Page 63 of Christmas with my Three Best Friends

“Dude…”

Jax seems utterly shocked. Granted, it’s not every day that I acknowledge such a colossal mistake, let alone apologize for it. I’m a proud man—stupidly so, sometimes. But after what just happened with Alice, after I finally opened my eyes and understood the greater picture, Shay’s bitter words returned with a vengeance, cutting through my brain and making my very soul bleed.

“I was a terrible business partner in that sense. I wasn’t a very good friend, either. And as far as our relationship with Shay is concerned, I fell short there, too,” I continue. “I’m done letting other people interfere in our life, Jax. I’m done calling it quits before trying hard enough to justify leaving. And I am done being afraid to speak my truth and my heart. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.”

My good friend nods in agreement and takes the folder back to flip through it once again. “It’s okay, Rick. I know you meant well, and I know you were only trying to watch your back. The business side of things is never easy… but this, my man, this right here… it’s solid gold.”

“Yes. And we need to send it over to the marketing department so they can get started on designing the actual campaign,” I reply. “I want it to be ready for a spring rollout, just in time for Shay’s return.”

“All this,” Jax says, pointing around him with a bright and hopeful smile on his face, “all this is worth fighting for, Rick. We’ve come too far to let this place fizzle out like so many other gyms in Seattle. I never forgot why we started this project and who I started it with.”

“I almost did…”

“But you remembered. It’s why we’re here, now, talking about it.”

“Yeah. It is worth fighting for. And so is Shay,” I say, reaching the final and most important conclusion. “We have to do something about her, too. We need to fix what each of us broke, Jax. She’s going to need the three of us by her side, especially if we implement this program. It’s insanely ambitious, even for her. We may need to hire more trainers if we get the figures she estimates we could get with a proper marketing campaign.”

Jax nods again, satisfied with my decision. “Oh, we’ll figure it out, I’m not even worried about that.” A frown draws upon his brow, however. “I’m more worried about how we’re going to get to her. This relationship of ours was supposed to be something else, something simpler. But you and I both know there are feelings involved, which is probably why she’s been pulling away.”

He makes a valid point. It’s probably why we’re equally stuck knee-deep in this mess, anyway. We thought it was crazy but easy. Keep it for the pleasures of the flesh only. Have fun. No strings attached. No actual commitment. Just three guys and one incredible woman, playfully ticking through a naughty list until we’d all be sated.

Love has a way of sneaking up on us when we least expect it.

27

Shay

The Hendersons’ farm is a different form of therapy. Being out in the cold winter air, surrounded by so many friendly animals… it’s doing things to my soul. Wonderful things I needed, clearly. Maeve is my favorite of the whole bunch. She’s an old goat with a large brass bell hanging around her neck, her coat white with soft brown spots. I sit on a bench, oblivious to the lowering temperature while she snuggles up to me, always ready for another handful of sunflower seeds—of which I have plenty in my pockets.

Cassandra laughs as she watches two of Sherry’s kids prance around her. Sherry is the matriarch of the goat family, and to the Hendersons’ surprise, she birthed a couple of babies just last month.

“My God, they’re like quicksilver,” my friend quips as the kids dart across the snowy pen before they run back to their mother. “It’s a shame I can’t take them home.”

“Maybe we could build a farm of our own,” I reply, only half-joking. “You know you’ve always wanted to retire somewhere north of Seattle. We could totally pull it off.”

The Hendersons are busy in the horse stables, but they allow us to roam around the place as we wish, especially since most of the animals are already confined to their spacious enclosures for the coming evening. We’ve been out here all day, only going into the farmhouse to eat and use the bathroom. I thought I’d have trouble with the cold, but honestly, I haven’t felt this good in a long time.

“You know what? A farm isn’t the craziest idea you’ve had,” Cassandra says. “I could have a couple of children of my own, so yours will have company.”

“Cousins. Sort of.”

“Yeah. I mean, who needs men, right?” she laughs.

I need my three men. It’s hard to envision a future without them, but I suppose I will have to prepare precisely for that. As if sensing my sadness, Cassandra comes closer and sits next to me while the kids continue their head-knocking close by. She leans into me just as Maeve nuzzles my pocket for more seeds, making me laugh.

“You said you got some offers from other gyms,” she reminds me.

“Yeah. My West Key clients actually recommended my services to other friends of theirs,” I reply, remembering the emails I read through earlier. “I’ve got enough people interested to actually start my own nutrition-focused business. I think it’s funny. I didn’t imagine I’d be able to branch out like this… so soon, I mean.”

“You’re an excellent nutritionist, Shay. You’re a superstar in your field, remember?”

I can’t help but smile. “I’d almost forgotten.”

“Well, this is your reminder. You already have so many happy and satisfied clients, honey. They were bound to brag about you to other folks who may need your services. And I’m sure there are plenty of gyms in Seattle who would pay serious cash to have you on their team. See? You were worried about your career.”

"I really need to stop second guessing myself and have more faith in my abilities without the guys propping me up,” I say.

Cassandra nods. “Exactly. I know it’s scary to think about branching out on your own, but you don’t have to jump right into the fire.”

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