Sisters by Choice (Blackberry Island #4)(22)

“Where’s the class?” she asked.

“Down by the water.”

“It’s outside? Why?”

“Because it’s beautiful.”

“We live in the Pacific Northwest where it’s cold and rainy eighty percent of the time. Are you telling me you do Tai Chi outside in the cold and rain?”

“It centers the mind.”

“It also gives you pneumonia.” Sophie was liking this whole thing less and less. “I’m taking my own car.”

“So you can leave in the middle?”

“Did I say that?”

“You didn’t have to.”

“You think you know everything.”

Kristine smiled. “That’s because I do.”

They drove to the park by the beach. Despite the early hour and the lingering taste of the protein drink, Sophie found herself enjoying the view along the coast. She could see the peninsula across the Sound and a ferry making its way from Bainbridge to Seattle. By the time they reached the park, she was almost perky.

Sophie pulled her car in next to Kristine’s and was surprised by the number of other vehicles there. Apparently, the crazy was contagious. She got out and looked around, realizing it was one of those rare clear spring mornings. The Sound was calm, the air still. It was probably only forty-five degrees, but still beautiful.

She took a second to look around at the lapping water, the rise of the island to the east, the lazy circling seagulls and the Puget Sound cranes in the distance.

“This is nice,” she said. “Very calming.”

“See.” Kristine nodded toward an approaching pickup truck. “And it’s about to get better.”

At first Sophie had no idea what she meant until the truck parked and the driver’s door opened. The guy who emerged was gorgeous. Seriously. Dark blond curly hair, piercing blue eyes and a body that was better than perfect. Sophie felt her mouth drop open and couldn’t find it in her to care.

“Told you so,” Kristine said as she walked past her. “And you’re welcome.”

Sophie hurried to catch up to her. “So it’s not about exercise at all. It’s about a show. Why didn’t you say that?”

“You wouldn’t have believed me.”

“I’m a believer now, sister. I believe. What’s his name?”

Kristine sighed. “You really don’t listen to me when I talk, do you? He’s Dugan and from what we can tell, he’s single. Just in case that sort of thing interests you.”

“It really might.”

But as everyone lined up in rows for class to begin, she saw she wasn’t the only one who noticed the fineness of their instructor. In fact, everyone there was a woman and most of them were ogling Dugan with undisguised hunger. Well, damn. She hated being part of a crowd.

“Good morning,” Dugan said, his voice low and sexy.

“Good morning,” the women said.

He led them through several breathing exercises then moved into what Sophie assumed was Tai Chi but honestly was just a bunch of arm waving and awkward shifts of weight with controlled breathing.

“We draw in the ocean,” he said, pulling his arms toward him. “We push the ocean away.”

“Does he know the ocean does that all by itself?” Sophie asked her cousin. “It’s called the tide.”

“Shh. Focus.”

Sophie did her best. She breathed when told, moved her arms and tried to follow the steps. It was all just so slow and meaningful. She could have unloaded a couple dozen boxes by now. And used her new forklift. And checked orders and who knew what. Slow, slow, slow.

When she felt herself getting restless, she turned her attention back to Dugan. He sure was pretty, she thought absently. He must work out a lot to get shoulders and arms like that. Given the fact that the Lord gaveth and tooketh away in equal measure, she could only assume he had the IQ of a tree stump but that was okay. Sometimes pretty was plenty.

There was more ocean pushing and some pulling and waving. Sophie got totally lost in the sequence and simply stood in place. Dugan looked at her, his blue eyes locking with hers.

She’d looked at men before. She’d been married and everything, but there was something different about Dugan’s gaze. Something...intense. Or compelling. Or maybe he was nearsighted and she was blurry. Whatever the cause, she felt the attention clear down to her toes. Heat burned through her and she had the sudden urge to walk up to him and kiss him—right there in Tai Chi class.

But she didn’t and he turned away and then she was standing on the edge of the beach on a Sunday morning when she could have been sleeping.

When the class ended, some of the women left right away but a fair number gathered around him. He spoke to each of them, smiling and laughing, but keeping his distance, physically and emotionally. From what Sophie could tell, he didn’t have anything going on with any of the ladies of Blackberry Island. At least not with the ones who came to his class.

Kristine waited until everyone else was gone before walking up to Dugan.

“Good session,” she said.

“Thank you. Your form is excellent. You’ve come a long way.”

“It’s all about focus, balance and breathing.”

“That’s right.”

Kristine motioned to Sophie. “This is my cousin.”