Chapter Fourteen
J ane
“Stop flitting about and get your booty out of here,” Kerri ordered. She tightened her messy knot atop her head, strands of her raven hair falling around her angelic face.
“I’m not flitting about.” Jane shuffled a few documents behind the counter, totally flitting about.
“Yes, you are.” Kerri grabbed the papers from her hands. “The studio will be fine for a few weeks. Giselle, Margo, and I will keep things afloat. We promise you. Go enjoy the beaches of Mexico.”
Jane huffed and planted her hands on her hips. “This isn’t a luxury vacation. It’s work. Learning new techniques, deepening my practice, meditation training. All things I’ll teach you upon my return.”
“ Okay .” Kerri rolled her eyes. “Poor you, working on a beach in Mexico. Sounds horrible.”
Jane shook her head. “You’re too much.”
Her gaze swept across the studio. She built Serenity Now from the ground up, every calming neutral paint color, every strip of bamboo flooring, handpicked. She’d chosen her instructors carefully, collaborated with them on class styles. She cultivated something people loved. And she loved it too.
Business was good. Thriving, even. Some people had asked if she’d ever expand or franchise. The idea intrigued her, though she hadn’t mapped that far ahead. For now, she enjoyed being small, rooted and connected to her community.
“You know you can reach out to Yogi’s Delight if you need someone to fill in for a class, right?
Diana said she could send over an instructor to help out.
Also Rex is available if you need anything.
Other than teaching a class. Please don’t have him teach a class.
” The idea of her brother teaching a class made her want to laugh and grimace equally.
“Ugh! Get out of here, please.” Kerri mock-groaned. “Though I wouldn’t mind Rex taking our hot yoga class. Slick with sweat. Rock hard abs.”
“Ew.” She squinched her face. She loved her brother and knew plenty of women found him attractive. But just ew !
“Go!” Kerri pointed to the front door.
“Okay, okay.” Jane hugged her. “Thank you for taking lead while I’m gone.”
“Of course.” Kerri shooed her out.
She meandered out the door and through the parking lot to her Jeep. She turned to wave to the girls, but they were already busying themselves with miscellaneous work. The studio was in good hands. The next few weeks were for her.
****
T he flight to Mexico was uneventful but the car ride over unpaved winding roads had her stomach lurched in her throat. The sun-creased dark-skinned man drove his old Nissan Versa like Mario Andretti drove in his Formula 1 races.
Her breath evened and her belly settled as they pulled through the gate of Playa Tranquillidad . The car stopped in front of a bamboo thatched structure. The driver hopped out of the car and opened her door. She climbed out, grabbing her small suitcase.
“ Gracias ,” she said, handing him some money.
He nodded at her, then jumped back in the driver’s seat and tore out of the driveway leaving a plume of dust. She half coughed, half laughed. The resort was nestled in the middle of nowhere, so she assumed the driver had to speed around to get the most customers.
“ Bienvenida a Playa Tranquillidad .” A soft voice greeted her as she opened the door to the bamboo structure. The scent of eucalyptus permeated the air and the notes of a flute floated from the speakers.
“ Gracias. Hablo minimo espanol .”
The dark-haired woman stood behind a counter and tittered. Her unruly hair curled in all directions. “No problem. We do speak English. My name is Rosa. How can I help you?”
“I need to check in. I’m here for the yoga retreat.”
“Oh, you are going to love Domenico Negret. He’s a fabulous instructor. People who have taken his classes have returned every time he brings a retreat here. Can I get your name?”
She gave Rosa her information, signed the paperwork, and accepted a property map with a highlighted route to her hut. After thanking Rosa, she followed the winding pathway.
The sound of crashing waves beckoned her, growing louder with each step.
The huts perched on cement pilings several feet above the grassy, sandy terrain.
She climbed the wooden steps and stepped inside.
There was no door—only a rolled screen above the entrance she could lower for privacy.
The bamboo walls allowed the ocean breeze to drift in and held up the thatched roof.
The wall facing the water didn’t exist at all—just a wide, open expanse revealing the endless sea and rhythmic waves.
She set her suitcase on the floor and spun around, taking it all in. This was her home for the next three weeks. Nature. The scent of salt and sun. Birds singing in the distance. A wide-open view to sunsets.
With a deep breath, she stretched out her arms and let herself fall back onto the soft, queen-sized bed. She hadn’t realized how much she needed this—needed to be away and breathe.
The last few weeks with Brady had been the biggest emotional rollercoaster ride unlike anything she’d experienced.
For a moment, she thought she’d get what she wanted, what she’d dreamed of since she was fifteen years old—a shot at a relationship with the only man she’d ever loved.
Instead, she received fleeting bliss followed by heartbreak.
She knew he cared. Maybe even loved her. The anguish in his eyes the last time she saw him nearly broke her. But the choice had been his. His loyalty to her brother, while noble, had cost them everything.
“Knock, knock.” A male voice called from the doorway.
She sat up with a jolt. “Uh, oh. Hi.”
“Didn’t mean to startle you or disturb you.
” He motioned toward the bamboo entry. “No doors. Hard to knock.” The man leaned against the doorway, offering a friendly smile.
“I’m Patrick. I’m in the cabin across the walkway.
” He signaled behind him at the wooden bridge that connected their huts.
“Just wanted to introduce myself since we’re neighbors. ”
Patrick looked to be around six feet tall, with tousled light brown hair and a dusting of stubble along a strong jawline. Lean, defined muscles filled out his gray t-shirt. He had the easy presence of someone comfortable in his own skin.
“Hi Patrick. I’m Jane.” She stood and walked to the doorway and shook his hand. “So nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “What brings you to the retreat?”
She sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I just wanted to pick up a few things to take back to my studio—breathwork, new meditation techniques. Domenico’s meditations are allegedly incredible.”
Patrick crossed on foot over the other. “Is this your first retreat with him?”
“I’ve done a few other retreats but this is the first one I’ve done with Domenico.”
“You’re in for something special.” He straightened, giving her an easy smile. She found herself relaxing just a little. “Are you heading to the welcome dinner?”
“I was planning to.”
“Do you want to walk over together? I’m never good with first introductions so I’d love to have a buddy.” He chuckled.
“Let me change my clothes and I’ll walk over with you, buddy.”
He held up his fist and she bumped hers to his. “Great. I’ll meet you at the bottom of the stairs, Jane.”
She lifted her suitcase to the bed and rummaged through her neatly folded clothes until fingers landed on a pair of emerald green harem pants and a soft white tank top. Stepping behind the changing screen, she peeled off her travel clothes and slipped into the breezy, comfortable outfit.
This retreat was about more than learning new techniques.
It was about carving out space for herself.
Space to breathe. To think. To let go. No matter how much she didn’t want to.
The past several weeks had unraveled her in ways she had not expected.
Coming here gave her a chance to press pause, to quiet the ache lingering beneath her ribs.
But that didn’t mean she had to keep to herself completely. She was open to whatever the retreat had to offer, including making a new friend or two.
She stepped out, smoothing her top as she glanced toward the Pacific Ocean. The sound of the waves calmed her soul.
Time to meet the others.