Page 14 of Balancing Act (Soulmate #1)

Jamie leaned closer, resting her arms on the edge of the car door. “I think it’s perfectly normal that you care.” Jamie’s voice was warm and unhurried, as if she wasn’t saying it to make Beth feel better but because she believed it. “She’ll always be your little girl, you know?”

Beth met Jamie’s brown eyes, and for a moment, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was what it felt like to be truly seen by someone else? Jamie had listened to her without trying to fix the situation. “Thanks,” she murmured, offering a small, tentative smile.

“Any time.” Jamie’s dimples appeared. “And for what it’s worth, she might not always say ‘Mama,’ but that’s who you are to her.

It’s not a name, Beth—it’s a bond.” Their eyes stayed locked, lingering on each other.

“If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.

I’m a pretty good listener. You can always call or text me.

” She flashed a smile before pushing herself away from the car.

Beth had thought about texting Jamie so many times.

Just a quick Hey, how’s it going? or What are you up to?

But she hadn’t been able to bring herself to make that move.

This new friendship—or whatever this was with them—equally confused and excited her.

But if it meant Jamie could be in her life a little longer and in a more profound way than just as Lily’s coach, then she would take it.

“Oh, Beth, one more thing.” Jamie leaned back against the car, and she inhaled the sweet, familiar scent of eucalyptus.

“I want to take Lily indoor rock climbing as a trust-building exercise for the two of us. I just need permission from you. I was thinking about taking her next Tuesday during training time. Would that be okay?”

“She’s never been before, but I don’t see why not. As long as you know what you’re doing. I trust you.”

Jamie stiffened for a moment as Beth’s words left her mouth, and Beth racked her brain for what she could have possibly said to elicit that reaction, but as quickly as it happened, any hint of hardness was gone, replaced by Jamie’s extremely cute, melt-your-heart dimpled smile.

“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

She really, really hoped Jamie did, because Beth had absolutely no clue what she was doing.

The week slipped by in a blur, each day marked by quick drop-offs at the gym and lingering conversations with Jamie in the parking lot.

And suddenly, it was Friday. Her conversation with Jamie had lasted nearly thirty minutes this morning before an annoyed Lily poked her head out of the gym and Jamie flashed an apologetic smile before rushing off.

Beth had reluctantly headed home with the intention to get some work done. An intention that quickly went out the window when she tried to sit down and focus.

She should have been preparing for her meeting with Lane Walker, but instead, Beth sat surrounded by crumpled-up paper—ideas she had abandoned.

On the wall behind her, she had taped a sheet of canvas only to stand in front of it for an hour without making a single move.

Her creativity was so far away today, as if the wave she’d been riding all year had crashed, leaving her stranded.

She needed to find something to inspire her, to pull her out of this rut.

The sound of an incoming video call blared through her laptop speakers, and she prepared herself to take Sean’s call.

“Morning!” she chirped.

“Beth, it’s 2 p.m.”

She looked at the clock on the wall and realized she had spent the last several hours doing absolutely nothing.

“So it is.” Frustration crept into her voice more than was probably necessary.

“Hmmm. One of those days?” Sean asked. On-screen, Beth could see him lean back in his office chair and cross his arms. She didn’t respond.

“Let me guess, darling—you’ve spent all day trying to work, but you haven’t been able to come up with anything inspired?” Damn, he is good. Sean’s ability to read her like an open book was both unparalleled and unnerving.

“Am I that predictable?” she asked.

“Only to me.” He paused, his hand on his chin, gently stroking his signature well-manicured, salt-and-pepper-flecked goatee.

“Not to add to your day, but I have a little bit of bad news. I just got off the phone with Lane Walker’s assistant.

LACMA has decided to go in a different direction with their winter exhibit. ”

“Of course they did,” she grumbled petulantly, drawing her knees up to her chest.

“It’s not all bad. Lane personally sends their regrets. They are a big fan of your work, and they really want to find a way to collaborate soon. I’ve invited them up for the holiday art auction at the end of the year, so we’ll go from there.”

She stared beyond the window that housed Sean’s face.

She was unable to help the feeling of disappointment that accompanied his news.

She had been afraid of this—that being back at home, her attention split between her art and other responsibilities, would mean the progress she had made over the past year would come to a grinding halt.

“I think this is for the best. Take a breather for a little while. Enjoy being home and being present with Lily. Find your inspiration. The creativity will start flowing again. It always does.”

“But I want to be working and creating now . I have so many ideas that are right there .” She held her hand out before her. “But I can’t reach them. It’s like they’re fuzzy and out of focus.”

“What’s that saying?” he mused. “You can’t draw water from an empty well?”

“Something like that.” She rested her chin on her knee.

“Go fill your well, Beth.” He paused for a moment. “That sounded better in my head.”

She couldn’t help the grin that fought its way through.

“Speaking of filling your well,” he said, “when were you going to tell me you and Sarah were sleeping together again?” He peered at her over his thick black glasses. “I thought we were done with all that.”

Beth felt her face go beet red as she stammered, “One: that was a terrible segue, and two: how do you even know that? And three: even if I am, it’s none of your business.”

“Sarah and I had lunch today.”

Beth paused for a moment in shock. “Why? You two can’t stand each other.”

“Correct, but business is business. And before you ask, she didn’t say it outright, but I can read between the lines. You two are back together, aren’t you?”

A heavy silence fell between them. Beth wasn’t about to be the one to break it. The disappointment in his voice was an unfortunate reminder that they had been down this road too many times.

Sarah was complicated, safe, but familiar—full of history—in both the good and bad ways. The life they’d built together had been secure, predictable, and utterly uninspiring. Even now, she couldn’t help but cling to that feeling because she had known it for so long.

“We’re—you know—enjoying each other’s company as adults,” she finally countered.

“Beth, I love you. You’re like the sister I never had—nor particularly wanted—but as your friend, I have to ask... does Sarah really see you? The way you need to be seen?”

She stiffened at Sean’s words, torn between annoyance at and a deep appreciation for him.

Why did he have to call her out like that?

She didn’t know how to answer him and instead straightened her shoulders, sitting up a little taller on her stool.

“I appreciate your concern, but I know what I’m doing. ”

“Do you?” Sean challenged.

Frustration flared in Beth’s chest, threatening to bubble over.

She took a deep breath. No. She didn’t know what she was doing.

She never had—not once in forty-one years.

Life always felt like a precarious balancing act she couldn’t quite master.

Every time one part of her world seemed to thrive, another would teeter on the edge of collapse.

No matter how hard she tried, perfect balance had never been in the cards for her.

But she wasn’t about to tell Sean that.

“Drop it, Sean.” She heard the bite in her voice.

“All I’m saying is, why waste your time with Sarah when you had that total hottie from the gallery a few weeks ago? Don’t think I forgot what I almost walked in on,” he added, with a smug smile.

Beth wasn’t sure how to explain Jamie—the thrill of that night, or the shock of finding out she was Lily’s coach.

“I can confidently say that’s not going anywhere. As it turns out, that woman is one of Lily’s new gymnastic coaches, which we figured out the next morning when we met officially.”

Sean laughed. “Oh shit.”

“Yeah. Oh shit is right.” Beth couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Of all the people in the world...

“Okay, but I don’t think I’m seeing the problem.”

“The problem, Sean, is that I can’t sleep with my daughter’s gymnastics coach. Lily already hates me enough. Do you think that’s going to get any easier if I’m fucking her coach?” The statement sounded so crass coming out of her mouth, but it was how she felt.

“But you want to, don’t you?”

She peered at Sean’s slightly pixelated face through the computer screen.

She did. More than she probably should, given that Jamie only seemed interested in being friends—or at least that’s what she kept saying.

Beth couldn’t quickly turn that part of her brain off, the part that wanted Jamie in those ways, and the more time they spent together, the more difficult that got.

The line between friends and more than friends had been blurry from the start, but what was eating at Beth was her inability to tell if what she was feeling for Jamie was just a moment, or was it meant to be more?

“Even if I did,” she said slowly, “it’s bad timing. She’s leaving at the end of the year to go back to Oregon, so what would be the point? Plus, Jamie has made it clear she’s not interested in anything beyond friendship. So that’s what we’re doing. We’re friends now.”

“Friends? Really? How’s that going?”