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Only once she’d pulled into the parking lot and didn’t spy a motorcycle did Tabitha realize she hadn’t texted Delaney to see if she’d be working out tonight. Her mind had been so frazzled it’d slipped by. She almost put the car in reverse and hightailed it back home but then Clementine appeared, a woman she’d met during her last workout. Clementine was new to the gym as well, though she was a really good runner and had been giving Tabitha tips on her form during the warm-up and again after the workout. Tabitha had always thought that running was just putting one foot in front of the other, really fast, but she’d been surprised how much Clementine could share on the subject.
“I own a running shop,” she’d said. “You should stop by.”
“Maybe I will.” Tabitha had always hated running but maybe she would’ve fared better in the navy if she’d had Clementine for pointers.
“Hey, Tabitha.” Clementine peeked in the car window. “Hey, Trinity.” She waved at the dog, who was buckled in the back seat with her pet harness. “Did you see today’s workout?” Clementine held up her phone, which she could use to access the app that both showed the daily workouts and tracked their weights and scores. “It looks brutal. Lots of weights.” Clementine flexed a tiny bicep. “But that’s what I’m here for. Buff up a little bit to improve my running.”
“I don’t look,” Tabitha admitted. She got out of the car and opened the door for Trinity. “I don’t want to give myself excuses to bail.”
“That’s a good idea.” Clementine had bright green eyes like freshly mowed grass. The color made her seem both earthy and exotic. “But it would kill me not to look.”
They headed inside to a much smaller group of people than Tabitha’s last workout, which, after some thought, made sense. Everyone would be out doing what normal people do on the evening of the Fourth of July: cookouts, pool parties, airplane shows and fireworks in DC or at the county stadium. Now that she thought about it, Tabitha was kind of surprised that the gym was even open for the 7:30 p.m. class.
“Welcome, my diehards.” Hobbs was at the whiteboard, waving everyone closer. Today he wore a blue Semper Fit T-shirt that completely covered the pecs he liked to display and a pair of American flag shorts. He was of medium height, but his personality and huge, charming grin made him seem like a much larger man. His voice was welcoming and playful, and Tabitha wondered what kind of coach he would be. She hoped he wasn’t the sort that let everyone break all the gym rules or do rude things like take up all the space or clean up early. Hobbs seemed, so far, like that kind of guy. Then again, Tabitha had a hard time picturing Rhett hiring someone like that for his gym.
“This workout is called 1776, and I’m sure I don’t have to explain why.” Hobbs pointed at the board, where a long workout with a lot of reps was written in red and blue dry-erase marker. “In case you’re wondering, yes, all the reps do add up to 1776.”
A woman wearing a hijab and a long-sleeved athletic shirt groaned good-naturedly. Besides her, only Tabitha, Clementine and Zoe were present. Zoe wore a pair of bike shorts that highlighted every muscle and a blue sports bra with a lot of pretty straps, no shirt, so every abdominal muscle was bared, along with a navel ring. Tabitha noted the navel and nose piercings and wondered how many more Zoe had.
“Looks like it’s Ladies’ Night,” Hobbs said with an appreciative grin. “Including our favorite female furry friend.” He glanced over his shoulder at Trinity, who was doing circles around Humphrey’s empty dog bed, probably wishing the old beagle were there to keep her company. “Let’s hit this thing, ladies. Grab some rowers and give me 250 meters.” Hobbs clapped his hands together, then pointed at the rowing machines lined up along the far wall. Then he pumped up the music.
As the hour progressed, Tabitha discovered Hobbs had a talent for being the smoothest coach on record. Whereas Rhett was unabashedly in your face like a drill sergeant, Hobbs managed to get you to do what he wanted while making you think it was your idea all along. “Look at that heavy barbell.” Hobbs crossed his arms and smiled down at Clementine’s weights as he made his preworkout rounds. “Feeling aggressive, huh?”
Based on what Tabitha had seen last time, Clementine was aggressive, maybe wanted to be able to lift more than she could safely just yet and would need someone to keep her in check.
“Well.” Clementine puffed out a sigh and deadlifted the bar. “Yeah, that does feel a little heavy. I’ll strip some weight.”
“Good choice.” Hobbs smiled and moved on to Tabitha. “How we doing, New Kid on the Block?”
Tabitha smiled, her opinion of Hobbs slowly changing. She did three cleans without him asking, just to prove she hadn’t gone too heavy. To her surprise he said, “How are we feeling about going ten pounds heavier today? You’re slinging that bar like it’s the wild wild West, Annie Oakley.”
Tabitha smiled, despite herself, and left to get a couple of five-pound plates.
After Hobbs shouted, “Three, two, one, go!” the next half an hour was a huge blur of booming hip-hop, sweat, pain and a heart that was racing for all the right reasons. When Tabitha was done, she crawled to the open bay door and collapsed in front of it, hoping for a summer breeze to cut through the thick humidity of the July twilight. She lay there, gasping, feeling good, feeling proud, as she’d used a barbell weight that was heavier than she’d ever used in a workout, even though it was way lighter than Clementine’s and way, way lighter than Zoe’s. Tabitha felt strong, felt a sense of control, like the foundation of her being was settling in, gaining footing, solidifying. She’d forgotten the power that lifting steel had on her soul.
Then something exploded.
The sound was loud, sudden and sustained.
A rational person would’ve known that it was fireworks. Tabitha had been hearing them all day. But that wasn’t how her brain worked anymore.
One minute Tabitha was lying in the doorway, gasping and coming down off her workout high, and the next minute she was staring up at Hobbs, his eyes narrowed in concern, his body so close she could smell the sweetness of his laundry soap. The world came back to her in small increments, like a paint by number that slowly filled with color.
She was on her back, a comforting weight atop her chest. Something strong, and just as comforting, gripped her hand. As her brain unfogged, Tabitha’s pulse slowed, and her lungs stopped squeezing shut like Ziploc bags sucked of all air. Trinity was lying across her chest, front paws draped over her shoulders, like she’d been trained to do. Hobbs was the one holding her hand. His palm and fingers were both rough and soft, offering gentle pressure that kept her grounded without overwhelming her.
Some time passed where nobody said anything and Tabitha just tried to find her voice. “I am the sky,” she whispered, her eyes closing again. “I am the sky.” She imagined herself a vast, endless blue, her anxiety nothing but a series of storm clouds that could be blown away.
“Damn straight you’re the sky.” All the teasing humor was gone from Hobbs’s voice, but the inner warmth remained. His hand gave a gentle squeeze.
Tabitha felt her lungs opening as her heart wound down, the heavy thumps filling her ears. The scent of Trinity’s fur bathed the inside of Tabitha’s sinuses, making her pulse slow even more. After another minute or so, Tabitha said, “Off,” and Trinity crawled away from her chest. Tabitha sat up, her head a little dizzy.
“Easy.” Hobbs’s free hand touched lightly on her back, steadying her.
Tabitha blinked rapidly. All the sweat had dried on her skin, which was cool and clammy. Zoe and Clementine were a couple of feet away, watching. Concern creased Clementine’s face but Zoe had an encouraging smile on hers. “There you go,” she said. “Feeling better? The fireworks stopped.”
“Stopped?” Hobbs shot her a grin. “You mean you went across the street and threatened those kids with their life.”
Zoe’s lips twisted. “I made a gentle suggestion they go home to set off their fireworks. The park is not the place for things that light other things on fire.”
