Today, though. Today was the day. It was unseasonably warm outside, which normally meant I’d be up at the crack of dawn, chaining myself to that huge tree to halt progress, but Brady had held up his end of the bargain—much to my shock—and the motion for discovery had been pushed through. Progress on the razing of the land had been halted—for now—as they investigated the property. And I’d never felt prouder.
Look at me, doing shit. Helping to make a change and a difference in the world. First, stopping the deforestation of this beautiful town. Next up: pulling the stick out from Grumpy’s ass.
Since this would be my first official outdoor class in Starlight Cove, I wanted it to make a splash. Be an event. Something that actually drew people into the resort since there was no denying how bad off they were. So I’d asked around and gotten in touch with a local farmer who was all too willing to lend her baby goats to the cause in exchange for a few massages. Bartering was totally doable—was, in fact, my preferred means of payment and why my savings hadn’t taken much of a hit since I’d settled into van life. Turned out there wasn’t much people wouldn’t do for a massage they didn’t have to pay for.
And, yeah, so when I’d texted Brady a time to be at the resort for his first yoga class, Imayhave left off the tiny detail of this being yoga with farm animals. But there was no way he would’ve come if I’d been upfront about it. Better to beg for forgiveness and all that.
First thing that morning, I’d swung by Jane’s farm to pick up the equipment I needed for a temporary enclosure. I’d love if this could be a standard offering at the resort, even if it happened after I was long gone—Addison had already registered half a dozen people, thanks to the sign I’d posted in town—which meant I needed to make sure this went off without a hitch.
I was usually a night owl, always had been, so today was going to be challenging, considering I’d woken up early and had slept like shit last night—and the several previous nights—my dreams consumed by one Sheriff Grumpy Pants. But I’d make do and find my Zen—while also definitelynotthinking about the kiss that had ruined me. Or all the dreams I’d been having that’d had no qualms hypothesizing what might’ve happened if we hadn’t stopped.
After dragging all the equipment out of my van, I stood, hands on hips, staring at the location Addison had suggested we put the enclosure. The space was tucked in a little area along the main path that wove through the entire resort. It was bracketed by trees and away from any cottages, but still close enough to the shore that the sounds of the crashing waves washed over me.
I pulled out my phone, glancing at the cracked screen for the time. I had a few hours yet before class started, but considering I was setting up the temporary enclosure on my own, I needed to get started. Addison hadn’t been sold on something so out of the box—which meant Aidendefinitelyhadn’t been—so this was all on me. Even if I’d never so much as hammered a nail in my life.
After two hours, one mishap with a mallet, a few splinters, and a stubbed toe, the enclosure was up and I was just laying out the mats when a throat cleared behind me. Beck and Ford stood outside the makeshift fence, eyebrows raised and arms crossed, looking like…well, twins. I still had no problem telling them apart, though. Besides the dead giveaway of the backward baseball cap Beck wore constantly, there was also the perpetual smirk on Ford’s lips that Beck couldn’t replicate if his life depended on it.
“You need some help?” Beck asked. “For the record, I’m volunteering him.” He jerked a thumb toward his brother.
Ford shot me a smile—one that almost definitely got him laid plenty around town, but for some reason didn’t do anything for me—and nodded. “Happy to help. Just tell me where you want me.”
I opened my mouth to respond and tell them I had it handled, but before I could, Brady strode up, his jaw firm as he darted his gaze between his brothers and me.
“Those lines really work for you?” he asked Ford.
“Usually. Luna’s a tough nut to crack, though.” Ford winked at me. “But I’ll keep trying.”
Brady just grunted, narrowing his eyes on Beck before turning back to me. He lifted his chin toward the enclosure surrounding me. “You afraid I’m going to escape?”
The question was an easy one to answer—yes, obviously—but the words wouldn’t come. Not when he’d struck me speechless, showing up here looking all kinds of indecent in basketball shorts and a tight white T-shirt that clung to his obscene muscles. Something so simple shouldn’t look positively sinful on him, but there was no denying it did, especially considering I’d never seen him out of uniform. No denying how much I liked it, either. A lot. Definitely more than was advised of the person who kept arresting me.
Clearing my throat, I shook my head, my gaze torn away from the three larger-than-life McKenzie men—Jesus, what was in the water around here?—and to the large truck bouncing its way down the road. “Maybe a little, but this is for them.” I lifted my chin toward the truck as it pulled to a stop behind the McKenzie brothers.
As if choreographed, all three men turned to look over their shoulders before regarding me with various expressions. Ford looked downright gleeful, Beck smug, and Brady looked wary. As he should.
Jane jumped down from the driver’s side and offered a wave. “Hey, Luna! Glad to see you got that all set up. Let me just open up this back end, and we can get the sweet babies in there for your little event.”
“What ‘little event’ is she talking about?” Brady asked, his tone heavy with wariness. “Something happening later today?”
“Not exactly.” I shot him my best and brightest smile and swept an arm out to encompass the area I’d just set up. “It’s for this.”
Brady’s eyes narrowed, but it was his brothers who figured it out first. Beck snorted at the same time Ford let out a loud bark of laughter.
“And you signed up for this?” Ford smacked Brady on his chest. “Does Addison know? This would be perfect for the resort video footage.”
“Not happening.” Brady leveled me with a stare, his thick arms crossed and jaw set.
My nipples were standing at attention, and I couldn’t think about what he was doing to things south of the border. Oh, he definitely had that whole intimidating man thing down—something I normally wasn’t into, but my body positively lit up for when Brady was the one dishing it out—and it wasn’t any less potent when all six foot, three inches of him was wrapped up in a T-shirt and shorts instead of his uniform.
But I didn’t intimidate easily. My parents had taught me early to stand my ground. To not give in to the whims of anyone unless I wanted to, even if thatanyonewas a man twice my size. And if I could do that with the partners in my dad’s law firm, who were stern and harsh, unaccustomed to not getting their way, then I could certainly do it with one grumpy small-town sheriff.
I tipped my head to the side and stepped toward them, stopping just on the other side of the enclosure. “Don’t tell me you’re scared of some baby goats.”
His eye twitched, but that was the only tell that this was getting to him. “Depends on what those baby goats are doing.”
“Yoga, obviously.” I gestured behind me to the mats spaced evenly throughout the area.
He just continued staring then finally gave a firm, solid shake of his head. “There’s no way I’m getting in there with those things.”
