Page 38 of Welcome Home, Cowboy
She waited for his response, sitting along the edge of her bed. The tiredness was suddenly gone. Now there was a little rev in her engine. Hormones, foolish little hormones.
Great. I’ll see you at Sports Crush in about an hour.
Julie hesitated, then typed:
Okay.
She set her phone down and hurried toward the shower. She was just helping a friend out. No big deal. Which was why she showered, blow-dried her hair straight, splashed on some makeup—just enough to wake up her complexion—and wore her tight jeans, the ones that made her butt rival a Victoria Secret model’s, according to Val. An hour later, Julie walked into Seaside’s local sporting goods store and glanced around.
“Julie?” a familiar voice called from behind her.
Julie whirled and smiled brightly at one of her yoga students. “Hey, Rose. How are you?”
Rose returned her smile easily. Just looking at her, you wouldn’t know she was dealing with any of the stress that came from returning home from combat. You wouldn’t even know she was a Marine, dressed in a fitted pink polo shirt and a casual pair of dark jeans. Her hair was pulled back in a soft ponytail and she had makeup subtly accenting her Asian features. “I’m so glad I ran into you. I’ve been meaning to tell you how much I’m enjoying your class,” Rose said. “It’s really helping me. I feel calmer and refreshed lately.”
“And it’s only been two weeks.” Julie loved knowing she was doing something good for someone. Her ex had always discounted yoga. It was lazy exercise, he used to say, even as she sweated harder during a one-hour class than she did during one hour of lifting weights.
“I hope you’ll continue teaching the class after the month is up.”
Julie shrugged. “I hope they invite me to continue.”
“Well, I’ll make sure I tell Allison how beneficial it is.”
“That’s very nice of you. Please do.” Julie hugged Rose. It wasn’t Allison who needed convincing, though. It was Mr. Banks. “It was great seeing you,” she said, pulling away.
“You, too.” Rose waved and started walking toward the exit.
Just as one tall, muscular hunk of a man walked in.
She forgot to breathe as she met his warm gaze. Saying yes to meeting him this morning had either been a very bad idea, or the best idea she’d agreed to in a long time. “Hi,” she said, trying to keep her eyes on his face and not on the way his navy blue T-shirt hugged his sculpted chest. He was dressed in faded blue jeans that were just loose enough to leave too much to her overactive imagination.
“Hey,” he said. “Thanks for agreeing to help me.”
She shoved her hands in her pockets as she stepped closer to him. “No problem. I needed motivation to drag myself out of bed this morning anyway.”
“Out of bed?” He lifted a brow. “You’re one of those late sleepers on the weekends, huh?” A charming smile swept across his face and swept her off her feet at the same time.
“It was a busy week. And your niece is quite the ball of energy.”
Lawson nodded in agreement as they headed down the aisle. “Don’t I know it. So, if I’m going to be a yogi, I need the right clothes.”
Julie nodded. As much as she liked seeing his loose-fitted clothes drape around him, giving her glimpses of his body that she had no business seeing, she also wouldn’t mind seeing him in the more fitted stuff. She walked to a rack and started pulling things off, holding them up to him. “How about this?”
He looked down and grimaced slightly.
“What?” she asked.
“I was just hoping for something a little more…” His head wobbled back and forth. “I don’t know. A little more manly, I guess.”
This made her laugh. “This is very manly, I’ll have you know.”
“Yeah?” he asked, grinning at her. “I thought I was the man here. My man-card will definitely be in jeopardy if I wear that out in public.”
Julie placed her hands on her hips, snatching the outfit back toward her body. “You still owe me so, sorry, but you’re buying this.”
Lawson’s mouth fell open. “I thought we were even since I got you a paying job in Seaside.”
She considered this, but shook her head. “It’s just a part-time job. And after the way you acted during my first yoga class, you’ll owe me for a long,longtime.”
