by Ciana Stone
"Hell yeah, girl, that's bad ass."
"Thanks." She smiled and turned her attention back to Dan. "But to be honest, women will tear their skin up on ropes like that. I'd suggest different ropes or better yet silks."
"Okay, how about this? Do you have email?"
"Sure."
"Then email me what you think we need and how much space you need to teach a class. I'll figure the costs of start up, and class costs and if I can get enough interest, we'll do it."
"Okay, sure. Thanks Dan." She looked over at the ring. "And thank you."
Both the ladies climbed out of the ring and approached her. "Hi, I'm Reese Quinn," the tallest of the two said and stuck out a hand.
"Lula Duval. It's a pleasure. You're a doctor, right?"
"Of entomology."
"Bugs?" She took a stab at it.
"Yep."
"Interesting. And I'm happy to meet you."
"Same here." Reese dropped Lula's hand and gestured toward her companion. "Charli Judd."
"Deputy, correct?"
"Correct." Charli shook Lula's hand. "That was pretty amazing. How did you learn?"
"I was in gymnastics as a child. Maybe, because of that, I gravitated toward aerial workouts then poles and—well, that's that."
"That requires extreme muscle control. If you and Dan get it worked out, we'll definitely sign up. And between the two of us we probably know more than enough women to make a class happen."
"Seriously?"
"Absolutely. Hey, we normally have breakfast after our workout. Want to join?"
"I'd love to, thanks."
"Great, we'll get changed."
"Okay, I'll wait."
She watched them hurry off, she presumed to the locker room then looked at Dan. "I appreciate you taking time for me. This is a very nice gym."
"Thanks, I'm proud of it. I'm guessing you're new to Cotton Creek?"
"I am."
"How long have you been here?"
"About a month. Long enough to learn my way around and get settled a bit."
"Did you buy a place?"
"No, I'm renting a place on Clear Springs Lake."
"It's nice out that way."
"Yes. I really like it."
"I'm guessing from your accent that you're not from around here?"
Lula smiled. "No, I grew up in Tallulah Falls, Georgia until I was fourteen and then we moved to New Orleans where my paternal grandmother lived."
"You're a long way from home."
"I am indeed."
"Is there a Mr. Duval?"
"As in a husband? No."
"Steady boyfriend?"
Lula hated to lie, but also hated to hurt Dan's feelings, so she fudged just a bit. "As a matter of fact, I just got involved with someone."
"Bad timing," he said and smiled.
"Sure is. But you can never have too many friends, can you?"
"No, you sure can't. Hey, since you're waiting on Charli and Reese, why don't we go to the office and we can look online for the kind of ropes or silks you think we'd need."
"Sounds great. Let me grab my stuff."
She pulled on her pants, picked up her bag and returned to where Dan waited. "Lead the way."
By the time Charli and Reese came to find her, Lula and Dan had found what was needed and he'd promised to put up a flyer in the gym later in the day.
Lula thanked him and walked out with the other ladies. "We normally walk to the diner, but can drive if you want," Reese said.
"No, walking is fine. And oh, how pretty. I haven't seen a town so decorated for Halloween in a while."
"Cotton Creek celebrates every holiday with a festival and decorations," Charli said. "There's going to be a big to-do this year at the high school. You should go. It's actually fun and they have a dance in the gym and the whole town shows up."
"Hmm, maybe I will. Thanks for letting me know."
"Sure, and hey, that was really cool stuff you did on the rope," Charli said. "How hard is that to learn?"
"Probably not very difficult for either of you. I mean you obviously have the strength. I don't know about flexibility, but that comes with practice and I imagine you're already fairly flexible, so bottom line, if you're not afraid of heights—or falling, you should catch on quickly."
"And you do pole dancing as well?" Reese asked, then waved at a woman riding down the road who stuck her arm out the window and called out a greeting.
"Yes."
"It'd be cool to learn. I've seen videos and some of the performers are amazing. Women and men. And talk about a great workout."
"It can be," Lula agreed.
"Let's cross here," Charli suggested. "How did you learn all that?"
"Like I said before, when I was young I was involved in gymnastics and my interest built from that."
They waited for a couple of cars, then made their way to the other side. Just as they turned in the direction of the diner, Lula saw them. Walking across the street just ahead, was one of the biggest men she'd ever seen in her life. He had to be seven feet tall, or close to it. And good Lord was he handsome. His color led her to believe he was Native American.
With him was a man a bit shorter, but still quite tall, built like something from a woman's imagination and handsome as a dream. Both men lit up and smiled and Lula looked at the women with her.
They were smiling as well. "You know those men?"
"The one on the right is my husband, Grady," Charli answered. "And the other is Mathias, Reese's fiancé."
"Good God."
"Yeah, right?" Charli laughed.
"Seriously." Lula agreed.
"Y'all headed for the diner?" The man Charli had named as her husband asked as they drew near.
"We are. Want to join?"
"Always." Grady gave Charli a kiss and then smiled at Lula. "Grady Judd, ma'am."
"A pleasure Mr. Judd. Lula Duval."
"The pleasure is all mine. The short fella with me is Mathias Gray Horse."
Lula smiled at the obvious jest as Mathias offered his hand. "Nice to meet you, Lula."
"Same here."
"So, breakfast?" Reese asked.
"Yes, indeed." Mathias walked over to give her a kiss. "Good workout?"
"You know Charli always pushes me. Oh! Lula may be teaching aerial classes if Dan can get enough sign-ups. You should see her. She's amazing."
"Sounds interesting. Can men join?"
"Sure," Lula answered. "I know men who are great at it. Of course, most of them work as exotic dancers in women's clubs, but hey, nothing like learning some new moves for your woman."
Everyone got a laugh out of that. Within moments they were at the door of the diner. It took less than a minute for them to be seated. Just as they finished placing their orders, Cody Sweet and her father Billy entered.
"Well, hey there," Cody greeted everyone and then turned her full attention to Lula. "I see you're already making friends."
"Folks here are very nice," Lula replied and then added. "And thank you again for your help, Mr. Billy. I just love the little cottage. It already feels like home."
"I knew you would and am tickled pink, honey. If you need help with anything you just let me know now, you hear?"
"You're so kind. I really appreciate it. In fact, I was going to call. I'm making homemade apple butter from those apples you and Mrs. Stella gave me and thought you might like a jar."
"You know I would. Thank you, Lula."
"My pleasure."
"Well, we better get on to our table. I see mama and Hannah waving," Cody said. "Y'all have a good day."
Everyone responded, and Lula was struck with the sincerity she heard in all their voices. She hadn't lied when she said everyone in Cotton Creek was nice. It was a beautiful small town, filled with friendly people. She was already in love with it.
"You know how to make homemade apple butter?" Charli asked.
"Sure, doesn't everyone?"
"Not me," Reese said. "I d
o good with scrambled eggs and steak."
"Well, it's not rocket science and you're obviously smart as Einstein, so you shouldn't have any trouble learning."
"Yeah? Are you offering to teach me?"
"Sure. I need to pick up some canning jars and wax, so I won't start until Wednesday, if you want to come over. I can pick up some more apples at the farmer's market."
"I'd love to."
"Great." Lula turned to Charli. "Want to join?"
"I do. How about you meet us for workout Wednesday and afterwards we'll head to your place."
"That'd be perfect."
After that, talk turned to who she had and had not met, and who everyone at the table wanted to introduce her to and before she knew it, breakfast was over. She was just picking up her napkin from her lap when everyone looked behind her.
"Hey Linc," Mathias said and smiled. "What's up?"
"Just meeting Wiley for breakfast. How's it going?"
"No complaints, bro."
"I hear ya. How're you, Grady?
"Couldn't be better. You think you'll have those horses taken care of by the end of the week?"
"Yeah, I plan on riding over tomorrow."
"Need a hand?" Mathias asked.
"You miss the farrier work?"
"Sometimes."
"Then meet me at seven and we'll get to it. And my apology ladies. Reese, Charli and—"
Lula looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Well good morning, Thor. Imagine meeting you here."
"Nice surprise, for sure, Miss Lula." The smile he gave her was sexy enough to have her question her rule on casual sexual encounters.
"Indeed, it is. Well—" She pushed her chair back, plucked her ticket from the table and stood. "This was loads of fun. Thank you so much. Grady, Mathias, it was a real pleasure. And girls, I'll see you Wednesday."
She turned to face Lincoln. "Have a wonderful day."
"You, too."
"Why thank you."
With that, she sidestepped him and headed for the register to pay. As she left, she noticed him leaning on her vacant chair talking to the people she'd just left. Lula was willing to bet that her ears should be burning. Not that it bothered her. That was just the way of things.
It wouldn't be the first time she'd been the topic of gossip. And she would not be at all surprised to find that it wouldn't be the last.
Chapter Four
"Thor?" Molly asked then laughed. "Seriously? Thor?"
"I swear," Reese replied and set her glass of iced tea on the kitchen table. "And he wouldn't say anything except their paths had crossed."
"Interesting. So, tell me about this class she might teach."
"Look, I'll show you." Reese pulled out her phone and searched YouTube for a video. When she found one, she handed the phone to Molly.
"Oh my god, that's incredible. She can do that?"
"Yeah, on a dang rope."
"Wonder where she learned?"
"I don't know. Maybe we should Google her."
"Oh, let's do. Would you grab my iPad? It's on the island."
Reese got up to fetch the tablet and handed it to Molly. "So, her name is Lula Duval?" Molly asked.
"Yes."
Molly started the search. After a few moments, she looked up. "Could it be Tallulah Christmas Duval?"
"I don't know. Is there a photo?"
Molly turned the tablet around, and Reese stared in shock. "That's her. Younger but her. Holy shit. She's an Olympic medal winner in gymnastics. She said she used to be a gymnast."
"Silver. Twice. That's pretty impressive."
"It is. Anything else about her?"
Molly turned her attention back to the tablet. "Nothing after the second Olympics. Wow, that's something, huh? Wonder how she ended up in Cotton Creek?"
"I don't know, she didn't say."
"Well, I guess you can ask. You did say she's going to teach you to make apple butter, right?"
"She is." Reese grinned. "I've never done anything like that before. Have you?"
"Are you kidding? Do you forget who my grandmother is? Ouch!" Molly's hand went to her belly. "This kid is either going to be a soccer player or a track star because he never stops kicking and running.
"He?"
"Shh, don't tell. Wiley swears he doesn't want to know."
"My lips are zipped. Say, while I'm thinking about it, is it against rules or whatever to use Christmas poinsettias as wedding flowers?"
"I don't think so. Besides, it's your wedding so you can do whatever the heck you want. I'm not really sure about the time, though. The stroke of midnight on December 31st?"
"Yes, Mathias and I both want that. We'll spend the last moments of one year moving toward the first moments of togetherness in the new year."
"It is kind of romantic and what the heck. People love a wedding and New Year's Eve, so it's a wonderful time."
"I can't believe it's real."
"It's real, honey." Molly put her hand on top of Reese's. "And we're all so happy about it. You know as far as we're concerned, you're family."
"I feel the same and thank you. This is the first time I've ever felt like I belonged somewhere and had a family and I really like it. Oh, did Wiley tell you? Russell Walker agreed to six apiaries and butterfly breeding programs in six states. And his brother has rounded up support from other big cooperatives for a dozen more."
"Yes, he did, and I think it's fantastic. We're going to heal the world and prevent hunger. God, it feels unreal to say that, but we really are going to do it, aren't we?"
"Yes, we are. I talked to Naomie last night, and she's really enjoying staying with Mercy."
"I think they're both enjoying it. Naomie makes Mercy laugh. Heck, she makes us all laugh. That girl is wide open, isn't she?"
"That's one way of putting it. I think she's planning on moving to Heritage in about a month. Mr. Walker's been pushing her to make the move sooner, but she said she wanted to get the SynthBee production facility squared away so when the green light is given it could be up and running without effort. She didn't want that hanging over her head when she makes the move because once she gets there, she wants to immerse herself in the breeding program."
"And not in Mr. Walker?"
"She swears not. Even after she took that trip with him last month and met his brother and his brother's wife. The meeting they had with Senator Walker is what made Russell decide to hold off on the synthetic bees and focus first on the apiaries and butterfly gardens. I think it's a political tool of some sort."
"And nothing happened while they were on the trip?"
"No. Naomie's strong on sticking to her guns."
"From what you and Mathias say, there's some pretty powerful chemistry between the two of them."
"It seemed so, and may be, but I know she has a firm rule about not getting involved with co-workers or bosses, so I'm betting she'll hold fast no matter how appealing she thinks he is".
"And she did say there was a whole family of hot men there so I'm guessing she can keep herself entertained?"
"No doubt. I mean damn, girl. Those Walker men are fine. Okay, well, I better get in gear. Tell Mercy I said hi and ask if she's up for a morning walk tomorrow?"
"I'll have her call you. Have a good day, Reese."
"You too, Molly." Reese rose and started for the door but stopped at Molly's voice.
"Hey, when you see your new friend, how about inviting her over here for lunch? I'll ask Elisi and Naomie. You ask Charli, and I'll ask Mica and Trina, maybe Cody and Hannah. You said she'd already met them, right?"
"Cody for sure, but I don't know about Hannah."
"Well, I'll round up all the girls, and we'll introduce her to those she hasn't met."
"That'd be great. I'll ask. Talk to you soon."
"Okay. Bye."
As Reese headed for the office building of Venture, she thought about Lula. What would a two-time Olympic champion be doing in Cotton Creek?
God, you're turning in
to a busybody. Reese mentally scolded herself and finished up with a reminder that people reveal who they are in their own time and when they feel comfortable. Moreover, everyone had secrets.
Chances were, Lula's probably weren't near as big as the ones Reese continued to hide from all but the people she considered family. So, she'd be the last to cast stones.
*****
Lula had just brought in the last of the grocery bags and put them on the table when her phone rang. She fished it from her purse and looked at the caller ID. There was no name displayed, so she hit ignore, put the phone on the table and started unloading groceries.
A Bing sound alerted her there was a voicemail. She pressed the speaker button then hit play. "Ms. Duval? Adam McCall here, Principal of Cotton Creek High School. I've gone over your application and am quite impressed. I wanted to see about setting up a time to talk about the possibility of you becoming a member of our faculty. Since our PE teacher quit suddenly, we're in a real pickle. Please give me a call at your earliest convenience."
Lula said a silent thank you and gave a fist pump through the recitation of his phone number. She'd almost started to think her application had been misfiled or something had changed in the plan that had brought her here. Now, she could say goodbye to the job at the strip club. She'd gotten everything out of that particular gig she wanted, and it was time to move on.
And what about the job at the school? Was this going to take her where she needed to be? Honestly, she was starting to question things, and that bothered her. Was she losing confidence in her abilities?
Some. Not all. She was an awful lot like her Papa, whose motto was "I may give out, but I'll never give up." She'd work the plan, and with luck, the job at the school would be offered to her.
And she could always work Friday and Saturday nights at the club if it turned out to be advantageous. Feeling the most positive she'd been since her arrival in Cotton Creek, she danced around the kitchen as she put away the groceries. Maybe this was going to work out, after all. If she got the job. Please, please let me get it. She sent up a wish and a prayer. If she didn't, then this plan was shot all to hell.
Her phone rang again, and she snatched it up. "Hello?"
"Hi, Lula."
"Thor? Is that you?"
Lincoln chuckled. "I can see I'm going to have to come up with a name for you."
