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four

Dalton

Malibu is different from Minneapolis in every way. The sun is just starting to rise and it’s already warm here. I’m walking to the beach, sand slipping into my sandals and the smell of salt water filling the air.

It’s not just the weather that’s different. When I went out to grab a turkey wrap yesterday after filming, the guy behind the register at the deli glared at me when I pushed the button to tip twenty percent. Back home, people at restaurant counters apologize for the tipping option coming up automatically and tell me to just bypass it.

I wasn’t happy when I found out I was being traded to the Mammoths. Minnesota felt boring compared to pro hockey cities like Chicago and New York. It’s grown on me, though. I especially like summers, when everything is green, but it’s still not brutally hot.

There are three silhouetted figures on the beach. The tall, broad one is JP, who’s stretching out his hamstrings. Farrah is reaching both arms up in a stretch and Alice is standing off to the side.

“Hey, man,” JP says as I approach them. “We were just talking about your sister surviving that plane crash with one of your teammates. I’d forgotten about it.”

I slip my slides off, the sand massaging my soles. “Yeah, it was all over the news when it happened. Pretty crazy.”

“Didn’t she and your teammate get married after that?” Farrah asks.

“Yep.”

“Were they dating before?”

“Nope.”

Farrah inhales sharply and grins. “Oh, so did he put the moves on in the wilderness?”

Aggravation flares in my chest because even though Trinity and Lincoln are happily married now, I still don’t like thinking about them hooking up. Ever.

“It was a cabin in the woods.”

“Oh.” Farrah’s eyes light happily. “That’s romantic.”

I walk over to Alice, eager to drop the subject. She gives me a skeptical look.

“Hey, how’s your knee?”

“It’s fine.”

“Is it really?”

She shrugs. “Don’t worry about it.”

I sigh inwardly and turn to Farrah. “Did Alice tell you I accidentally clotheslined her yesterday and smashed your sushi?”

Farrah laughs lightly. “Is that what happened?”

“Dude, you boarded her without the boards,” JP says.

I shoot him a glare. “I didn’t know she was there. If you had better aim, I wouldn’t have been running backward.”

He scoffs. “I can put a football wherever I want. I just didn’t realize you’re so slow.”

I give Alice a, Can you believe this shit? look, but she’s stone-faced.

“Let’s race,” I suggest to JP.

The sand will slow me down a lot, but it’ll slow him down, too. I’ve trained my legs hard over the years because speed is everything in hockey. There’s not a doubt in my mind I can smoke him.

“I would, but my meniscus isn’t all the way healed yet.”

“Sorry, what?” I cup a hand around my ear like I didn’t hear him. “Did you say you’re too much of a puss?”

“Shit.” He laughs. “I can’t blow out my knee again, Lorenzo, or I’d take you on in a second.”

“Boys.” Farrah looks between us, a playful smile on her lips. “The vibe at morning meditation is zen. Peace. Let’s get started.”

She sits down in the sand, closing her eyes and straightening her spine. Then she leans forward, easily grasping her toes in a stretch. The rest of us follow her.

“Let’s manifest health,” she says in a soothing voice. “Wellness takes discipline. Let’s think about all the actions we can take today to create wellness in our lives.”

She leads us through a series of stretches, the sun popping up over the horizon within a few minutes. Farrah is all in with every movement; her flexibility amazing me. Her body is long and lean, her arm muscles defined when she gets into the plank position.

Alice follows in silence. She doesn’t seem to have Farrah’s enthusiasm for yoga. And JP is fucking obnoxious, vocally exhaling and making sure every movement is perfect.

I’ve got nothing against yoga--I do it several times a week. But that’s because our team trainer makes us do it. Yoga with beautiful women, though, is much better than yoga with my teammates. Dane farts at least three times in every session.

“Dancer pose,” Farrah murmurs.

She bends a knee behind her and turns toward it, grabbing her foot with her hand and bringing it up. My brows shoot up as I watch her move her foot above her head, holding it with both hands as she pushes her chest forward in a deep stretch.

“Alice will show you the modification,” Farrah says in a tranquil tone.

Alice is bent forward, her leg out behind her. She puts her arms out, trying to balance, but flails and puts a hand down to the sand. She groans, frustrated.

“Progress, not perfection,” Farrah says.

I look over at JP. He’s damn close to getting into the pose, but he can’t get his leg high enough. The strain is showing on his face, though he’s trying to make it look like it’s easy.

I’ve got the balance and core strength for this one. I get into the pose, feeling the deep stretch in my leg.

“Nice, Dalton,” Farrah says. “Let’s hold this one. Our bodies are so amazing, aren’t they? We need to take care of them. Give our bodies the nutrients and oxygen they need. No processed garbage in.”

Okay, that’s where I draw the line. I have to stay fit for my job, and I’d exercise even if I didn’t have to because I feel better when I do. But I also love pizza, candy bars and cheesesteak sandwiches.

“Are you vegan, Farrah?” JP asks.

“Pescatarian. But I don’t eat much fish. What about you?”

“I have to get in a lot of calories, but I mostly eat lean proteins, whole grains and vegetables.”

“Are you pescatarian, too, Alice?” I ask.

“Me?” She laughs and a little snort comes out. “No.”

“But I’m working on her!” Farrah grins in Alice’s direction.

Alice shakes her head. “I’ll never give up bacon. Or chai tea lattes. Or pepperoni pizza.”

“I could go for some pepperoni pizza,” I say.

Farrah gasps. “Oh my God, stop it. Do you know how horrible pepperoni is? It has nitrates, high sodium and high saturated fats.” She doesn’t allow anyone a chance to respond before moving on. “Let’s get into peacock pose. It’ll be harder in the sand, but we can still do it.”

Alice lets out a sigh that’s almost inaudible. She just gets into a low plank, not even attempting peacock pose.

I know this one, and it’s hard as hell to hold. It’s similar to a handstand, but your forearms are on the ground and your body is at an angle instead of straight up.

JP admires Farrah as she gets into the pose, an appreciative smile tilting up the corners of his mouth. She has an amazing body, but I’m not openly ogling her the way he is.

I’m getting into peacock pose. I start in a low plank, then use my core to lift my lower body. My hands sink into the sand and I have to push myself up farther to keep my face out of the sand.

“Damn,” JP mumbles. “This is no joke.”

“You got it?” Farrah asks him.

“Yeah.” His voice strains and he makes a spitting sound. “There’s sand in my mouth, though.”

“It’s worth it! Our bodies were made for greatness. We’re capable of so much more than we realize.”

My glutes burn with the strain of holding peacock pose. Damn, I’m going to be sore after this. I’ve been taking it easy in the offseason, just doing a light run several days a week.

“Alice, try!” Farrah says.

“Nope, I’m good.”

“You can’t grow if you don’t try.”

“I don’t want to grow.”

Alice’s cheekiness makes me smile. It’s clear she doesn’t want to be here. I bet Farrah makes her come. But I guess if Farrah wants part of Alice’s workday to include yoga and meditation, that’s between them.

“Let’s challenge ourselves with handstand scorpion,” Farrah says, bringing her feet back down to the ground.

Alice drops her knees to the sand, keeping the front of her body in the plank position.

“Al, at least try!” Farrah scolds.

“Nope. I’ll injure myself.”

“I can guide you.”

Alice rolls her eyes. “That position is insane. I’m not doing it.”

Farrah sighs. “Fine. But this one really helps keep you limbered up for...activities.”

Her tone is mischievous. As JP and I watch, she gets into downward dog, moves her shoulders over her legs and lifts her legs--together--from the sand. It takes some time for her to stay balanced enough to get into a handstand position, but with her forearms flat on the ground. Then, she keeps moving her legs slowly until they’re curved. She lowers her toes until they touch her hair.

“Holy...” JP murmurs.

He’s right. It’s fucking crazy. Farrah is trying to prove she can bend in any direction, and I think we know why. She looks like a Cirque do Soleil performer, her gaze serene.

“I’m not trying that,” I say. “No way, man.”

“Yeah, I’m out, too,” JP says.

Farrah holds the pose, showing off at this point. Finally, she kicks her legs back into a handstand and lets them fall back to the ground.

“You’re a dancer,” JP says, a note of admiration in his tone.

She grins, clearly pleased. “I was a long time ago. Should we try sleeping yogi?”

Sleeping yogi turned out to be ridiculous, too, unless you have a body without bones. By the time Farrah finishes the yoga session, we’re all sweating heavily. It’s not only the exertion but also the humidity.

“Let’s take a quick break before the workout,” Farrah says.

We walk up to the beach house, all of us taking a seat at a patio table.

“I could go for a swim.” I eye the pool, an enormous rectangle shape with rocks, a waterfall and two hot tubs.

“Ugh, the chlorine would ruin my hair,” Farrah says.

She looks over at Alice. “Can I get lavender water? And I’m craving cantaloupe. But only if it’s super ripe.”

“Sure.”

I lower my brows, watching as Alice gets up from her chair. Did Farrah just ask Alice to fetch her a water, like Alice is a dog?

“I’ll grab you a water,” I offer, getting up.

Farrah waves a hand. “No, let Alice do it. She knows how I like it.”

I remember the bag of Voss water Alice was carrying, and the lemons and lavender. Surely Farrah isn’t this much of a diva.

“Well, the chef is serving a big breakfast at seven thirty,” I say. “I bet there’ll be some fruit.”

“Alice can run and get it. She’s my assistant.” She looks between me and JP. “Do you guys want water?”

Like hell is anyone bringing me a bottle of water instead of me walking into the house to get one myself. JP looks equally uncomfortable about it.

“I think I’m gonna go shower,” I say. “See you guys at breakfast.”

Alice had a long day yesterday, and her knee is hurt. But Farrah thought nothing of making her get up at dawn for yoga even though she didn’t want to do it, and now she’s making her wait on her.

I follow Alice to the kitchen.

“Hey,” I say as I walk into the room. “You want me to bring her the water?”

She gives me a confused look. “No, I’ve got it.”

I nod, still unsettled. “Is your knee okay? Is there anything I can do for you?”

She knits her brows together, a wrinkle forming between them. “No, I’m fine.”

I want to say something else, but I’m starting to feel like a creep who won’t leave her alone. So I shrug and leave the kitchen, going to my room for my shower.