Page 24 of Saving Grace

She holds me at arm’s length and tilts her head, her lips pressed together. “Tell me three things you can see.”

“I’m okay, it worked.”

“Three things you can see, Mackinlay Rawlins.”

I sigh. “Adds pacin’.” I turn toward the kitchen. “A mess... and...” My gaze catches on Grace. She’s wringing her hands through the hem of her shirt, her breathing shallow, her face twisted with something like worry. She steps toward us, tentatively. “Grace, I see Grace.”

“Do you?” Adds mutters, glancing at me, her face pulled into a frown.

Okay . . .

Silence floods in, followed by white noise. Addy doesn’t say anything else. Rubes drops her gaze to the floor. Grace presses a hand over her mouth and turns back, heading for the kitchen. I push from the sofa. All of a sudden, it’s the last place I wanna be.

My body aches from minutes of rigidity, and I stretch my legs and hobble down the hallway on one crutch. I’m out the back door and in the middle of the yard in no time. Hip and leg aching, I lower myself to the log seat by the firepit that’s currently all cold ash and half-burnt logs.

Ruby walks from the back door and comes to stand in front of me. “You have five minutes to feel sorry for yourself, then we’re doing yoga.”

“Not likely, Rubes.”

“I wasn’t askin’, Mackinlay.” She even fucking winks at me.

Sweet Jesus.

I rub my hands over my face.

Fine. Whatever.

Five minutes.

I finally drag my sorry ass back inside. Four yoga mats are laid out on the floor of the living room. The girls have changed into fitted exercise clothes, and Grace appears from her room in something that is obviously Ruby’s. A pair of fitted dark grey activewear bike shorts and a sky-blue singlet flowing over a navy sports bra.

An arm drapes over my shoulders. Strawberries close in around me. Rubes.

“See, told you yoga is a good idea.” Rubes dots a kiss to my cheek. Grace stares at the two of us, and heat floods my cheeks.God dammit, Ruby.I bat her away and she chuckles, lowering herself onto a mat, patting the one beside her. Addy takes the one on the other side. The only one that’s left is one in front of where I now stand awkwardly.

Grace walks over and sits, cross-legged. She drags her hair to one side of her neck and runs her fingers through it as she works it into a plait. Is she leading the group or something?

“Okay, so the best positions for flexibility and gaining strength are the following.” Grace flexes, her gaze alternating between me and the girls. By the crimson flushing over her neck and chest, she is about as comfortable with this as I am. And when she tangles herself into a pretzel, legs crossed over each other and arm over her head, I shake my head.

“Did you want to try, Mackinlay?” she asks. “Just try this side stretch.” She stands and puts one foot in front of the other and bends down like a chicken pecking seed from the ground.

“Go on.” Ruby prods my side with a finger.

I roll my eyes at her and scramble onto all fours and push to my feet precariously. Adds offers up a hand and I take it on my right. Ruby’s hand appears to my left, and I slap mine over hers. I wobble on my feet as I push one forward and try to lean down. Fire rips through my hip. I hiss at the pain that follows.

“Only hold it for as long as you can.” Grace watches me. Her breaths have quickened. I drag my eyes from her to the ground, trying not to breathe her in. Not wanting to fuel the need that already sparked seeing her in those clothes. Those poses. This damn close.

“Great, that’s enough,” she says. Her hand rests on my shoulder as she shuffles closer on her knees. Her scent, the vanilla and peaches I have been trying to block out from the day she arrived here, swallows me whole. I lose my balance and slump to the ground.

“Fuck,” I grunt and settle myself on my seat, not daring to meet her gaze.

“That’s okay, you did great,” Grace says, offering me a shy smile.

“No, I fuckin’ didn’t. Don’t bother tryin’ to placate me. Lying doesn’t suit you.”

“Mack, you know I love you, right?” Ruby says. Her face is stone. “But you talk to her like that again, and I will add more hurt to your long list of injuries.”

Adds scoffs, hiding a smile.

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