Her laughter fills the room, making my heart stutter. God, I love that sound.
“I bet you never made that mistake again,” she says between giggles.
“Never,” I affirm with a smile. “Learned my lesson about overestimating my abilities pretty quickly.”
She leans against the wall, still chuckling. “Well, it’s nice to know even pros like you have their moments.”
“That we definitely do.” I nod, admiring the way her grin lights up the whole damn room.
It’s these little connections—these tiny moments really—that make my feelings for Carlie grow stronger by the day.
As our laughter starts to fade, the sound of footsteps stomping through my house catches my attention. There’s only one person those loud feet could belong to.
I turn just in time to see my brother Brian striding in, his usual confident swagger on display. He’s in his casual work attire, which still looks sharper than most, if I’m honest.
“Hey, Adam—” Brian calls out, but his eyes are instantly diverted from me as they land on Carlie. “And you must be Carlie. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Carlie straightens up, wiping her hands on her yoga pants. “Yeah, that’s me. And you’re Brian, right? The infamous brother.”
He shoots her a befuddled expression.
She merely shrugs and confesses, “You look a lot like Adam. Just older. I made a calculated assumption and secretly hoped I wasn’t wrong.”
“Ah.” Brian chuckles, extending his hand. “Guilty as charged. Good to finally meet you.”
They shake hands, and I can’t help but wonder what he sees when he looks at Carlie. Brian has always been a great judge of character. I guess it helps a lot when you work a bar.
“So, what’s up, Brian?” I ask, leaning against the wall. “Did you need something?”
He shrugs, a playful glint in his eye that makes me cringe internally. “Just thought I’d drop by and see how the fitness empire is coming along. Maybe I should be stealing some of your training secrets.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m smiling. “You know my training techniques are top secret. But for a small fee ...”
“Atta boy.” Brian laughs me off with a wink, then turns to Carlie. “I’ve seen some of Adam’s Instagram posts. You’re doing awesome. Keep it up.”
Carlie beams, clearly pleased. “Thanks, Brian. I’m just happy when I stay vertical. Adam’s a good teacher.”
Brian nods, then looks at me with a knowing smirk. “You always did have a way of motivating people. Remember that summer when we ...”
I cut him off with a quick, “Not now, Brian,” shooting him a pointed look. Some stories are better left untold, especially in front of Carlie.
Brian raises his hands in surrender, but he’s still grinning. “All right, all right. I’ll save the embarrassing childhood stories for another time.”
I can feel Carlie’s curious gaze on me, but I just shake my head. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”
Brian takes a moment to glance around the converted garage, nodding approvingly. “You’ve done a great job with this place, bro. It’s come a long way since the last time I was in here.”
“Thanks, man. It’s a work in progress, but I’m getting there.”
Carlie picks up her water bottle, turning to Brian. “Well, it’s nice to finally meet you. Adam talks about you a lot.”
Brian’s smile widens. “All good things, I hope.”
“Mostly,” Carlie teases, and I can’t help but chuckle.
Brian’s expression softens, and he gives Carlie a friendly nod. “Hey, you two should swing by Jaded Brews sometime. I’d love to show you around the brewery.”
Carlie’s eyes sparkle with interest. “That’s your place? The new craft brewery downtown? I’ve heard great things about it.”