Jovie
I’m standing in the middle of the academy gym when Charli walks through the door with her dad in tow.
Poor Albert looks like a man heading toward a firing squad.
He’s wearing the exact same clothes he’d wear out on the ranch, except he’s got on black-and-gray sneakers instead of boots.
I have to bite back a laugh.
His weathered cowboy hat is pulled low over his brow, and he eyes the treadmills lined against the wall like they’re dangerous predators waiting to pounce.
“Now hold on,” he says before either of us can speak. “I’m only here because Evelyn and Imma Jean wouldn’t stop nagging me. So, I agreed to come hear what you two had to say. That’s it.”
Charli folds her arms. “Daddy, you’re pushing sixty.”
“I’m fifty-seven.”
She rolls her eyes. “Fine. Fifty-seven. With a heart condition, so practically seventy. You need to exercise more.”
Albert cuts his eyes to her. “I work every day. The ranch is my gym.”
Charli laughs. “You and Grandpa Earl ride around on the ATVs, barking orders, while everyone else actually does the work. The only thing getting a workout is your vocal cords.”
Albert scoffs. “That’s management.”
“That’s bullshit.”
Albert mutters something under his breath, and I have to turn away to hide my smile.
Charli steps closer. “Besides, Grandma promised she’d switch from turkey sausage back to the real stuff if you let Jovie show you a few simple exercises.”
His head snaps up. “The real sausage?”
“That’s what she said.”
His eyes narrow suspiciously. “And real bacon?”
“I think that could be negotiated.”
He sighs heavily. “Fine.”
Charli smiles triumphantly.
He points at me. “I’m not committing to anything. But I’ll hear you out.”
“Deal.”
He studies me for a moment. “I’m an old cowboy. And like dogs, we’re hard to teach new tricks.”
I smile. “Albert, the goal isn’t to turn you into a professional athlete. The goal is to keep you healthy enough to continue doing the things you love with the people you love for as long as possible.”
His expression softens slightly. “That’d be nice.”
I lead him toward the treadmills. “A workout doesn’t have to be intense to be effective. The key is consistency.”
I start the treadmill at an easy walking pace. “Try it.”
Albert steps onto the moving belt.
