14. Maggie
FOURTEEN
MAGGIE
“What’s this for?” I held up an anchor the size of my hand attached to a yellow rope. I hadn’t been paddleboarding in a couple of years, since that trip to the Florida Keys, but I didn’t remember having one of these.
“It’s to make sure your board doesn’t drift into anyone else while you’re in the middle of Warrior II,” Alyssa explained, attaching her rope to the D-ring of her paddleboard.
“Don’t be too proud to use it, either. I’d tell you to ask Kira why that is, but she bailed on us.
At least Aspen had a legitimate bakery-related excuse.
” Before I could ask who either was, she added, “Kira just didn’t want to put any clothes on.
Can’t say I blame her though. If I was getting laid on a regular basis, I wouldn’t leave my bed any more than I had to either. ”
“Who are they?” I asked, secretly relieved that whoever these women were, they weren’t here now.
I was comfortable giving a presentation to a room full of in-processing soldiers or teaching a basic computer skills class to an entire assisted living community.
But put me in an open area with three women who were clearly close friends, and I couldn’t feel more the odd woman out if I tried.
If I was going to give this making female friends my own age thing a real try, I had to ease into it. And that was still a big if.
“They’re my best friends,” Alyssa said. “We grew up together.”
“The same best friends you haven’t told that your visit home isn’t temporary?” I challenged.
“Well, I was going to tell them today.”
She unzipped her jacket, stripping out of it and stuffing it in a tote bag she reassured me we could safely leave on shore. Her bright orange sports bra matched her leggings. I shivered just looking at her.
The sun was out, at least for now. But a couple of hours ago, I was bundled in layers walking Ellie. I wasn’t ready to lose my long-sleeve T-shirt just yet, despite the handful of other yogis following Alyssa’s lead.
“Why is it a big deal if you’ve moved back?”
“It’s . . . complicated.”
Complicated, I understood, so I didn’t push.
“I wish this was my hometown. I’d move back in a heartbeat.”
Then I wouldn’t have to figure out what came next with my life. Starting next month, I’d be in Lansing for the foreseeable future. While I did look forward to spending quality time with my family, it wouldn’t stick long term. There was no permanence there.
“Where are you from again?”
“I don’t think I said,” I answered, but I was smiling. I liked Alyssa. I wasn’t certain if I trusted her yet, but I liked her.
“Are you hiding from someone?” she asked, her bright expression turning serious.
“I’m not in any danger,” I answered. It touched me that this woman who was basically a stranger seemed to genuinely care for my wellbeing.
“Promise me you’re telling the truth?”
The only person I’m really hiding from is Luke.
But I hardly wanted to admit I was battling unwanted attraction for Officer McGrumpy to myself, let alone someone who probably knew him.
I might not have a lot of experience with small towns, but I didn’t need to be an expert to recognize some things were safer left unsaid.
“I promise.” I kicked off my flip-flops and stuffed them in my tote. “The only people I’m dodging are my own family, and they know where to find me. My mom has offered to fly out here no less than five times since I showed up—that was three days ago.”
“She’s worried about you,” Alyssa said, as though chewing on that. I didn’t know what to make of the way she blankly stared ahead at the water, and I wasn’t sure she’d be willing to tell me anyway.
“Are you in danger?” I asked.
“No.” She let out a laugh. “Can’t say the same for the other guy, though.”
“Other guy?”
“If you want me to divulge another secret, it’ll cost you one of your own.” The earlier twinkle returned to her eyes.
“Touché.”
Several yogis were pushing paddleboards toward the water, and I knelt to attach the anchor to my board so I wouldn’t be left behind.
“Is a hundred feet of rope really necessary?” I asked.
The area reserved for Yoga on the Water was roped off from the rest of the larger Glimmerstone Lake. It was also designated as the local swimming area. I highly doubted our part of the lake was deep enough to warrant an excessively long rope if kids were allowed to swim here.
“They just want to make sure your rope’s not too short, or you’ll drift anyway.” She grabbed her board by the middle strap and carried it to the water. “Don’t drag the board,” she called back to me.
I stayed on my knees to paddle, following Alyssa to a spot in back of the group, near the rope.
The view was breathtaking, and more than once I nearly collided with a fellow paddler because I was distracted by the radiant fall colors just coming in on the smaller mountains on the other side of the lake.
It was as though someone used paintbrush strokes to add pops of gold, burnt orange, and maroon against the otherwise dark green backdrop.
I loved that I’d be here to see autumn fully take over this town.
“You really grew up with this?” I asked, sitting back on my folded legs and taking in the town from this perspective.
The public beach was small yet cozy. The sand was clean, the vibrant flower pots were plentiful and surrounded by pumpkins, and several tails were wagging from the shore.
The L-shaped dock was filled with people, some dressed for yoga, others in jeans and jackets, settling in on benches and sipping their morning coffee.
Most of them were lost in friendly conversation, smiles on their faces.
Yeah, this place was heaven.
Across the street, I spotted an ice cream stand, a park area with more benches pointed at the water, and a sidewalk winding uphill toward the downtown area. It was the same one I took to get here.
“I know I probably take it for granted,” Alyssa admitted as she arched into downward dog.
“Are you not happy to be back?” I guessed, debating whether or not stretching was wise.
I didn’t want to pull a muscle, but I also didn’t want to fall in. The water had a chill to it I didn’t care to get any more intimately acquainted with than I already had on the way out here. Even if the sun was fully clear of its earlier cloud cover, warming me to the point of breaking a sweat.
“I don’t know how I feel, if I’m being honest. I keep ending up in Bluebell Springs, no matter how hard I try to stay away. Maybe I should just stop fighting it. Embrace it instead.”
A woman in purple yoga attire, dark hair pulled back into a tight ponytail at the crown of her head and feet bare, walked to the end of the dock to a yoga mat.
She touched the microphone hanging against her cheek.
“Welcome to the final Yoga on the Water of the season,” she said.
“We’ll get started in about five minutes, so if you aren’t in the water yet, now’s the time to find your place. ”
She went on to explain a few rules—don’t cross the rope, leave one to two board’s worth of space between one another in case someone takes an unexpected dip, use your anchor to keep from floating into your neighbor.
“I’m from Michigan, by the way,” I said to Alyssa, not sure why I was offering the information now, other than that odd sense of familiarity hit me again. Maybe we met before, but if we did, I’d drawn nothing but a blank since meeting her the other morning.
“You’re a long way from home.”
“It’s not home.”
“No?”
“I think I’m meant to roam. I haven’t stayed in any one place longer than three years since I graduated high school, and that was only because the Army made me stay put.”
“What did you do in the military?”
“I worked in a Blackhawk supply shop.”
“Blackhawks?” She stumbled out of her stretch and returned to her knees. “You wouldn’t know Thoren—” She stopped mid-sentence and cleared her throat. “You know what, never mind.”
“Who—”
“It looks like everyone’s on the water now,” the instructor said, interrupting my chance to dig deeper. “Before we get started, a few tips for our newbies. You don’t have to stand if you don’t feel comfortable. The lower you stay on your board, the better balance you’ll have.”
“Center of the board,” Alyssa said to me.
“What?”
“For stability. Stay close to the center of the board.”
“Got it.”
The instructor on the dock walked us through an easy opening sequence, and my confidence surged.
The paddleboard rocked with the gentle waves, reminding me one misstep could result in tossing me overboard.
And yet, despite that threat, the world grew calm around me in a way it hadn’t in months.
There were no angry monsters-in-law hijacking my plans, no overly concerned parents waiting for me to shatter into pieces, and no worries about what came next.
There was, however, one pain-in-the-ass grumpy neighbor standing on the shore, arms folded over his chest, looking my way.
“Not a hallucination, unfortunately,” I muttered.
Alyssa followed my gaze. “You know the Masons?”
Luke wasn’t alone. Connor and Opal were with him, too. I wasn’t sure where they came from, and none of them were dressed for yoga. If I had to guess, they just went on a hike, or maybe out fishing. “I met them at the hardware store the other day. Except Luke. He’s my rental host.”
“Ah, so you’re the unlucky one who rented his condo. Kira told me he was all out of sorts about some Karen and her dog.”
I rolled my eyes at the Karen comment. “Kira is . . .?”
“Luke’s sister.” She hardly took a breath before she said, “He’s single, if you’re wondering.”
“I wasn’t.”
The instructor guided us to our feet—reassuring the crowd they could remain on their knees. But feeling those watchful, judgmental eyes on me, I stubbornly stood on the wobbling board to prove . . .
What am I proving exactly?
“Widen your stance,” Alyssa said.
I moved my bare feet to the board’s edges and regained my balance.
Luke stood at the back of the sandy area, arms folded, talking to a couple of locals as though he had nowhere to be.
It didn’t matter that he was dressed in jeans and a dark flannel jacket.
I couldn’t seem to picture him in anything but a pair of Star Wars pajama pants.
I’d had a very lucid dream about tracing that wolf tattoo—with my tongue.
“Next, we’re going to move into tree pose,” the instructor said, her voice much calmer than my racing pulse. “Take your time with this one. It’s advanced for SUP Yoga. I recommend our newcomers keep both feet on the board.”
“It’s not like you have to marry the guy,” Alyssa said as we pressed our palms together in front of us. “And considering your current status, I’d advise against trying.”
“If you’re feeling brave, raise those arms slowly upward,” the instructor said. “Keep those palms touching.”
“But you’re on vacation, right?” Alyssa added. “What’s the harm in having a little bit of fun while you’re here?”
The instructor encouraged only the more experienced yogis to slide one foot up from the ankle to the knee, warning the newbies to keep both feet on the board.
Because Luke looked my way again, I chose to ignore the advice.
I could practically feel his judgment from the shore.
He probably thought I couldn’t do the more advanced move.
I’d show him. I could totally do tree pose on a gently rocking paddleboard.
“I’m not interested in Luke.”
“Really?” Alyssa said, her tone hinting at disappointment. “Because that man’s looking at you like he wants to eat you for dessert.”
I tried to object, but all that came out was a little scream of surprise as I lost my balance and toppled right into the water.