Page 38 of Wag More Bark Less

The public beach was small yet cozy. The sand was clean, the vibrant flower pots were plentiful and surrounded by pumpkins, and several tails were wagging from the shore. The L-shaped dock was filled with people, some dressed for yoga, others in jeans and jackets, settling in on benches and sipping their morning coffee. Most of them were lost in friendly conversation, smiles on their faces.

Yeah, this place was heaven.

Across the street, I spotted an ice cream stand, a park area with more benches pointed at the water, and a sidewalk winding uphill toward the downtown area. It was the same one I took to get here.

“I know I probably take it for granted,” Alyssa admitted as she arched into downward dog.

“Are you not happy to be back?” I guessed, debating whether or not stretching was wise.

I didn’t want to pull a muscle, but I also didn’t want to fall in. The water had a chill to it I didn’t care to get any more intimately acquainted with than I already had on the way out here. Even if the sun was fully clear of its earlier cloud cover, warming me to the point of breaking a sweat.

“I don’t know how I feel, if I’m being honest. I keep ending up in Bluebell Springs, no matter how hard I try to stay away. Maybe I should just stop fighting it. Embrace it instead.”

A woman in purple yoga attire, dark hair pulled back into a tight ponytail at the crown of her head and feet bare, walked to the end of the dock to a yoga mat. She touched the microphone hanging against her cheek. “Welcome to the final Yoga on the Water of the season,” she said. “We’ll get started in about five minutes, so if you aren’t in the water yet, now’s the time to find your place.”

She went on to explain a few rules—don’t cross the rope, leave one to two board’s worth of space between one another in case someone takes an unexpected dip, use your anchor to keep from floating into your neighbor.

“I’m from Michigan, by the way,” I said to Alyssa, not sure why I was offering the information now, other than that odd sense of familiarity hit me again. Maybe we met before, but if we did, I’d drawn nothing but a blank since meeting her the other morning.

“You’re a long way from home.”

“It’s not home.”

“No?”

“I think I’m meant to roam. I haven’t stayed in any one place longer than three years since I graduated high school, and that was only because the Army made me stay put.”

“What did you do in the military?”

“I worked in a Blackhawk supply shop.”

“Blackhawks?” She stumbled out of her stretch and returned to her knees. “You wouldn’t know Thoren—” She stopped mid-sentence and cleared her throat. “You know what, never mind.”

“Who—”

“It looks like everyone’s on the water now,” the instructor said, interrupting my chance to dig deeper. “Before we get started, a few tips for our newbies. You don’t have to stand if you don’t feel comfortable. The lower you stay on your board, the better balance you’ll have.”

“Center of the board,” Alyssa said to me.

“What?”

“For stability. Stay close to the center of the board.”

“Got it.”

The instructor on the dock walked us through an easy opening sequence, and my confidence surged. The paddleboard rocked with the gentle waves, reminding me one misstep could result in tossing me overboard. And yet, despite that threat, the world grew calm around me in a way it hadn’t in months. There were no angry monsters-in-law hijacking my plans, no overly concerned parents waiting for me to shatter into pieces, and no worries about what came next.

There was, however, one pain-in-the-ass grumpy neighbor standing on the shore, arms folded over his chest, looking my way.

“Not a hallucination, unfortunately,” I muttered.

Alyssa followed my gaze. “You know the Masons?”

Luke wasn’t alone. Connor and Opal were with him, too. I wasn’t sure where they came from, and none of them were dressed for yoga. If I had to guess, they just went on a hike, or maybe out fishing. “I met them at the hardware store the other day. Except Luke. He’s my rental host.”

“Ah, so you’re the unlucky one who rented his condo. Kira told me he was all out of sorts about some Karen and her dog.”

I rolled my eyes at the Karen comment. “Kira is . . .?”