Page 13

The founder of Reignite, Hazel, stops in front of me where I’d been seated on a lounge chair by the pool. I’d taken a break from getting ready for the arrival of our retreat guests tomorrow, enjoying the sunshine and empty pool while I can.

She smiles brightly at me. “We’ve got a full retreat!”

“Really?”

She holds her hands in front of her long rust-colored dress, the plethora of bangles she wears on her wrists jingling. “Yep. We got a last-minute booking.”

“I’m going to guess that means you want me to mentor this round instead of being a helper when needed?”

“Could you, Beck? I know you were looking forward to a bit of a reprieve after your last couple was so difficult.”

Hazel’s brown-and-green eyes, filled with their usual spark of life, stare into my brown ones. It’s what I’ve always loved about working with her. No matter if she’s having a bad day or something goes wrong, she’s always joyful and chooses to see the silver lining. It’s what makes her a great boss and friend and why I’ve continued to work for Reignite the last couple of years after attending a solo retreat myself. Her attitude has even rubbed off on me over time.

“Depends,” I say, standing from my chair. At six-foot-six, I tower over her five-foot-two frame. She stands straighter and smirks up at me. She knows I’m not going to say no—I do work for her—but she goes along with me.

“On?”

“Which bungalow you put me in.”

She laughs and whacks my arm. “You’re already in the best one that’s not for guests.”

“I know.”

She laughs. “Thank you.”

“No thanks needed. It is my job to mentor, and I knew the spot could be filled at the last minute.”

“Still, you dealt with a lot last session.”

I think of Jude and Harley. They were a sweet couple, and I could tell they did love each other, but sometimes, couples who come to our retreats are to the point where a week of learning to communicate, not only through intimacy but conversation, will not help them. Especially if one part of the couple isn’t willing to cooperate.

In this case, Jude had already checked out of their relationship, and he spent more time asking the local staff about the growth rate of the native Joshua Trees than the growth of his relationship with his wife. Harley, on the other hand, was a willing student, but in her desperation, she tried to use me to make Jude jealous. And while I’ll sometimes participate in intimate exercises with couples who are willing or ask for my help, I am not a pawn and don’t like being used as one.

Needless to say, it wasn’t a successful retreat. I’d been looking forward to not focusing on one couple this session but helping the other mentors when needed and regrouping. I may not be as big of a perfectionist as I once was, but it still sucks when a couple comes to you for help, and you can’t do anything. It reminds me of how I felt after losing a big hockey game, back when I used to play. Or how I imagine the Seattle Stormbreakers and one annoyingly handsome center must be feeling right now.

“Ashcroft is going to be thinking about that one for a long time—”

“Beck?”

My eyes refocus on Hazel, whose eyebrow is quirked in question.

“Sorry, I was thinking about Jude and Harley.”

She pats my shoulder in a comforting manner. “You did what you could, and you were patient with them. Their time as a couple has come to an end, and they’ll be happier separated. It’s how it was meant to be.”

I put my hands in the pockets of my board shorts. “Did your cards tell you that?”

Her lip tips up in a half-smile that matches mine. “I don’t need tarot cards or the planets to tell me the obvious.”

“And how about our new couple—did their intake forms give you any insight into what’s bringing them here last-minute?”

She shakes her head. “They haven’t submitted them yet. But I’ll make sure you have them before we start.”

“Sounds good.”

She pats my shoulder again. “Take the rest of today easy, okay? And please, don’t be hard on yourself. You’ll help this couple, I know it.”

“I thought you didn’t know anything about them yet?”