15. Jami
Jami
I stand in my yoga studio, a grin on my face as the last of my clients leave.
I begin to clean up, stacking the blocks, lining up straps, and arranging the balls.
I honestly can’t believe how many people signed up.
It makes me happy to know I’m actually filling a need here and it’s not just a makeshift job to make me feel like I’m a productive member of society.
“Hey.” I turn at the sound of my brother’s voice. “How did it go?”
I throw my arms up. “It was amazing.”
He grins like he never doubted it. “Of course it was. I heard a few people talking on the way out.” He steps into the room, but now he’s no longer smiling. His head dips, his shoulders drop. “Why didn’t you call one of us to pick you up this morning?”
I shrug. Since my class didn’t start until ten and they had to be here at eight, they left the house before me.
Last night, however, after I snuggled in bed and pretended to be asleep, my brother texted me, told me to call either him or Brody in the morning.
They’d run over with the truck to pick me up and drive me in.
I didn’t want to do that. I’ve put them out enough.
“It was so nice and sunny and I bundled up. I actually enjoyed the walk, and Mr. Cheeseman seemed very pleased to see that I put milk and not cream in my coffee at the café this morning. I probably wouldn’t have stopped in if you picked me up, and how fair would it have been to deprive that man the knowledge of knowing how I took my coffee? ”
While all that’s true, I also didn’t call because I wasn’t sure I could stand being close to Brody in the truck.
I don’t trust my damn ovaries, so best not to tempt them.
Last night was one and done, we agreed on it.
Besides, it was horrible, so who’d want to do that again?
Or at least that’s what I convinced myself while snuggled in bed.
As for Jaxon…yeah, I was worried he’d know. Last night when Brody and I got home, I beelined it straight for the shower, barely sparing big brother a glance. I didn’t want him to see the glow on my face, or the rough beard marks on my chin.
I glance at my brother now and freeze. Why is he looking at me with narrowed eyes? Am I talking too much? Sounding suspicious?
OMG, does he know?
Do I have guilt written all over me?
Is he waiting for a confession, an apology?
An overwhelming sense of grief fills me with dread as I look at my brother. After all he’s done for me, is doing for me, how could I have slept with his best friend?
Again…
But this time knowing who he was and what damage it could do. Dammit.
“You okay?” he asks, his voice soft, eyes brimming with concern.
“Yeah, just…” I exhale, my body tired, and not just from my morning class. “Thank you.”
“Hey.” He crosses the room and puts his arms around me. “No need to thank me. It was always you and me against the world and that’s never going to change.”
“It’s more than that for you now, Jaxon.” My heart fills with warmth, happy he’s found his home, a place he truly belongs. Will that ever happen for me? I don’t know, but I sure wish Mom and Dad could see what he’s built here. They’d have to be proud, right? Or not.
He cocks his head. “Meaning?”
“What you built here.” I wave my hand around. “The community. Brody, his family.” God, just saying his name fills me with a kind of warmth I’m not familiar with.
“Yeah,” he says a small smile on his face. “This is all yours too, Jami.”
“I’m not… I’m only. Staying, until...”
“Until you get on your feet. I know.” He lightly nudges my chin. “I actually think you’re already falling in love with this place.”
I snort out a laugh. “A place where Mr. Cheeseman is worried about my toothbrush and monitors my cream intake. I personally like a little more privacy than that, bro.”
He laughs. “Is it that bad?”
“Dude, the entire town is conspiring to get me hitched.”
“Not the entire town,” he clarifies. “Just Brody’s family.”
“What about Brody’s family?”
Jaxon turns and I spot Brody in the doorway. My entire body heats, my limbs going weak as muscles that haven’t been used in a long time—or ever—remind me how amazing it was to be beneath him last night. Honestly, my skin still remembers his hands, his mouth, the way my name sounded on his tongue.
“Oh, just talking about this town,” Jaxon says, then turns back to me, a little more serious. “Brody told me you wanted to turn one of the rooms here into a daycare.”
My gaze meets Brody’s again as Jaxon goes and sits on one of the exercise balls.
“Yeah, we briefly talked about it last night. Do you think it’s a bad idea?” I ask as he bounces.
“No, actually. I think it’s a great idea. I just don’t want you overextending yourself, and…”
“And what?” I ask as he watches me carefully.
“And that it’s something you want to do, not something to…you know…”
Gain my parents’ approval. Yeah, I get it. They want me to put my childcare degree to good use. Think I’m wasting away my life if I don’t.
“It is something I want to do,” I assure him. “There is a need in this town.”
“I love how quickly you identified that,” Brody says, and there’s pride in his voice. It wraps around me, gives me a boost.
“Thank you.” I say and turn back to my brother.
Jaxon nods, content with my explanation. “We have a small budget. Let me know what you need and I’ll order it.” Before I can say anything he jumps to his feet. “Okay, I need a smoothie before I get back to spreadsheets. Anyone else?”
“I’m good,” I tell him.
Brody moves from the doorway, coming closer to me as Jaxon makes his way toward the exit.
“Brody?” Jaxon asks.
“Maybe later,” Brody answers. “I have a client in about…” He glances at his watch. “Five minutes.”
“Practice at two,” Jaxon says before disappearing.
I’m rubbing my neck by the time Brody looks back at me. “Need another adjustment?”
The thoughts of his hands on my body again.
Heck yes.
But no.
“I think I might have kinked…” My words fall off as my body remembers the way I kneeled before this man. “I have another class. Hot yoga. I’m sure I’ll work it out then.”
Instead of leaving, he comes closer to me, and so much for sex dousing the flames. His knuckles lightly brush mine. “You should have called me for a ride. It’s cold out there.”
Yeah, and it’s suddenly hot in here, so hot in fact, I’m burning from the inside out and not at all thinking about a ride…in my private room.
Dear God, please help me get through this day…this summer.
This life.
“I wanted to walk. I needed the air.”
“Are you sure it’s because you didn’t want to be in the truck with me?”
I briefly close my eyes. “That too, Brody. I don’t like what we’re doing.” I shake my head. “I mean I do, but Jaxon.”
He looks like he’d like to punch himself in the face when he agrees. “I know.”
“Even though it was 10/10,” I begin. “We’re not doing it again, right?”
“Right.” Why does his voice lack conviction, and why am I so happy about that?
Damn you, ovaries!
“How do we…do normal?” I ask.
He looks down at his sneakers, shrugs and supplies, “I guess you could start dating Liam.”
My stomach tightens. He wants me to date Liam?
Oh, God girl, why does it matter?
Of course he doesn’t want me all to himself. Despite that knowledge, I can’t stop my mouth from blurting out, “Are you serious?”
“Sure, why not?” he says and this time his lips are quirking and my insides loosen.
“Think about it. All those little pet weddings. You could design the clothes. Cute little goldfish hats, little white wedding dresses for the ferrets.” He cocks his head, his gaze moving over my face.
“Designing is what you really want to do, right?”
I snort out a laugh, but for some reason feel like this might be a test. “I mean, it’s probably a niche market that no one has tapped into.”
For good reason.
I tap my chin like I’m warming to the idea and when the corners of his lips quirk, and I remember how his mouth felt on my body last night, one thing becomes perfectly clear…
When it comes to us…normal is out of the question.
Maybe…just maybe…we could have this secret.
What Jaxon doesn’t know can’t hurt him, right?
And if Brody and I agree to a couple more hook-ups before I leave, is there really any harm in it?
We both know the score now as much as we did that night in Halifax.
Neither one of us are looking for anything more than an escape.
This is a small rumor-fed town, but hey we’re smart enough to pull it off, right?
Jeez, how is that for logical thinking at its worst?
“I could help you build a website,” he offers.
“What would we call it?” He looks up in thought and I continue with, “Oh, I know. Veils and Varmints. Varmint rhymes with garment.”
“That’s good.” His eyes go wide like he just had an epiphany. “Fur, fins and feathers,” he provides.
“Yeah, yeah, that could be in the running. Hmm, what do you think of critter couture?”
“Brilliant. Oh, the velvet ferret.” He waves a finger. “We can’t forget the ferrets.”
“No we can’t, but how about Glitter and Gills? We can’t forget the goldfish.”
“Sure we can,” he says with a grin and I laugh as I clue in.
“Right, because they forget everything in five seconds anyway. Poor goldfish.”
I laugh loudly at my own joke, and he laughs with me. God, I love being around this man.
After my laugh dies down, and reality hits, I begin. “None of this matters anyway, Brody. I lost my sewing machine in the breakup.”
Right.” He puts his hands in his pockets and with a nod, gestures toward the room.
The room…
(Insert dramatic music here)
That’s how I’m going to think of it now.
The room where we got naked.
The room where he commanded my body.
The room where he made me forget about real life for a while.
The room that is now haunted with things we never should have done.
10/10, would recommend.
“There was a delivery this morning, before you got here.”
“Really, I didn’t order anything.” Oh, maybe he had a lamp delivered overnight, although I can’t imagine anything would come overnight in this northern town. I start toward the room, and he moves ahead of me, swinging open the door.
I step in, completely confused at what I’m looking at. “I don’t understand. I didn’t order this.” Heck, I have like two dollars in my bank and the gorgeous sewing machine I’m looking at is worth thousands.
I lift my head. “Where…”
My words fall off the second I take in the concern on Brody’s face. My legs go a bit wobbly and I sink onto the couch, the cushions all back in place after the circus came through last night.
“Brody, no.”
“Hey,” he says quickly dropping next to me. “I overstepped. I know. I’m sorry. I just couldn’t help myself. I’ll send it back if you want me to.”
“I want you to.” It’s too much, too generous. He’s already doing so much for me. He frowns. “What?” I ask.
“I guess I didn’t really think you’d say that. The truth is, I don’t want to send it back.”
“Brody,” I whine and smack a cushion.
“You can pay me back.”
My heart squeezes tight at his thoughtfulness. “Why would you do this?”
“I just really saw the need for fish couture,” he says and I whack him. Catching me by surprise, he grabs my hand, brings it to his mouth and kisses it. “You can pay me back,” he says.
“How can I accept this?”
“The sewing machine is about me, this social, not you.” I eye him and he continues, giving me a look full of disgust. “Did you see the outfits your clients were wearing?” He mock shivers.
“Hideous plaid patterns, and that one guy, wearing MC Hammer pants. Uh, hello. The 1990’s called and want their pants back.
Just no.” That makes me laugh. “I can’t have people coming to this social looking like they just…
ugh, I don’t know…come from the mainland.
This is Churchill Falls. We have standards to upkeep, fashion trends to set. ”
I swallow, push to my feet and walk up to my new sewing machine. A Brothers professional. “How did you even know what kind to get?
“Did a bit of research. Went down a rabbit hole. It’s a good one?”
“It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“I know you have a lot on your plate, with yoga, and setting up childcare, but do you think you could design court clothes for pickleball?” I stare at him and his head rears back. “What?”
“Are you in my head?”
“What are you talking about?”
“It’s one of the first things I thought about when I saw this place. How fun would it be to have a social with its own, one of a kind, designs.” I tap my head.
Brody taps his head. “Great minds think alike.”
“I can do you a logo that’s distinct to Churchill Falls. Maybe like a little caribou on it, or even the falls.”
He nods in agreement. “If the line is a success, and I know it will be, other pickleball socials might want it. Like Banff, for example. They could have little mountains on it.”
I squeal. I haven’t been this excited about designing in a while. “I think it could work.”
“You better get on it.”
I poke his chest. “The first thing I want is to design new shorts for you and Jaxon, for your competitions. They won’t be identical, because that’s ridiculous, but with the logo.”
He steps back, puts his hands on his hips and strikes a ridiculous pose that makes me laugh. “I could be your model.”
“I probably don’t need that, but I do need your measurements.”
His eyes darken and he comes close. I have no idea why, but suddenly the room is filled with sexual tension. He glances over his shoulder to make sure we’re alone. “You didn’t measure me up last night?”
My palm itches, remembering the way he moved my hand along the long, thick length of him. “Uh, yeah. I sort of did.”
“Jami.”
“Yeah?”
“Normal isn’t going to work, is it?”