Lord Have Mercy (Southern Gentleman 2)

How juvenile was that?

Apparently, you hang out with high schoolers long enough, and their problems become your problems. Oh, and you start acting like them, too.

The hour-long class was pure torture.

What was even worse was the fact that I wanted to go through another goddamn hour just so she wouldn’t leave.

Raleigh, who was standing next to Camryn looking tired but much more in control of herself than she’d been the first day after her workout, grinned at me as I sidled up next to them.

“How’d you like today’s workout?” I questioned.

Raleigh patted her belly.

“I’m losing my baby belly. I’m happy.” She paused. “I made Ezra wait until I could fit into my bikini before we went on our honeymoon, and it’s been so hard losing weight that I’ve put it off about two months longer than I ever intended. But by the rate we’re going, I’ll be small enough to fit into one by the end of the month.”

“Your boobs won’t, though,” Camryn supplied.

Raleigh flipped her off. “That’s what they made padding for, yes? I think it’ll be okay.”

“So you going to keep going after you’re back in shape?” I questioned.

I really, really wanted her to keep coming. Her coming meant that Camryn would continue to come. That also meant that I’d see her not just at school, but at my gym after school, too.

“Oh yes.” She grinned. “Ezra wants to start coming with me in the afternoons, too. He already comes every morning before work, but he’s really interested in the strongman class that’s being put on for the more advanced members. Though, he won’t be able to do that until after football season. He’s married to his job right now.” She turned to Camryn. “Speaking of, are you coming to the game tonight?”

Camryn looked at her watch. “Oh, shoot. No can do. I’m all sweaty and I have to grade papers.”

“It’s the first week of school. What kind of asshole teacher gives their students work on the first week?” Raleigh asked, sounding serious.

I gritted my teeth to keep from smiling.

“This kind of asshole.” She paused. “They pissed me off today with them pulling their cell phones out and texting while I was talking. Therefore, I made them write a two-page report on what they remembered about their science class last year, then made them turn it in at the end of the period.”

“So just mark seventy on all of them and come,” I suggested. “But don’t record the grade. Or, save the grade as a bonus if they finished the report.”

Her intelligent eyes turned to me. “That’s actually a really good idea. You kind of surprise me.”

I winked. “I can surprise you quite a bit, honey. Would you like me to show you how?”

She looked like she was contemplating saying yes when Carmichael and Croft strode up, pushing their way into our circle.

Instead of pushing away from me, though, she went toward me.

I kind of liked that she chose to stand next to me and not Croft.

Carmichael also looked happy.

It wasn’t lost on me that the two were friendly. I could see how Croft would be a bone of contention between the two women.

Luckily, Camryn showed no signs of acknowledgment as she continued to glare at me.

“That’s not really something you should be saying to one of the women in your boot camp,” she pointed out, not missing a beat.

“What?” Carmichael asked.

“Nothing,” both Camryn and I said at the same time.

She snorted in disbelief. “Go away already. I thought you had to work tonight.”

I did have to work tonight, which was why I was so interested in whether Camryn was going to be at the football game or not.

“You’re working the game?” Croft asked, sounding bored.

“Yes,” I said, glancing at Camryn out of the corner of my eye. “Just have to go home and change. I’ll be there about an hour before kickoff.”

“That’s like thirty minutes from now,” Camryn said.

I looked at my watch, then nodded. “I have my uniform in my office. And a shower.”

“Please?” Raleigh batted her eyes. “I don’t want to sit by myself.”

Camryn blinked. “You’ll have your baby with you.”

Raleigh crossed her arms. “So what?”

“It’d take me too long to get all the way home and back. I have no clothes.” She paused. “And I’m sweaty as fuck.”

I looked at the light sheen of sweat that was bathing her neck and chest and felt other things inside of me start to stiffen once again. Jesus Christ, what was it about this girl?

“You have a basket of clothes in your car,” I pointed out. “And there’s a shower here.”

Raleigh started laughing. “See? Zero excuses.”

Camryn flipped her off.

“I’d invite you to my house, but we’re remodeling the bathroom and I’m currently showering in the RV we bought…it’s not very spacious, nor is it very nice since it’s also a work in progress,” Raleigh apologized.