I have a sister. A flesh-and-blood living relative beyond my narcissistic tyrant of a father. The thought of having actual family shreds my insides. She may have been pretty, seemingly nice, but I don’t know much about her. There’s also the little issue of my mother. Is she around? Does she live in the area? The mere inkling of that particular possibility has my already tender stomach tightening like a vice. I flip the business card for Greta Tinsley over and over in my hand, reading it for the hundredth time.

My sister works with children as an occupational therapist. A woman like that would have her own money, and there hasn’t been any further request for contact or money of any kind. Neither Brett nor Greta have reached out to me in the past week since our random meeting at the Thai restaurant.

Was it even random, or do they know what my usual haunts are?

Did they follow us there?

I shake my head. If I remember correctly, they were already seated when we walked in. God, I hate that I’m so suspicious, but my father trained me to be.

Everyone wants something out of you, son. Never trust anyone. People are always looking for an angle.

What I should have been asking my father back then was what was his angle? Training a tyrant. His replacement in the Winters Group. A man who could be as ruthless as he is. Only, I don’t think I’ve succumbed to his teachings. At least not completely. And now, Luna’s influence is making sure of that.

Thinking of my beautiful redheaded fairy princess, I rustle up the courage to pick up the phone and dial Greta’s number. It rings several times before I receive her voicemail.

I consider hanging up but decide it might be best to force her to reach out to me directly.

“Greta, this is Grant Winters. I’ve confirmed the information you stated is correct. You are my sister.” My voice cracks, and I clear it. “If you’d like to meet up to discuss, I have many questions I hope you can answer. I will say, I’m sorry I was rude the other day. I’d like to make it up to you with coffee or a meal of your choosing. Please contact me if you are interested. I look forward to hearing from you.”

With nothing left to say, I hang up, leaving the ball in her court.

A restless energy sizzles at the tips of my fingers and toes, so I pull out my cell phone and text Luna.

She’ll know what I mean when she sees the message. I glance at the clock and figure she should be between classes right now.

Her message pops up right away.

I smile and inhale a full breath. My lamb is worried about me. It’s a new feeling to know that someone else genuinely cares about my feelings and how I’m faring with contacting my estranged half sister. It sure makes the days easier to face, and the nights… Well, the nights are fantastic. Falling asleep next to her is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. It’s chocolate-covered strawberries and whipped cream all together wrapped in the most comfortable bed in existence. When I figure out a way to get her to move in with me, we’re taking her bed. Period. No discussion necessary. I answer her message before glancing back out at the skyline. I really do have an incredible view, but nothing is as stunning as Luna’s face and looking into her blue eyes.

Fucking meditation. She’s crazy if she thinks I’m going to meditate. Instead, I’ll appeal to her stomach. It’s usually the easiest way to get her to do what I want. Offer to feed her, and she falls all over herself ready to eat.

Before I can respond, another bubble pops up.

Damn it. Why does she have to be so damn cute? I can never deny her. I respond that I’ll meet her there at six p.m. and head over to my home across the office to change clothes and grab a suit for tomorrow.

* * *

Luna isn’t at the front desk when I arrive, so I use my key card to get in and walk down the hallway. The artwork is truly incredible. It’s going to be rough knowing it will all be demolished when we rebuild the towers. I just hope Brando can come up with something that not only saves my girlfriend’s business location but also saves my ass with my girlfriend. I love her too much to see her hurt, and I know her legacy means the world to her.

As I’m thinking of my girl, she pokes her head out the last door at the end of the hallway.

“There you are,” I say.

She waves and smiles.

I’d walk a thousand miles if her smiling face was at the end of the journey.

“I’m glad you’re early.” She lifts her hands in front of her in a placating gesture. “Okay, this had to happen, and I’m sorry if you feel as though I’m dumping this on you, but she’s my best friend in the whole wide world, and I can’t bear to have the two of you not friendly. You both mean so much to me.”

I frown, and my hackles rise. “Spit it out, lamb.”

She tilts her head and worries her bottom lip. “Dara is the meditation teacher. But don’t worry, I’ve already talked to her and smoothed the way. Trust me on this. Please?” She lays her hands against my chest and looks up at me pleadingly.

I curl a hand around her nape. “I trust you with anything. I just hope you’re right and this goes as you wish.”

She grins, lifts up on her toes, and kisses me hard but, unfortunately, closed-mouthed. She pulls away before I have the chance to deepen the kiss. Her hand wraps around mine, and she leads me inside.

There’s a couple bickering to my right, and I realize one of them is Trent Fox. Second time I’m seeing him at the studio. A thrill of excitement at seeing my favorite baseball player once again fills my chest. I squeeze Luna’s hand and dip my head to hers.

“I knew you knew Trent from when I took your class, but you really know Trent Fox. Why are we not doing dinner with him?” I’m absolutely thrilled with the possibility that I could break bread with the celebrity.

Luna chuckles. “I had no idea you were so interested in baseball.”

I level a playful glare at her. “Lamb, most men are. Especially if you live in the Bay Area. You’re either a Ports fan or a Stingers fan. Even though I work in the city, I’m all about the Oakland Ports.”

“Huh. You just didn’t seem like the sports type. I haven’t watched any baseball games with you.”

I chuckle. “No, because I’ve been spending all of my free time with you. When I’m in your presence, I don’t want to be distracted by my favorite sport.”

She frowns. “I like sports. I don’t know much about them, but you could teach me.”

“Deal.” I wink.

“At the very least, I can surely share my friends with you.” She grabs my hand and tugs me over to the couple.

Trent has his big paw on a tiny blond woman’s rounded belly. “I mean it, gumdrop. No more vinyasa flow for you. I’m talking to Luna and Mila. You’re hitting five months. No more. Promise me.”

The pretty blonde purses her bright-red lips. Add her dark eyes and she’s a doppelganger to music artist Gwen Stefani. She moves her hands to her hips. “I’m fine, Trent. Pregnant, not sick. Remember!” She groans and then turns her head, noticing us. “Hey, Luna. Can you talk some sense into this brute? He thinks I should stop doing Vin Flow because I’ve hit the five-month mark with our daughter.”

Luna gasps. “Sweet Shiva! You’re having a girl!” She claps and then rushes to hug the blonde.

“Hey, man, I remember you.” Trent holds out his hand, and I shake it, smiling. “We took a class together not long ago. How goes it?”

“Good, good. Grant Winters. I’m Luna’s boyfriend.”

His eyes widen. “Yeah? Cool. Trent Fox, and the gushing, frustrating, gorgeous preggo is my wife, Genevieve. Viv for short.”

Genevieve backs away from Luna and wipes at her suddenly teary eyes. “I know. I thought for sure his testosterone would overcome any possibility, but nope, we’re having a girl.”

“Already bought a shotgun.” Trent lifts his chest with pride.

I chuckle, knowing what he means.

Luna frowns and shakes it off. “Genevieve, this is Grant Winters, my boyfriend.”

I shake her hand. “Congratulations.” I don’t know what else to say.

“Thank you. Now, back to the matter at hand…”

“Red, please knock some sense into her. All I’m asking is that she slow down on the more advanced practices in her second trimester. She’s a hop, skip, and a jump away from her third.”

“I’m fine!” Her voice rises, and those hands of hers go right back to her hips.

“Gumdrop…it’s dangerous.”

Luna lifts her hands between them. “If I may.” Both quiet down and look at her. “Technically, as long as Genevieve is feeling well and not having any pain, she should be able to continue her practice as normal until she becomes uncomfortable….”

“See!” Genevieve cuts her off, and Trent visibly bristles.

“However…Viv, if it were me, I would start to ramp down my practice choices to those more suited to a pregnant woman’s body and the welcoming of the new little life. Your beginning classes are fine, the prenatal, and of course, meditation. I’m certain Mila would agree. It’s not that you have to stop; you should start to think about the positions and level of advancement that best suit your pregnancy at this stage and into the next.”

“Thank you, Red,” Trent announces with a huge smile.

“And, Trent, I’ll say to you that Genevieve knows her own body. She’s been pregnant once before. Now is the time to celebrate, but be considerate of her feelings and perhaps a bit gentler with your approach to her. You might consider making suggestions when it comes to her body versus demands.”

“Her body is my body.” His gaze goes straight to hers. “It’s my job to protect you.”

Genevieve turns into a pile of mush right in front of us, moving into her husband’s arms. “I love you, and I don’t want you worrying about me or our girl, so I’ll stop doing Vin Flow…if you make me pancakes for dinner.”

He chuckles, dips his head, and kisses his wife. “My girls want my famous pancakes, you get my pancakes.”

Luna beams with happiness watching the two exchange their apologies and vows of love.

I wrap an arm around her waist and whisper in her ear. “Maybe we should find our spot and leave them alone?”

She nods and curves her arm around me as we turn away and walk right into Dara McKnight. Her mocha-colored skin is a majestic contrast to the Caribbean ocean blue of her eyes.

“Hey, girl,” she says but then glances at me, her lips compressing into a thin, flat line.

“Dara, I believe you have something to say to my boyfriend, Grant.”

Dara’s gaze narrows. She looks me up and down and then tips her head. “I see your battle has changed.”

“You see what?” I’m confused.

“Well, for one, you’re clearly in love with my best friend. It’s written all over your green aura. Though there are flickers of silver, which prove you’re skeptical of me, of this class, or the situation at large.”

“Dara, you said you wanted to talk to Grant. Clear the air.” Luna’s tone has become guarded.

Dara looks Luna up and down and points her finger from Luna’s head to her toes. “Don’t go all muddy red on me with your anger coming to the surface. I’m just stating it like it is.”

“What are you stating exactly?” I ask, still lost.

Luna sighs. “Dara is reading our auras. It’s like her personal litmus test.”

“Why not just ask what you want to know directly?” I skate right over the aura reading because I don’t know anything about it, nor do I give it any credence either way.

“I can’t help what I see. Besides, what I see is good. He clearly is head over heels in love with you. Every time your hand gets close or you look at him, his green aura brightens, glowing like a brilliant emerald surrounding his entire form. Means his heart is filled…with you.”

Luna gifts us both a cheesy smile, totally taken off her grumpy tone and back to being happy-go-lucky Zen hippie. “I love that.” She sighs.

I chuckle and put my arm around her shoulder and nuzzle her forehead. “Don’t need an aura reader to know I love you.”

Her cheeks blush so prettily I want to kiss them, but I don’t while under the watchful eye of her best friend, whom I haven’t exactly won over yet.

“I love you more.”

Dara butts into our little love fest. “Okay, okay. I can see the two of you are in deep. I’ll make this short and sweet, Grant.”

“Appreciated.” I wait for her to respond.

“Luna is my best friend. She’s important to me and my family. As is this facility and my bakery—frankly, the whole damn street. And you are the man who could be taking all of it away.”

I could stop her right there, but she continues.

“Now Luna tells me you’re working to figure out a solution, and she explained the details behind the decision. I get that your hands are tied, and I’ll be over the moon if what you’re working on saves the street and our businesses. More importantly, though, I don’t want you breaking my friend’s heart.”

I tighten my hold on Luna’s shoulder. “Not going to do that. In a very short amount of time, Luna has become the most important thing in my world. Her heart is safe with me. And as she mentioned, I’m working on doing what I can for Lotus House and the street. Still, she will not go without a home or a place to work. That I can assure you.”

Dara’s lips form a small smile, and her eyes continue to assess me. “I can see the truth in your statement, and I’ll accept that…for now.”

“Much obliged.”

She nods and looks at Luna. “You’re right. He’s ridiculously hot.”

“I know!” Luna says with apparent awe. “And you’re seeing him fully clothed. Naked, he’s… I can’t even,” Luna admits.

“You both realize I’m standing right here.”

Luna grins and rubs her face against my chest. “You are.”

Dara chuckles. “Get set up.” She glances at Trent and Genevieve as other patrons start to roll in. “Need to set some mental balance up in this place. Dang. Emotions and shit flying all over the place.”

“I’m glad we talked. I hope to get to know you and your family better in the future,” I offer, mostly because it’s true. If she’s important to Luna, then I’m willing to make an effort.

Dara winks. “Come have some treats sometime at the bakery. I’ll hook you up. All the people I care about come in and out of my shop on a daily basis. You’ll get to know everyone very quickly.”

Luna leads me over to a spot to the side where we can see the riser but also lean our backs up against the wall behind us.

“Okay, for meditation, you need to get as comfortable as possible while sitting,” she instructs and then hops up and heads over to a closet, where she pulls out a few cylinder-shaped pillows and then comes back over.

I cross my legs, and she places one pillow under each of my knees. When I rest them on the pillows, I’m much more comfortable. She grabs both of my hands and maneuvers them palms-up on both of my knees.

“Having your palms up and open allows you to be open. Energy can flow through your palms and into your form as you meditate.”

“I don’t know how to meditate.”

She grins. “Which is why you’re here. Tonight’s class is guided meditation. All you have to do is follow her instructions and listen to her voice. I’ll be right next to you. As a matter of fact, I’m going to press my knee up against yours so our energy can circulate between us.”

I smirk. “You just want to touch me.”

“This is true.” She winks and gets settled next to me, putting the bolsters in the same position she did for me but under her knees. Then she scoots right next to my side so that our knees touch. She rests her hands up and open and then closes her eyes.

“All right, class, thank you all for coming. To start, I’m going to dim the lights even more and come around with some essential oil. The oil will activate your sense of smell and help you breathe into your mediation more easily.”

Dara comes around the room and stops in front of me. “Do you like this scent?”

The woodsy smell immediately reminds me of the oil Luna used on me when I had a bad headache and first slept with her. “Very much.”

“You should. Luna made it for me.” She winks and then puts a fingertip just under my nostrils and above my lips.

She doesn’t ask Luna about the scent, just places it under her nose and then pushes her hair off her forehead in a loving gesture. Luna smiles but doesn’t open her eyes. They really are best friends. I mean, I can’t image Clayton touching me so tenderly, but he does clap my shoulder, pound on my back in greeting. I guess that’s the male version of the sweet gesture.

“Close your eyes, everyone, and breathe in the scent. I want you to start by imagining you’re standing in the center of a forest. Trees all around you. The wind is blowing softly around your skin, making the branches above your head tinkle and sway. There is a dirt path under your feet. You are comfortable, calm, and know you are in the exact place you are supposed to be…right now. Breathe in the serenity. Exhale any unwelcome thoughts that come into your mind.”

I imagine exactly what she says. A forest building all around me, and I’m standing in the center of a wooded path. I can smell the trees and hear the branches moving around me.

“Before you are two paths. One is dark, almost pitch black. The other filled with sunlight and chirping birds. Take the path that is light. The dark is your past. Everything you don’t want to relive. Stay in the moment. Walk in the warmth of the sun.”

I move to the right, the lighted path. The sun is shining through the leaves, making a myriad of interesting shadows on the dirt path. Even so, the dark path is calling to me, making me curious about what lies at the end.

A sensation of unease slips through my form, and I grunt, my body feeling heavy and weighted. Out of nowhere, a sense of calm fills the air, a soothing energy flowing over me, and I realize Luna put her hand into mine, connecting our energy in the physical plane, which connects our souls in the mental one. With her energy surrounding me, I turn right and start to walk the lighted path.

As I walk, I forget about Dara’s voice. It seems to blend into whatever I’m seeing, which is nothing but beauty. The tree-lined path comes to an opening, where a fifty-foot, pristine waterfall plunges into a clear pool below. I walk toward the water and see my reflection in the rippled surface. In it, I’m happy, smiling, my face free of stress.

A noise startles me, and I look to the right of the pool, and there Luna stands on a giant rock, her naked body ethereal against the sun and rushing water. Her red hair flows in waves behind her as the wind blows.

She blows me a kiss and dives into the pool.

“Wow,” I say to myself, waiting with bated breath to see her form pop up from the crystal clean surface of the pool.

“Big man, wake up.” I feel my body jolt, and I open my eyes to find I’m back in the yoga room. Luna’s pretty face hovers in front of me, her hands on my knees. “You fell asleep.” She giggles.

“Damn.” I run my hand through my hair.

“Did you at least see the forest?” she asks, removing the bolsters as I shake off the images.

“Oh yeah.”

“The waterfall?” she continues as I stand up and hook her around the waist, pulling her to me.

“Totally.”

“The deer in the meadow?”

“What?”

“The deer in the meadow near the waterfall.”

I curl my fingers into her hair and tilt her chin up with my thumb. “No.”

She frowns, her nose crunching up prettily. “Then what did you see when she said to imagine a majestic creature, like a deer?”

I kiss her forehead and then focus on her gaze. “Lamb, once I got to the waterfall, I saw you. Nothing but you. Naked. Stunning. Diving into the water. The most perfect image. I’ll never forget it as long as I live.”

“You imagined me?” Her voice shakes when she reiterates her question.

“To me, Luna, there is nothing more majestic than you. Your body, your heart, your essence is my happy place.”