Until We Touch (Fool's Gold #15)

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AS SOON AS Taryn and Bailey left, Larissa went to work on the paperwork required for her massage therapist certification. She had most of it filled out, along with transcripts from her massage therapy school and proof of the continuing education classes she’d taken. She included a copy of her driver’s license and the required passport-size photos, then put everything into a large envelope. After calling and talking to the owner of the day spa and setting up an appointment to see the room for rent, Larissa walked over to the express mail center and sent it overnight, addressed to the name on the business card Bailey had given her. Then she walked home.

When she got there, she found Kenny and Sam waiting for her. At the sight of them, she started crying again, which was totally ridiculous. They both pulled her close, then Kenny handed her a grocery bag filled with every flavor of Ben & Jerry’s.

“Because, you know, girls eat ice cream,” he told her sheepishly.

“You’re a very nice man,” she said as she let them both into her apartment.

She put away the ice cream, got them each a beer from her Jack stash, then settled across from them. Dyna looked up from her perch in the south-facing window as if to ask why there were so many humans around today.

“Have you seen Percy?” Larissa asked.

“Today,” Kenny told her. “You know he’s working for Josh Golden.”

She nodded. “He mentioned that.”

“I tried to get him to come back to Score,” Sam said. “He wouldn’t. But he’s showing up for his tutoring sessions.”

“I’ve taken over Jack’s part of his studies,” Kenny added. “We’re not going to let him disappear on us. He’ll get his GED and then he’ll start at Fool’s Gold community college.”

“We’re all chipping in.” Sam raised his beer. “Even Taryn.”

The two men looked at each other, as if searching for something else to say. Larissa finally understood why they were so concerned about keeping the conversation going.

“I’m okay,” she told them. “Still crying, but surviving.”

Sam looked relieved. “Taryn called and said you were staying in town.”

“I’m going to open a massage practice in a day spa.”

“Count me in,” Kenny said quickly. “Three times a week.”

“Me, too,” Sam added.

“It’ll take me a couple of weeks to get my license. Until then, if you want to set up a table in one of your places, I can take care of you there.”

Kenny sighed. “You’re really not coming back to Score, are you?”

“Jack fired me.”

“So be my assistant.”

She managed a smile. “You don’t have any work for me. Besides, I don’t want to see Jack every day. It would be too hard.”

“You really do love him?” Sam asked.

She nodded. “I really do. And he’s not interested.”

She managed to get out the words without crying, although her voice shook a little as she spoke. It was going to be hard for a while, she reminded herself. But then it would get easier.

“I brought my checkbook,” Kenny said. “How much do you need to start your business? Whatever I have, it’s yours.”

“You’re killing me,” she said lightly. “It’s a great offer, but I’m fine. Taryn gave me a severance check that should cover most of what I need.”

“Let me buy the massage table,” Kenny said. “That’ll be the biggest expense.”

“We’ll share the cost,” Sam added. “I want in, too. We’ll get the super-charged one.”

“I want to do this on my own.”

“And we want to help someone we care about,” Kenny told her. “Hey, we learned from the best. When it comes to what we care about, we have to be all in. We’re all in with you, Larissa.”

She nodded because she couldn’t speak. They were so sweet. She sighed, wishing she could have fallen for one of them instead of Jack. That would have made things a whole lot easier. “I’ll send you a link,” she said. “It’ll be after I make arrangements to rent the room.”

“What else?” Sam asked. “We’re going to hunt down Jack next and beat the shit out of him. Want to watch?”

“No. But could you get the last two chiweenies? I have homes for them. I was going to go by later and get them, but it would be easier if I didn’t have to.”

“Sure thing, kid.”

Sam rose and pulled Larissa to her feet, then dragged her against him. He was tall and strong and warm as he held her. She closed her eyes and let the comfort wash over her. Maybe it wasn’t romantic love, but she had love all the same. From so many sources. And maybe, just maybe, that would eventually be enough.

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