Correction. A ripped block of granite with a buzz cut and steel jaw swaggered into the room and sidled up next to Casey. Had to be Trevor Barton, the other instructor, the football coach listed on the poster.
“Okay, everybody, now listen up.” The husky jock with the booming voice stood at the front of the room and spoke into his wireless headset. “For all you newbies, I’m Trevor Barton and this is Casey Richardson. Welcome to our annual Family Fitness Bootcamp. Who’s here for the first time? Let’s see some hands.”
Drew panned the crowd. At least a dozen answered the call with a show of hands. Drew hated being part of a crowd of followers of any kind. It ruffled his feathers to be anywhere but in the lead. While Josh raised his hand, Drew refrained. No way would he raise his freakin’ hand so this turkey could talk to him like a fifth grader.
“I can still see some new faces out there. Come on now, don’t be shy. Give it up so we can get to know you.” He stared right at Drew, who cricked his elbow, lifting a hand.
After being coerced into taking part in an embarrassing session of introductions, only to be followed by Trevor Barton’s cringing attempt at motivational speaking, Drew almost wanted to leave. But then they got started with the actual program. And watching Casey’s muscular legs and her beautifully defined arms as she demonstrated exercises made it all worthwhile. Except the hulky Mr. Barton stuck so close to her, Drew immediately decided he couldn’t stand the guy.
“We’ve divided you up into four groups,” Trevor said.
Then Casey said, “You’ll each rotate to a different station and perform the activity required in the time allotted.”
Trevor said, “Remember, when you complete the circuit, return to the recovery zone in the center of the floor.”
Casey said, “Trevor and I will circle the room and be available to monitor you at all times.”
Drew shook his head. Oh, aren’t they adorable. They even take turns speaking.
As he and Josh moved through the circuit Drew got caught up in helping his son, who seemed to be enjoying the workout. Several exercises required partnering between parent and child. Like the one-legged lunges where Drew held Josh’s back foot off the ground while the boy bent and straightened his standing knee.
Wobbling and fighting for balance, Josh nearly fell. But just as Drew was about to drop the foot and catch him, Casey trotted over. Josh seemed to glow when she took his arms and steadied him, offering encouraging words.
Drew admired the way she managed to be aware of everyone in the room and what they needed. He was so used to people with their own agendas, with an angle to push or sell, or something they wanted to get out of you. But as he watched Casey he suspected she might actually be genuine, a person with a truly kind heart. Something he was surprised he even noticed on this sexy-as-hell woman with a bedroom-soft voice.
“Doing great, Josh. Now pick one place and keep your eyes focused on it. Think of it like an arabesque plié. Good! See if you can crank out two more.”
Josh glided through them, Casey smiling, his dad cheering him on.
“Nice work.” Casey turned to Drew. “You’re turn.”
“Only if you’ll help out.”
She smirked. “As if you need any. Judging from your build you could zing through any obstacle course.”
Drew grinned at her compliment. He was used to getting noticed for his build and athletic prowess. After all, he did physically embody someone who’d spent years training as a competitive athlete. Hearing it from Casey ignited that fire again. He didn’t understand why some part of his ego wanted so badly for her to acknowledge he was in different league from everyone else.
But that couldn’t compare with how badly he wanted to touch her. “Actually I do need help. I’ve got some old nagging injuries.”
A tiny smile formed at the corners of her mouth. “Your wrestling shoulder again?”
“My football knee.”
Casey reached out her arms, palms up, and Drew stretched his forearms along hers the way Josh had. As soon as he touched her all kinds of fireworks went off inside him. She smelled like vanilla and looked like heaven. He wanted to nibble her beautiful collarbone, to stick his tongue into the crack between her breasts and lick the creamy, bare skin above her tank top. Then move up her throat and taste that sweet rosy mouth.
He lifted his back foot for Josh to hold. His upper body tipped forward, bringing his head so close to Casey’s he was tempted to turn his face slightly just to feel her forehead on his cheek. But he didn’t.
Drew concentrated on his balance and sank into his lunges, grateful that he had the strength to pull them off with finesse. He looked down on the top of Casey’s head, wondering if she was really watching the path of his bending knee or merely avoiding looking into his eyes. So at the sixth rep he said, “Are my shoulders in the right position?”
Casey looked up. Drew met her gaze and noted her startled blush. It was a split-second decision on his part to let his balance waver. He fell forward. She reached for his torso to catch him. Drew slid his arms around her. Josh let go of his foot with a hoot of laughter.
Drew and Casey held each other for a moment of breathless silence, their faces only a kissable distance apart.
Out of the blue, Trevor Barton appeared next to them. “Casey, you’re needed over at station six. Wendy and Lana Cutzman would like your assistance. I’ll handle the newbie.”
Casey pulled away from Drew. She glanced from Drew to Trevor, opened her mouth as if to say something, but seemed to change her mind. As she walked away Drew made a point of letting his eyes follow her, knowing it would annoy Mr. Barton. They exchanged a not-so-amiable look.
“Show me what you got, big guy.” The challenge in Trevor’s voice made Drew bristle.
No way was Drew going to give this ass the satisfaction of calling the shots over him. “We’re done with this station.”
“Fall over and you decide to bail?” Trevor shook his head. “That’s not setting a good example for your son.”
Drew walked closer until they were nose to nose. Remaining calm and quiet, he said, “I didn’t come here to argue. And you leave my son out of this.”
He turned, put his hand on Josh’s shoulder and headed for the next station.
When the class ended, Drew left Josh shooting hoops with a friend and ambled toward Casey, who stood center floor saying goodbye to her regulars. Once her fan base thinned out, he noticed the upbeat smile she gave students throughout the class had changed to a worried look.
Drew meandered up to her. “Why the long face?”
“Sorry. I didn’t realize it was that obvious,” Casey said.
“You had a big turn out. Should be feeling good.”
She waved the notion away with her hand. “It has nothing to do with our program. I’m having a battle with my landlord, and it just keeps getting worse.”
“I own quite a bit of property. Maybe I could give you some advice. Why not tell me about it over a drink tonight? I’m dropping Josh at his mom’s. I could pick you up—”
“Thanks, but tonight’s not good.”
“Okay. How about tomorrow?”
She tapped her finger against her lip, thinking. “Is that Wednesday? I’m helping to set up this party for Trevor. It’s his birthday. But what about—”
“Did I hear someone say birthday?” Trevor said. Funny how Drew’s presence seemed to make Trevor materialize next to Casey. “Wouldn’t be talking about my little ol’ birthday, would you?”
Casey nodded. “Trevor’s turning a big thirty-four.”
“Going on eighteen, babe. Going on eighteen.”
“In more ways than one,” Drew muttered to himself.
Trevor wrapped a possessive arm around Casey and said to Drew, “We’ll be partying over at The Captain’s Quest in Riverhead. Know where that is?”
Drew crossed his arms over his chest. “Course I do.”
“Great,” Trevor said. “Come on by.”
“Th
anks, but—”
“No hard feelings about my busting your balls over the lunges,” Trevor said with a big smile. “That’s just how me and Casey do things. Right, babe?”
She gave a muted laugh. Drew got Trevor’s hint loud and clear. But that only brought out Drew’s uber-competitve nature. And he didn’t intend to lose. Especially since Casey’s expression was far from that of a woman enthralled.
So when Trevor said, “Come join us tomorrow night. Around eight. Bring your girlfriend.”
Drew replied, “Maybe I will.”
Chapter 6
Wednesday morning Casey received an early call from her landlord. “Got another buyer interested. He’ll be over to see the property today around three. Will you be there or not?”
Mr. Vonrelis’s words landed on Casey like a ten ton boulder. “Umm.”
“Otherwise I’ll give him the keys.”
“No, I’ll be here. Has he made an offer?”
“Hasn’t seen the place yet. At least not from the inside. If he goes higher than my last offer it’s a done deal.”
A wave of anxiety chilled her. “But you agreed to hold off. To give me a chance.”
“I didn’t agree to anything except choosing your offer if it’s good enough. But you haven’t made an offer. The man’s name is Rozella.”
Casey had no appetite for breakfast after that lovely news. She left her corn muffin on the table and poured coffee into a mug with a collage of dancers on it, a gift from one of her students. Shuffling into her sparsely furnished living room, she sank onto a worn loveseat upholstered in a print of pink roses and green vines. A straw-colored wicker rug, an old trunk for a coffee table, a wooden rocker perpetually occupied by her aging calico Miss Daisy. Not much, but it was home to her. But for how long?
Another phone call came in. She glanced at her cell, thankful it was her brother. She wasn’t angry at him for telling her secret to their mother and even their sister. She knew Parker was only trying to help. He believed the family should stick together. And he was always ready to help her. Without any qualms he’d offered to co-sign a mortgage for her, but the numbers just didn’t add. When they consulted a bank officer on Monday, they were told Parker’s modest income would not be enough to cover his sister’s obligations in addition to his own if she were to default. “Hey, bro.”
“Hate to bring disappointing news your way, but my lawyer friend who checked out your lease told me your landlord is within his rights.”
Casey rubbed a hand over her face and told him about the latest from Vonrelis. “I thought I was buying myself some time to figure out a plan, but it looks like I’m going to get booted out of here. Problem is I’ll be losing my home as well as my school.”
“You know you’re welcome to live at my place.” A few years back Parker had taken out a mortgage on a property on the outskirts of North Cove. A “handyman special” with an unlivable farmhouse, a couple ugly shacks and a few acres of weeds. Which was why he could afford it. But it had a path through woods to the bay and some good fertile land to grow things. Her patient and rugged brother ignored the crumbling farmhouse and instead converted one of the shacks on the property into a greenhouse where he lived with some of his plants.
“Thanks, Parker. Good to know you’ve got my back.”
Casey ended the call grateful that he didn’t suggest she move back to their mother’s house. Aside from the fact that her old room was being used for Richardson’s Bed and Breakfast customers, she refused to ask anything of the woman she’d had such trouble getting along with over the years.
Then there was Jenna, the baby of the family. Seven years older, Casey had spent her high school years as her sister’s stand-in mom when their father was dying and their mother’s drinking got out of control. And of course Jenna was their mother’s favorite. The star of the Richardson clan. Not that Casey held that against her. It wasn’t Jenna’s fault if she got all the attention. Or that she was so pretty and talented. Or that life gave Casey lemons while Jenna went on to dance for the American Ballet Theater.
Which was why, despite Jenna’s heartfelt offer for Casey to sleep on the couch in her Manhattan apartment, she sincerely thanked her sister, but took a pass.
A shrill ring. Only this time it came from Natalie’s phone. Could it be Drew?
Casey took a breath and prepared herself, morphing into her Madame Lumina persona. “Hello.”
“Hey, you.” A man’s voice. Squeaky and gravelly. Definitely not Drew Byrne.
“Who’s calling, please?”
“Herbie.”
“Herbie?”
“Don’t be coy. You remember. Chiropractic? Fun in Bayonne? Heh, heh.”
Oh no, it’s “huge” Herbie. “I’m sorry, but Natalie’s not at this number anymore.”
“So, who is it then?”
“Never mind. She’s not here.”
“Do I know you? Your voice sounds familiar.”
“No, it doesn’t. You can reach Natalie at this number…”
After feeding her cats, finally eating her corn muffin, and tossing on sweat pants, Casey spent the morning downstairs at her desk going over her ledger for the summer session. With no class scheduled until five p.m. and hours to kill before the visit from the potential buyer, she closed up her account records, swiveled her chair toward the computer and entered the words Dating Mr. Mega-Bucks into the search.
Casey had to admit she was puzzled and thrilled by Drew Byrne’s attraction to her. He’d looked so yummy last night in the gym she’d had a hard time not watching him every minute. And when he fell into her during his lunges…whew, just thinking of it got her all tingly.
And Trevor had noticed. Guilt flooded Casey. She had to break it off with Trevor. It wasn’t fair to him. Yes, she’d told him she wasn’t sure she wanted to get serious. But then she kept accepting his invitations and allowing him to dominate her social life. Natalie was right. She’d been fooling herself for too long. Hiding behind a guy who made it convenient to avoid admitting what she really wanted.
She clicked her mouse, navigating through the website for the reality show where Parker said Drew Byrne had been a contestant. She hated most reality TV. Having danced in a few music videos, Casey knew full well how scripted, edited, and camera directed any television material was, no matter how “real” they claimed it to be.
Scanning through last season’s episodes, Casey found what she was looking for: “Cheryl and Drew Paint The Town.”
The show opened with various glimpses of a tanned and sexy Drew Byrne accompanied by a Botox-lipped, heavy-bosomed brunette in a silver mini. They hopped in and out of a white limousine, marching along neon lit Times Square, fist pumping on the dance floor and canoodling inside a night club booth. Posing and preening.
It was even more nauseating than she’d expected. They were both so full of themselves.
But it got worse when Drew spoke to the camera. He was the epitome of arrogance. Every word out of his mouth made her want to slug him. He talked about the supermodels that were his dating preference as if they were cars he could buy.
Hard to believe this was the same guy she’d seen working out with Josh last night. So sincere and caring. Both father and son seemed more comfortable doing physical exercises together than talking to each other. But she could tell Drew honestly wanted to befriend his son.
However, that did not mean this same man couldn’t run rampant through women, leaving them scarred in his wake. She supposed he had to deal with his share of shallow fems after his money. But lord help any woman who lost her heart to him.
So what could he possibly want with her? A failed ballerina who could never compete with the kind of beauties he was used to. Or did the spoiled rich boy just like to try every flavor in the candy shop?
No thanks. She’d already had the rug pulled out from under her way too many times in her life.
Casey closed the window on her screen and sat back. She couldn’t stand to watch another minute, much
less another episode. Good thing she had checked this out before letting her physical attraction to this phenomenally sexy man lead her into a no-win affair.
Yeah, she’d bet Drew would be the kind of passionate lover she craved. But the physical attraction wasn’t her only reason for obsessing on him. It was the exciting, mysterious sort of glow that happened every time he got close. She’d never experienced it before. Not with Jeff, not with anyone she’d ever dated.
She’d waited so long to feel that with a guy. But Casey also knew the downside of what it meant. If she got romantically involved with Drew Byrne she would no doubt fall really hard. And that would be a prescription for disaster.
***
At three o’clock two men in suits, plus a leggy blonde with hair down to her waist, stepped into the front waiting area of North Cove Dance Academy.
“Ms. Richardson? Dan Rozella. Mike Frankel, my partner. My assistant, Francoise.” No handshakes. Just curt, eager to get on with it nods.
Rozella immediately started panning the interior like a movie director squaring his hands before him as if holding a camera. “Bar goes over there along the wall.”
He pointed to the small studio and then the larger one. “Kitchen. Main dining room. Perfect.”
Casey bit her lip. How nice that she and Parker designed his restaurant for him.
He turned to her. “Does that exit lead to a yard?”
She nodded. “It’s pretty rough, but yeah, there’s some room outside.“
“Mind if we have a look?”
“Not at all.” She led the entourage out the side door into the small patch of ground.
“Good, good,” he said. “We set up some tables, deck it with lights. Outdoor dining.”
Casey wanted cry.
Chapter 7
Riverhead had more of a nightlife than the less populated farming and fishing villages that dotted the North Fork. The town sat at the cross point of the V where the East End of Long Island formed two fingers. Two very different fingers, with the South Fork wearing the diamonds of the Hamptons, summer home to the wealthy and famous. Snooty types who didn’t normally frequent a down-home, friendly place like The Captain’s Quest.
Spring Into Love Page 151
