Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 89121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“Still want to paddle me?” She grinned down at him triumphantly. “And you owe me ten now.”
He lay there, staring at the ceiling. “Zoey, I can’t get up. I think you knocked my back out.”
It took three tries to get him off the floor.
“I’m sooo sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you! Should I call an ambulance? Can you make it to my car?”
“Just help me to the couch. I’ll be fine in a little while. I just need to rest my back.” He painstakingly let her help him to the couch, groaning loudly every inch as he eased down to the cushions.
“I’m sooo sorry.”
“I believe you didn’t mean to hurt me, but you did. You can’t play around with jiu-jitsu. It can be dangerous.”
“I know!” she wailed, twisting her hands. “I only learned to use it for protection. I’ll never use it on you again, no matter how mad I get at you.”
“You promise?” he groaned out, trying to adjust the pillow behind his back.
“I promise. Can I do anything to make it better?”
“You could massage my back. I’m sure that’ll help.”
“I can do that. I have a client who was a massage therapist.” She sat down on the couch, helping him lean forward so she could reach his back.
“Do any of your clients ever pay you in cash?”
“A few. I told you that I’m not interested in money. I prefer to live simply to reach enlightenment.”
“Well, can you enlighten me on how you pay the electric and water bills? Pay for food?”
He jerked when she started massaging his back.
“Sorry. Was that too hard?”
“Yes, that hurt. Look, can you just reach into my jacket pocket and hand me my cell phone? I’ll call Crush and have her bring the car and drive me back to the club. I need to lie down.”
“If you want to go home, I can drive you. Crush doesn’t have to come out.”
“I don’t think I can bend down to get in the car, and I couldn’t take the drive to the club in your small seat. Just hand me my phone. She won’t mind—”
“No! I mean, you can lie in my bed. It’ll make it easier for me to massage your back anyway. Come on, I’ll help you up.”
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you. Crush really won’t mind—”
“I don’t mind either… Take it easy…,” she crooned, helping him get to his feet. Putting his arm over her shoulder, she then helped him into her bedroom. “Just a sec. I’ll turn the light on.”
He sat down on the side of the bed once the lights were on, giving a low moan when he tried to kick his boots off. “I don’t want to get your blanket dirty.”
“I’ll do it.” She squatted down, removing his boots. “Lie down. You’ll feel better in no time.”
“I’m sure I will.” After he was lying down, Zoey lifted his feet to the bed.
“Can I get you a glass of water or juice?”
“No thanks. I don’t want to have to go to the bathroom in the shape I’m in.”
“You can stay the night here, and I can take you to the chiropractor in the morning. Felix is very good.”
“Is he the one who irons his jeans?”
“I don’t know. I can ask him if you want me to.”
“Never mind. My back will be better by morning. I just need to stretch out.”
“Don’t you want me to massage you?”
“Not yet. I need to get my strength back from getting off the couch. Lie down and talk to me. Help me get my mind off the pain.”
He watched as she went to the other side of the bed, making sure not to jiggle the mattress as she lay down on the small bed with him.
“How long have you taken jiu-jitsu?”
“Eight months. I was going to start it back next month, after giving my knee more time to finish healing.”
“You didn’t seem to have a problem with your knee when you kicked me in the stomach.”
He felt the mattress shift under him when she rolled to her side. She brought her hand to his chest, rubbing it with soothing motions.
“What else have you learned to do since you became a life coach?”
“All kinds of things. I love being taught new things. So far, I’ve taken cooking lessons, cake decorating—you know about the jiu-jitsu. I also learned how to build a hothouse. It’s in the backyard. Another client taught me how to play the flut—”
“Which lesson did you enjoy the most?” He stretched more comfortably, reaching out to tug her closer, bringing his arm behind her neck.
“Cake decorating.”
“Which was your least favorite?”
“Scrapbooking.”
“That doesn’t seem hard to do.”
“It wasn’t hard. I don’t know why I didn’t like it. I thought I would, but I didn’t.”
“Don’t you have to take pictures for your blogs?”
“I have a ton of those. I post those, but scrapbooking is about memories.”