Page 28 of Axe-identally Married
“Yes,” I admitted. “Between the ridiculous hours, the ridiculous number of patients, and the wildly fluctuating days. I’ve spent my life preparing intellectually for this job, but not physically. And having spent so much time with my dad lately, I realize I need to prioritize my own health.”
Dad took care of all the people of Lovewell, but he had no time to do the same for himself. If this was what I would be doing for the next few decades, I needed to get my ass moving.
A wide smile spread across his handsome face. God, now the dimples were popping. Fuck, at this rate I’d be doing push-ups with him at four every morning. I was a sucker for his boyish enthusiasm.
He scratched at his stubble. “You’re kind of awesome. You know that?”
Huh? My chest tightened at the unexpected comment.
“You’re smart and thoughtful. God, I can’t believe I drunkenly married an ambitious doctor in Vegas. How are you so grounded and normal?”
“Me?” I pointed to myself. Normal? I supposed he was right. I was the definition of average. He, on the other hand, was nearlyseven feet tall and a hockey star—clearly not the normal one in this marriage.
He rubbed his hands together, grinning. “Okay, wifey. You go cycle, and then I’ll lead you through my morning mobility circuit. We’ll get you loosened up and get your blood pumping before you spend the day doling out flu shots.”
I couldn’t say no. Not when he was so fit and healthy and I’d revealed my secret gym shame. I guess we were doing this. And something about letting Cole help me get my blood pumping was strangely enticing.
Chapter Ten
Cole
As I settled at the table in the conference room, I took in the space, marveling at how nice it looked these days. Chloe and her team had really turned things around at Hebert Timber. The majority of my dad’s absurd art and furniture was gone, making the office feel like a place where people could actually work.
It was strange for me to be summoned to HQ, but a family meeting had been requested. While my brothers probably wouldn’t notice or care if I didn’t show up, I felt obligated to be here.
I sat back, adjusting in my chair, looking for a comfortable position for my aching body. I was sore and still exhausted from my wild Vegas weekend, a long flight home, and a sleepless night. I hadn’t expected to see Willa up so early this morning, but it was nice to have the company. I’d led her through my mobility circuit, then I’d made a peanut butter mocha protein shake for her using my secret recipe. She’d seemed to like it, which filled me with more pride than I should probably admit.
Teaching her and then feeding her gave me a sense of purpose I hadn’t felt since planning RiverFest.
Like me, she had tight hips, so we laughed our way through crow pose together. On the drive over here, my mind was flooded with workout ideas. It had been so long since I’d had a fitness partner, and she seemed eager to learn. The view of her in those shorts didn’t hurt either. But I had worked hard to keep my eyes off her body.
She was serious, kind, and generous. I couldn’t insult her by ogling her like a piece of meat. She was a hell of a lot more than that. But I was a man, and she was gorgeous, so it wouldn’t be easy.
“Thanks for coming.” Chloe slid into a chair at the head of the table, patting her baby bump and smiling.
I was still wrapping my mind around that bump. Around a lot of things when it came to Gus, really. The revelation that he had been married decades ago and had never told any of us was a big one. Even bigger was that the two of them were together again and they were having a baby.
He seemed happy. Though it wasn’t always easy to tell, since he pretty much scowled all the time, there was a softness in his eyes when he looked at Chloe.
Finn and Adele arrived next, with baby Thor in his bucket seat, and then Jude strode in.
Karl, Chloe’s assistant, set up a laptop and projection screen, then distributed small notebooks and pens. Already, this was far more official than the meetings we’d had in Adele’s sunroom, where half of us had to sit on the floor.
A woman I vaguely recognized from the gym came in next. A friend of Adele’s, if I wasn’t mistaken. She wore jeans and a black blazer and had an air of authority about her. Military posture, slicked-back ponytail, and a blindingly large rock on her finger.
“This is Parker Gagnon,” Gus said.
Karl adjusted the projector, and suddenly, Owen and Lila were on the screen with the view from his office in Boston’s Seaport district behind them.
“Glad you could join us,” Gus continued. “Parker is a private investigator and former state police officer.”
She gave him a head nod.
“We’ve hired her to help us pursue answers,” he explained.
She raised a hand and waved to Owen and Lila. “Thanks, everyone. I asked Gus and Chloe if I could meet with the whole family so I don’t have to repeat any of this information.”
Ah. It was coming back to me now. I’d heard about her at knitting group. She’d married Pascal Gagnon, and they had a baby. Something like that. Jodie talked incessantly about every baby in town. The only kids I spent time with belonged to Finn, so when it came to others, I often tuned out.
