Soaring with Fallon (Big Sky 4)

“Not bad,” I concede. “Thanks to Jael, mine isn’t pornographic.”

“Maybe you were just thinking about Noah’s penis, and you transferred that onto the canvas?” Cara suggests.

“Ew,” Lo says, wrinkling her nose. “If that’s the case, Noah has a short, fat dick.”

“He doesn’t,” I assure the room at large. My cheeks are warm from the wine. “I just got too excited about the tip. Of the tree. The top, I mean.”

“Stop,” Cara says, giggling hysterically. “Oh, man, I can’t breathe.”

“Zack and Josh have the same dick,” Jillian says and sips her wine. “’Cause they’re identical twins.”

“Have you seen both of them?” Lo asks, mortified.

“No,” Jillian says. “Cara and I just compared notes one time.”

“I don’t need to know what anyone’s dick looks like,” I say, shaking my head, grateful that Jael is in the back cleaning brushes and not privy to this conversation.

“Except Noah’s,” Autumn says with a wink.

“Well, yeah.”

“Oh, Fallon, I meant to ask if you’ve heard from Penny?” Lo asks. “I know you’re friends with her.”

“I have,” I say with a smile, careful not to spill the beans about the super sexy rock star she’s currently banging. “She’s doing great.”

“I’m so happy to hear that,” Lo replies, staring longingly at the wine.

“You can have a glass,” Jillian says. “Just pump and throw the milk away later.”

“It’s too much work,” Lo says, shaking her head. “I’m not wasting the milk. Some women make a ton, but not me.”

I want to ask a million questions about being pregnant and giving birth and breastfeeding, but I keep quiet, just listening to the conversations around me. I know they’d answer my inquiries, but they’d also have questions of their own, and I don’t have answers.

I’m not pregnant, and I’m not even getting married.

I’m just ridiculously curious these days.

My phone vibrates in my pocket.

Noah: You’re stunning. Sharing with Gray, he’ll want to see.

I smile and tuck my phone away.

“Noah is sending our picture to Gray,” I inform Autumn, who gets a happy smile on her pretty face at the mention of Gray’s name.

“Oh, how nice. Will you please send them to me?”

“Send them to all of us,” Lo says with a smile. “And let’s take more.”

We’re goofy, taking photos of ourselves and our paintings, of the wine, of each other, and for the first time since I moved to Cunningham Falls, I feel like not only do I belong in the place, but I also belong with the people.

I have friends and a man. A thriving business.

It feels damn good.

* * * *

“Om shanti shanti.”

My last class of the day is finally done. I’m ready to go home, take a shower, and relax.

“Hey, Fallon,” Jenna says after she rolls up her mat and joins me. “I have good news.”

“Awesome, what’s up?”

“I have a cabin that just came available yesterday. I usually use it as a vacation rental, but I can totally let you stay long-term if you like it.”

“That is good news,” I reply with a smile.

“Would you like to go look at it now? It’s literally down the street.”

“Oh my gosh, yes. Let me just close up here.” I tidy up the room and grab my purse and yoga bag, then lock up behind us. “If it’s up the street, I can walk to work.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Jenna says. “It’s a small house, but it’s cute, not full of mold, and convenient to town.”

The walk takes us less than ten minutes. It’s a short distance from downtown, less than four blocks in a quiet neighborhood. Jenna wasn’t kidding when she said it was small. The white house is tucked back from the street in some trees. The front porch is inviting.

“I know the yard maintenance is something you didn’t want,” Jenna says, pointing to the grassy front yard. “But I already have a service taking care of it.”

She leads me inside, and I immediately like it.

“Oh, this is cute.”

“I know,” she says, grinning.

I wander through the small living room into a simple kitchen and then check out the two bedrooms and a bathroom. It’s fully furnished, in newer pieces that are both trendy and comfortable. I like the style.

Not to mention, the energy of the space is calm. No ghosts here. The feng shui is perfect.

“You’re right, it’s small,” I say as we step out back onto the patio. “But it’s just me.”

“Are you sure you want to move out of Noah’s house?” Jenna asks.

I frown. “Of course. We’re seeing each other, and I like him a lot, but we’re not living together. Not like that.”

Okay, so I’ve slept in his bed almost every night, and I guess we have been living together as a couple, but we always knew that would come to an end when I found a new place.

“Well, this is yours if you want it. You don’t need to start paying rent until October.”