“Do you mind—” she started, then hesitated.
He turned to her and raised an eyebrow as he toweled off. “Yes?”
She pointed at his leg. “Can I ask about the scar? I’m guessing there’s a story behind it.”
The familiar tension pooled in his chest. He’d been asked about his scar before. When you had a scar on the outside of your hip that ran the length of your leg, you got asked about it. But there was no way he was going there. She didn’t need to know the darkness of his past.
“It’s a story for another time,” he said.
She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up a painful subject.”
He shook his head. “It’s fine.” He glanced at the clock on the wall, anxious to change the subject. “Are you still up for hot chocolate later? I’m looking forward to trying a new flavor today.”
Her shoulders relaxed, her face softening into a smile. “I’d love that. Are you still planning on coming to my class?” She twisted the towel at her waist in a shy gesture, and he had the strongest urge to wrap her in a hug.
He cleared his throat to banish the thought of her skin against his. “Yes, I’ll be there. And so will my mom,” he added, realizing with an inward cringe how lame that sounded. Like he was a little boy who needed his mommy.
Hope smiled. “Great. I’ll see you both in a bit, then.”
“Okay.” He waited until she left the pool room before slapping his forehead. “Smooth, Owen. Real smooth.” He rolled his eyes, grateful the guys at the ranch weren’t around to tease him about his “mom” comment, or the fact that he was about to go to a yoga class. He would never live it down. He smiled and grabbed his room key and flip-flops, knowing that even if they were here, he would go anyway. It was worth it to see Hope.
Chapter 9
Hope and Emily stepped off the elevator and made their way toward the exercise room. It was fifteen minutes before class and no one was arriving yet, just as Hope had expected at this early hour.
“I’m not sure that bagel is going to be enough to hold me over this morning,” Emily said.
Hope frowned in concern as she noticed her sister’s pale complexion. “Em, go on back to the room and order a proper breakfast. I’ll be fine.”
Emily shook her head. “Not until I make sure Owen will be here in case the creepster is back.” Her eyes took on a little sparkle. “And mostly to meet Owen. The way you two keep running into each other, I figure I’d better get to know him before he officially becomes your boyfriend.”
Hope snorted. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s a small lodge. We’re bound to run into each other.” Emily gave her a look, and she bit her lip, knowing that wasn’t true. The resort had over five hundred rooms and was by no means small. “Anyway,” she pressed on, “I’m sure you’ll get another chance to meet him. I called Nolan about the security situation, and he’s on it. So, if you’re not feeling well, don’t stay for my sake. Promise?”
Emily nodded. “Promise.” She patted her small, round stomach, which was more pronounced in her yoga clothes. “I can hold off for a little while, but I might need to leave early. We’ll see how it goes.”
They entered the exercise room and took a moment to admire the snow-capped pines outside the window before Hope set up her music. She liked to have it playing before her students arrived to set the tone for mindfulness. The instrumental Christmas music was perfect, adding an element of the holidays while still inspiring meditation.
“Good morning, Hope.”
She turned and saw Nolan enter the room in his customary business suit. Beside him stood a man who looked to be in his mid-forties, wearing one of the resort staff polos. A small cord dangled from his earpiece and there was a handheld radio on his belt.
“Good morning, Nolan,” she said, smiling as she accepted his handshake. Emily came to stand beside her and shook his hand next.
“I’m so sorry about the incident yesterday,” Nolan said, looking to both of them. “I should have thought to have security here for you sooner.”
Hope shook her head. “It’s my fault. We’ve never had issues with an event before, so I didn’t think about security. It was a huge oversight on my part.”
Nolan’s eyes tightened. “It’s hard to anticipate every contingency, but we’re here to help.” He turned to the man next to him. “This is Phil. He’ll keep an eye out for you and will notify the authorities immediately if this individual in your class causes any more problems.”
Phil stepped forward and shook Hope’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
She gave a tentative smile. “You too. Thanks so much for your help.”
He nodded and his radio buzzed. “Excuse me.” He took a few steps away to answer it.
Hope turned to Nolan. “Thanks for this. I really appreciate it.” She cast another quick glance to Phil and cleared her throat. “I hate to ask, but I’m wondering if it would be possible for him to stand watch outside the classroom during class? It might be hard for my students to relax with a security guard in the room.”
Nolan gave a slow nod. “I see what you mean. You’re sure you feel comfortable without him in here with you?”
Hope looked past him, distracted as Owen walked through the door with his mom. He gave her a nod, taking in Nolan and the security guard with a satisfied expression.
Hope’s heart kick-started and Emily gave her a tiny nudge as she turned back to Nolan. “Yes, I’ll be fine. I have friends in the class looking out for me.”
He glanced at Owen and his eyes widened slightly. At over six feet tall and sporting an impressive set of biceps, Owen looked much more the part of bodyguard than Phil did. “I see.” Nolan turned his attention back to Hope and the crease between his eyebrows disappeared. “We’ll do all we can to assure your safety during your stay, but it’s nice to know there are people here who are watching out for you too.”
“Yep, we’ve got her back,” Emily said, putting her hand on Hope’s shoulder as she faced Nolan. “Thanks for the additional security. It should send a clear message so Hope can focus on what she came here to do.”
“Exactly.” Nolan smiled at both of them. “I’ll ask Phil to step outside and let you get on with your class. Keep me posted if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Nolan.” Hope felt a little silly causing all this fuss, but it never hurt to be cautious. Students began filing into the room and she was anxious to set the tone for class. Nolan seemed to understand and ushered Phil and his radio outside.
She took a deep breath and greeted the students filing in before rolling out her mat. She had to keep her gaze from constantly straying to Owen, though she did catch his eye as he walked to get his mat. He gave her a half smile that set her insides buzzing, and she couldn’t keep the small smile from her lips in return. She looked away. She needed to focus.
“Is that the creep?” Emily whispered, coming to stand beside her again.
Hope looked over her shoulder and her stomach dropped. Kurt had just showed up. He gave her a leering smile and rolled his mat out toward the front of the room. Hope looked away, determined not to let him get to her and allow a negative vibe into the space.
“Okay, I officially love him,” Emily whispered again.
Hope glanced up to see that Owen had rolled his mat out right next to Kurt’s, placing a buffer between him and Hope. He stretched out his arms, and the movement emphasized his muscles. Her heart pumped as she bit back a smile and winked at Emily. “Told you I’d be fine. Now go relax.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Emily seemed to debate for another moment and then gave her a quick hug. “Good luck with class. Just remember your box and you’ll do great.”
“Thanks, Em.” Hope squeezed her back, grateful for the reminder. Whenever she filmed or taught a class, she pretended to enter an imaginary box where only calm could enter. Regardless of what else happened while she practiced yoga, no stress, bad feelings, or distra
ctions could break through that calm.
“See you after class.” Emily gave her one last wave and walked quietly out the door.
Hope scanned the space to see that the room was filled, everyone waiting on or near their mats. She took a cleansing breath, entered her imaginary box, and smiled. “Good morning, friends. Thanks for getting up early to join me for class today. If you watch my show, you know that morning is my favorite time to do yoga. We have a fresh new day ahead of us, so let’s make the most of it and begin with some mindful meditation. We’ll start with the Lotus Pose and focus on our breathing.”
The class went by quickly, and Hope was pleased with how well her students did with the new poses. She would be teaching a morning and evening class each day this week and wanted to offer a variety, so each session had different routines. She’d been impressed with how well Owen had done, knowing this was only his second class, but she offered praise to everyone as they came out of a Child’s Pose and sat cross-legged.
“Wonderful job, guys,” she said in a calm voice, preparing for meditation. “Now, I want you to slowly come into a lying Corpse Pose. Just take your time, listen to your body, and find what feels most comfortable.”
She moved onto her back to demonstrate. “Once you’re here, I want you to close your eyes.” She spoke in measured tones as the music played softly in the background. “Allow your face to soften ... your eyes ... your mouth. Remove all tension from the face.” She paused, giving them time to follow her instructions. The heaviness of meditation began settling over the group, and she smiled, knowing they were nearing the goal of complete relaxation.
“Now, relax your neck and shoulders. Feel your shoulder blades sinking into the earth, and slowly continue on to your arms and hands. Release any tension you may be feeling as you allow your body to melt into the floor.” Again, she paused, offering moments of quiet before continuing, “Focus on your breathing. Breathe in the good. Breathe out the stress. Allow your breaths to deepen.”
She silently sat up on her mat, watching her class. Everyone seemed to be in deep meditation—except for Owen. His eyes were closed, but his face was drawn tight and the muscles in his arms were tense as if he was in physical pain. He clearly wasn’t enjoying the meditation, and Hope ached for him. She wanted to smooth the crease between his brows and chase away whatever demons tormented him. But she had to maintain the box, so she tucked the worry away for later.
“I’m going to come around and massage some scented oil behind your neck,” she said softly. “If you would prefer not to have the oil, simply place a hand over your stomach and continue to enjoy this relaxed state. Allow your thoughts to come and go, not worrying about what to do with them, just acknowledging them as you remain in this state of being.”
She took her jar of scented oil and tiptoed over to Owen. He squinted one eye open at her and she mouthed, “Is this okay?” pointing to the jar. He hadn’t placed his hand over his stomach, so she’d assumed he was okay with it. He nodded once and closed his eyes again. She gently massaged the lavender oil into his neck to help deepen the meditative state. The only problem was, her training never taught what to do if the person you gave the neck massage to was crazy attractive.
Owen’s skin was warm and smelled of bar soap and something faintly musky. His neck muscles were tight, and Hope found herself wishing she could give him a proper massage to work through all the knots, but there were too many in class and she couldn’t spend extra time on him. She noticed the uneven rise and fall of his chest and felt her own breathing grow unsteady as she touched him. She massaged his temples before gently pressing her thumb into the center of his forehead as she’d been trained to finish, but before she could step away, his eyes opened, meeting hers.
Hope’s face hovered above his and her breath caught at the intensity in his blue eyes. He searched her face, both of them completely still. His gaze swept to her lips and then back. Moisture flooded her mouth, and before she gave in to the insane urge to kiss him, she picked up her jar and tiptoed to the next student, her pulse hammering.
Pull yourself together, Hope. She’d never lost focus like this—stepping out of her box and nearly kissing someone in the middle of class. But whatever this was she was feeling, after looking into Owen’s eyes, she was certain he felt it too.
Chapter 10
Owen let out a long breath after Hope moved to massage the next person in class, his heart pounding. Something had happened to his senses when she touched him—he’d nearly come unglued, wanting to pull her in for a kiss right there in the middle of class. His neck still tingled from her touch.
He glanced to the side and noticed Kurt had his hand over his stomach. Good thing. He didn’t want her going near that guy. Maybe Owen’s presence had scared him off—or maybe it was the security guard outside the door. Either way, he was glad Kurt seemed to be getting the message.
Owen closed his eyes again. He wanted to relax, wanted to follow Hope’s melodic voice into a hypnotic state the way everyone else seemed to do. Heck, his mom was practically snoring beside him. But he couldn’t do it. For him, lying there doing nothing was agony. It was in the quiet, unguarded moments that his anxiety and guilt hit in full force. The only solution was to keep moving and stay busy. He didn’t know why his therapist had suggested yoga—if it wasn’t for Hope, he wouldn’t have come back after the first class. Stillness and meditation were the exact opposite of what he needed.
He did his best to not fidget for the next few minutes, trying to name the Christmas song associated with the instrumental version to keep his thoughts occupied, until Hope mercifully spoke again. “We’re gradually going to come back into a state of awareness now. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Roll to your side. Begin movement again until you are ready to slowly come up into a seated position.”
Owen practically bolted upright. Hope glanced his way, her mouth pressing into a line.
Oops. He could tell by the disappointed look in her eyes he was busted. But he couldn’t help it. Meditation just wasn’t for him. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but he also didn’t want to be dishonest about his interests. He’d come to classes this week to pacify his mom—and now to see Hope—but after that, he knew he wouldn’t need to try yoga again. There was no point if Hope wasn’t the teacher. The thought of saying goodbye to her at the end of the week soured his stomach.
She led the class in the customary bow, and Owen bowed back, repeating the “Namaste” phrase with the rest of the class.
“Wasn’t that marvelous?” Beverly cooed beside him as she rolled up her mat. “I swear I was so relaxed I nearly fell dead asleep again. And that little massage was fabulous ... I wonder if they sell some of that oil in the gift shop? I’ll have to ask Hope where she got it.”
Owen smiled as he rolled his own mat. If there was something to be bought, his mom would find it. Luckily, she’d married the right man to support her love for shopping. Their cattle ranch was a thriving business and Owen’s dad found Beverly’s shopaholic tendencies amusing. But Owen knew she wished she had a daughter to go shopping with. He and Cody weren’t much help in that department.
“How long have you and Hope been dating?”
Owen turned to Kurt on his other side, who was also rolling his mat. His mom gave a little cough, but he ignored it. “A while.” Maybe it wasn’t such a lie if he wished it was true.
Kurt nodded, attempting a smile that appeared more like a grimace. “You’re a lucky man. She’s one of a kind. You’d better treat her good.”
“I plan to.”
Kurt nodded again, casting a hooded glance Hope’s way before stalking out of class.
“You’re still pretendin’ to be her boyfriend?” his mom whispered.
Hope approached before Owen could answer. “Thanks for coming to class,” she said, smiling at both of them. “My sister and I are going to have breakfast in the lodge restaurant. Any chance you’d like to join us?”
“We’d love to!” Beverly answered
before he could. “We’ll run up to our room and change and meet y’all there, okay?”
Hope smiled, her eyes brimming as they met Owen’s. “Sounds great. We’ll save your seats.”
“Okay,” Owen said. His blood warmed as something unspoken passed between them and all the emotions of their near-kiss came rushing back. What was it about this girl? She was making him feel all sorts of things he’d long since thought were dead and buried. She was bringing color back into his life, and the thought scared him. He didn’t want to feel again only to have it ripped away at the end of the week. It would be better not to feel at all.
But when he looked into her deep brown eyes, he knew it was too late. He couldn’t resist spending time with her—to let the color back into his world—even if it was only for a few days.
Chapter 11
Hope checked her phone before entering the restaurant, smiling as she replied to a text. Emily’s surprise was almost here. She slipped the phone into her jeans pocket and headed into the restaurant. She’d opted to run to her room for a quick change and had thrown on a pair of skinny jeans and a teal cowl-necked sweater.
The hostess greeted her with a smile. “Good morning. How many in your party?”
“My sister is already seated, and I believe she requested a table for four?”
The girl nodded. “Yes, I’ll take you back now.”
“Thanks.” Hope stepped closer. “And a surprise visitor will be joining our party. Do you think we can fit an extra chair when he comes?”
“Absolutely. The table can seat six. Do you want me to have the waitress stall on your orders until he comes?”
“That would be great. Have any others in our party arrived yet?” She thought she’d changed fast enough to beat them.
“No. Just your sister so far. I’ll have the others join you when they get here. This way.”
“Thanks.” Hope followed the hostess toward the back of the restaurant. Emily spotted her and waved. Hope waved back. “Sorry to make you wait,” she said as she took a seat at the table, nodding her thanks to the hostess before facing Emily again. “Have you ordered yet?”
Christmas In Pine Ridge (Pine Ridge Romance Book 4) Page 5