AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dakota
She walked into the yoga studio and waved to Whitney who was already rolling out her yoga mat.
There was a glow about her friend that Dakota had never seen before. It suited her.
“Whatever—or whomever—you’ve been doing, keep doing,” she advised as she situated her purple foam mat next to Whitney’s. “Because you look positively radiant.”
Her friend’s cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink. For someone with the reputation as being a cutthroat attorney, when it came to her personal life, Whitney was vulnerable. Dakota had sensed that the first time she met her when they worked together on the Animal Rescue Foundation gala last year. But she also had a heart of gold, which is probably how she got roped into heading the silent auction this year, even though she worked eighty hours a week.
Dakota had no trouble with boundaries. Yes, she’d agreed to help with the gala, too, but there was no way she was taking on the responsibility of overseeing anything. There were too many other things vying for her attention: mainly her three-year-old grandson Asher, Barney, her pit bull she’d adopted from ARF a few years ago, and her massage therapy business. She had over twenty employees who depended on her for their livelihood, something she didn’t take lightly.
She didn’t take the role of grandma lightly, either. Having had her daughter Chloe when she was just sixteen, Dakota had been so busy trying to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs she’d missed out on a lot of things. She wasn’t making that mistake with Asher.
“He’s the head of the ER Department at Boston General,” Whitney said while keeping her eyes trained in front of her to avoid Dakota’s inquisitive look.
An image of her friend and a blond man, each holding a blond child’s hand as they walked along the beach, flashed into Dakota’s head. She’d always been naturally intuitive, but there had been a period in her life when she hadn’t wanted to accept her visions and premonitions. But ignoring them didn’t make them all go away—a lesson she’d learned the hard way.
“That’s wonderful! How long have you been dating?”
“A little over a month. I’m not sure how serious it is.”
Dakota didn’t know how to break it to Whitney that he wasthe one. She suspected that knowledge might freak out the normally reserved attorney.
“Is he going to the gala?”
“I lost a bet with him, but he ended buying a table anyway and got the hospital to buy one, too.”
She wondered what he would have done if he’d lost.
“He sounds like a good guy.”
Whitney got a dreamy look in her eye. “He is.”
“Well, I can’t wait to meet him.”
Dakota noticed her friend worriedly chewing her bottom lip. Finally, she murmured, “He, um, has a beach house on the Cape and wants to invite people for the Fourth.” Whitney turned her pleading eyes toward Dakota. “Would you be interested in coming?” She quickly added, “You’re welcome to bring someone, of course. It will be very casual and laid ba—”
“I’d love to come. Thank you.”
Whitney blinked at her. “You would?”
“Yes, it sounds lovely. I can do yoga on the beach in the morning, enjoy the sun and the ocean, and meet your new beau. What’s his name?”
“Steven Ericson.”
“And meet Steven.”
“There will be other people, too. I think some single doctor friends of his are coming.”
Dakota felt a tingle in her spine at Whitney’s declaration. She wondered what that was about. As insightful as she was for others, things weren’t always so clear when it came to herself.
She tried not to ponder it during class and just be present, but the gnawing feeling in her gut telling her it was important she be at the Cape with her friend didn’t go away.
In fact, it only grew.
****
Aiden
