The perfect treat after an intense (though rejuvenating) yoga session.
I let out a long, relaxed breath.
Beth, Harper and Maren would love it here... Especially Maren, knowing how hard she works at her bakery.
Which reminds me, we haven’t talked in at least a week.
I dry one hand on a towel and grab my phone off the bamboo stool beside the tub.
Me: you’re missing out on that yoga retreat...
Me: there is a hot tub. INSIDE my room. With pink mineral salts. I’m melting as we speak.
Send.
The three dots come up before I’ve even set the phone back down.
Maren: Whaaaat
Then the screen starts buzzing in my hand, her name swallowing the whole thing. Maren calling. I tap accept, drop the phone back on the towel, and put her on speaker.
“Hi Mar!” I say. “How are you?”
“Hi, Lu!” Her voice fills the steam. “Good, good. Just making myself some cookies.”
“Look at you. Working even when you’re done working.”
“It’s not work if I get to eat them,” she says, and I hear something set down somewhere on her end. “And you, how are you? It’s been too long!”
“I’m great! Currently being marinated, as you know.” I sink another inch into the water, letting the heat seep into my tired muscles. “And I think the salts are pulling four years of bad decisions out through my pores.”
She lets out a long, suffering groan. “And here I am, in my pajamas with flour on my face. I wish I was there so badly...” She pauses. “Oh, by the way, how was your ex’s cousin’s wedding?”
Oh, that. Right.
I give her the abridged version. The wedding was a disaster from the welcome cocktails on, Derek parading me around his whole family as still being his girlfriend. My eventful encounter with Ash. Me making a run for it until I got to the orchard. Bram breaking the door of my cabin down, handcuffing me to the bed...
I think I’ll leave out the whole bag situation thing. Maren doesn’t need to worry about that, and honestly, neither do I.
“And then everybody calmed down, it all got sorted, and they let me stay. Room and board in exchange for some work around the place until the retreat started.” I tip my head back against the cedar.
“Wait, I’m sorry—back up.” Something clatters down somewhere on her end. “You’re telling me youwantedto stay there. After a man handcuffed you to a bed.”
“In his defense, he thought I was breaking in.”
“Luna.” Flat. “He sounds like a dick, if you ask me.”
“He apologized.” Stiff and red-eared and barely able to look at me, which was kind of cute. “It’s all good now. Honestly.” I trail off, watching the steam curl off the surface of the water. “And I mean, there’s another reason why it’s all good...”
“Oh, I love that tone.”
I bring the bubbles up to my chin. “The deputy.” A beat. “He’s—well. It’s not just him. All three of them. The brothers who own the place.” Another beat. “They’re my scent matches.”
A loud clatter comes through the speaker, followed by some genuinely creative swearing.
“Maren?”
“Sorry, I dropped an oven tray. Did you just say you met yourscent matches???” Her voice climbs an entire octave. “Why am I only hearing about itnow?”
