Free Falling for Rayne by Shannon Guymon Page A

it.”
                  Cleo laughed and pushed the Nutella toward her. “I don’t deny it. But I will say this. You’ve made a lot of progress since the first time I met you. When you signed up for my yoga class you had no muscle tone at all, you thought a good diet meant eating protein bars all day and you couldn’t even run a half a mile. Now? You’re toned, you eat like a champion, and you can kick box anyone into the ground. I feel sorry for anyone who thinks they can mess with you.”
                  Rayne smiled, feeling slightly mollified. “Then why am I so sore today?”
                  Cleo took a sip of her Almond Milk and smiled. “Probably because I wanted you to be. We have to break you down to build you up and you’ve been plateauing lately.”
                  Ivy walked in yawning and pointing toward the front of the house. “Can you tell the landscapers not to arrive before ten o’clock in the morning please? They’re making so much racket I couldn’t sleep.”
                  Rayne lifted an eyebrow. “Ivy, you know you’re an adult right? You can’t sleep until twelve every day for the rest of your life.”
                  Ivy waved her hand in the air and wandered over to the stove to scoop up some oatmeal. “Well, I never got around to calling Asher last night so I guess I could just go find him outside.”
                  Rayne smiled happily. “That’s right, you have an audition to schedule. And don’t forget, you two are supposed to be flirting like crazy with Garrett so I know if he’s worthy of my interest.”
                  Cleo frowned and glanced at Ivy who was frowning too. “ Hmm , maybe we can just trust your judgment on this one,” Ivy said innocently as she put two big heaping spoonfuls of Nutella in her oatmeal and swirled it around.
                  Cleo cleared her throat lightly and crossed her legs, smoothing her hand down her maroon colored capris. “It was a dumb idea, Rayne. I mean, you’re an adult, we’re adults, Garrett’s an adult. There’s no reason to play games.”
                  Rayne smiled to herself as she took a sip of her milk. “But I thought you two had a really good point. I mean, why go through the effort with Garrett if he’s not worth the time? Honestly? You and Ivy are the only two people in this whole world who have my back. I mean, if I can’t trust you two to flirt with the man I want to date, then who can I trust?”
                  Ivy squinched up her face before running her hands through her pink streaked hair. “Yeah, well here’s the thing Rayne. On my little walkabout yesterday with Becket I came to the realization that as honorable as it would be to flirt with Garrett, I’d much rather be flirting with his friend.”
                  Cleo smiled in relief. “Yes! And I’d rather be flirting with his little brother.”
                  Rayne bit her lip to keep from laughing. “So you’re going to just turn your backs on me? Dang, I’ve heard of selfishness, but this . . . this is brutal.”
                  Cleo and Ivy frowned at her and then looked at each other with twin looks of dismay. “Well, if it means that much to you,” Cleo said as she stared at her oatmeal.
                  “It does, it really does,” Rayne murmured.
                  Ivy sighed loudly. “Fine, but if Becket hates me after this I won’t come to your wedding.”
                  Rayne laughed at that and took a big bite, feeling much better about her sore muscles knowing Cleo and Ivy were now going to have to flirt with Garrett.
                  “Trust me, wedding bells are not ringing.”
                  The sound of large machinery had all three women running to the front living room and looking