Read Online Hometown Hero (Hometown Alaska Men Book 2) by Joleen James - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joleen James
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go?"
"Great." She smiled. "I’m going to teach a tap class, and two dance aerobics classes. Liv is going to let me do all new choreography. She thinks my dance background will be good for business."
"That's wonderful," Rick said, meaning it.
She settled back against the sofa. "I know. Liv is a life saver." She turned her head to the side to look at him. "You were right. She said I had a dark brownish aura yesterday, but today my aura was pink, bright with light."
He grinned, leaning his own head against the sofa. Being with her, right now at this moment felt easy, right. "Well, the place is called Karma Fitness."
Tawney smiled, closing her eyes again. "I don't care what it's called, I love it."
"Hmm." Rick relaxed into her sofa. "Tell me something good about Vegas, about Nevada. You must have one great memory."
"Gosh, I don't know? Maybe the day I left. That was great." She smiled.
"Come on," he coaxed, wanting to hear something good about her life. He hated that he might have driven her into moving to a place she hated, into a lifestyle she'd never wanted. "You must have one good memory."
She pursed her lips together. "Hmm. I saw wild mustangs once. They ran in a group, their heads thrown back, as if to say no one can tame me. Such raw spirit. God, I'd never seen anything so beautiful."
Her eyes were closed, her face softened by the memory of the mustangs.
"Sounds wonderful."
She seemed to melt into the corner of the sofa, her head on her arm, her legs curled up under her.
She smiled. "Those horses were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."
Suddenly the need to make things right with her overwhelmed him. "I'm sorry that I left you at the altar," he said. "It wasn't you. I was a total selfish jerk."
"Wow, an apology." She studied him, looking for what, he had no clue. "I'm over it. We're good."
He knew he should leave but didn't want to end this moment with her. He'd waited a long time to deliver his apology, and she'd accepted the apology so easily. He'd expected her to act wounded, hurt—maybe even argue with him or hurl insults. Instead, she'd reacted with grace and class. Maybe the tequila had mellowed her.
Her eyes were closed again.
He didn't know what to think about her anymore. Who was Tawney O'Hara? She had a lot of layers, and he wanted to discover every one of them.
Rick gave into fatigue and shut his eyes. The ache in his bones eased. He listened to his breath, to Tawney's breath. The silence stretched between them, a good kind of quiet.
He thought of the mustangs, wild, free. Sleep claimed him. Horses. Running. Falling. The hit to his mouth. Blood.
Rick jerked awake.
Had he just cried out? The dream had been vivid, real to the point he could feel ropes cutting into his wrists, feel his own teeth swimming loose in his mouth, taste the unforgettable metallic tang of his blood. He blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair, shaking off the dream.
Beside him, Tawney shifted. Her feet slid off the sofa and onto the floor.
They'd fallen asleep. That would teach him to take two shots of tequila when he was tired. He blinked, waiting for the dream to totally fade. His breathing slowed, his focus turned to Tawney.
Man, she was so beautiful, no doubt about that.
Tawney stirred. Her eyes fluttered open. "Rick?" Her voice was husky with sleep, sexy.
His body roared to life in places it shouldn't. "We fell asleep."
She ran a hand through her tousled hair. "Oh no, I'm sorry. Tequila."
"Don't be sorry," he said. "Aside from the crick in my neck, no harm done."
"Ugh," she groaned as she sat up. "What time is it?"
He located his phone. "Seven."
"Okay. Plenty of time before my first class." She smiled, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.
"And plenty of time for me to go home and get a little more sleep." He stood, stretching. "Don't remember the last time I slept sitting up."
"Me either." Tawney rose. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? After all, you did come to my rescue
"Great." She smiled. "I’m going to teach a tap class, and two dance aerobics classes. Liv is going to let me do all new choreography. She thinks my dance background will be good for business."
"That's wonderful," Rick said, meaning it.
She settled back against the sofa. "I know. Liv is a life saver." She turned her head to the side to look at him. "You were right. She said I had a dark brownish aura yesterday, but today my aura was pink, bright with light."
He grinned, leaning his own head against the sofa. Being with her, right now at this moment felt easy, right. "Well, the place is called Karma Fitness."
Tawney smiled, closing her eyes again. "I don't care what it's called, I love it."
"Hmm." Rick relaxed into her sofa. "Tell me something good about Vegas, about Nevada. You must have one great memory."
"Gosh, I don't know? Maybe the day I left. That was great." She smiled.
"Come on," he coaxed, wanting to hear something good about her life. He hated that he might have driven her into moving to a place she hated, into a lifestyle she'd never wanted. "You must have one good memory."
She pursed her lips together. "Hmm. I saw wild mustangs once. They ran in a group, their heads thrown back, as if to say no one can tame me. Such raw spirit. God, I'd never seen anything so beautiful."
Her eyes were closed, her face softened by the memory of the mustangs.
"Sounds wonderful."
She seemed to melt into the corner of the sofa, her head on her arm, her legs curled up under her.
She smiled. "Those horses were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen."
Suddenly the need to make things right with her overwhelmed him. "I'm sorry that I left you at the altar," he said. "It wasn't you. I was a total selfish jerk."
"Wow, an apology." She studied him, looking for what, he had no clue. "I'm over it. We're good."
He knew he should leave but didn't want to end this moment with her. He'd waited a long time to deliver his apology, and she'd accepted the apology so easily. He'd expected her to act wounded, hurt—maybe even argue with him or hurl insults. Instead, she'd reacted with grace and class. Maybe the tequila had mellowed her.
Her eyes were closed again.
He didn't know what to think about her anymore. Who was Tawney O'Hara? She had a lot of layers, and he wanted to discover every one of them.
Rick gave into fatigue and shut his eyes. The ache in his bones eased. He listened to his breath, to Tawney's breath. The silence stretched between them, a good kind of quiet.
He thought of the mustangs, wild, free. Sleep claimed him. Horses. Running. Falling. The hit to his mouth. Blood.
Rick jerked awake.
Had he just cried out? The dream had been vivid, real to the point he could feel ropes cutting into his wrists, feel his own teeth swimming loose in his mouth, taste the unforgettable metallic tang of his blood. He blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair, shaking off the dream.
Beside him, Tawney shifted. Her feet slid off the sofa and onto the floor.
They'd fallen asleep. That would teach him to take two shots of tequila when he was tired. He blinked, waiting for the dream to totally fade. His breathing slowed, his focus turned to Tawney.
Man, she was so beautiful, no doubt about that.
Tawney stirred. Her eyes fluttered open. "Rick?" Her voice was husky with sleep, sexy.
His body roared to life in places it shouldn't. "We fell asleep."
She ran a hand through her tousled hair. "Oh no, I'm sorry. Tequila."
"Don't be sorry," he said. "Aside from the crick in my neck, no harm done."
"Ugh," she groaned as she sat up. "What time is it?"
He located his phone. "Seven."
"Okay. Plenty of time before my first class." She smiled, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.
"And plenty of time for me to go home and get a little more sleep." He stood, stretching. "Don't remember the last time I slept sitting up."
"Me either." Tawney rose. "Can I get you anything? Coffee? After all, you did come to my rescue
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