Troping Through the Snow by Alexa Riley

Out of all the single women in this town, Donna is the most aggressive. Granted, there are women who try to corner me or send goodies to my office. I’ve even found a few waiting for me outside Frostie’s bakery after I grab my morning cup of coffee, but none have been as persistent as Donna Hale.

I’m sick and tired of having to fend people off, and I want to put this to a stop. My thoughts stray to Joy like they always do, and then I have to remind myself to focus.

Since we did our video interview, I’ve been utterly besotted with her. My sister pokes fun at me for being straight-laced and by the book, but nothing about hiring Joy was above board. I took one look at her and had to have her. So I did what I had to do to get her. Even if it meant paying out of my own pocket for her moving expenses and rent until she got here. The city didn’t budget for that kind of thing, but I wasn’t going to let something like money stand in the way of her coming to be with me. I mean, work for me.

The more time we spend together, the more I don’t like being apart. Not too long ago, she was having a girls’ night out, and I just so happened to stumble in Jingle Bar and demand she go home because there was important work that needed to be done the next day and I couldn’t have my one and only employee hungover.

Okay, so I made up the part about important work, but it got her out of the bar with all those men looking at her bare finger. She isn’t married, and in this town that makes you fair game. Just like it makes me.

That’s the problem and the solution all in one.

Every time I’m close to her, the scent of her drives me crazy. I can’t stand it because all I want to do is bury my face in her neck and find out where it’s coming from. The way she looks longingly at the snow like she can’t believe it’s real makes me ache to wrap her in a blanket and carry her outside in it. I watch every day as she takes her first sip of coffee and closes her eyes to savor it. That’s when I think about kissing her and seeing her do the same.

I’m obsessed beyond reason with one of the only people in town who doesn’t look at me in that way. If anything, she thinks I’m boring like my sister keeps saying I am. What I need is a way to get her to see me, the real me, and to convince her that I’m the man for her.

“Who are you going to the Winter Wonderland Dance with?” Donna asks, reminding me that she’s still here and that I’m not alone with my thoughts.

Just then there’s as soft knock on my door before it opens up and Joy pops her head in. “There’s a phone call for you,” she says sweetly. She’s also lying because I didn’t hear the phone ring.

“Joy,” I say, and Donna scowls at me.

“Yes?” Joy says in confusion as she looks between Donna and me.

“Donna asked me who I’m going to the Winter Wonderland Dance with, and I told her we already had plans to go.”

“Oh.” Joy’s eyes widen and then she begins to nod. “That’s right, we're going together to represent the city.” Joy shrugs and smiles brightly at Donna. “Will we see you there?”

I don’t like how Joy threw in that we were going as city representatives. I didn’t want this to be a work function, but I guess this is another reminder that she doesn’t see me in that way.

“Of course.” Donna raises her chin, unwilling to be outmatched. She walks right by me on her way out, and she’s so close I can feel her brush against my shirt. “Save me a dance.”

The wink she gives me is salacious, and it makes my skin crawl. Joy and I are silent as Donna walks out of the office, grabbing a coffee off Joy’s desk on her way out into the snow while wearing stilettos.

“Those are the wrong shoes for this kind of weather,” I say, and I hear Joy snort. When I look over, she slaps a hand over her mouth.

“Sorry,” she mumbles.

“It’s okay.” There’s a beat of silence that passes between us, and I want to tell her all the things that I’m thinking. Instead, I put my foot directly into my mouth. “It’s not like you’d wear anything like that.”

The sparkle in Joy’s eyes dims just a fraction as she glances down at her sensible shoes. They’re actually perfect for the snow and are so cute on her feet. But instead of saying that, it sounds like I’ve somehow insulted her.

“Wait, I said that wrong.”

“It’s all right,” she rushes to say as she tries to leave my office. “The phone call was just an excuse, but you do have that conference call in a few moments. Let me go check and make sure I have the time right.”

She babbles on so fast I don’t have a chance to apologize or make it right. How do I keep screwing things up with Joy? Probably because I’m awkward as fuck around her. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, and instead of playing it cool and showing her how much I like her, I keep somehow insulting her and pushing a wedge between us.

Just great.





CHAPTER 3





JOY





I love these shoes. I had to save up for them because I knew, moving to Troping, I would need winter boots. I also knew that I’d need some that would go with professional office wear. They came from a bargain website, and there’s a small mark on the heel, but they’re thick, and the bottoms are made for the snow. As I look at them now, I wonder if they’re ugly. I loved them the second I saw them and was sure they were perfect. I should ask Tinsel what she thinks of them, but she’s kind of a tomboy. I’ll have to ask Frostie or Carol instead.