He considers it a moment. “How can I say no to that?”
Gabriel hops up and down. “Yay!”
Austin crawls up into my lap and wipes his nose with the back of his hand. “I wanna do it too.”
After I wipe his face with a napkin, I hug him. “There are a lot of fun activities for boys your age, if your daddy says it’s okay.”
Rhett’s watching me with a softness in his eyes that makes my heart pound. “I know you won’t let them do anything too dangerous.”
“I’ll be right there to spot them.”
“That won’t hurt your ankle? I thought you had to be careful about cutting side to side.”
I love that Rhett pays attention to what I say. “At first, they’ll be mostly stretching and doing cartwheels and roundoffs. I can handle that.” I turn to the boys. “I was thinking of stopping by my old gym tomorrow. Do you want to come with me? We can do a light session, and I can show you a few moves.”
Gabriel flings his arms around me, nearly knocking his brother off my lap. “YES!”
Little Austin squeals in delight, and I laugh.
That night, as I’m snuggled by Rhett’s big, warm body, I stare out our bedroom window and wonder how to get him to turn down deserted country roads again to have his way with me.
As much as I love him, as much as I want him, I decide I need to stay firm on my decision to let him make the first move. He has to want this as much as I do.
And if he doesn’t? Then maybe we aren’t meant to be after all.
29
PAIGE
“There you go, just like that!”I high-five Gabriel after he does a beautiful roundoff. “You’re learning so fast.”
Austin does a wobbly cartwheel, and I cheer just as loudly for him. “That’s it, buddy! You got it!”
He stands with a proud smile.
Coach Spencer, who runs the gym, ambles over. “Hey, Paige. Been watching you work with the boys. They’re coming along.”
“They definitely have their daddy’s athleticism.” I instruct the kids to take a water break, and they trot off to hydrate.
My old coach retired, which is why I was reluctant to train at All-Star Cheer, but Coach Spencer has been really welcoming. This is our second time visiting the gym this week. Amber was supposed to pick up the boys last weekend, but she told Rhett something came up. The kids seemed bummed, so I thought tumbling might improve their spirits.
Coach Spencer scratches his cheek. “Just wondering what your plans were this fall. I could use some help around here. With all of your experience, you could really elevate our program. I would just need to see you work with a few different age groups first to make sure we’re a good fit.”
I ask about his classes and camps, and I’m excited to hear that he has advanced high school-aged gymnasts I could train.
“I’d be happy to pop in to work with your kids. I’m just not sure I’m available in the late fall.” It pains me to say that. Do I really want to move to Boston? No, but if things don’t work out with Rhett, this is the last place I want to live. I’d be bumping into him all the time, and seeing him would rip out my heart. “When would you need an answer? I have another program that has precedence, but honestly, I love that you’re close by.”
“I’m not surprised you’re in demand. Let’s play it by ear, and please let me know about your availability.”
“You got it.”
We make plans for me to help with one of his advanced camps next week. I’m so excited, I’m practically floating.
I’ve missed this. Being involved with gymnastics and cheer has always made me so happy. It helped me find a place where I belonged when Irma made me feel like a stranger in my own house. It helped me find some peace after my father and Danny died. And it helped me fund college, where I made some of my best friends.
And while I love performing, it’s a thrill to help kids achieve these skills and gain confidence.
After our workout, I get the boys buckled into Rhett’s truck, and I start the engine. “I need to pop into Thread and Thimble for some sewing supplies, but then I was thinking of stopping at Dunkers. Would y’all like a donut?”
