Page 60 of The Love Shack

Of course, he’d probably think she wanted him to come back for...well, sex, so she rushed to say, “It’s dark. Can you see okay?”

“Using the flashlight app on my phone, actually.”

“Right.” Yeah, she should have thought of that. “Not to be a pain, but would you mind—”

“Not at all.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “I haven’t told you yet what I want.”

Voice an octave deeper, he said, “Whatever it is, Berkley, I don’t mind.”

Happiness filled her in a way she hadn’t known was possible, like a warm glow, giddiness and contentment all mixed together. “Then you’ll call me when you get home? Just so I know nothing got you?”

“Ah. No problem at all, but those small favors have to be reciprocated. That’s how it works, you know.”

“Really?” She could hear the rustle of the woods around him and hoped he’d left some lights on at his own place. “So what favor would you want?”

Without hesitation, he said, “If Durkinson bothers you, will you let me know?”

“Um...” Any problems with Chad she’d prefer to keep private.

“If he calls, texts and definitely if he shows up.”

Curious, she asked, “What would you do?”

He cleared his throat, and this time he did pause, but not for long. “I’d be there with you.”

So I won’t be alone.“Nothing else?”

“Well... Not unless you gave me permission.”

For some reason, that struck her as funny and she laughed again. She could just imagine what he’d like to do, and to be truthful, she appreciated it. “Okay, sounds like a deal.”

“I’m home now.” She heard the opening and closing of a door. “Good night, Berkley.”

“Good night.” She disconnected, then stood alone in the darkness for a minute, smiling, thinking that saying good night to Lawson was an especially nice way to end her day.

Even nicer would be if he stayed over.

Friday. Now she could hardly wait.

Their first day of cat yoga happened sooner than anyone expected. Once Betty got on board with the idea—boom!—it was happening. Lark had known it would be popular, but the number of people who signed up right away made it possible to get the ball rolling. It helped that Berkley was also accommodating, but then she had a feeling Berkley would do almost anything for her animals, and for Betty. The two of them were close, and seeing that made Lark miss her own family. When she’d moved away, she’d tried to do so on good terms, but it wouldn’t hurt if she called her mother and father, just to say hello.

With the class going, Lark noticed that Berkley looked both pleased and frazzled. She didn’t take part in the yoga, choosing instead to constantly monitor the cats and how the guests were interacting with them. To Lark, it seemed like a big hit. Everyone, including the animals, appeared to be having a great time.

The cats were social and excited, as well as impertinent. No matter how the women tried to guide them, the cats did as they pleased, climbing over, under, atop and behind anyone attempting to follow Oliver’s instructions. It made for a lot of laughs.

As she attempted to follow along, Lark wondered if it was actually Oliver who drew the crowd of fifteen women instead of the cats. He looked far too fine standing there in loose linen pants and a tank that exposed stellar shoulders, honed biceps and strong, hair-dusted forearms. When he’d first begun, a few cats had tried crawling up his legs. Without missing a beat, Oliver had scooped up first one cat—giving it several affectionate strokes while talking to the class—before setting it down and then taking up the other cat.

He was so comfortable in his technique that even a few women flirting with him didn’t throw him off. His smile never changed. He laughed easily at the adorable antics of the kitties. And he was very clear on what to do and how to do it without losing his train of thought.

Lark felt a little self-conscious. Everyone, except she, Berkley and Betty, wore trendy outfits of tight yoga pants and supportive crop tops. They looked amazing. Even Betty and Berkley blended in, since they wore their usual clothes and were mostly just involved in watching over the cats.

And here she was, wearing loose-fit drawstring pants and an oversize T-shirt that she’d bought from Lawson’s shop. At least it promoted Oliver’s facility, but still, she made a sloppy advertisement in comparison to the others.

For the first half of the class, Oliver led everyone doing mostly standing and balancing poses. Then at the thirty-minute mark, he had an assistant take over and he went to the back of the room to watch, every so often kneeling by someone to offer more detailed guidance.

For Lark, it became harder to concentrate. For one thing, she wasn’t used to being quiet this long. For another, she literally felt Oliver behind her. Not that he was focused on her. Surely he wasn’t. He was serious about the class, playful with the cats, and he had plenty of women to draw his attention.

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