“What?” he questioned between bites, wondering why she was just standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, giving him a sad look.

“Is this it?” she spoke softly, her voice full of sorrow.

Rory was silent. He wanted to say something, anything, but everything went blank. He couldn’t tell her what he knew she wanted to hear. What every woman who passed through his doors wanted. Something that he didn’t have to give anyone anymore.

He had been in relationships before, but he had wanted to concentrate on his career as a fighter. He wanted to become someone worthy of a great woman, like his father had become for his mother. Bedtime stories often centered around the story of a famous boxer who caught the eye of the daughter of a prominent Irish family. His father had earned his spot working for his future father-in-law, earned his way into his mother’s heart, and earned the wealthy lifestyle and success he had achieved.

Rory wasn’t his father; he was a failure.

He had earned nothing.

Molly stalked past him to the front door, her face twisted up in pain. She stopped for only a second to reach down and pet Ace, but quickly decided against it when the dog barked at her. Rory snapped his fingers, commanding Ace to back down.

Rory knew Ace wasn’t aggressive, but he didn’t warm up to anyone except Rory and his parents. He liked Casey a bit, but didn’t even let Rory’s brothers pet him. Ace’s sheer size made people nervous when he made any sort of sound, though.

Molly huffed at the beast, crossing the last few feet to the front door before pausing to turn back to him.

“One day, some woman’s going to change your mind. I just wish it could’ve been me.” Her words were almost whispered, but he heard them as if she were shouting at him.

The door closed with a thud, and Rory turned back to the sink to deposit his empty bowl. Surprising himself, he found Clare’s face crossing his mind. Just as quickly as it entered, he brushed her image away.

He knew who he was, and he wasn’t worthy of a woman like Clare.

—

Never one to be late, Clare waltzed into Legends exactly fifteen minutes before class on Monday morning. She was wearing a brand-new outfit she had purchased yesterday for the occasion, eager to treat herself to something nice for once. She headed past the counter, which was currently unmanned, and wondered where Casey was, before continuing to the locker room.

Quickly putting her things away in a locker, she straightened the light gold spandex tank top that hugged her torso, topping black yoga pants that stopped right before her ankles. Similarly, the stretchy pants accented her curves without showing too much skin. Despite the cold weather outside, the gym itself was warm enough to wear lighter gear. She laced up her sneakers and then headed out into the big open room of the gym, turning right to head toward the back where the classrooms were.

Despite the early-morning hour, almost all of the rings were occupied with fighters, and the deafening sound of weights dropping sang all around her. Reaching the classroom, she found Casey stretching and chatting with several other women who were of varying ages. When Casey saw Clare come in, she waved and quickly excused herself, jogging over to her.

“You made it!” the perky redhead exclaimed, wrapping her in a quick hug that immediately caught Clare off guard. She wasn’t used to affection, or friends.

“We’re about to start—find a spot near the front so you don’t miss anything.” Casey smiled at her before prancing away, seemingly oblivious to Clare’s discomfort.

“Okay” was all she managed to squeak out as nerves began to get the better of her.

“Let’s get started, class!” Casey shouted with more energy than any one person should possess on a Monday morning, and began leading the class through different exercises to warm them up.

An hour later, Clare had worked up a pretty good sweat and learned a technique that involved freeing her wrist from an attacker by forcing his arm backward in such a way that he’d be unable to keep her wrist captive. Even though she had ignored Casey’s initial advice and stayed in the back of the room, she still left smiling and feeling more in control, maybe even powerful.

She smiled to herself as she thought about that, knowing that the last few years of her life had been colored in fear, thanks to her ex-boyfriend Travis Creighton. Today had given her a glimpse into a future where maybe she wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore. There had been countless times that he had held her prisoner by her wrists and left bruises she would try to cover with long-sleeved shirts. She knew that she hadn’t been fooling anyone with that disguise, and in only one class, she had already learned a way to never fall prey to that again.

Every new day here in Woodlawn, she felt like she was becoming someone different. Or maybe she was just finally being who she wanted to be, instead of who she had been told to be. She had spent so many years being told she was incompetent, stupid, and incapable of living without Travis that she had begun to believe it. With each new thing she learned, even something as small as breaking out of a wrist hold, she could feel herself taking back control of her life, and she loved it.

“Whoa, watch where you’re going,” a gruff voice spoke, and a hand suddenly gripped her wrist as she paraded directly into a brick wall.

At least it felt like a brick wall.

Shocked, her mouth parted slightly, she stared up into shining silver eyes that she recognized as belonging to Rory Kavanagh. Blushing, she stepped back, but he still held her wrist in his large hand.

She wondered why it didn’t frighten her for Rory to be holding her in the same way she had just practiced defending herself against, and particularly after she had just been thinking of Travis.

“Clare,” he acknowledged before she could respond.

“Oh, hi,” she awkwardly stammered as he released her, and she wrapped one arm around her waist, as if to hug herself.

“If you wanted to see me again, you could have just asked for my number the other night.” A cocky smile spread from ear to ear above his scruffy short beard.

“I figured stalking you and then plowing right into your chest would be a more memorable experience.” Clare grinned, still blushing as she tried her best to force away her nerves.

Rory gaped in surprise for a second, then burst out laughing. Her anxieties eased as her body relaxed in response to his raucous laughter. Ace, Rory’s dog, was standing at attention beside him, his eyes boring holes through her. Stretching out one hand toward the dog, she offered Ace the back of her hand to sniff. Reluctantly he did so while Rory watched the two of them.

“Careful, he doesn’t like people much.” Rory put his hand up to stop her, but she just pushed him away.

“Nonsense, all dogs love me. All dogs love anyone if you just show them respect,” she countered, waiting for Ace to finish his assessment of her hand and give her permission to pet him.

The dog peered up at her and began wagging his tail, which made Clare smile as she turned her hand and scratched behind his ear. Ace leaned his head into her hand as Rory scrutinized them, stunned.

“Great, now I’m jealous of my own dog.”

“God, Rory, you are seriously losing your touch. That was the lamest pickup line I’ve ever heard.” Casey made a sudden appearance between them.

“How do you know? I haven’t seen you on a date in years, Case,” he jested, using her nickname.

“Just because you haven’t seen me on one doesn’t mean I’ve been celibate, dear cousin,” Casey tossed back, her hands on her hips.

“What are you even doing bothering my student?” she continued, which caused Rory to pivot between the two women in confusion.

Clare snickered at the interaction between the two. “I’m taking her class, Rory.”