Page 73 of The Holidays with Mr. Mitchell

She ignored him, rising gracefully. “We will now move into balance work. The body speaks when the mouth won’t.”

Luminara then began handing out bamboo staffs for ourunion alignment.

Jake already had his staff hoisted like a lightsaber. “Ah, yes, indeed.”

“Yeah,” Jim said dryly. “This is definitely going to fix everything.”

When Luminara announced that true love required aperfectly mirrored warrior pose, I had one very clear, very certain thought: This shit was not going to end well.

“Now,” Sage Luminara said, gliding barefoot across the bamboo deck, “we move into the sacred practice ofUnion of Souls Partner Flow.”

Her voice floated somewhere between a meditation app and a sermon.

Jim’s hand brushed mine, his expression showing me that his playing along was most likely only because we’d not spoken to each other in a week, and this silly bullshit was nothing compared to our dumb fight. Hell, it’s probably why it wasn’t bothering my ass so much either. Doing silly shit with myhusband was always fun. It was also always interesting to see how this nonsense might turn out.

We sat facing each other, knees touching, incense curling between us. Beyond the glass, the Pacific glittered like liquid encouragement.

“The husband will cradle his partner’s energy,” Luminara said. “Palm to heart. Let intention replace apology.”

Jim’s lips curved. “You heard the woman, gorgeous,” he murmured, placing his hand lightly against my chest. His touch was steady and measured with just enough pressure to make my pulse jump.

“I love you,” I softly said, smiling into his beautiful green eyes and loving that this wasn’t irritating him, no matter how bizarre it was.

Luminara’s eyes softened. “Good. Stay in that truth.”

Across the circle, Collin was already inhaling like he planned to levitate. “I can feel the frequency shifting.”

It looked like his ass was finally starting to play along as well. We were all going to need a damn beer after this next part, I was sure of that.

Jake answered without opening his eyes. “That’s because you’re holding your breath.”

“Quiet the mind,” Luminara said, her tone patient but sharp. “Inhale through love. Exhale resistance.”

Jim’s thumb brushed the edge of my collarbone, slow and deliberate. He wasn’t mocking it; he was indulging me.

“Now, bring your foreheads together,” Luminara said.

Jim leaned in until our breath mingled. His eyes flicked over mine, amused, quiet, and dangerous.

I failed instantly, a laugh escaping before I could smother it. As handsome as he was and for as much as I wanted to be this close to my husband, this was just too weird.

Luminara smiled as if this were a moment of enlightenment. “Laughter is the soul cleansing its fear.”

“Then mine’s spotless,” I whispered.

“Rock gently with the rhythm of your breath,” she continued.

Jake shifted, Collin followed, and within seconds, the men looked like an uncoordinated boy-band video. Laney buried her face in her hands.

Jim didn’t move. His gaze stayed on me, calm, teasing. “You good?” he asked softly.

“Define good.”

He huffed out a low laugh, barely audible but rare enough that I felt it more than heard it.

Luminara began circling us, murmuring affirmations. “You are not two. You are one body, one intention, one flow. Now,” she said, “for the lovers’ bridge.”

Every man in the circle looked immediately suspicious. And that’s when I watched the star student of this show drop his mask. I chuckled, wondering how Jake would do with all this bullshit he seemed enamored by.