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“Mabel,” I said wearily. “We’re cutting into our exercise time.”
“Good,” Randy said. “I’m not cut out for this yoga stuff. I didn’t bend that way when I was young and I ain’t gonna bend that way now.”
“I want a refund!” Amos yelled.
“You don’t pay, Sebastian does!” Agatha cackled.
“We aren’t doing yoga today, dear, are we?” Vicki asked me.
“We are doing yoga. Okay, okay!” I raised my voice and held up my hands. “Stop fighting, do the class, and I’ll tell you how I got this bruise.”
Everyone stopped.
It was like bathing cats.
Large cats. Like lions.
“Please get on your mats so we can get started,” I requested. Thankfully, everyone did I asked, and I was able to start the class.
Yoga classes with the seniors always felt like it lasted forever. Probably because it did. Everything was slow—slower than usual—and because everything was modified for them, it was tough keeping them into it.
For example, the downward dog was not happening anytime soon.
I didn’t want to be the one responsible for them popping a hip.
We moved into the cool down after Agatha almost fell into Leonard. I was pretty sure that was deliberate, given the googly-eyes I’d seen her shooting his way. For his part, he appeared to be besotted with Mabel.
I’d say I didn’t get it, but given my own feelings for her granddaughter, I wasn’t sure I was in a position to criticize that.
“Okay, we’re done.” I clapped my hands together. “Good job. Bernadette, you’re really getting the hang of this.”
The elderly woman beamed at me, and everyone dispersed. Except Agatha, Mabel, and Rosie.
They were like Charlie’s Angels, but scarier.
“Can I help you, ladies?”
“How did you get the bruise? You said you’d tell us if we did yoga,” Agatha said, leaning in to peer at it. “Did you get in a fight? Was it over a girl? I wouldn’t mind if you dated my granddaughter. I’d like some British great-grandbabies. Or any great-grandbabies.”
That was a lot to process.
“No fight. Just an accident with a hockey puck,” I admitted. “There. Now you know.”
“How does one have an accident with a hockey puck?” Rosie questioned, narrowing her eyes. Her trademark bright pink lipstick was still perfectly in place, and it amused me no end that she insisted on wearing it during workouts.
Then again, one of the other women had shown up today with her hair rollers in place and Amos refused to get out of his pajamas, so hey.
“Things happen.”
“I hit him in the face with it.”
I turned at the sound of Saylor’s voice and a smile broke out across my face. “You’re finally admitting it?”
She shrugged and unzipped her coat. “They’d find out sooner or later, then I’d just have to put up with them telling me off for lying.”
“What happened?” Mabel asked. “And did you bring me my things I asked for?”
Saylor sighed. “Yes, Grandma, I have everything you asked for. And it happened when we played air hockey. I hit the puck too hard and it hit him in the face.”
“Where did you play air hockey?”
“At the bowling alley.”
“Why were you at the bowling alley?”
“To go bowling,” she said dryly, taking her coat off. “Are you done now?”
“You’re dating,” Rosie announced.
I glanced at Saylor.
“Technically, no,” she replied. “But thank you for raising the point, Rosie, it’s not awkward at all.”
Agatha sighed. “There go my British great-grandbabies.”
“Victoria will end up with my grandson, mark my words.” Rosie smoothed out her t-shirt. “It’s obvious. Disappointing, but obvious.”
“My poor great-grandbabies having you as a great-grandmother,” she sniped back.
“I feel sorrier for them having you as their great-grandmother.”
Saylor looked at me. “What has been happening here?”
I grimaced and shook my head. It had been wild from the moment I’d walked through the door, and I really didn’t want to elaborate.
“Here.” Saylor handed Mabel the bag she was holding. “That’s everything you asked for.”
Mabel immediately opened it and grinned upon seeing the contents. “Thank you. Ooh, Nutter Butters! And duck treats! Let’s go and feed them!”
“No, thank you,” Saylor replied. “I’ll buy treats, but I’m not feeding them.”
“Dylan, would you like to feed my ducks?”
“I, uh… I don’t think I have time.” I scratched the back of my neck.
“Oh, but Cheese has the cutest bow tie!”
Agatha rolled her eyes before she walked off.
“The ducks are not cute, Mabel. Bow ties or otherwise,” Rosie said, peering inside the bag. “Poker chips. Excellent. My plan to become a Las Vegas mogul has begun.”
With that little nugget of information dropped, she disappeared.
Saylor stared after her. “How is she going to become a Las Vegas mogul from the basement of a retirement home in Montana?”
“She has access to the internet, dear,” Mabel said. “And delusions of grandeur. Now come along and feed the ducks. Quackie Chan has missed you.”
I opened my mouth to make up a lie about another class I had to teach, but Saylor grabbed a fistful of my t-shirt and dragged me after her. I was able to grab my hoodie before she pulled me outside entirely.
