No Rep (Madd CrossFit #1) - Lani Lynn Vale Page 0,24

the Army, and she went to college. We were together throughout all of that, and happy. But I now knew the reason we were happy was because we were separated from each other.

She was off at a university in Kentucky, and I was stationed in Louisiana until I was sent overseas. Then I was deployed.

When I finally got back home and spent some real time with Maria, I realized that I didn’t really like her all that much as a person.

Yet, I stuck with her anyway because shortly after we arrived back home with each other, she got pregnant. Only she miscarried. Which fuckin’ sucked.

However, we both dealt with that miscarriage differently.

Me by becoming a little more introverted and her by becoming a party animal that never could hear the word ‘no’ without throwing a fit.

When I started working as a detective, it was long hours, and it ended up being another blessing in disguise for me.

Sadly, that only made our marriage last just a little bit longer than it really should have.

By the time that I finally realized enough was enough, almost twenty years had passed.

Now, I was a thirty-six-year-old man that had just started his life over.

A thirty-six-year-old man who hated his ex-wife’s guts.

Even worse, I hated that she gave Fran shit, because I was really starting to like Fran.

A whole fuckin’ lot.

And as each day passed, I realized what I was missing with Maria.

A connection.

There was no spark with her. There was no desire to be around her as a person, or talk to her, or even wonder what she was thinking.

With Fran, I was constantly thinking about her. Worried about her. Wondering what she was doing or thinking. Hell, I wanted her badly, and I’d only known her for a short period of time. But somehow, I knew that if we ever became a couple, she wouldn’t go far without me by her side.

“A car is a car when you don’t have your own wheels,” Fran declared as she stopped between Maria and me.

I didn’t miss the glower that Maria sent Fran’s way for obstructing her view of me.

Nor did I miss Fran’s triumphant smile when she got let in the door first due to where she was positioned.

I didn’t feel even an iota bad that I let the door fall behind me instead of holding it for Maria.

Mostly because I needed to rush in the door and turn the alarm off.

At least, that was what I told myself.

Maria strode past where Fran had paused right inside the door, still in the glow of the outer light that only clicked on from five in the morning until seven in the evening.

It was only when I had the lights blazing that she came out of that uncomfortable stillness near the door.

Something that she did each and every morning.

I knew without a doubt that she was afraid of the dark.

I wondered if she had a good reason.

Most did.

“Ew, assault bike and back squats?” Maria’s annoying voice cried.

Fran came up to my side and stopped within touching distance.

“I really freakin’ hate agreeing with anything she says.” Fran leaned in to whisper in my ear, causing my dick to harden in the sweatpants that I was wearing. “But those two sound awful.”

I placed my palm on her hand and pulled her just a little bit closer.

“You’ll live,” I teased.

And she did.

With three calories on the assault bike left to go in the workout, I stood next to Fran and practically hollered in her ear.

“Push!” I crowed.

“I’m giving it all I’ve got, Captain,” Fran wheezed.

I snickered as she pushed herself just a little bit harder.

Which happened to be just enough to get off the bike a second faster than Maria.

I swear to God, I saw utter glee in her eyes as she looked at the clock.

“Fuckin’ cheater,” Maria grumbled.

“No cheating here, ma’am.” Fran laughed. “Look. It’s actually at twenty-six calories and not twenty-five now.”

Maria rolled her eyes and went to the friend she’d urged to come today.

Fran came to me.

She grinned at me widely and then said, “If I don’t have a great ass after that workout, I’ll be asking for a refund on my membership.”

I burst out laughing.

Turns out, she didn’t need the workout to get a great ass. Because she already freakin’ had one.

CHAPTER 9

For a good time, call Fran.

-21-15-9

(CrossFit Girl Workout)

FRAN

Six weeks later

It was fitting that we were ending the bootcamp by doing a regular class. And that we were ending it with the workout called ‘Fran.’

Everyone groaned,