Indy froze. It was one thing to be introduced to one of your idols, especially with two other people around as a nice buffer, but what the hell was she supposed to say now? Should she wait until Penny said something, or say hello to her like it was no big deal? She probably had people acting like crazed fans around her all the time and Dom had said not to bother her while she was training, but they knew each other now, so…
“Hey,” Penny said, cutting into Indy’s mental ramble as she jumped down the last couple of steps into the sand.
“Hi,” Indy finally managed, and her resolve to limp back to bed crumbled. She’d come here to train at the place that made Penny Harrison one of the best tennis players in the world. If that meant pushing through the soreness, then that’s what she would do.
Penny raised her eyebrows and nodded down the beach. It was probably the closest thing to an invitation Indy was going to get, so she nodded back, and they set off, their pace even and measured.
The smell of the ocean air wafted up from the shore, filling Indy’s senses, forcing the last traces of sleepiness from her. She quickened her pace slightly as her muscles loosened and energy began to flow through her limbs.
“Easy does it,” Penny cautioned from a step behind her. “You want to warm up, not tire yourself out for training later.”
The sun finally burst out from the horizon, the ocean a sea of orange, purple, and pink as the light reflected off the water. They ran for about ten minutes, turned at the edge of the OBX property, and followed their footsteps back toward the practice courts.
“Shit,” Penny muttered as soon as they turned and saw a figure jogging in their direction.
“What?” Indy asked, squinting into the distance. The little part of her that would always be a tennis fan first recognized the silhouette. Alex Russell was headed straight for them. Indy had no idea how that could be a bad thing, but she kept her mouth shut.
“Nope,” Penny said simply, and turned, sprinting in the opposite direction, and Indy followed suit, her legs burning as she tried to keep up. She thought back to last night, watching Jack demonstrate the footwork drill and the way his shirt had stretched against his broad shoulders and the power in his thighs. Athleticism obviously ran in their family.
Finally, Penny led her through a small alleyway off the beach, and somehow they were back on OBX property. She pulled to a stop on a deserted walkway between two of the outer practice courts.
“Are you okay?” Indy asked, wheezing, not really sure what else to say. A wave of guilt slid through her for letting her mind wander to Jack, when his sister was clearly upset. Especially since he’d gone completely cold at the end there for reasons beyond her understanding.
Shit. She’d done it again. She forced herself to refocus on Penny.
“I’m fine,” Penny snapped, and then cringed. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Indy said.
“No, it’s not, but thanks.”
“You’re welcome?”
“You’re not going to ask why I ran away from him?”
“It’s none of my business.”
Penny studied her carefully and Indy figured she was trying to see if there was some ulterior motive, the new girl trying to get close to the star. And yeah, maybe a part of her was freaking out that she was standing there withthePenny Harrison, but mostly she was just glad to have maybe found another girl who didn’t hate her on sight.
Finally, Penny nodded. “C’mon, let’s grab breakfast.”
Indy followed her, thankful to have passed whatever test she unknowingly took and grateful her muscles weren’t quite as sore anymore, thanks to their mad dash across the property. They walked in silence through the maze of practice courts, past the back doors to the atrium, and they both turned left at the edge of the main building toward the entrance of Deuce.
Open twenty-four hours a day, Deuce served as a dining hall for the live-in athletes, staff, and any tennis vacation guests, plus it was open to the public for lunch and dinner. With vaulted wooden, whitewashed ceilings and contrasting dark-stained floors and tables, plus an outdoor eating area that overlooked the beach, it was the place people gathered before and after training, and that morning it was bustling.
“Why’s it so crowded?” Indy asked, looking into a sea of faces she’d never seen before. It hadn’t been nearly as packed during lunch and dinner yesterday.
“Some of the international Classic players started showingup last night and this morning. Athletes, coaches, families—it adds up to a lot of people here for a couple of weeks,” Penny said, leading the way to the breakfast buffet at the far end of the room.
Indy recognized the two people in line ahead of them, Lara and Addison, and as they made their way through the buffet, she heard her name muttered more than once as the pair kept glancing back and then whispering again.
She tried to focus on the food instead as they each grabbed some scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, fruit, and toast, and after they paid, she saw Jack and Teddy already sitting at a table, waving Penny over. Indy hovered uncertainly for a moment at the empty chair between the Harrison twins, her eyes lingering on Jack, confirming that he was actually as hot as she remembered from the night before. He, however, was looking anywhere except in her direction.
Then Penny looked up at her, eyebrows drawn together. “Are you going to sit?”
“Right,” Indy said, putting her plate down and sliding into the chair beside Teddy. He immediately smiled, gently nudged her with his elbow, and stole a strip of turkey bacon.
“Teddy,” Jack warned from across the table, sending his brother a withering glare, but still seeming to make the deliberate choicenotto look at her.
