Page 87 of Cowboy of Convenience
But he was still out there every morning he could be, in his spot in the back row, fighting his way through the beginner level class Evelyn held just for the girls and Gram-Gram.
Because the rest of the classes were starting to get pretty damn crowded.
It turned out Evelyn wasn't only a great partner for him, she was also one hell of a businesswoman. And once she fully had her footing, there had been no stopping her.
After moving to the ranch, the first thing they’d done was build a new studio that attached to the back of the house through the now enclosed porch. But instead of closing the original location, she'd hired a second instructor to take it over. The downtown spot was more convenient for most people, so her customers were happy, and Evelyn was able to integrate the goat yoga she wanted, so his wife was happy too.
The sound of someone breaking wind was followed by a snicker.
"I heard that Gertrude." Muriel's voice had him lifting his head, hoping to get a glimpse of whatever unfolded next.
"It wasn't me. It was Pepper." Gertrude collapsed from her downward facing dog, waving one hand in front of her face as she shoved at the black coated pygmy goat beside her. "I don't know what she ate, but it stinks."
"Do I need to put the goats away?" Evelyn's voice carried a hint of scolding. Keeping her friends in line was just as difficult when you added in livestock as it was when you added tequila, so she kept them on a tight chain.
"You two need to shut up." Betty was sprawled across her mat, no longer even attempting to follow the class. "Me and Parsley are having a good time."
Parsley—named after a near-death experience where she got into Evelyn's herb garden and ate almost everything inside it—stood on Betty's back, looking around like she was the king of the mountain.
A very small, very feisty mountain.
"I told you if you couldn't keep it together with the goats in here we would have to get rid of the goats." Evelyn moved to Betty’s side, shooing Parsley away. "It's important that you guys stay flexible and strong." Evelyn stared at Betty until the older woman rolled her eyes and bent her body into the same folded over shape as the rest of the class. She smiled, nodding in approval. "Breathe in through your nose before releasing it through your mouth."
His wife moved along the edge of their small group, passing where her grandmother and Bernard were holding perfect positions, before stopping beside him to run one hand down his back and over his ass.
"Don't get fresh with me, wife. I’m not supposed to get distracted."
Evelyn moved behind him, urging his heels closer to the floor. "No one's trying to distract anyone." She moved away, but not before running a teasing touch against the spot where his balls pressed into his knit pants, offering a wicked little laugh as she moved back to the front of the room to pick up where she’d left off.
The rest of the class went just like every other class with the girls. There were plenty of interruptions, lots of laughing, and frustrated sighs from Gram-Gram.
It was a great way to start the day.
Once they were done, the girls continued playing with the goats, giving them all the pets they could handle. It turned out the animals were complete attention whores and loved being in the yoga classes almost as much as the people taking them. And there were plenty of people taking them.
Right after the new studio was finished, Evelyn connected with Maryann Pace, the owner of The Inn at Red Cedar Ranch, and helped plan a package deal that involved a stay at the ranch and a goat yoga excursion, complete with a private luncheon hosted by Maryann's daughter-in-law, and owner of The Wooden Spoon, Mae.
Inspired by Maryann, Evelyn then came up with a plan to build a venue on their ranch where people could hold weddings, parties, and graduations. They'd broken ground on the structure as soon as his house on the mountain sold. If all went according to plan, the place would be finished in the next couple of months.
Just in time for them to host the first event.
Evelyn gave him a smile as the girls rolled up their mats. "Did you enjoy your class, husband?"
"I always enjoy taking your classes, wife." He pulled her close, one hand gripping her hip as the other splayed across the swell of her belly. "What about this guy? Did he enjoy class?”
Evelyn blew out a breath so hard it ended with a trill. “He slept through it but only because he was up all night dancing around like he was at a rave.”
"You leave that baby alone." Gertrude sidled up next to Evelyn, gazing lovingly at her belly. "He’s just stir crazy. Imagine how you would feel being cooped up in a small place like that all the time."
Grady couldn't help but chuckle. Not just because of Gertrude’s immediate defense of his son, but because at one point he'd been worried their little boy was getting the short end of the stick.
His mom and dad would've been great grandparents, but that simply wasn't in the cards. Evelyn's mom and dad were even less interested in this little boy than they'd been in their own daughter. So that left only Gram-Gram to spoil and adore him the way only a grandparent could.
At least that's what he thought initially. He’d been wrong as hell.
"Is he kicking again?" Muriel shuffled their way, eyes bright with hope. "I want to feel."
Evelyn wrinkled her nose. "No kicking. He got it all out of his system last night."
