Page 64 of Behind the Bench

“Damn, girl, I could call you Martha Stewart. It smells heavenly in here right now.”

Sadie takes off her purple oven mitts, which are covered in goofy-looking goats, and sets them on the counter. She leans back against the counter, looking both exhausted and beautiful. “I’ve been on my feet for hours but, damn, did I kill it today. I made a peanut butter pie, a pecan pie, and two pumpkin pies for tomorrow.”

“You sure you want to stick to the whole yoga thing? You could make a fortune selling this stuff.”

She waves me off before sitting down on the stool next to me. “Baking is something I do for fun. I don’t want to lose the joy by turning it into a business.” She gnaws at her bottom lip after she says it. She seems nervous, which is definitely not like her.

“What’s going on? You’re gonna put a hole in your lip if you keep gnawing at it like that.”

Sadie sits up straight and turns so she’s facing me directly.

Okay, this seems serious. I turn and face her, giving her my full attention.

“The yoga studio is closing. There was too much water damage from the pipes bursting. So, basically, I’m unemployed. That’s what I didn’t want to tell you the other day when I was avoiding my phone,” she blurts out in one breath.

Without thinking, I reach over and wrap my arms around her. “I’m so sorry, Sadie. I know you loved it there. Any idea what you’re going to do?”

Pulling back, I notice a tear running down her cheek but she quickly swipes it away. “I don’t know why I’m so emotional. It’s not the end of the world, but it kind of feels like it right now. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. It’s not like there’s a bunch of yoga studios popping up all over the place these days.”

I grab her hand and give it a little squeeze. “You don’t need to figure it out right this second. You can stay here as long as you need to.” She nods but I can tell she’s not convinced. “Hey, maybe this is a good thing. It’ll give you time to figure out what you want to do. Hell, you could open your own studio here. Downtown doesn’t have anything like that right now.”

This idea seems to perk her right up. “You sure you don’t mind me staying here? How are you supposed to get it on with your hottie head coach if I’m in the next room?”

Well, damn, I didn’t really think about that. But my sex life is nowhere near as important as Sadie is. She should know that. “Lincoln has a perfectly fine apartment we can use for our sextracurricular activities,” I say as I waggle my brows.

Sadie howls with laughter and reaches over me to hug me. “Thank you, Ellie. I kind of love your idea of opening my own studio. But I promise I’ll find a job so I can at least pay you some rent while I’m figuring out my shit.”

I wave her off as I stand up and make my way to the pantry. This bread isn’t going to rip itself apart. “Don’t worryabout the money, Sadie. I want you to save every penny so you have a nest egg.ButI wouldn’t be opposed to your help prepping this stuffing.” I set six loaves of white bread onto the counter and put my hands on my hips. “What do you say?”

Sadie leaps off her stool and grabs two loaves of bread. “You got yourself a deal, Coach Montgomery.”

It’s just after noon when Sadie and I pull up to Niko’s house for Thanksgiving, andholy shitthis place is immaculate.

He lives on the outskirts of the city where it’s a bit more rural and his house sits alone at the end of his street, surrounded by acres of land. It has a modern farmhouse-type feel to it—white with black trim and windows, and the pillars on his wrap-around porch are stained a dark wood. Off to the side of the house it looks like a small guest or pool house, and behind that sits an outdoor hockey rink. It’s absolutely breathtaking.

Both Sadie and I stand just outside my car, mouths gaping at the beauty in front of us. We stand there speechless for far too long and a car door closing snaps us back into reality. I look over my shoulder to see Lincoln.

My heart skips a beat and I’m no longer gaping at the house. Instead, I’m gaping at the tall drink of water walking toward me. He is mouth-wateringly handsome today. He’s dressed casually in a pair of dark jeans that hug his muscular thighs and ass just right. On top, he’s wearing a thick, dark blue button-down with brown cuffs and collar. Over his button-down he’s wearing a brown Carhartt vest that matches his collar perfectly. The scruff on his face has me wishing he was between my legs giving me a beard burn right about now.

It may be cold enough to see our breath out here, but I’mfanning myself as he walks up to greet us. “Hey,” he says in a low rasp that sends chills down my spine.

I do my best to sound unaffected by his presence, but fail miserably as a high-pitched “Hi” comes out of my mouth.

Sadie laughs next to me and I give her a quick elbow to her side. “Ouch! Don’t be mad at me. I’m not the one leaving you breathless and making you all squeaky.”

I scowl at her, but she just smiles before skipping her way to the house. Lincoln and I walk side by side until we reach the front door. Sadie rings the doorbell, and I find myself bouncing with nerves.

Pull yourself together, Ellie. This is fine. It is normal. We’re just two coworkers who are going to enjoy a nice meal with our team. Nothing more.

I feel Lincoln before I hear him as he leans in and whispers, “You look gorgeous, Coach.”

With my heart in a puddle on the floor, I turn to look at him and find him grinning. It comes out in a whisper but I finally manage to nod and say, “Thank you.”

He seems more than satisfied with the effect he has on me and his cocky grin has me pulling my shit together. My eyes work their way up and down his body. He seems to enjoy my attention, licking his lips and doing the same to me.

I gotta knock him down a peg so even though he has me basically drooling I bite back, “You don’t look so bad yourself, Lincoln. You fit in real nice here in the country. Forget your cowboy boots at home?”

Sadie looks back at me shaking her head and mouthing something to me. I think she says, “you’re so bad,” but I can’t be sure. I simply shrug my shoulders and thank the heavens when Niko answers the door before Lincoln can snap back at me.

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