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“I was scared for my brothers. For Aiden and Silas and Jace.” But not for himself. That was right after he’d found out about Sienna and Liam. At that time, he’d believed he had nothing to go home to. “I was afraid one of them would go down next.” But Jace had managed to get behind a wall and neutralize the threat.
Lyric gestured for him to raise his left arm out. “Did you think you were going to die?”
“Yes.” Every time he’d dressed in his uniform, he knew death was a possibility.
“I can’t even… I mean, that’s terrifying.” She gently eased him into the stretch, which didn’t hurt nearly as much as the right side. “The things you went through. I don’t know how you made it. How you’re such a positive and happy person.”
“That’s who I choose to be.” Everyone had a choice. It had taken work for him to reconcile his past—for all of them, including Aiden and Silas. But reconciling didn’t mean forgetting. “I guess that’s part of the reason I want to ride broncs. I know how fragile life is, and I want to live it to the fullest.” So he’d found a new passion that gave him an outlet.
“I can understand that.” She let go of him, moving in front of him to see his face. “You must’ve had a lot to work through after you retired.”
His eyes locked on hers—he couldn’t stop the pull, the gravitational force bringing them together. He couldn’t suppress the hope that she would see more of him, enough to really know him. “For me, part of moving on and processing came when I relocated to Star Valley so I could help Tess.” He hadn’t anticipated how much healing would come by being a part of this Star Valley family. Jace had given him that gift. In honoring a promise to his friend, he’d unexpectedly found his restoration. “And by trying new things. Taking on new challenges. Because there’s still so much life for me to live, and I don’t want anything to hold me back.”
“I know exactly how it feels to have things from thepast hold you back.” Lyric didn’t look away from him. If anything, she looked at him more intently, her dark eyes a maze he could easily get lost in.
“It’s hard to let those things go,” he murmured. He understood how difficult past traumas were to work through.
“But I want to.” Her voice had gained strength. “I have to.”
He wanted to kiss her every bit as much as he’d wanted a glass of water that time he’d been trapped in a desert hovel for five days, pinned down by enemy fire—so much that he physically ached. But he didn’t dare move his face to hers. He only grabbed her hand and held on. “I’m here for you, Lyric.” That was all she needed from him right now.
And he would always give her what she needed.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Yoo-hoo? Lyric? Hello?” Tess waved a hand in front of her face.
“Sorry.” Lyric shook herself out of the daze she’d been stuck in for who knew how long. One minute she’d been guiding her friend through a breathing exercise, and the next her thoughts had drifted to a certain cowboy. She hadn’t been able to focus all day.
Earlier, she’d kept calling a client by the wrong name, and she’d forgotten to take the mail to the post office like Kyra had asked her to do before lunch.
“Okay. That’s it. Something’s on your mind.” Tess sat up on her mat, stretching her legs out in front of her and reaching for her toes over her belly with a wince. “Spill it, sister.”
What was she supposed to say? That she was developing complicated feelings for her fake boyfriend? Ever since she’d talked with Thatch earlier, she’d been distracted. Normally her clients were her sole focus duringsessions, but today her thoughts had kept meandering back to Thatch. To what he’d said. To what she’d seen in him when he’d told her about his past.
Lyric groaned in frustration. “This is supposed to be a relaxing prenatal stretch session for you. We don’t need to talk about me.” She needed to clear her mind.
“I’m a good multitasker,” Tess insisted. “I can stretch and breathe and talk all at the same time. But you do know I really only come here to hang out with you, right?”
That made her smile. “And here I thought you had goals to get stronger and more flexible.” At least that was what her chart said.
“I’m plenty flexible.” Tess brought the soles of her feet together and hinged into a butterfly stretch with a whimper. “When I’m not pregnant. Just ask Silas. I’ve impressed him with my flexibility on more than one occasion.”
“I probably shouldn’t ask him.” She didn’t need details about her friends’ sex lives, especially when she had nothing to share on that front.
“Right now, we have to be careful in the bedroom, or I’ll throw out a hip,” Tess complained.
“Why don’t we focus on relieving some hip tension then?” Lyric grabbed the foam roller she’d set aside earlier. “Bridge your hips, and I’ll slide this under your pelvis for a good hip flexor stretch.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tess lay on her back and planted her feet on the floor, elevating her hips.
“There.” Lyric got the roller positioned. “Now stretch your legs all the way out.”
“Oh.” Tess sighed happily. “I’m never moving. This is amazing.”
“One of my favorite ways to lengthen the hips.” Lyriclay down next to her, staring up at the ceiling. At least her friend’s session wouldn’t be a total waste of time.
“Is everything okay with you and Thatch?” Tess turned her head to look at her. “I mean, I’m sure the dynamics are a little different now that everyone knows about your relationship. Has that been hard?”
