The Gamble

“Don’t strip malls have to be, um… on a strip?” I asked.

“Dodd’s are in the middle of nowhere, though they’re close to the road. Not exactly what you expect when you’re drivin’ through the beautiful state of Colorado,” Mick answered.

“Again,” I remarked, “I can see your point.”

“And people here don’t only like bein’ in a small town, lot of them live here because they like it and they’re pretty damn proud of the beautiful state of Colorado,” Mick went on.

“If it’s that unpopular, how’d he get zoning permission?” I asked.

“Can’t say,” Mick answered.

“Bribes?” I guessed.

Mick nodded but said, “Can’t say.”

“Really?” I whispered, my eyes big and they were on Mick.

Mick kept nodding and Jeff grinned at him as he repeated, “Really can’t say.”

I smiled at Mick, the toast popped up and I went to the fridge to get the butter.

“Anyone want jelly?” I asked the room at large.

“Not for me,” Mick said.

“Nope,” Jeff answered.

“Crazy,” I muttered and Max chuckled.

I took out a plate, grabbed the toast, put in more bread and started buttering before I asked, “Mindy, darling, you working tonight?”

“Yeah,” she answered and I looked at Jeff.

“You know, Jeff,” I called and his eyes, which were resting on Mindy’s bottom, jolted to me. I ignored catching him checking Mindy out and asked, “It’s asking a lot, considering how much responsibility you carry in your day to day job –”

“Nina –” Max muttered low but I kept going.

“Because I know your job is super important –”

“Nina –” Max muttered again but I ignored him.

“But, if you could look in on Mindy tonight at The Dog, it would be appreciated.”

Mindy twirled around, fork in hand, and stared at me.

“No problem,” Jeff said quickly.

“I’m…” Mindy whispered and turned to Jeff, not meeting his eyes. “That’s all right Jeff. You don’t have to do that. I’m fine.”

“Don’t have to, but I’m gonna,” Jeff said back and Mindy’s face flamed.

I smiled.

Then I was jerked back with a steely arm around my waist and my back hit a wall of solid Max.

“Stop it,” Max whispered in my ear.

I twisted my neck to look at him and whispered back, “What?”

“Really, I’m good,” Mindy said to Jeff and I looked back into the kitchen.

“Yeah,” Jeff replied firmly. “We’ll see you stay good.”

My smile came back.

The steely arm gave me a tight squeeze that pushed the breath out of my lungs.

I gave a quiet but happy wheeze when Mindy grinned shyly at Jeff, tucked her hair behind her ear and turned back to her skillet.

Max’s arm loosened but didn’t go away and I heard him call, “What’d I say, Mick?”

Mick’s eyes were moving between Max and me, Mindy and Jeff.

“Yeah, Max,” Mick grinned in Max and my direction. “You were right, Nina’s somethin’ else.”

“I still don’t know what that means,” I complained.

“Trust me,” Mick said, still grinning. “It’s definitely a compliment.”

“Well,” I muttered, “then I guess that’s all right.”

Then the toast popped up.

* * * * *

I was making the bed upstairs and I could hear Mindy in the kitchen cleaning up after breakfast when Max came up after walking Mick and Jeff to their SUV.

I looked at him briefly but didn’t pause as I smoothed the covers and then my head bent to watch what I was doing as I rearranged a pillow that was slightly askew.

“Everything all… oof!”

I stopped speaking when I was hooked at the waist, pulled up, twirled round then I was falling back, Max coming with me. I hit the bed, his big body hit me, the breath evacuated my lungs but I didn’t have time to process this predicament because his mouth came down on mine and he kissed me.

He did it hard and he did it long.

My body was liquid under his, my fingers in his hair, my other hand under his t-shirt at his back and I was breathing heavily when his head came up.

“What was that?” I asked on a mini-gasp.

“It was either kiss you breathless or tan your ass. First is quieter with Mindy in the house.”

All the delights of post-Max-kiss with his hard body on mine in a bed and my hand experiencing for the first time the planes of his muscled back evaporated at his words, my brows went up and I asked, “Sorry?”

“Your intention was sweet, babe, and the way you went about it f**kin’ hilarious, but my girl down there was raped three weeks ago and her man publicly proved himself an ass last night.”

“Yes,” I snapped quietly so Mindy wouldn’t hear, “I was there.”

“Yeah, so, fixin’ her up with the first guy that strolls in maybe ain’t such a good idea.”

“The first guy who strolls in who has a badge, carries a gun and looks at her like he wants to build a fortress around her so no one can ever hurt her again.”

Max’s head jerked and he asked, “What?”

“In other words, Max, he’s sweet on her.”

“Gotta be blind not to see that, Nina, and, by the way, it’s the whole damn reason Mick brought him up here in the first place, seein’ as he coulda done his business alone or he coulda just called me and they both knew Mindy was here. But it still ain’t a good idea.”

“You’re wrong,” I snapped softly.

“No, I’m not.”

I was so angry and Max was being so annoying, I didn’t pause to consider my next words. I just said them and in saying them inadvertently I shared.

“Trust me, I know, you get messed up by a man, it’s important to learn right away that there are good ones out there or you might find yourself so far down a very lonely road that you’ll never be able to find your way back.” His face changed, he hadn’t been exactly angry, just wanting to make his point, but now his eyes were hyper-alert and intense but I also had a point to make, I felt it was important, so I kept talking. “I’m not saying he’s going to heal her wounds, watch her walk down the aisle to him in a month and they’re going to grow old together. I’m just saying he seems like a nice guy, there aren’t many of those around and she needs all the reminders she can get that even a rare breed can be found.”