“Are you asking if I’ve slept with anyone out there?” She stares straight ahead as she asks the question.
“I wasn’t . . . but have you?”
“No.”
I grip her waist a little more tightly with one hand as I drag the other up her neck, tilting her head to the side so I can have access. I bring my hand from her waist to her belly, placing my palm flat against her taut abs as I drag my nose up her neck. I feel her sigh as her shoulders fall back against my chest. Her eyes flutter closed and I place a soft kiss against her salty skin.
“Let me take you out again,” I whisper.
It breaks the spell. Her back stiffens and her shoulders square off again as she spins around to face me.
“Seriously? Why? Just so you can have another go at a pity fuck? Get real.” She faces me then steps around me, but I grab her again.
“Leigh, I’m sorry, okay? It was a shitty thing to say and it wasn’t true.” I let her arm drop and she crosses both arms over her chest, staring at me like she’s waiting on me to keep going.
“Look, I was annoyed by your comment that it was a mistake, and then when I tried to compliment your—” I gesture toward her breasts, “you blew that off too with some rude-ass remark. I reacted poorly. I’m sorry. Truly, I am.”
She looks me up and down, studying my face like she’s trying to decipher if I’m being honest. “Why not ask Sharon out? You two seemed to hit it off nicely.”
I laugh when I think she’s kidding, but she cocks her head to the side and I realize she’s serious.
“Sharon my patient? She’s almost old enough to be my mother, Leigh. She was being flirty, and I was merely asking her how her nerve pain was doing.”
“Really? Huh, I thought you guys were around the same age.”
“She’s 55, very funny.” She gives me a look that tells me she’s proud of her comeback.
“I’m sorry for what I said too, Grant. I was uncomfortable and vulnerable and instead of enjoying your compliment, I was rude. But that doesn’t change the fact that it was a mistake.” She shakes her head like she’s unsure if she believes what she’s saying.
I nod my head, narrowing my eyes on her. “I’m going to prove to you just how wrong you are.” I close the distance between us, pulling her against my body and crashing my lips against hers. I shove my tongue into her mouth as her hands grip my biceps. Just as quickly as I started it, I break it off and step around her.
“Plus, you were jealous of Sharon flirting with me, so that’s gotta mean something.” I smile then walk out of the studio as she shouts after me.
“I wasn’t jealous!”
“You need to get a damn clue,” Leigh snaps at me before turning her back toward me on her barstool. I look over at Steph, who shrugs with a sympathetic smile. When I left Leigh at the gym, she was breathless and apologizing. Keeping up with her mood swings is a fucking nightmare.
“Maybe just let it go,” Ryder whispers next to me.
“I just want to know what the hell I did this time,” I mutter, taking a sip of my cold beer. Tonight is my last night in Grand Lake for the next four weeks, and as much as I’d like to pretend it doesn’t bother me that Leigh seems genuinely mad at me, it does.
I watch as Ryder tries to casually stare at Stephanie as she laughs at something some guy down the bar said. She tosses a towel over her shoulder and places her elbows on the bar, leaning down to look at something on his phone. She points to the screen and the guy laughs too, their heads so close to whatever they’re staring at that they’re practically touching.
“Looks like you and I are in the same boat.” I lift my beer to his.
“Nah, you’re in the doghouse, buddy. I’m merely a lost puppy who can’t seem to get her attention.” He tosses a $20 on the bar, standing up and slapping me on the shoulder.
“Got an early morning,” he says before walking out the door.
A few moments later, Steph is back over, asking if I want a refill. “What about Ryder?” she asks as I say I don’t need another.
“He took off. Something about an early morning.” I see her countenance fall.
“Oh,” she grabs the $20 and turns back to the register.
“He likes you, ya know,” I say to her back.
“That’s not always enough, ya know,” Leigh snips without looking at me.
“Wasn’t talking to you,” I mutter.
“Oh, you weren’t? Am I being too bossy? Or maybe it’s annoying?”
I stare at her blankly. “I don’t know what game you’re playing tonight, Leigh, but I’m not into it.”
“It’s not a game, Grant. Those are the words you said to August, aren’t they? That I was annoying and bossy? Yeah, I talked to her and she told me.”
“Well, if the shoe fits,” I say under my breath, and her face flushes from pink to bright red. “You sure seemed fine at Pilates this morning.”
“That’s because it’s a place of business and I was trying to keep it professional—and I may have forgot about it till after you left. I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing,” she says, pointing a finger in my face, “but it sucks. You tell other people you don’t like me, then take me out and insult me, and now you want to take me out again? Why? Just to humiliate me some more?”
At first I thought she was drunk or just being petty, but I can see tears in her eyes and I realize she really is hurt . . . and worried I’m just out to fuck with her.
“Leigh, no. I don’t remember saying that exact thing to August, but I was deflecting. You know that. I told you I had a thing for you back then. I was attracted to you and was trying not to let it show.”
She stares at me, her eyes blinking rapidly. “Okay,” is all she says.
“Okay?” I ask.
“I get it.”
“Good.” I finish off my beer then turn to face her again.
“Fuck it,” I say, standing up and spinning her chair around to face me.
“I’m leaving for Denver in the morning. I won’t be back here for four weeks, but when I get back, I’m taking you out. No ifs, ands, or buts. The two of us are going on that second date. I won’t be a dick, so you won’t need to have an attitude. Just two adults going out, okay?”
She nods her head, her eyes wide.
I reach out and slip my hand around her neck as I pull her to me. Her hands dive into my hair as I tilt my head and let my lips find hers. The kiss is wet and deep, tongues dancing together as I nip at her lips. I pull away before I’m sporting a raging hard-on. I reach in my pocket and grab a $20, placing it on the bar and thanking Steph.
I lean forward again, my mouth at Leigh’s ear. “Be a good girl and wear another one of those sexy dresses with those fuck-me heels for our date, okay?” I pull back and she’s biting her bottom lip. “Say it.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“Good.” I place a soft kiss on her lips one last time. “Because next time I’m not stopping with just once. Next time I’m going to fuck you till you can’t move for a week without thinking of me.”
9
Leigh
Five Weeks Later . . .
* * *
I pour myself a cup of coffee, scrolling through my schedule for the day. I have back-to-back classes from 9 to 3 today, something I’ve started doing twice a week to try to meet the demand for more Pilates classes at the gym.
“Oh,” I pull the cup away from my mouth, the smell making my stomach roll and my mouth fill with saliva, “that’s new.” I lift the cup to my nose again and the same thing happens. I pour the coffee into the sink and glance at the clock. I don’t have time to make another pot, so I just grab a bottle of juice from the fridge along with my bag to head to the gym.
Before I started working here, they only offered Zumba on Monday and Wednesday nights, and half the time, those were canceled. I thought it would take me longer to build up a steady group of people who regularly attended my Pilates and yoga classes, but a year in, I’m already over
worked and desperately need to hire a second teacher. Marsha, one of the personal trainers here, is getting her certification and can sub for me whenever I need it.
My phone buzzes and I pull it from my bag as I climb behind the wheel.
Steph: Hey, I’ll be, like, two minutes late to the 3 p.m. class today. Can you save me a spot in the back? Had a bit of an emergency come up.
I read the text twice, my chest tightening a little at the word emergency.
Me: Absolutely. Everything okay?
Steph: Yeah, totally. See you later.
I toss the phone in my cup holder and put the car in reverse. I turn up the radio, Janet Jackson’s “All for You” blaring through my stereo as I sing along. Ever since my interaction with Grant a few weeks ago, I can’t seem to get rid of the pep in my step. I know agreeing to a second date doesn’t mean we’re meant to be or that this is anything more than casual, but I’m excited. A butterfly dances around in my belly as his words echo through my head.
“Next time I’m going to fuck you till you can’t move for a week without thinking of me.”
I reach for my juice, popping the seal at a red light and taking a long drink of the orange juice. It’s tart and refreshing, but almost immediately, the butterfly in my stomach goes from light flutters to a full-on war zone.
“What the hell?” I double-check the “best by” date on the bottom, but I still have two weeks before it expires. I shrug it off. Probably just nerves about Grant plus the lack of sleep from staying up to work through my own studio plans. I pull into the gym, grab my bag, and head inside for a full day of classes.
By the time my last class of the day rolls around, I’m dragging ass. I managed to get down a granola bar and some yogurt around 11, but without caffeine, my lack of sleep is really catching up with me.
I pull a mat out and place it by the back door for Steph.
“Hey, lady, long time no see!” Quinn and Pearl say as they pop into my class.
“Hey, guys! Where have you been? I’ve missed you!” I say, pulling them both in for a hug.
“Well, between kids and pregnancy and life, ugh, you know how it goes,” Pearl says. “But enough excuses. Now that I’ve been cleared by my doctor to get back to working out, I can’t keep avoiding it.”
“Yeah, can you please make us look like you?” Quinn laughs poking my bare stomach, which makes me laugh like the Pillsbury Doughboy.
“Please, you both still look like 22-year-olds.” I laugh and my stomach does a little flip.
“Hey, you okay?” Quinn asks, reaching out and touching my arm. “You look a little green around the gills.”
I smile. “Yeah, just didn’t sleep much last night and didn’t have coffee this morning because my stomach’s been feeling a bit soupy. I’m sure it’ll pass soon. Just exhaustion.”
“Maybe you’re pregnant.” Pearl elbows me as she and Quinn both laugh at the joke, but my stomach drops to my ass. “We’re going to grab our spot. Talk to you after.”
“Oh, Steph will be here a little late, but that’s her mat over there.” I point to where I placed it in the back and they scurry over to grab spots next to it.
I take in a few deep breaths, trying to stop myself from having a full-blown panic attack as I hear Pearl’s words echoing in my brain. I can’t be. I’m on birth control. Even though the condom broke, I wasn’t worried about it because I’m on fucking birth control!
I smile as I shut the door and walk to the front of the room, forcing down all the fears and paranoia threatening to drown me at any second.
“Okay, class, let’s get ready to do some work!” I say enthusiastically as I begin.
“Oh my God, that class was killer. Needed that.” Steph chugs her water bottle, sweat dripping down her neck.
“Hey, you okay?” she asks, tapping my elbow as I stare off into space and do period math in my head.
“Yeah, I—” I glance over my shoulder and see that the rest of the class has pretty much cleared out. Just Sharon and another woman are by the door having a conversation. I pull Steph closer to the corner where I’m cleaning the equipment.
“I’m worried I might be . . .” I hesitate with the word on the tip of my tongue. I’m too scared to say it, “pregnant.” I practically mouth the word instead of saying it. Steph laughs, her eyes searching mine, before she realizes I’m not kidding. Her hand shoots up to cover her mouth as she gasps.
“Oh God, wait, are you serious? Did you take a test?”
“Not yet.” I shake my head.
“Grant?” she asks, her eyes searching mine, and I just give a clipped nod.
“I can run out and get you one right now while you’re finishing up here. Then I’ll stay so you don’t have to take it alone.”
“I’m probably just being paranoid. I’m on birth control and we used protection and my period is always irregular,” I say, trying to ease her concern. “I appreciate it, really, but I’ll be okay. I need to finish up here then I’ll swing by the drugstore on my way home. Besides, don’t they say to take it in the morning?”
“True. Okay, well, I have to get to the bar for my shift.” She looks down at her watch. “But I’ll text you later.” She squeezes my hand then pulls me in for a tight hug. “You’re going to be okay.”
I keep telling myself those same words over and over again on my drive home. You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. I glance over at the pregnancy test box in my passenger seat, my stomach fluttering. I take another sip from my water bottle, and my bladder’s already about to burst.
The moment I pull my car into the parking spot, I grab the test and sprint to the door of my apartment. There’s no way I’m waiting until morning.
I’m fumbling with the box. “Why do they shrink-wrap these?” I mutter as my trembling hands drop the box. I take a few deep breaths, shaking out my hands as I pick up the box, open it, and retrieve a test. I unwrap one and sit on the toilet. “Here goes nothing.”
I never knew how long three minutes could last until right now. I pace back and forth in my bathroom, my stomach doing flip-flops. I try to distract myself by scrolling through social media, but it’s not helping. My alarm goes off and I turn over the test that I’ve laid face down on the counter.
Positive.
I stare at it, my mouth goes completely dry, and it feels like my vision is beginning to tunnel.
I’m pregnant.
I slide down the bathroom door, the test still in my hands as I try to come to terms with what this means. My phone buzzes and I reach over to grab it off the counter to see a text from Steph.
Steph: Hey, you end up taking one yet?
I stare at the message. I can’t even wrap my head around this. I’m not prepared for anyone else to know, so I lie.
Me: Hey, good news. I was just being paranoid like I figured. Test was negative.
10
Grant
“What’s with the scowl?” Steph stares me down as I roll the near-empty beer bottle in my hand. I glance up at her as she dries a set of highball glasses.
I don’t say anything. I just give her my fakest smile that curls my lips from ear to ear.
“Yeah, that’s not convincing. Come on.” She gestures with her hand as she slings the dish towel over her slender shoulder and leans against the bar top. “This is part of being a bartender—I’m also a therapist. So spill.”
“It’s your friend.” I lift the bottle to my lips and drain the rest of the beer that’s now lukewarm. Yuck.
“My friend? Oh, Leigh?” Her countenance falters a little when I nod. “What’s going on with you two now?”
“Well, nothing. That’s the problem.” She crosses her arms over her chest, waiting for me to explain. “Last time I saw her was here, over four weeks ago. She agreed to go on a second date with me and then she ghosted.”
“I’m sure she didn’t ghost you.”
“She did. I texted her a few days later to confirm we were still on, and she said yes. We had
a few other exchanges over the last month, so I followed up two days ago . . . and nothing. I texted several times and called her, and again, nothing.”
I look at my watch. “I know she’s not at the gym now. I drove over there earlier and she’d left for the day. I just don’t get it.” I’m getting frustrated the more I talk about it. “Why agree to go out with me, confirm it, and then just not respond at tall? Fucking rude,” I mutter.
“Listen . . .” Steph reaches across the bar and places her hand on my forearm. I glance up at her and she continues, “That’s not like Leigh at all, so I’m sure she has a completely rational explanation. You just need to talk to her.”
I shake my head, laughing in frustration. “Oh, all I need to do is talk to her? Shit, if only I’d been trying to get ahold of her for the last few days.”
“Just give her a break, she’s go—”
“No,” I shake my head again, “she’s fucking disrespectful. Like my time isn’t important? Like it doesn’t matter? I’m a doctor for fuck’s sake. My time is worth more than gold.”
I’m aware that I sound like a prick, but I don’t care. My feelings and ego are both taking a beating through all this. I know part of it is the fact that I hate that I’m falling for her. I’m not pissed that I want her; she’s a delicious treat wrapped in spandex, after all. I’m not mad that even after just one night together, she’s already the best lay of my life. I’m pissed that despite her entitled upbringing and her snotty attitude, I’m falling for her and I’m terrified. Less than a year ago, another woman had my ring on her finger then it all fell apart. I’m not ready for that kind of commitment again.
“Well, when you get your head out of your ass for a second and are prepared to listen, I was trying to say that she’s having some health issues right now that are really weighing on her, so give her the benefit of the doubt to make things right with you when she feels ready.”
Only For Forever: An Enemies to Lovers, Small Town Romance (Men of Rocky Mountain) Page 6