She gives a flirty little smile. “That’s not what I remember.”
His dick flexes; the urge to drag Tessie back to bed has real teeth. “Tell you what. Tonight, you pick what we do. Whatever you want.”
“I chose last night.”
“Yeah, but last night was bullshit. Your choice again.”
Always your choice.
She narrows her eyes in suspicion. “Really? Anything?”
“Anything.”
Her beautiful face lighting up, Tessie gives him a wicked grin. “You’re gonna kill it at water aerobics.” She flutters her fingers. “See you later, Solemn Man.”
Solemn Man.
His heart gutters as she disappears out the door.
Jesus, he’s got to get his goddamn head on straight.
Call Howler and Evelyn.
Then he’ll spend the day with Tessie.
And he’ll tell her everything.
The yoga studio is on the other side of the resort. A spacious room illuminated by sunlight with floor-to-ceiling windows on one side, and mirrors on the other. The instructor, a woman with an electric yellow pixie cut, wears a headset and is gently ushering students to their spaces.
When she catches sight of Tessie, the instructor claps her hands in glee. “Oh, we have another little mama in the room.”
A chorus of oohs and ahhs has Tessie fighting the urge to roll her eyes.
“I’m Devon,” the instructor says, doing a sort of curtsy. Colorful bangles glitter on her arm.
“Tessie.”
“Tessie. Beautiful. Have you taken yoga before?”
She smiles, adjusting the mat under her arm. “I have, but not while pregnant.”
“Perfect.” Devon gestures to the front row. “Please take a seat. I’ll offer prenatal modifications for each move for you, mama. So ignore what everyone else is doing and just pay attention to me.”
As she spreads out her mat, Tessie regrets the decision to put her body through exercise. Sweating her damn ass off is the last thing she wants to do today. But Ash’s words keep goading her. She needs to experience this vacation to its fullest. When all she really wants to do is spoon with Solomon on the beach.
“Alright, are we ready to get started?” Devon’s voice crackles over the speakers. A swell of flutes and bird chorus fills the room. She nods at Tessie. “You let your body do what it needs to do.”
A woman decked out in Lululemon puts her mat next to Tessie. “When are you due?”
“I’m not.”
The woman blanches, stammers out an apology.
Tessie keeps her face placid, but inside, she’s smirking. After last night, she plans to adopt Solomon’s take-no-shit strategy.
Which is what she needs to give to herself. A no-bullshit talk.
Last night was a clearing of the clouds in her head. In her heart.
Last night uncorked every feeling she’s kept bottled up.
The way Solomon came for her, defended her. . .it’s still curling her toes.
Last night, he showed her who he truly was. A good man. Who doesn’t make her feel so alone. Who would always protect her and Bear. Who doesn’t walk away.
Which is why the thought of him leaving in just a few short days has her freaking out. She can do this baby business without him, but she doesn’t want to. It feels so right with him. They’re good together. So damn good. She can read him. Sure, they’re just getting to know each other, but what if there’s more there?
She used to think the only thing she and Solomon shared was Bear.
But what about a heart?
Devon’s melodic voice sideswipes Tessie’s thoughts. “Your body, your womb, is heavy right now. We will lighten it up. Keep a straight line as we extend. Clear your minds. No brain power on jobs, on husbands, on babies. It’s just us and the moment. Palms to the sky.” Devon glances her way. “Mama, follow me, and I’ll adjust.”
Nodding, Tessie shakes herself out of her daze. She tries to focus, going through the languid motions, watching Devon inhale and exhale.
Tessie dips into a pregnancy-friendly version of cat-cow, enjoying the stretch. Her mind drifts.
Solomon.
Last night showed her they could make it. They could try.
Hell, she wants to try.
The universe has been screaming at her to try ever since it got her into this mess at the Bear’s Ear bar.
It goes against every bone in her type-A body. Getting close to Solomon means opening herself up to get hurt, means he could walk away at any time. She should let them both go back to their respective lives. Los Angeles. Chinook. Getting attached only means heartbreak.
But it’s too late, isn’t it? All week, she’s taken risks.
Is she ready to take another one with her heart?
Not one man she’s been with can hold a candle to Solomon. He’s more rough than smooth, like no one she ever imagined going for. All of those Los Angeles douchebags—she’d let them slip in, then she’d slip out, leaving before she could get attached. And she was still doing that to Solomon. Until he called her on it this morning. She liked that. Being put in her place by a stern-talking mountain man is hot as hell.
She’s falling, she’s in, but what about him? Why would he want her? Her life is a hot mess. She’s unemployed. Lives in LA. She’s neurotic as hell when he’s about as chill as a rocking chair.
What would they even do?
How would they make their different lives fit the same future?
But instead of running from these questions, she wants to figure it out.
Figure them out.
Because she likes him. So damn much. She likes his flannels and his beard and his massive hands and his grumpy hate the world attitude.
Oh God. She’s hopeless.
She’s sunk.
Tessie sucks air, huffing hard as she props herself into a modified downward facing dog. Lululemon’s grunting next to her, noises that should be banned in all public spaces.
Devon prattles on, her face rapturous. “Your body is an angel. Singing its praises. Extolling a virtue you can’t live without. . .”
As Tessie propels herself upright, she glances at the clock on the wall. Then and there, she determines: exercise, bad; Solomon, good. She aches to get to the bottom of their promised conversation. What Solomon meant when he said she can’t walk away. She wanted to stay and listen because something in his gaze was sad. Serious.
Later, today, she’ll ask him what they are.
Throw caution to the wind, wear her burning heart on her sleeve, and ask.
What are we, Solomon?
Because she thought she knew.
But now. . .
It’s fast; she knows it is. Falling in love with a man after seven days is chaotic. She’s like an animal. Maybe she’s entering her villain era, or it’s the hormones, but she’s certain it’s love. She liked him that night under the Tennessee stars. She’s held him in her heart and her brain for the last six months, along with his red flannel shirt. And she loves him now. There’s no one she wants more than Solomon Wilder.
Tessie drops into modified plank, doing a few sets of push-ups that have her cursing her pathetic upper body strength. How is no one else sweating? Her hairline, her underboob, her belly are all damp.
Once she’s back on her feet, she brings her hands to prayer position and breathes through the motion. Calm. She is calm, inhaling short, shallow breaths. A smile touches her lips as the image of Solomon pops into her mind. Her big, bearded man doing a prayer palm has her chuckling.
“Remember, mama,” Devon crackles over the headset; she’s frowning, “you’re taking long breaths. Not short. You need to exhale through the nose or mouth. Not hold it in.”
Tessie cracks an eye, feeling frazzled. Sweat drips down her brow. “Wait, what?” she huffs before a wave of lightheadedness washes over her.
“Tessie? Mama, you okay?” The words are garbled, oatmeal mush in her ears. Black spots dance across the room.
“I’m—” Her heartbeat accelerates, and she sways on her feet.
Tessie tries to say something, tries to hold herself still, but the head rush has her. Her eyes roll up, her legs crumple, and then—blackout.