Big Girls Don't Cry (33 page)

Lexie drew her protective shield around her. She’d been surprised then grateful that other than insisting she eat, Master Wan had not confronted her about her decision to return home. The quiet expression on his face signaled that her reprieve was over. He smiled at her and bowed.

“Do not look concerned, Jai Li. I do not intend to chastise you or give you any advice. You can relax.”

She breathed easier and returned his bow.

“Thank you, Master Wan. I appreciate that you respect me enough to acknowledge that whatever I decide to do with my life is my decision.”

She knew her voice was curt, cool, but she couldn’t help but feel defensive.

“Ah, Jai li, it is not respect for you that keeps me from giving you advice. It is the certain knowledge that you are not open to receiving it.”

She frowned, not clear what he was saying, but not willing to pursue it.

“No, Jai Li. If I thought you were willing to listen to me, I would appeal to the young woman who lived in your body before Anthony was killed. The young woman that over the ten years I have known her has battled and survived more demons than anyone I have known in my long years of working with damaged souls. No, I would appeal to that young woman to be clear about her actions. Because you see, Jai Li, unlike the demons you fought in the past that were real, the demons you are fighting now are not. They are figments of your imagination.”

Lexie felt her cheeks heat with a flash of anger. She should have guessed that Master Wan would try and convince her, to shame her, to call her a coward.

She started to rise, but sunk back down at the appearance of his frown.

Refusing to be cowed by his gentle but overwhelming presence, she tossed her head and glared at him.

“Why don’t you say it, Master Wan? Why don’t you say that you think I am a coward, that I’m running away from my problems? Say it! Say what you are thinking!”

He smiled at her.

“I could not say that, Jai Li, because I know that you are not a coward. You are one of the bravest people I know. As for running away from your problems, those are your words, your thoughts, not mine.”

Lexie looked up in surprise at his use of her given name and endearment. The tears stinging the backs of her eyelids threatened to fall.

“Jai Li, I do understand and I have great faith in you, that when you are ready, you will see the difference between the demons that are real and those that you create in your imagination.”

When she started to protest, he held up his hand. Leaning over, he kissed her on her cheek, then rose gracefully, the movements of a man of twenty not one nearing seventy.

At the doorway, he turned and bowed to her.

“Don’t practice too long tonight, Jai Li. You will have a big day tomorrow.”

~~~

The next afternoon, the studio was buzzing with excitement. Lexie worked with each group of presenters. From the little girls to the older women, their excitement was palpable. So much so that at times she couldn’t hide her exasperation.

“Graciella, for goodness sakes, I know this is a big day, but you have to concentrate, pay attention. You almost knocked Clarice down. Think how that would look on television!”

She shook her head in mock dismay when the little girls just giggled harder. She took a deep breath and decided that she needed a break, someplace quiet, private, where she could prepare for the festivities. Turning the students over to Master Wan, she went to her quarters.

~~~

Grateful for the heat of the steaming shower, she struggled to deal with her rioting emotions. Perhaps the celebration had been a mistake. Perhaps it was too soon. She had hoped that concentrating on preparations for the event would take her mind off the awful events in Yuma. Off of Anthony. Off of Jake. But it hadn’t. Of course, Jake’s daily messages and gifts made it impossible to forget him. He refused to be gone, she thought with a grimace.

Not like Anthony, who was gone.

Lexie stopped cold. Leaning against the shower wall to keep from falling, she allowed herself to think about what she had just said. For a moment, she refused, but then with a sigh, she recognized the truth. Anthony was gone, dead. Jake was not. She pushed down a flutter of annoyance at Master Wan. Damn him, she thought with a wry groan, why did he always have to be so wise.

Stepping out of the shower, she faced herself in the mirror. She was glad that for once she felt like putting on makeup, curling her hair. Tying her hair up in a high ponytail she took several of the orchids Jake had sent that she’d retrieved for her room and wove them into her hair, making it more festive, more fitting for the occasion. Tugging on her stark white fitted halter and matching high cut shorts, she surveyed herself in the mirror. She’d wanted to look special, calm, focused, so everyone would stop fretting about her. She and Master Wan planned to close the celebration with a demonstration of how expert warriors sparred. They’d been practicing together and wanted to give their students a sense of what they could achieve.

Pulling her gi trousers over her costume, she walked into the entry way, surprised that all of the students were already inside. Shrieks of laughter rang from the dojo. Lexie shook her head. So much for settling down. Oh, well, she thought with a smile this was their big day, they had a right to be excited.

As she neared the doorway she heard Clarice yell out, “Now me. It’s my turn, throw me now!”

A deep familiar voice answered, “Why, so it is. And you have been a very patient little girl. What do you think, Clarice? Do you think you can go as high as Graciella did?”

Lexie barely heard Clarice’s answering shriek. “Yes, yes I can. Higher!”

Her legs turning to rubber, Lexie stumbled back against the wall. She struggled to keep from falling. When she’d regained some strength in her legs, she took a tentative step toward the dojo. Grasping the doorway for support, she peeked inside.

Jake looked over his shoulder and called out, “Hello, Lexie. Excuse me for a minute, darlin’, Clarice has been waiting
forever
for her turn, right, Clarice?”

Lexie watched stunned as Jake tossed the little girl high in the air then caught her in his arms and swooped down low and set her on the mat. The group shouted its approval, clapping loudly and cheering.

The noise in the room was a distant din. Lexie clung to the doorway, feeling faint. She watched him come toward her as if in slow motion. He was taller than she remembered and he definitely was leaner. But he still had the broad shoulders and strong torso that took her breath away. A slight smile tweaked the corner of his mouth, but his eyes were dark, midnight blue, and serious. She struggled to catch her breath, but couldn’t. She gasped when he reached out and took her hands in both of his and pulled her up close to him.

~~~

Over the next hour, Master Wan and Lexie stood at the side of the dojo bowing to each group before they performed and after. Everything went off as planned, except that Graciella bowed so low that she fell over bringing a shout of welcome laughter from the audience.

When all the groups had performed, Master Wan stepped forward and took the microphone.

“Jai Li and I had planned to demonstrate to our students and all of you what you can achieve if you practice hard and believe in yourself. Unfortunately, I think that I pulled a tendon in my calf this morning.”

Lexie was startled. Master Wan hadn’t said anything to her. Then she saw him wink at Jake.

“However, we have another Kung Fu master with us today. Colonel Jake Gardner, our beloved Anthony’s commander and best friend, has joined us. Jake, may I impose on you to take my place.”

Jake bowed. “It would be an honor, Master Wan.”

Lexie started, then flushed. She hadn’t thought to wonder why Jake was wearing a gi, but now she knew. She marched over to Master Wan and hissed in his ear.

“You set me up! You knew, didn’t you? How?”

“Ah, Jai Li, Colonel Gardner has been very kind to Madam Juen and me. He called us every day that you were in Yuma to report on your progress and on you. There was no reason to discontinue our daily calls just because you returned. Of course, I knew he would be here. Why wouldn’t he? If Anthony could have come, he would have. Jake could and did.”

Lexie felt her face flame. Tears sprung to her eyes. Before she could answer, Jake tugged on her hand and pulled her to the center of the mat. He leaned down and whispered, “You lead. I’ll follow.”

She managed a watery reply. “That’s a nice change.”

He chuckled and brushed her ear with his lips. “Don’t get too used to it, darlin’.”

Chapter 35

For the next five minutes there wasn’t a sound in the room except for the soft thud of their mutual landings and the gasps of the crowd.

Lexie had never ‘danced’ a Kung Fu match but intuitively this is what she and Jake did. As though they had programmed it, they moved into a synchronous dance that capitalized on their strengths. Lexie flew through the air in double and triple flips and never wondered if Jake would catch her. He always did. They feinted and parried, a virtual pas de deux of Kung Fu postures, with mock takedowns and escapes.

After a stunning series of acrobatic leaps, kicks, and strikes, he whispered, “The finale, darlin’.”

She backed up against the wall and headed toward him, flipping from front to back and to the front again. Jake caught her on the third revolution. He spun in a circle, holding her high in the air staring up at her, then slowly brought her to the floor. They stood for a moment meeting each other’s gaze. Holding hands they turned to the audience and bowed.

The audience roared in approval. Master Wan bowed to them both and didn’t try to hide the tears on his face. He wasn’t the only one crying.

Her students rushed forward, surrounding them both. The little girls looked up adoringly at Jake. Lexie wasn’t surprised to see the women crowding around him as well.

Marybel sauntered up to her, her eyes dancing with mischief. In a pretend whisper, she said loud enough for all close by to hear, “Are you telling me, Girl, that this hunk is the man that has been sending you daily presents that you haven’t opened?” She nudged Lexie aside and sidled up next to Jake.

“Hey, handsome, if this little princess doesn’t come around in the next few minutes, I want you to know that there are plenty of pickings among the rest of us.” She added with a grin, putting her hands on her ample hips in a suggestive gesture. “Now, if you like a little more flesh on her bones, I got just the woman for you!”

“Oh no, you don’t!” Sadie forged forward. “I’se can tell, he likes his wimmen slender. So, Marybel, accept it. This is between Jai Li and me!”

Jake’s infectious laugh filled the room. Not letting go of Lexie’s hand, he grinned at the adoring group.

“You flatter me. But I’m a taken man.” He gazed down at her. Pulling her into a protective hold, he gazed down at her, “It’s as simple as that, isn’t it darlin’?”

Before she could respond, several of the news people shoved through the crowd, microphones in hand.

“Excuse me, Col. Gardner. Aren’t you the man who broke the case in Yuma? You brought down an international illegal drug operation and solved two murders?”

Jake shook his head.

“No, it wasn’t me, it was my team. The strongest, most accomplished group of warriors you’ll ever meet. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be here today, if it wasn’t for one member of the team, Alexis Beloi. You know her as Jai Li, the woman who founded Strong Women Survive.” He pulled her closer to him. When she looked up at him, shocked, he continued, “Lexie is the bravest, most courageous woman I know, and the most accomplished. She took down a mass murderer, broke a multi-national drug ring, avenged her brother’s death, and, not incidentally, saved my life.”

Lexie felt her cheeks heat, stunned that Jake would make such a public statement. But to her horror, he wasn’t through.

Holding up his hand he said, “As much as I would like to answer your questions, I have a more pressing mission. That is to do my best to convince this young woman to marry me.” He looked up and nodded to Nianzu who stood in the doorway. “I understand that our ride is here, so if you will excuse us, we’ll be leaving now.”

At the surprised laughter and cheers from the crowd, that even included some of the press, Jake muscled through the group, his arm around Lexis’s waist, carrying her when she stumbled in surprise.

At the doorway, Lexie saw the Electra Glide parked in the driveway.

Too stunned to protest, she allowed Jake to clamp on her helmet and deposit her on the back of the bike. He mounted the bike, and threw her a wicked grin.

Afterword