Page 87 of Unraveling Rain
Right before class begins, two girls rush in.
“We’re so sorry. Any space left?” one of them asks breathlessly.
I do a double-take. One of them is the same girl River couldn’t take his eyes off at the bar the other night.
Daisy beams. “Yes, of course. I think there are a couple of empty mats in the back.”
They nod and head that way. I hear one of them whisper as they pass, “So sorry. We’re new in town and found out about this twenty minutes ago.”
Ah. That explains why the MacAllisters didn’t recognize them.
Daisy gets into position and turns on her hands-free microphone. “We’re going to start with a few deep breaths. Inhale—think about all the things you want to welcome into your life. Exhale—let go of all the things that are holding you down.”
I close my eyes, following her lead. Inhale. Exhale. Focus. My body feels energized, grounded.
She continues guiding us through the poses. “With this mountain pose, we’re enhancing stability and inner strength. Stretch those arms. And don’t forget to breathe.”
As we work through each pose, I become increasingly aware of my body—my strength, my balance, the power I’ve regained. Sprinkle eventually gets bored of headbutting my leg and wanders off, giving me a moment of peace.
Until I lower into downward dog.
I hear the scampering before I feel it—Sprinkle launches herself onto my ass. I bite down a laugh. Iknewthis was going to happen. Maybe Granny’s psychic powers are rubbing off on me.
“I wish I had my phone,” Rain whispers. “You look so cool with Sprinkle there.”
I glance at her over my shoulder, and her delighted expression makes everything worth it.
“Maybe you’ll get lucky, and I’ll pose again later for the photo op,” I tease with a wink. She snickers.
I shake my head and refocus, taking another steadying breath.
By the end of class, I’ve stretched muscles I forgot I had. A few poses tested my shoulder, but I handled them. Pain-free. Iamready to get back on the ice.
“This was incredible. Thank you all for coming today,” Daisy says.
Applause breaks out. People linger, chatting and playing with the goats.
As I head to grab our water, the two girls from earlier approach.
“You did great back there,” one says, batting her lashes. “Was this your first time?”
She’s pretty—big brown eyes, long black hair—but I barely register her. I only have eyes for one woman now.
“Thanks,” I say, taking a drink. “Yeah, this was my first time. My girlfriend suggested we do it, and believe it or not, I enjoyed it.”
Her smile dims a little, and her friend jumps in. “That’s great. We just moved here—working at Valley Vista Farm.”
I nod, pretending I know where that is. Then I feel an arm slide around my waist, and I smile instantly. Rain, sweaty and gorgeous, presses into me. It’s a sensation I never thought I’d crave, but here we are.
“Hello, I’m Rain MacAllister. And this is my boyfriend, Xander,” she says, voice friendly but firm.
I chuckle but mask it with a long sip of water. I pass Rain her jug, and with my now-free hand, I wrap my arm around her shoulders.
The girls blink at us for a few beats. Then the one River was eyeing speaks up. “Oh—hi. Sorry. I’m Carly, and this is my sister Mia.”
Rain gives apolite wave. I nod.
“We just moved from Texas,” Carly says. “We were just telling your boyfriend we’re working over at Valley Vista.”
