He said he’d be happy to talk to her outside of class. I saw the flash of disappointment she quickly covered before moving to the next stretch.
I was relieved he’d reined her in. I didn’t want to listen to her flirt with him any longer.
After the warm-up, we moved into pairs to practice our kicks. The older man held out a paddle in front of him. Before I landed my first kick, hands landed on my shoulder. “Let’s see your fighting stance first.”
I shifted on my feet trying to remember what Cade had shown me the other day.
“Good. Do ten sweeps.” Cade stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, his arms crossed over his chest.
My palms felt sweaty even though they were fisted tight in the proper stance as I lifted my leg to punch the paddle. The resounding smack was satisfying. As I jumped back into position, I checked Cade’s reaction.
“Where’s your aye?”
“Sorry.” I kicked again, yelling aye. Between the elimination of the word from my mouth and the smack of the paddle, I settled into a good rhythm, barely noticing that Cade was still observing us. When I’d completed ten repetitions, we switched positions.
I held out the paddle to my partner as Cade leaned over so that his words whispered over my ear. “Good job.”
I drew in an unsteady breath at his proximity, his breath hot on my skin. I turned to respond, but he’d already moved onto to other students.
“Are you ready?” my partner asked.
“Sorry.” I braced myself for the impact. I should have worked with Vanessa; her kicks were probably not as strong as this man’s.
At the end of class, Cade approached me. “Did you like it?”
Before answering I took stock of my body—my headache dissipated at some point over the hour, I had an endorphin rush from the work-out, and my chest felt clear. “Yes.”
“Good. How’s your wrist?”
I rubbed it. “It hurts a little.”
“Next time, partner with Vanessa.”
I nodded. We were better matched strength-wise. I didn’t bother to mention she’d probably hate that arrangement.
Chapter Eleven
Hadley
“Hey, are you going out tonight?” Avery asked, stopping by my desk at five p.m. on Friday.
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Well, we could go out if you want.” She looked uncertain. “I don’t have a ton of friends. Most of my friends from high school moved away after graduation. Taylor lives in New Orleans.” She shrugged like it was nothing. “We could go out for dinner, if you want? No big deal if not.” Avery chewed her lower lip.
I usually made friends easily. Since I’d moved, I hadn’t done much besides work, settle in my new apartment, and karate, which I had gone to two more times this week. I’d kept my distance, but I desperately needed a connection here that wasn’t Cade Morrison.
“Sure. I need to go home and change out of my suit, though.”
A relieved smile spread over Avery’s face. “Okay, I’ll send you the address of a restaurant by the water. If we get there after the dinner rush, it shouldn’t be too busy.”
Cade
I had a lot to make up for with Nolan. Now that I was standing in front of the entrance to the restaurant, I wasn’t sure I was ready. Laughter and voices rang through the door as people came and left.
Nolan: Are you going to come in?
I looked through the large glass window to the bar where Nolan sat glass in hand, his brow raised as he watched me. I couldn’t go home, not with him standing there watching me.
I sighed and took the few steps to open the heavy wooden door. I ignored the small hostess stand to my left and headed straight for the empty barstool next to my brother.
“I wasn’t sure you were going to come in.” Nolan’s lips curled in amusement.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I settled into the stool. The last time I was in a bar, it was to see if I could forget about Caroline by being with another woman. It hadn’t worked.
“What can I get you?” The bartender stopped in front of me, bracing his hands on the counter.
“Whatever you have on tap is fine. You pick.” For the most part, I felt like I’d moved forward with my life since Caroline died even though it still felt weird to go out. I couldn’t shake the twinge of guilt.
“I’m happy you’re here,” Nolan said.
I shifted on the stool to face him slightly. My strained relationship with my family was my fault. “I’m trying. I know I haven’t been good company for a long time.”
Nolan nodded in acknowledgment.
I had things to make up for with Nolan and my parents. We were quiet for a few seconds until the bartender slid my beer over to me. “Do you need menus?”
“I’ll have the crab cake sandwich,” Nolan said.
“Me too.”
“Have you made any more progress on the house?” Nolan asked.
“I have. I started ripping out the guest bath upstairs.” Thinking about the progress I’d made in a short time felt good.
“You’re demoing everything at once? How will you live there if it’s all ripped up?”
“I’ll save the master suite for last. I’m the only one living there. It will be fine.”
“It’s not like you cook anyway.”
“That’s true.” I’d eaten a lot of takeout after Caroline died.
“Look.” Nolan tilted his beer to point out two women who were seated a few feet from us at the bar and for a few seconds, it was like before I’d met Caroline and we were hanging out as two young single guys. We’d scope the bar—he’d approach and flirt, while I’d always sit back and assess the situation first.
The memory of who I was before Caroline shook me a little.
