Fall Into Temptation (Blue Moon Book #2)(60)

Summer, in a cozy cowl neck sweater and leggings, sat behind a desk of reclaimed wood angled out from the corner to get a good look out the large window. Bookcases in white wood were built in over the shiplap and a large flat screen TV hung in front of a long, counter-height table of the same wood as Summer’s desk. Instead of chairs, six bar stools with graceful metal legs surrounded the table.

“Oh, good! You’re here,” Summer said by way of a greeting. “What do you think of the layout for the website?”

She clicked a button and the TV screen on the wall lit up.

Gia moved closer to examine it.

She could hear Summer’s pen tapping a frantic beat on her desk.

The design was clean, light. Large stock photos representing features rotated in and out on the home screen.

The navigation menu reminded Gia of the colorful chalkboard menus in coffee shops and juice bars.

She turned, grinned. “It’s perfect. The whole thing says healthy and happy in a really clean way. What are you doing about photography?”

Summer drummed a slower beat on her desk. “My friend and brilliant photographer Niko is coming in for the wedding and I’m hoping to abscond his services for a day or two and convince him to contribute. I’ve got most of the January features nailed down, and some of those will need freelancer art. The rest we can pay for stock art.”

“How can I help?” Gia asked.

“I wanted to talk to you about a thirty-day yoga challenge idea.”

“Are you thinking about releasing it in one big chunk, one pose at a time, or amp up the difficulty as the month wears on?”

Summer pointed her pen at Gia. “I knew I was a genius when I hired you! I like the amping up the difficulty as the month goes on. Why don’t you take a stab at it and we’ll look at it next week? Then we can have Niko shoot you when he’s here. Stills and video, I think.”

“Shoot me? Wouldn’t it be better with a model?”

Summer leveled her gaze at her. “Gia, where are we going to find a model who’s as good at yoga as you are? You are the expert. Plus, you’re gorgeous.”

Gia fanned herself. “Fine, twist my arm with compliments. I’ll start with a handful of basic poses and then as it progresses I’ll add more to it. Modifications, holding the poses longer, adding in more difficult postures. And then at the end we can have a full class that readers can watch online.”

Summer nodded. “I love it. I think that’s perfect. Moving on!”

She stood up and herded Gia toward another workstation. “This is yours,” she said. “Given your boundless energy, Carter designed it to go from normal height to standing.”

“You guys made me a desk?” Gia clasped her hands together over her heart.

“I may be a horrible boss, but I wouldn’t make you work on the floor,” Summer teased. “Now listen, you already have a Thrive email account set up and I’ve sent you all the drafts for the features that are done. I need you to give the piece on family-based new year’s resolutions an extra good look because these hormones have me sobbing every time in the first paragraph.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” Gia said, giving her a mock salute.

“And when you’re done with that I need some ideas for health-ish features for February and March. And help yourself to coffee and water,” she said pointing at the counter and cabinets on the far wall.

Gia settled herself at the wide expanse of varnished wood and went to work.

For two hours, she focused on the article drafts first, while making notes on ideas for future pieces. Summer took and made several calls, including one to her friend Niko.

Gia’s phone signaled and she opened the pictures Carter sent her. Aurora, in a pink helmet, grinning from the back of a white and gray pony that Joey led around the ring. Then Evan looking so serious while he walked around the ring on a larger bay.

They were growing up so fast, Gia sighed. She remembered the six-year-old little boy who had introduced her to his teddy bear when she met him. And it was hard to reconcile the squalling infant with the little redhead who now feared nothing.

Family. It was the heart and soul of everything. And here in Blue Moon her family was thriving.

Summer pushed her chair away from her desk and stretched. “Okay, enough sitting.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Want to walk over to the stables? And then we can find lunch. Lots and lots of lunch.”

“Babies hungry?” Gia laughed, packing up her notes and slipping them into her bag.

“Starving. All the time,” Summer rolled her eyes.

“Good, because I brought massive quantities of eggplant parm with us,” Gia told her.

Summer shot her fist into the air. “Yes! And we have about a gallon of vegetable soup left. Let’s haul ass to the stables and forcibly drag everyone back to the house for lunch.”

Gia reached into her bag and pulled out a granola bar. “How about a snack for the road?”

She snatched it out of her hand. “Bless you. Bless you!”

Summer snacked while they headed around the barn on the beaten dirt path toward the stables. “Oh, hey, listen,” Summer said, with a mouthful of almond butter and craisins. “The dresses are done and ready for fittings. Can you go with us next weekend?”

“Oh, um. I’d have to see about the kids,” she said. Guilt crept in. She already had Carter and Joey watching them today. And her father and Phoebe had taken Aurora last weekend. Not to mention that she depended on Evan to watch Aurora on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. They were her kids, her responsibility.