Chapter 2
Memphis Duran settled beneath the lifting bar—encumbered with his highest weight in two years—and mentally braced himself for the challenge. With his back flat on the bench and his fingers locked solidly around the bar, he sucked in a breath of air. Ready.
Yet just before he moved to hoist the bar from the cradle, with the help of his older brother Emmitt spotting him, the distinct sound of a muted phone buzzed from the head of the bench.
Memphis’s hands went lax. “You going to get that?”
Emmitt pulled the phone from his pocket, gave it a quick glance, and shrugged. “Nah.”
“Is that the chick you made out with at the pub?” Memphis’s twin, Maverick, guessed from where he sat at the arm pull. Not that Maverick had been with them at the pub last night, since he was still healing from an injury and refused to, in his words, “shuffle around looking like an eighty-year-old.”
Memphis had been at the pub though, along with the construction crew working on The Homestead’s new addition—suite-style living accommodations for the inn’s full-time employees.
Emmitt’s face scrunched. “Mmm…itcouldbe her.”
The dismissive tone of his response made Memphis bristle. He’d spoken with the woman in question. She was good looking, and funny, too. Memphis had bantered with her a bit, joking about the music selection. In fact, he’d been just about to ask her to dance when Emmitt swooped in and beat him to it. Fast forward an hour and a half, and she and Emmitt were making out in a dark corner of the place. Talk about annoying. Emmitt wasn’t much better than Maverick.
“Itcouldbe?” Memphis asked, irritation sparking within him. “Why wouldn’t you know?”
“Because the chick who texted me just now is named Tina, and I can’t remember if Tina was the girl last night or some other girl who put their name in my phone,” Emmitt explained.
Maverick groaned. “Dude, I hate when that happens!”
Memphis pushed out a sigh and regripped the bar. “You ready to spot me or not?” It wasn’t that Memphis hadn’t made out with his share of ladies at the club, but on the occasion that hedidhit it off with a woman, he would definitely remember her name and he would not ignore her afterward.
In fact, Memphisdidrecall the name of the girl last night. “Alisha,” he spat. “That’s the one you were with last night.”
Emmitt moved his hands beneath the bar once more. “Yeah, yeah.”
Memphis’s chest rounded as he pinched his shoulder blades together and pushed the bar off the bar catches. May as well make use of all this growing agitation. Slowly then, he lowered the bar to his chest, focusing on the burn in his forearms. He funneled his frustration as he pushed to straighten his arms. Up, then down. Up, then down.
“Dude,” Maverick said. “You’re on fire today, man. It’s like you channeled the Hulk in those Cheerios this morning.”
A grunt tore from Memphis’s throat as he pushed his arms straight one last time, where Emmitt grabbed the bar and placed it in the cradle.
Emmitt whistled. “And here I thought all I needed was protein. Those freaking Cheerios must be doing wonders for you.”
“Seriously, man,” Maverick urged from his spot on the arm pull. “What’s your secret? Because whatever it is, I want in on it.”
Maverick’s walker stood to the side of the machine, there to assist him once he was ready to move.
“It’s only been like three months since your injury,” Memphis reminded. “You’re doing pretty good if you ask me.”
“I don’t think that’s what he’s asking,” Emmitt said as he extended a hand to Memphis.
Memphis locked his cupped palm in his and let his older brother pull him upright.
“There’s something going on with you this week.” Emmitt locked his gaze on him. “You’ve got some fire in you. I can see it in those cobalt blues.”
Memphis played it off with a chuckle.
“What aboutmycobalt blues?” Maverick asked, his voice pouty.
Emmitt shot a scrutinizing look in his direction, causing Maverick to squirm beneath his appraisal.
At last, Emmitt shook his head. “Yours look more likebabyblues, buddy.”
“Tsk,” Maverick said. “You’re just jealous that we’re the only ones in the family who got blue eyes.”
