Immediately, his Spidey senses started tingling. Though Kate was an extrovert—she had to be, given that she was part-owner of a preschool and taught most of the 4K classes there—she was also given to bouts of depression in which she abruptly withdrew from all her planned social activities. He always worried when that happened.
He punched in her number. “Hey, Kate. You doing okay?”
She responded with a weary sigh. “Hey, bud. I’m not at my best. I should have read the blurb before diving into this book. Then I would have found out it’s about a woman who had a super-dysfunctional childhood. Naturally, she overcame it, but only after dealing with a bunch of emotional abuse. I hate that shit.”
Ugh. Too close to home. “Sorry. Maybe you should stick with romance.”
