Page 46 of Welcome Home, Cowboy
“I brought a friend today. I hope that’s okay,” Rose said.
“Of course it is. The more the merrier.” And the more likely that Julie would get to continue offering the class. Even if she had to offer it for free indefinitely, she would. What she was doing here was making a difference. She could feel it. “Is everyone ready?” she asked.
All eyes focused on her. She wasn’t usually someone who liked having all the attention—thus the reason she bombed most interviews—but when it came to leading a class, being front and center didn’t bother her. She lengthened her spine and rested her hands on her knees.
Then she saw someone walk in from the corner of her eye. Her nerves immediately frayed. Mr. Banks was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt with the sleeves cut off. He tipped his head at her as he walked to the stack of yoga mats in the back of the room and grabbed one. Then he made his way to an open space on the floor and mimicked her current pose.
Oh, geez.
Julie didn’t move a muscle for a long moment. She couldn’t. Fear had her paralyzed. What if tonight went badly? Her program would be terminated. Her dream of passing on her passion would be stomped out, and her ex would be right. Nothing she did mattered. She was small and insignificant.
Her gaze bounced around the room, finally landing on Lawson. She took a breath, then another. His gaze was steady, reassuring. She could do this. She wasn’t small and insignificant. She was strong. Yoga mattered.Shemattered.
“Okay, everyone. Breathe in for a count of four.” Her spine lengthened as she took in a long breath and held it for four seconds, needing this exercise more than ever. She signaled for the class to exhale as she did the same. Even Mr. Banks. Maybe having him here wasn’t a disaster after all. He could see for himself all the good she was doing.
“Great. Now let’s move into Child’s Pose, making sure we continue to breathe,” she said. She didn’t even have to demonstrate. Most of the people in the class had come several times. They knew the positions for the basic poses. “Breathe in as you hold the position. As you do, pick just one thing from the day that you want to get rid of. Focus on it for a count of four. Then we’re going to release and let go. Get rid of it.” They all exhaled in unison. “Good. This is something you can do at home,” she said. “Getting rid of the day’s stressors always helps me sleep better. I breathe it in, hold it, then breathe it out. Release and let go.” Which was what she was trying her best to do right now.
She glanced over at Lawson on his personal blue mat. He was wearing the fitted shirt she’d picked out for him. As he stretched his arms out in front of him in Child’s Pose, his taut muscles popped and rippled, making her worry shift into yearning. She’d had to do a lot of releasing and letting go after she’d left on Saturday night. Not that she’d wanted to get rid of the moment, but she’d had a hard time sleeping after she’d gone home. She’d breathed in and released her thoughts about what could’ve happened if they’d had just one condom. Then she’d breathed in and let go of the fact that her body wasn’t quite satisfied and wouldn’t be until they finished what they’d started.Reallyfinished.
Centering her thoughts, she led the group through several familiar poses before introducing something new. She hesitated to teach a new pose because the familiar was going so well. And if Mr. Banks was in her class, sheneededthings to go well. She didn’t want his presence to change her plans, though. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward as if the stumpy older man wasn’t in the room.
“This is the Camel Pose,” she told the group. “Watch me first, then we’ll do it together.” She stood on her knees and arched her neck and body back, letting her hands move from her hips to fall by her sides toward the floor. She released her head back to look behind her and held the pose for a long moment, allowing it to melt away her tension. Coming back to center a moment later, she looked at the class again, focusing on Lawson. “Your turn.” She watched as everyone mimicked her earlier moves. “I love this position because it opens up your chest and supports deep breathing.” She stood and began to walk around, checking to make sure that everyone was doing the position correctly. “Just go as far as you’re comfortable going. We’re not trying to hurt ourselves. You should be leaving this room tonight feeling lighter. Calmer.”
She tried not to look at Mr. Banks. Instead, she headed to Lawson. “Let your body sink further back with each breath.” She audibly breathed in, cuing him to do the same. Reaching out, she touched his chest, partly because she just wanted to touch him. His muscles softened under her hand. When he returned to center, he met her gaze, holding it for a moment, silently exchanging an affirmation that she could do this. This was nothing compared to other things she’d done in her life. He was right.
“Let’s do it one more time,” she said, removing her hand from his body. She headed to her newest student, who was arched awkwardly on his mat. Mr. Banks had skinny legs, in contrast to his wider midsection—a midsection that was throwing off his balance. As a result, his neck was tense, doing all the work to keep his body from falling backward.
“Relax,” she said, laying a hand on his shoulder for a moment. Then she moved his hands to his waist and tipped his elbows behind his body, altering the pose, but balancing his weight. “There. That’s better. Don’t forget to breathe,” she said, noticing that he was holding his breath to the point that his face was flushed. His teeth were also clenched tightly, trying to do the work of his body. What he wouldn’t give to be lifting barbells right about now, she guessed.
“Breath goes in through your nose.” She demonstrated for him, pulling air into her body through her nostrils. “Now hold it…And release.” She blew the air out of her mouth. “Okay, back to center, everyone.”
She headed back to the front of the class, then froze at the sharp cry of pain behind her. Turning back around, she saw Mr. Banks with his hand on his back. He was leaning forward now, a heavy grimace on his face. “Mr. Banks, what’s wrong?”
“My back,” he ground out. “I think I pulled my back.”
Chapter 13
Lawson helped Mr. Banks stand, wrapping an arm around his waist. “I’ve got you, sir. Lean your weight into me.”
The older man groaned in pain.
This was not good. Lawson’s gaze slid to Julie standing a few feet away. She looked like someone had just run over her puppy, which yeah, they kind of had. She was really invested in making this yoga class work. He suspected it was as much to help the military community as it was to help herself get past whatever demons she was fighting.
“I’ve got him,” he told her. “I’ll take him to the emergency room.”
“I’ll go with you.” She took a step toward them.
“No! You stay away from me!” Mr. Banks ordered, barely able to open his eyes.
Julie blinked. All Lawson wanted to do was take her in his arms and hold her. Someone needed to. “Okay,” she said softly. “I hope you feel better, Mr. Banks.”
Lawson eased Mr. Banks out the door and toward his truck in the parking lot. Once Mr. Banks was seated, he drove toward Seaside Medical. “You were trying too hard,” he said, his growing resentment seeping through in his voice. “To prove to Julie that yoga was easy. It’s not.” His jaw tightened as he remembered the wounded look on Julie’s face just now.
Mr. Banks glanced over. “Are you saying this is my fault?”
“Yes, sir. That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Lawson kept his eyes on the road.
Silence rode in the truck between them. Lawson didn’t mind. Mr. Banks had no power over him; he needed him if he expected to get out of this truck and make it into the ER where he’d probably be given a couple of muscle relaxers and feel better in the morning. Lawson wasn’t so sure there was a magic pill to take away Julie’s misery tonight, though.
