“Okay, the smarmy British guy on TV went on and on about The Lion bringing on a spiritual advisor to take him to the next level, whatever the hell that means. But he didn’t mention anything about a donkey race,” Harper snapped.
Libby waved her hands to get the group’s attention. “Just listen. Here’s the rundown. You saw me throw the vibrators at Raz and then watched as we got arrested, right?”
Everyone nodded.
“After that, Madelyn met us at the police station. We didn’t know what she was doing there, but it turned out to be a godsend. Before the arresting officers could book us, Madelyn intervened. She dropped the whole nanny match revelation, then, since she’s a close friend of the chief of police, she worked out a deal to get the charges put on hold.”
“That woman knows everyone,” Penny supplied, shaking her head.
“But how does donkey racing fit in?” Mitch asked.
Libby rubbed her temples. The whirlwind of a night had her brain ready to explode.
Raz tapped her shoulder. “I’ve got this, plum,” he said, then addressed the group. “The police chief gave us an ultimatum. Libby and I had to agree to train and compete in something called the Ass-in-Nine Burro Race to represent Denver’s first responders. If we don’t do it, they’ll charge us with lewd behavior.”
Mitch ran his hands down his face. “I did not see that coming.”
“The race is held in Rickety Rock. A town near—” Libby began when Rowen snapped his fingers.
“It’s near Aspen,” the nerd announced.
“Yes, Raz and I agreed to live there for the summer and train for the race,” she answered.
“And after that, I’ve got my fight,” Raz finished, shifting his stance nervously.
Maybe the beefcake wasn’t the conceited, cocksure fighter who’d oozed buckets of confidence in front of the press.
Penny shook her head. “I’m the writer here, but even I couldn’t have cooked up something like that.”
“It’s pretty insane,” Libby answered.
“And what about Sebastian?” Mitch asked. “He should be arriving soon, right?”
At the mention of his son, Raz’s throat constricted as he swallowed. “He arrives with my grandmother in a couple of days, and then we’ll figure out when we can head to Rickety Rock.”
“This is encouraging news!” Rowen exclaimed—looking downright upbeat.
“There are plenty of words that could describe tonight. I’m not sure encouraging is one of them, mate,” Raz answered.
“I was remarking on the proximity. We’ll be in Aspen for much of the summer,” Rowen continued.
“Each of us has a place up there,” Mitch explained, gesturing to Rowen and Landon.
“And we’ve got Phoebe and Oscar signed up for a bunch of Bergen Adventure Camps in the area. Sebastian might enjoy it, too,” Charlotte added.
“Is he into outdoor activities?” Mitch asked.
Raz parted his lips and…nothing. Not a word escaped. But after a few seconds, which felt more like a few millennia, the man rebounded. “Sure, I think he’d enjoy that.”
Harper raised her hand. “Yeah, not everyone can escape to million-dollar mountain homes. Some people stay in town and wake up early to teach piano lessons to booger-eating elementary school children. Just saying.”
Penny wrapped her arm around H’s shoulders. “You’re always welcome to stay with us when you have time. And on that note, now that we know Erasmus and Libby are okay, it’s time we let them get settled in. Not to mention, it’s way past Phoebe and Oscar’s bedtime.”
“Come on, guys. Can you show us the way to the game room, Raz?” Rowen asked.
“Libby?” came a voice—Raz’s voice. Something was off. She couldn’t read him. Was that sadness in his gray eyes—or trepidation?
“Yes.”
“I’ll be right back.”
“And I’ll clean up the rest of the torpedoes while you’re gone,” she answered, hating this awkward energy simmering between them. Then again, their lives had been turned upside down and inside out in a matter of hours.
Raz nodded, then filed out of the foyer with the men, giving her a much-needed moment alone with her girls.
Penny surveyed the floor. “It’s not every day you see a home in the fancy-pants Crystal Hills neighborhood decorated with vibrators.”
“Quite a daring choice of décor,” Char chimed.
“The sheer number is utterly breathtaking,” H added.
Libby smiled. Her friends were trying to lighten the mood.
Harper held up the multi-colored vibrator, then dropped it into the bag. “Ah, the Rainbow Screamer! The perfect complement to our Libby, the yoga screamer,” she remarked, but her signature smirk melted into a look of genuine concern. “Libbs, are you all right with being the beefcake’s nanny and spiritual advisor? He hurt you, honey. We’ve seen what you’ve been going through these last couple of months. You’ve been a wreck.”
Libby dropped an armful of vibrators into the bag as Char added the gong and mallet, and Penny zipped the tote.
“Yeah, Libbs, that video was intense, but then there was this moment. Did you guys catch it?” Penny said, eyeing Char and Harper.
“The hoodie grab?” Charlotte asked.
“Yeah, I saw it,” H added.
Libby’s gaze bounced between her friends. “What are you talking about?”
Penny pulled her phone from her pocket. “I’ll show you.”
“I don’t want to see it, Penn,” Libby said, waving away the phone. “I’m not sure how much more mortification I can take today.”
“I won’t make you watch the video, but look at this screenshot,” Penny nudged as she tapped her phone, then held it out for them to see.
Libby stared at an image of her and Raz. The man had his arm wrapped around her protectively as she clutched the fabric of his hoodie in her fist. A shiver passed through her. No, it wasn’t a shiver. That tingling response was her body aching for the beefcake’s touch. She ignored the sensation. “I was pretty freaked out at that point. It was like I’d left my body while I was screaming, then returned to it to find flashing lights and policemen calling out commands.”
“What made you think yelling outside his gym was a good idea, Libbs?” Char asked gently.
Libby sighed. “Ida.”
Char raised an eyebrow. “The lady in your apartment?”
“It’s her apartment. Hash Pants sublet it without her knowledge while she was away at a meditation retreat.” Libby pictured the woman with her flowing hair and jangly jewelry—a woman she’d sworn she’d seen or possibly met somewhere. But that couldn’t be. Hash Pants said his aunt had been gone nearly a decade. “I briefly interacted with her when I was getting kicked out of my apartment. Ida stopped me before I got into my car. She gave me a stone, then told me I needed to release my rage. I’ve tried everything else to balance my chi and get my O back. I figured, why not go big and see what would happen if I opened a can of anger yoga on Raz. And now the world and everyone on the International Space Station know what happened next.”