Page 23 of Serenity at Seagrove
“Don’t—" Luna warned.
"I didn’t say anything."
"Yeah, well, you were thinking it very loudly."
Julie laughed. "Can you blame me? That’s the most I’ve heard him say at one time since he came back to Seagrove."
Luna watched the spot where Archer had disappeared into the darkness. "You know, he’s trying. That’s what really matters."
CHAPTER7
Archer arrived early for his next movement class, finding the door already open. He would never admit it to Luna, but he was starting to enjoy this. Any kind of structure was good for him. For so many years, he’d spent every single morning on the golf course. He knew exactly what each day would hold. He had a very regimented schedule, and until he started these movement classes, he didn’t remember how important that was to him. It was helping his mood more than he would have expected.
He heard Luna’s voice drifting from inside as she spoke with another student—Sarah, the woman he remembered from last time. She and her daughter were only visiting for a week, so as far as he knew, this was going to be her last class. He hesitated at the threshold, watching Luna demonstrate a gentle stretch.
There was something about the way she moved—confident but gentle. It made his chest tighten in an unfamiliar way.
"Good morning," Luna said when she noticed him. Her smile was warm, but she was professional as she finished up with Sarah.
Archer nodded and moved to his spot at the back of the deck. He was not one of those guys who wanted to be in the front of the class, unless he was really good at something. He unrolled his mat and caught himself watching Luna’s reflection in the window—the way she moved through the space, the quiet authority in her movements, the gentle strength in her hands as she adjusted Sarah’s form.
Other students filtered in—Tom with his knee issue and Margaret with her arthritis. Luna started the class.
"Remember what we learned last time about listening to our bodies?"
Archer closed his eyes and followed her instructions. Today felt different, easier. His shoulder felt looser, more cooperative, but that familiar drive to push harder kicked in. When Luna demonstrated a variation of their usual shoulder stretch, he automatically went all in and reached for it.
"Careful," Luna’s voice said quietly beside him.
He hadn’t noticed that she was there because his eyes were closed.
"Remember what we talked about?"
He opened his eyes and found her kneeling next to his mat, her expression concerned. He could see flecks of gold in her dark eyes that he hadn’t noticed before.
"But I can do it," he insisted, pushing further into the stretch.
But then something in his shoulder caught and sent a sharp pain down his arm. He dropped the position, frustration building in his throat.
Luna touched his arm briefly—so briefly he thought he may have imagined it. "Start again," she said softly, "and remember, sometimes moving backward is the way forward."
Archer forced himself to release the tension and start over again with the basic movement. He would have to be okay with not doing the more advanced move for now. Luna stayed beside him for a moment longer than necessary, and he found himself oddly aware of her presence, the subtle scent of something floral that he couldn’t name.
"That’s better," she said quietly before she moved on to help Margaret, who seemed to be completely lost.
He watched her go, noting how all the other students responded to her and her kindness. They trusted her—you could see it on their faces. They relaxed under her guidance. He’d seen that kind of trust before, but it was usually reserved for coaches who had proven themselves through championships and victories. But Luna earned it differently—through gentle persistence and a quiet understanding.
The rest of the class passed in a blur of careful movements and focused breathing, but when Luna led them through the final relaxation, Archer found his thoughts not drifting to golf today or even his injury, but to Sunday dinner. The way she had defended his privacy and understood his silence.
When class was over and the others gathered their things and left, he lingered. He told himself it was because he wanted to stretch a little more, but he knew he was waiting for something else—some time with her.
"You know, you pushed too hard today," Luna said, kneeling to straighten some cushions near his mat.
"Old habits."
"Die hard?" she asked as she glanced at him.
"Something like that."
