Page 40 of The Love Shack

“Plan to be boring, huh? Hey, I have trouble sleeping, so lay it on me.”

His thoughts jumped around from her smile and sunny disposition, to her restless in her bed with some unsolvable worry. Both images made him too warm, and he really wouldn’t mind helping her with the sleep problem...No.This was friendship only. He had to keep that in mind.

“All right, then. The plan is to offer just about everything, from instructor-led classes, to yoga and Pilates, to high-intensity interval training. I was a physical therapist before deciding to open the fitness center, so I’m qualified to do fitness assessments, which is one of the things Betty objects to. She seems to think I should only smile at people and tell them they’re perfect, instead of helping them to reach goals.”

Lark laughed. “That doesn’t sound at all like Betty, because I’m not sure she thinks anyone is perfect.”

“She said her girls had changed her.”

“Her girls?”

He shrugged. “According to Betty, body positivity is a must and I can’t be running a business where I’ll make people feel bad. Didn’t matter how many ways I tried to explain to her that people come to me with objectives in mind and I just help them find the best workout for achievement.” He got irked all over again, and took a long swallow of his tea. “You’d think I had stormed around the town throwing insults at people or something.”

“Betty doesn’t actually own the town, you know. You don’t have to have her approval.”

“Very true. My business has been approved, and strictly speaking, she can’t dictate to me how to run it. That said, the woman has clout around here and I prefer to keep things on an even keel.” He wanted to take an active part in the town, not be treated as an outsider. He could help others, give them a positive outlet when stress, frustration or anger overtook their lives, as it had with his brother.

All of that would be more easily accomplished with Betty Cemetery on board.

“Tell you what,” Lark said. “I’ll talk to her, subtly of course, and tell her that I’d really like to tone up. It’s the truth—the most exercise I get is walking around the salon chair with my arms up to cut, curl or style hair.”

His gaze dipped over her. “You look in great shape to me.” Incredible shape. Distracting shape. He wouldn’t mind seeing more of her shape.

Her lips pursed as she struggled not to laugh. “Thank you. My arms are toned, I guess.” She wrinkled her nose. “The rest of me not so much. I could use some firming up, and some slimming around the hip-and-thigh area.”

“See, this—” he gestured at her body “—is exactly what Betty was talking about. Body image is important, and you have a beautiful body.”

Her eyes flared and she glanced around as if worried others might hear. “I don’t,” she insisted.

“You absolutely do. If you want to work on flexibility, or strength, or just general fitness, I’m happy to help.” Any way at all. “But you don’t need any slimming. You don’t need any firming.”

“You,” she said, pointing a forkful of salad at him, “haven’t seen that much of my body to judge.”

“You wear leggings, Lark. And fitted shirts. Your shape is pretty obvious.”

“It is?”

Oliver leaned closer. “You’re a woman who attracts attention and there’s nothing wrong with that. Body, face, style and especially your smile. You walk in a room and take over—in a good way.”

She shared that stunning smile with him. “Well, you’re making my day.”

“I’m sincere when I say your body is perfect. Perfect proportions, perfect symmetry, perfectly appealing.”

“I think I’m going to blush.”

“You think?” He could see the heat in her cheeks, but damn, she even looked good flustered. “Just so you know, that isn’t the usual body assessments we’ll be sharing at my center.”

That earned him another laugh. “You should try it on Betty. She’d love it.”

“I won’t lie to her, but neither would I give an unsolicited opinion. If she shared realistic goals, I’d calculate a plan based on her age and overall fitness.”

“You sound like a guru.”

He tapped his temple. “It’s just knowledge, learned through a lot of schooling and practical application.”

“And your own fitness,” she said. “Because I noticed right off that you were plenty buff.”

Absurd how much her comment warmed him. “I stay in shape.” He took extra care with his physical and mental health after watching his brother fade to a shell of a man.

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