Living the Dream: From the Word GOLDEN

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Summer is coming to a close, but things are heating up for Mara and Rudy. Have you ever felt that instantaneous attraction, a pull greater than any other? I’m continuing with Naughty Rudolf, my Christmas Romance Comedy. Now that Mara has accepted her fate, the possibilities are endless.

“I guess I just inherited Mom’s dislike for the cold.” I shrugged. “Monkey see, monkey do, right?”

He chuckled. “Yeah. That’s always been one of Callie’s games, too.”

What was wrong with me? Overshare much? His question had been simple enough, but I’d answered it with not only a significant portion of my life’s history but my mother’s medical condition.

“But your mother’s illness must’ve been tough on you. My wife Becca disliked the cold,” he continued, his eyes fixed on the road ahead of us. “Thankfully, Callie loves the outdoors, no matter the temperature. The key to staying warm is to dress properly in layers. Nell’s family comes from the North, and they are experts at this. Wool is best against the skin, but there are a lot of good thermal garments out there for people who don’t like wool. I’m not saying that clothes can change your mind about the cold, but technology has come a long way. I’ve got a few ideas that may help. I want you to enjoy every single moment that you’re here. For example, tight gloves like yours, even if they are lined, may not be the best when it’s really cold.”

His words, and the glance he tossed my way, made heat pool in my stomach. Here he was discussing my gloves, and my lady parts were twitching. How weird was that? I’d heard of people being attracted to one another this way, but I’d never believed it could happen to me. How had Rachel put it? Magnetic attraction?

Did he feel the same way? He seemed to be flirting with me, but if he was, it had to be the whole damsel in distress thing—or maybe the blonde wig that was making my scalp itch.

I swallowed the sudden knowledge that soured my stomach. I was a fraud. A dark almost black-haired brunette masquerading as a golden blonde. I didn’t even know how to wash and dry the damn thing, and it was bound to need some kind of sprucing up before my fourteen days here were over. I would have to look for one of those hats that completely covered my head, so that I could leave “Blondie” at home now and then. Another thought surfaced. What if someone realized it was a wig? How would they react to that? How would Rudy? Would they feel cheated? It was bad enough that I wasn’t the sweet old lady they’d expected.

Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.