Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 467(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 311(@300wpm)
She laughs. “He was. And listen,” she says, her laugh fading away as she sets a hand on my knee. “We’ve all trusted the wrong person. Given our hearts to the wrong guy. Gotten hurt.”
“We should have a club.”
“We’ll call it the Karma Club,” she says, then shrugs a playful shoulder, letting her gaze purposefully drift toward the hall and the game room beyond. Her guys are here tonight—Dev had a hockey game this afternoon, the same one my cat rescuers played in. Ledger worked in his plant shop all day and now the two of them are playing poker. Probably betting on who gets to please Aubrey first. Karma, indeed. “It’s when you upgrade to two hot guys,” Aubrey adds, twirling a strand of her hair. “You did say some Foxes helped you save the cat. Including Ledger’s cousin…”
I scoff, nipping her idea in the bud. Hollis Bouchard, Gavin Worthy, and Rhys Corbyn are friends. That is all. “The last thing I need in my life is another man. Let alone three. All I need is a place to stay. So thank you for letting me stay here.”
“Anytime, bestie.”
We finish our champagne, then I head to bed, crashing in a soft guest bed bookended by my cat and dog.
In the morning, I’m up early. I have to teach two yoga classes—one to the Sea Dogs, then one at a studio. After I shower and get dressed, I whiz through the kitchen, making coffee with Donut and Puck at my feet, when a text from Kailani blinks up at me.
Bad news, babe. No cats are allowed here at the rental. I can try to find you another one that permits cats though.
I wince as Aubrey strolls in, Ledger by her side. They’re both dressed for work—Aubrey’s heading to her salon, Ledger to the plant shop. Dev’s probably at a morning skate.
“What’s wrong, Briar?” Ledger asks, as I hand him a cup.
I read the text out loud to them.
Aubrey rolls her eyes. “We’ll watch your cat as long as you need us to, right, babe?”
Ledger nods. “We like cats. We do have one, you know.”
My brow knits. “But I thought your cat hated cats and, well, everyone?”
Ledger shrugs casually. “Jack did. But Hollis has a way about him. He comes over and trains him. My cousin has the Midas touch.” Ledger takes a swig of his coffee, then sets down the mug, and checks his watch. “I’m meeting him later today to work out. But last night I mentioned to him you were here.”
The memory of Hollis’s easy grin—which is also easily panty-melting—warms me up. So does the memory of his touch. The way he wrapped his hands around my hips last night and tugged me out of the cat door, I couldn’t help but notice how big and strong they were. How solid his grip was. How sure.
Like Gavin’s, too, when he boosted me up. He had the confidence of a man who knows what he’s doing with his hands. And his whole damn body.
But given my garbage bag life, it’s best to shake off those thoughts of the two of them.
After Steven’s insults about my little yoga app, I’m more determined than ever to launch Flow and Flex Fitness. I’ve been making videos online for over a year that focus on how yoga can help people of all ages and body types, from seniors to athletes, with flexibility and balance.
I’ve raised my profile teaching yoga first for the Golden State Foxes and now for the Sea Dogs. I’ve made great relationships with both teams. When the Foxes wanted to hire someone full time to work for the team and its minor league affiliates—a job I didn’t want since I wouldn’t have been able to do my own thing too—the strength and conditioning coach with the Foxes recommended me to her counterpart at the Sea Dogs, Nova. And I have a great relationship with Nova, who’s been supportive too of my goal. It’s time for me to get my new business up and running. To rely only on myself like my dad has always taught me. To live alone and without the help of a man.
That is my new goal.
I clean the kitchen, then as I’m leashing Donut to drop her off at doggie daycare, Aubrey pops back in, saying, “By the way, something came for you this morning.”
She gestures to a gift in the front hall.
A very large gift. Two, actually.
7
I’M JUST HERE FOR THE BALANCE
Rhys
I take a quick wrist shot, the puck whizzing past our goalie’s glove and into the net. Dev grumbles from behind his mask, “I let that in.”
“Are you sure about that?” I tease as I skate by our fiercely competitive goalie, sending a spray of ice in his direction.
Hollis takes his turn next, sprinting toward the net with determination. But Dev easily blocks Hollis’s shot with his leg pad.