Fleeting (Nash Brothers Book 1)

by Carrie Aarons

  “Enough ragging on big brother. Or I’ll kick you all the fuck out of my house.”

  There, that’ll teach them to disrespect their elders.

  Fletcher and Forrest giggle together, and Bowen pretends not to smile as he shoves more chips in his mouth.

  12

  Presley

  My hands are sweating, and I wipe them down my black mesh-paneled leggings.

  I mean, I’m usually sweating during a yoga class, but this is ridiculous. Good thing I wore black workout pants today because if they were any lighter of a color, it would look like I peed my pants.

  With five minutes to go before my first yoga class hosted by the Fawn Hill library begins, there are only two other women here. And neither of them have yoga mats.

  Good thing I’d invested in some cheap ones on Amazon and dragged them along to Bloomsbury Park. Lily, the librarian and all-around perfectionist of Fawn Hill, had helped me so much when I’d gone to her with the idea of doing a weekly yoga class in the park on Friday mornings. She printed up the flyers, sent out an email newsletter, and it helped that she knew literally everyone in town and was shoving the event down their throats. I’d been responsible for coming up with the sequence we’d move through during our practice, providing materials like mats and water, and introducing the naïve town of Fawn Hill to my favorite exercise of both the body and mind.

  To say I was nervous would be an understatement. This was the first real initiative I’d taken in my life, besides moving to Fawn Hill to help Grandma with the shop. I wanted it to be successful, especially because I love the practice of yoga so much. Hopefully, the townspeople will like it just as much, and I could continue these little pop-up workouts. The thought of having something of my own, that I was really proud of, was surprisingly great motivation.

  And the person who had encouraged me, twice, to do it? Keaton Nash.

  Just thinking about Dr. Tall, Dark, and Distracting was … well, distracting. I blushed to myself, my stomach fluttered and I almost raised my fingertips to my lips. But then I realized I’d probably look like a crazy person to these two strangers waiting for class to start, and I stopped myself.

  But that didn’t mean I wasn’t thinking about that almost kiss. It felt funny to even call it that because I’d stopped it. There was no doubt that if he’d kissed me, Keaton would probably go down as the best set of lips to ever dance with mine. But I’d pushed him away after our conversations mixed my head up to the point of frustration. And even after I’d said no to a kiss, he still waited at the bottom of the front steps to see that I made it inside and locked the door. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t the best, and most confusing, date I’d ever been on.

  “Did someone say yoga?” Lily walks over the hill, yoga mat in hand, and down into the flat space I’d designated for today’s class.

  “Lily, thanks for coming.” I smile at her, happy to have a familiar face here.

  She unrolled her mat, her petite, tight body envious. I had been a little stunned to find the young, pretty brunette behind the librarian’s desk when I’d gone to inquire about starting a class. Lily was bubbly, organized, friendly and just about the complete opposite of what you thought of when you pictured a stuffy, old librarian. I understood why she had the job though because, in Fawn Hill, it was much more than just alphabetizing books. She was the cornerstone of community events, knew all the right people for anything you might be looking for, and worked extremely closely with the local schools.

  “Of course! Did you think I was going to miss this town’s first opportunity at a gym? Hell, I’m hoping you spin this into a place I can actually come to sweat because lord knows I could use the outlet.” She was already bouncing on the balls of her sneakers.

  “Well, first comes first, take your shoes off. We do yoga barefoot.” I chuckle at her enthusiasm.

  The other two women, who look to be in their thirties, follow suit. I sigh, checking my watch again, and see that there is only two minutes before the nine a.m. class is supposed to begin. I guess this is going to be it and resign myself to the fact that I didn’t pull this off.

  Just as I take my place in front of them, with my heels meeting the edge of my turquoise mat, I hear a gaggle of laughter coming down the hill from the parking lot. Looking up, there are at least twenty women making their way to us.

  A tall blond with perfect curls and long, slim arms, waves at us. “So sorry! We were in the wrong part of the park! So glad we found you in time.”

  I hope my mouth isn’t hanging open, and I see Lily wink at me. “Told you, girl. This town will eat a yoga class up.”

  The blonde walks up and grabs Lily into a hug and a kiss, and it’c clear these women know each other well.

  “Oh, Lily is so right, we have been waiting forever for this. The mom crowd is going to go nuts for this. I’m Penelope, by the way.”

  Swallowing, I attempt to remain cool and wave at all of my newcomers, including their clear leader, Penny. “Welcome, everyone! If you could roll out your mats and remove your shoes, we’ll get going here in just a minute. There are coolers of water over there if you need a drink during our practice, and I ask that we try to remain as quiet as possible while we go through our sequences, no matter how many of us fall over, including me!”

  That gets some laughs, and two minutes after that, I’m walking them through their first down dog.

  Forty minutes later, we’re finishing up, lying on our mats in the middle of the park on a gorgeous summer morning, the blue sky smiling down on us. I lie on my mat, looking up at the clouds, with a huge grin plastered on my face.

  I did it. I actually freaking did it.

  Hosting a yoga class in the park of the smallest town I’ve ever stepped foot in might not sound like the biggest accomplishment, but for me, it is. I followed through with something, and it went off without much of a hitch. I’d count this as a success, and honestly, I don’t think it’s getting ahead of myself to say this will be a continuous thing. For the first time in a long time, I’m truly proud of myself.

  Penelope sits up, her white leggings and blush pink tank top super trendy. “Well, Presley … can we do it again tomorrow? I feel so relaxed! Who knew a mom of three could be this de-stressed?”

  When she mentions the word mom, I startle a little. This woman looks younger than me, and the six-pack you can practically see through her shirt certainly did not hold children.

  Most of the women nod in unison with her, and Lily stands up. “I just want to thank Presley for hosting our first yoga class, can we give her a round of applause?”

  I’m showered with almost twenty-five women clapping for my success. I honestly have to choke back tears, and it’s not the first time in the last hour that I’ve almost cried out of joy.

  “You can sign up for her next class using the form on the library website, and since this was a pilot class, it was free. But from now on, each session will be five dollars, with two of those going to the library and three going to our wonderful teacher.”

  Speechless. I’m fucking speechless at what Lily just announced.

  So Lily speaks for me as everyone rolls up their mats and hang around to chat or head to their cars. “Thank you, ladies! See you next week!”

  After the last of the women clear out, I walk to Lily with the half-empty water cooler in my arms.

  “I don’t even know what to say. You didn’t have to announce the price increase … from zero dollars.” I laugh. “I didn’t need any money for this, I’m happy to do it for free. Honestly, I love yoga and this was really fun.”

  “But you should get paid for it, and don’t let those women fool you. They can afford it. You should turn this into something, Presley. You’re a very good teacher.”

  “You’re kind of pushy, huh?”

  She smiles sneakily. “But in a friendly way, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, I’ll give you that.” I chuckle as we turn to walk to our cars.

  “Which is why you’re
going to join me for a celebratory cup of coffee at Fawn Hill Java.”

  “That’s not a request, is it?”

  “Just a friendly little demand.” She smirks.

  “All right, I’ll follow you there.”

  13

  Keaton

  “Did you catch the game last night?”

  I ask Bowen this as if he’s actually going to elaborate on this conversation in more than a few words.

  “Yeah. Shit pitching.” My brother drains his first cup of coffee and motions for Dylan, one of the regular employees at Java, to come refill his cup.

  Well, at least he expressed a thought to continue on. “Yeah, Pittsburgh really needs to pull some kids out of their farm system or trade or something, or we’re going to miss the playoffs again this year.”

  Bowen grunts, which officially ends the conversation. I love my brother, but he’s not great company. He has his demons, that I know, but they’ve turned him into a shell of his former self.

  And my fucking God, sometimes irony is a cold bitch. Because at the exact moment I begin to think about my brother’s demons, the biggest one walks right through the door of the town coffee shop.

  On the heels of my current crush.

  “Shit.” Bowen spots Lily at the same time I do.

  “It’s fine, Bow. We can all coexist, you’ve seen her before. We’re enjoying our coffee. I’m sure they’ll leave soon.” I wish I could inject my brother with Xanax.

  He’s rubbing his clavicle in the same spot he broke it in three places all those years ago, and my stomach clenches for him. The shit he’s been through, especially where it comes to Lily, is heavy.

  I’m not even worried about my heart, even though it’s badly bruised. Presley smiles from where she and Lily have just picked up their coffees from the other end of the counter. Now that we’ve seen each other, we can’t just ignore it. She smiles at me, and I can see the bad end to our date the other night written all over her face.

  To her, this is an awkward run in. But for my brother and Lily, and me who knew their past, this was a hundred levels worse than Presley and I’s interaction was going to be.

  “Hey.” Presley smiles, and I can’t help but let my eyes roam over her body.

  Goddamn, did she have to be so attractive?

  “Hey, you look great. How did class go?” It was a chore to keep my tongue from lolling out of my mouth.

  What is it about yoga pants that made everything on a woman sexier? Especially Presley.

  It was also a chore to keep my wounded pride from rearing its ugly head. We hadn’t spoken since our date ended in disaster last weekend, and I know she’s just over here for a pity hello. And even though she rejected me, and not for the first time, I still want to show my support. Presley is bright and smart, even in the short time I’ve known her I’ve figured that out. I’ve also figured out that she downplays that, and she seems to make herself smaller. I’m not sure why, and I’m not sure I’ll ever find out since she admitted to not knowing if she really likes me.

  Ouch. That still burns.

  “Yuck, I’m all gross. But it went well, we had a great turnout. And there is going to be a next time so that’s something.” Her smile reveals just how psyched she is about this even if she was trying to downplay it.

  “She did a great job,” Lily added, sneaking a glance at Bowen.

  My brother was actively trying not to spaz out like a crazy person and sprint out of the coffee shop, I could tell by his posture and the way his foot was hammering into the floor.

  “You all must know each other, right? Everyone in this town knows each other.” Presley laughs innocently.

  As much as I want to see her, despite her rejection, I wish she wasn’t here right now. Because it would mean Bowen wouldn’t have to face the girl whose heart he crushed to smithereens, and who did the same to him.

  “You could say we know each other.” Bowen’s voice is deadly calm, and it has the hairs on the back of my neck standing at attention.

  Lily looks like she’s about to cry, and I don’t need Bowen doing something stupid. He’s got his life in order, he doesn’t need one mistake to throw it off track.

  I get up abruptly, because I can feel the tension about to reach a boiling point. “We should go. You ladies enjoy your coffee. Presley, I’ll … see you later.”

  What? God, that was a stupid thing to say.

  Presley looks surprised, and I watch as Lily lets out a long, relieved breath. Bowen exits before I can even move from the table, and at the last second, my hand finds hers and squeezes.

  The smile that spreads her lips is genuine, and a flutter of hope passes through my chest. Maybe, just maybe, I have one more chance with this woman.

  14

  Presley

  “What was that all about?”

  I’m genuinely confused at what just went down between Keaton, his brother, and Lily.

  We sit at their recently vacated table and I take a long pull from the latte I ordered. The sweet vanilla and creamy milk give me energy I wasn’t aware I needed, and suddenly I’m so hungry I don’t know how I lasted so long without food. I put down the coffee and dig into my egg sandwich, sighing as the first bite hits my tongue.

  “We might need to bring snacks to yoga next time.” Lily smiles at my cavewoman antics, but I still see the sadness lingering in her big blue orbs.

  “Do you want to talk about Bowen?” I can be a bit nosy.

  She blinks at me. “No one ever just comes out and asks me that in this town. It’s actually kind of refreshing … both that you know nothing about our history but also are here if I really want to talk about it.”

  And now I’m super curious what the heck happened between those two, because if the whole town knows … it must be pretty bad. But Lily and I are just forming a friendship, and I don’t want to pry.

  “Listen, I’m not going to make you tell me if you don’t want to, but I’m just letting you know I’m here for you.” I pat her hand.

  Look at me, the city girl turning into a country bumpkin … I’m touching strangers and offering up shoulders to lean on. Who am I? In the months since moving to Fawn Hill, I’ve asked myself that question more times than I can count.

  And I’m kind of surprised that I feel the most like myself, whoever that is, since I’ve been here. The small-town life suits me more than I ever thought it would.

  “Bowen and I were high school sweethearts. I don’t know how much you know about the Nash brothers … but Bowen was much like Fletcher when we were in high school. Dangerous, rambunctious, a risk-taker. We were young and in love and felt invincible. And it led to … a horrible accident. We were involved in a car accident and both almost died. It … ruined both of our lives in several ways.”

  She looks so upset that I think she might cry, and I move to sling an arm around her shoulder and hug her close.

  “I am so sorry, Lily.”

  Blowing out a shaky breath, she nods a thank you at my comfort. “The worst part is, it ruined our relationship. I thought I was going to marry Bowen, we might have been in high school but I knew that I knew. Since the night of the accident, he won’t speak to me. Won’t even look at me … but I still love him.”

  This last sentence is whispered, and I see the tear trail down her olive-skinned cheek. Her pain is palpable, and in that moment, I wish I could take it away.

  Lily clears her throat. “Jeez, I didn’t mean to unload my life story on you.” She wipes a tear and moves out of my embrace, so I swing my chair back around to the other side of the table. “How do you know Keaton, anyway?”

  It’s my turn to grin uncomfortably and have nerves wrack my body. “We, uh … we went on a date.”

  Her blue eyes go wide. “You? You went on a date with Keaton Nash?”

  I’m slightly offended at the tone of her question. “Yes, me. Why, am I totally out of his league?”

  “No, if anything, he’s out of yours. It’s just that Keaton doesn’t date,
not since his ex, Katie, left him two years ago.”

  I tap the side of my coffee cup. “Ah, the dreaded baggage. I think I hit a nerve when I asked about that on our date last weekend.”

  Lily makes a sympathetic face. “Putting aside my association with the Nash brothers … I’ll just say that Keaton is an absolute sweetheart. He’s down-to-earth, clearly you can see how attractive he is, and he’s got a great gig going here taking over his father’s practice. But, about two years ago, things really went south for him. He had been dating Katie, who grew up here too, for a long time. They were Fawn Hill’s young golden couple; they bought a house together, she brought him bagged lunches to the office, and it was just kind of a known fact that they’d get married and give birth to the next generation of Fawn Hill’s popular kids. But then, one day, she just packed up and left. Broke his heart, from the gossip spewed around town. And then, about three weeks after she left, his father passed away. It was a horrible, horrible time. I don’t know if he’s ever quite recovered.”

  This new information changes the light I see Keaton Nash in. From first glance, I thought he was a hot animal doctor. After talking on different occasions, I know he’s a small-town boy with a big heart and speaks honestly. But with this new download from Lily? I get a glimpse of the hurt lingering around Keaton Nash.

  Thinking about it now, his whole aura is tinged with sadness. He might not show it, but it’s there, buried under the surface. I’d nicked it once, and he’d snapped at me for it. Having the woman you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with up and leave you? That changed a person. It said to me that Keaton wasn’t as put together as he tried to appear, that he had demons and heartbreak lurking close by.

  But losing your father, the man who groomed you for your career, pass away shortly after that? It altered a person. Tragedy would always warp the soul and take just a little piece of humanity away from the body.

  “Wow, I … I had no idea.”

  Lily tilts her head. “No, you wouldn’t, would you? No outsider would. That’s the thing about living here … everyone knows your secrets. Maybe Keaton thought you could be his clean slate.”