She smirks. “You promised you’d do whatever date I wanted. This is it.”
She’s grinning like the cat that got the cream, and I wonder if she planned this with the doc. Because whichever way you look at it, I’ve been played.
4
JACE
Rain splatters the window as we drive out of Hope on the mountain road. The SUV is newly acquired since I got the sign-off to drive again.
Kayla sits in the passenger seat, frowning at her phone. “The retreat’s still on, as far as I can tell.”
She glances up at the mountain and the gray cloud looming behind it. “Maybe this will pass.”
The storm has been brewing all week, but I’m not going to let a little rain stop me from spending time with Kayla.
Besides, the retreat is only an hour away. We’ll be tucked up in a log cabin by the time the heavy rain hits.
In the past few days, I’ve been to every yoga class Kayla teaches. I like watching her stretch. I like her ass in the yoga pants that hug her curves, and I like the cool, calm confidence she exudes. She’s a woman who’s comfortable in her space, and her calmness is nice to be around.
Also, some of the men were grumbling about taking yoga, and I want to make sure none of them disrespect her by saying anything negative in class.
I’m not sure what I’m going to find at the meditation retreat. Kayla told me there are separate sleeping quarters forthe men and women, unless you book a couples cabin. Hell, I’ve been dropped into far worse situations. Coming under live fire, carrying wounded teammates through minefields, hiking for days in the desert to rescue hostages. But I’ve never spent two days doing nothing but deep breathing and chanting. My palms get sweaty just thinking about all that time alone with my mind.
However, this is a date, and I’m going to treat is as such.
“Look in the glove box.”
Kayla glances up from her phone. “Huh?”
I reach across the console and take the phone out of her hand. “This is a date, and since talking may be frowned upon at the retreat, the date starts now.” I slip her phone into the side panel of the driver's door.
Kayla peers at me as if she’s unsure to be mad or not.
“So open the glove box.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “What’s in there? A raccoon or something?”
I wonder if she’ll ever stop being suspicious of me. I guess that’s my own fault for teasing her every chance I get.
“You’ll have to open it and find out.”
Tentatively, she unclasps the glove box latch and pulls it open an inch. When no raccoon appears, she pulls it fully open.
Inside is a cardboard box wrapped with a silky, deep purple bow. The woman who served me at the bakery in town did all that. I was just going to bring the cupcake, but she assured me that if it was for a woman, then I needed the bow. Judging by the look on Kayla’s face, she was right.
“You got me something from Sweet & Strong.”
The delight in her voice makes the trek around town worth it. Her smile is wide and genuine, and it lights me up and warms the surrounding air. It’s the first genuine, unguarded smile she’s given me, and I can’t take my eyes off her.
I’m so busy staring at Kayla that I almost miss the motorbike stopped at the side of the narrow road. I swerve at the last minute to avoid it. My tires skid on the wet road, and Kayla grasps the side of her seat.
“Sorry about that. I got distracted.”
I keep my eyes on the road and watch her in my periphery.
She holds up the box. “It’s almost too pretty to open.”
“You’d better open it before we reach the retreat. They’ll probably confiscate it at the door due to the sugar content.”
