“Yes. It’s called thenot at yoga anymorerow.”
Jake stomps his foot.
A grown man.
Actually stomping his foot. “Bea. We need to talk.”
She squeezes her eyelids closed briefly while sucking in a large breath through her nose and simultaneously grabbing herlittle brother, then she shoves the goat away from her once again as she turns to her ex-boyfriend. “What?”
“You know he’s just playing with you.”
“And that’s worse than dating someone to steal their dreams because…?”
Several other people around us suck in their breath or gasp softly, though I’m uncertain if the gasps are because she said it aloud, or that they were unaware of this detail.
“Good morning,” the chipper young woman calls as she faces the front row of yoga participants. Three smaller goats prance around her. “Two more minutes for stragglers, and then we’ll get started. Nice to see new faces with us for my favorite class of the week. And one more reminder, there’s no talking in yoga. Especially when the goats are here. Unless, of course, a goat steps on you wrong, which is one more reason we need silence. So that Ryker and I can hear if someone needs help.”
“We’ll talk later,” Jake says to Bea.
“I don’t want to talk to you,” she replies.
“You’re being?—”
Whatever he intended to say is dashed straight out of his mouth as Butch steps between him and Hudson. “The lady said she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“Such brutish behavior, Simon,” Lucinda says. “Not that Jake can’t do better too, but truly, I expected better from youandthe people who work for you.”
My shoulders bunch.
Bea lightly touches my hand.
So lightly, it’s barely a brush.
“Are you trying to kiss up to him or drive him away so that I’ll get back together with Jake?” she asks Lucinda.
Thirteen lifts his nose out of Bea’s pussy of his own accord to look at Lucinda Camille as though he, too, is interested in the answer to this question.
Lucinda ignores her. “Now, Simon, I can forgive this transgression against my son if you would just?—”
“Madame,” I interrupt, smiling as only a man who learned to smile in the face ofso disappointed in youall throughout his childhood can, “I barely have any inkling who you truly are beyond your name and a few anecdotes that have been shared with me—many unflattering, I’m afraid—so I have no idea why you would think your opinion of my life matters to me.”
Bea makes a strangled noise.
Whispers and murmurs float through the crowd of yoga-goers.
Thirteen bleats his goat bleat as though he cannot believe his ears either.
“Holy shit,” Hudson mutters.
I appreciate the reverence in his voice.
Of all the people in this town, Idowish to curry favor with Bea’s brothers.
While we may be temporary lovers by choice, I’d like to remain friends with her when the summer ends.
Whenever I return to Athena’s Rest, which will be often, as I don’t intend to miss any more of my boys’ childhood than is necessary to keep a foot in the door for my career while finally also providing for them as Lana has most of their lives.
Although considering the dagger-eyes Lucinda is aiming at me now, possibly the next town over would be close enough.
