Hearts Like Ours | Red View Romance #1

🍏 Four

As soon as Layla was introduced to Kenzie's mother, she felt what was left of her nerves fade away. Mrs. McAden was short and thin with a long braid of grey hair, and was the picture of laid-back, graceful beauty in her t-shirt and cotton dress.

"I'm Lillie Mae." She walked around the long oak table to introduce herself with a voice that could put a rabid animal at ease. And if the voice somehow didn't work, the soft smile that accompanied it sure would. "You must be Layla! We've heard so much about you."

"Good things, I hope."

"Oh, wonderful things. Kenzie and Marshall have been nothing but smiles since they signed up."

"Well, I owe them that much at least, for giving me a chance." Layla had already told Kenzie that the boot camp was sort of in a trial-mode at the moment, and not a solidified section of Foster Fitness. Yet.

"Giving you a chance?" Kenzie laughed. "Please, I was ecstatic when Craig told me you were looking for an engaged couple to test this out with. When he asked if he could volunteer us, I asked if he was crazy for not already doing it."

Layla's Uncle Craig, as they'd come to learn last month, was a mutual family friend. Not technically her Uncle, which she had none of, he was actually her Dad's best friend from college. He'd grown up in Red View, though, and was also close with Lillie Mae and her husband, Roman. So that was how Layla had managed to find her first couple for boot camp, and part of the reason her dad couldn't say no to the idea—a favor for Craig wasn't something he'd pass up. Unlike a favor for his daughter, apparently.

"My husband Roman's just finishing up in the kitchen—don't worry, we've been helping Kenzie follow the plan you sent. Printed it out and stuck it up right on the fridge. It isn't as if it would harm the rest of us to eat a little healthier, either. I'll go check up on him, make sure everything's coming along alright."

"She isn't kidding. This family practically runs on apple pie," Kenzie joked as her mother walked away. "I blame my pastry-chef father as the main reason I had to hire you."

A tall man with a face that was almost identical to Dawson's walked through the French doors that led to the back porch. If it wasn't for his sleek haircut and stylish glasses, Layla no doubt would have mistaken him for the man she met earlier. "It wasn't as if you had reservations when it came to taste testing everything he ever made."

Kenzie's voice was light as she rolled her eyes. "Well unfortunately we can't all have your robotic levels of self control." She turned to Layla. "This is Jack—he and Dawson are twins, but you probably figured that out."

Pleasantries were exchanged again, and yet again when Roman came in to let everyone know dinner was ready to be served. He was a lanky man with short white hair, a contagious grin, and a knack for conversation, Layla realized as he swept her into one with ease.

She tried not to notice when Dawson entered the room, instead focusing on her chat with Roman about how much he'd enjoyed following her recipes so far. As much as her eyes kept wanting to wander over to him, she kept them on anything else in the room.

She tried even harder to ignore the flutter that kicked up inside of her when Dawson sat across from her at the table. Instead, she smiled and thanked Lillie Mae as she placed a well-portioned plate of food on the woven placemat in front of her.

From her seat next to the man Layla was trying so hard to ignore, Kenzie spoke. "Marsh wanted to be here to meet you, but he got caught up at work. Don't worry, though, he's got the whole weekend off, so we'll get a solid start to the workouts. I made him promise he wouldn't take on any extra work until the wedding's over."