Indomitable Spirit (8 page)

Kym nodded slowly. “Cody and Mason did very well in class today.”

John could feel the heat rise in his cheeks. Casually he looked at his watch. He’d been hiding in her back room for over an hour.

“I lost track of time. I didn’t mean to leave them.”

“Didn’t you? It seems to me like you’re the kind of man who likes to make a point.” She was walking closer to him and suddenly even he, a man who towered a good foot over her and probably outweighed her by eighty pounds, was afraid of her. “You think I’m some crack pot looking to steal people’s money and brainwash their kids. But I’m not.”

“Now, I didn’t say…”

“You don’t have to. I see how you look at me.”

He was hoping he was looking at her like she was crazy, but he was desperately afraid that he might be gazing—lost in those green eyes.

“Listen, Miss O’Bryne, no matter what I think, my kids like you.”

She was nearly toe to toe with him now. “So you
don’t
like me?”

John bit down on the inside of his cheek. This was more than a little uncomfortable. “I don’t think you want me to like you.”

“What I want is your respect. I want you to understand I have a service to offer to this town.”

“I’m sorry I lost track of time,” he apologized and then he realized he had nothing to apologize for. She said the kids could stay, and after all he was helping, and…oh, hell, there were tears in her eyes. “Hey, I’ll pay for the class the little boys took.”

She turned from him and now she didn’t seem so scary. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m a little homesick and I’m finding that it’s harder to belong to this little town than I thought it would be.”

“Escaping it was harder than I thought it would be too.”

He turned her toward him and she brushed away the tears that fell as quickly as she could. A small smile emerged and perhaps a hint of a chuckle at his joke. “In the few months that I’ve been here I’ve only made one friend and Malory has too much on her mind to worry about being my friend.”

John’s hands were still on her shoulders, only now she was facing him. The moment was a little more intimate than he’d have liked, but he couldn’t let go of her.

“Wil is a good friend to have. But I don’t think she’s your only friend.”

“My grandfather has made many friends. He’s made a name for himself in the community. I am only some woman that people overlook.”

“Not all of us.” He’d inched in too close. His hands had slid from her shoulders to her biceps. Her lips had parted as she looked up at him.

The room had grown very warm. His large hands were trembling. Every ounce of him hated that he’d done nothing but think about this woman, but as his body began to bend in toward her, he knew in his heart that he’d die an old unhappy man if he didn’t kiss her right now.

Her eyes were drifting closed as he inched in even closer.

“Miss O’Bryne, are you back here?” Jacob’s voice rang out.

John quickly stepped away from her, his hand catching a sharp piece of paint as he backed up against the window. “Crap!” He looked down at the paint piece lodged in his hand.

“Hey, Dad.” Jacob gave him a friendly wave. “Ouch, what’d you do?”

“Paint chip in my hand. This window was painted shut.”

“That’s a fire code violation,” Jacob said and John nodded and laughed. He’d taught him well. “Oh, Miss O’Bryne, where is your vacuum? Abby is having the little boys help her sweep up the training floor and I thought I’d vacuum the office carpet and the mats in the waiting area.

Kym stepped forward and shifted her shoulders back. “It’s in the office in the corner.”

Jacob nodded and walked away. Kym stood with her back to John. “Is your hand okay?”

“Fine.”

“Never embarrass me like that again.”

“Never what?”

She spun around and those green eyes had lost any attractiveness to them. “You are a married man with four beautiful children. How dare you make a move on me.”

John was sure the top of his head was going to blow right off. How dare he? How dare…oh, she’d been moving in for that kiss. And married? Well hell yeah he’d been married. That’s where he got those lovely kids. John took a breath to argue with her, but she turned and left the room.

Oh, the woman infuriated him. To hell with the water heater. She could suffer when it rusted out the bottom and flooded the damn school. To hell with her and her misfit feelings.

John closed his utility knife and shoved it into his pocket. He walked to the back door, turned the lock and let himself out, slamming the door behind him. He’d walk around the damn school and wait for his kids out front. If she made him feel that unwelcome then he’d just stay away.

Chapter Eight

Kym had managed to avoid her grandfather all evening by training until after he’d gone to bed.

Now, trying to climb out of her car, she realized how much she’d trained. Her body was sore and the newly fallen snow had brought with it a bitter cold she’d long ago had forgotten existed, but she’d felt it blow in off the ocean during New York winters.

The sun was peeking over the mountain and the valley was filled with a magnificent orange glow. She’d hoped she wasn’t too early for Malory, but looking at the parking lot there had been many customers already.

She opened the door of the bakery and the scents filled her nose. It was a happy place, she thought.

“Good morning, Kym.” Malory smiled, but it was certainly forced.

“Good morning.”

“You’re earlier than usual.”

“I was looking for some friendly conversation and was hoping you wouldn’t be too busy.”

Malory turned and reached for a mug up on a shelf. It wasn’t a usual mug that she’d use for customers. She filled it with coffee and pushed it across the counter. “Let’s sit. I’ll have a small break in customers for a bit.”

Kym took the mug and walked to the table. Malory carried with her a small plate of muffin pieces and a cup of water. She waddled more than usual today.

“Here, mismatched muffins.” She set the plate between them and then managed to sit down. “There’s always a few that break apart. That’s what we eat for breakfast.”

“Thank you,” Kym said as she took a small piece of what looked like chocolate. “This is good. I may have to take a whole one back to grandfather.”

“Maggie, my mother-in-law, said he came by her place yesterday and sat with the men and played chess. She usually has to kick them out of the restaurant when she closes. But she said your grandfather was very gracious. He thanked her, shook her hand, and left her a generous tip.”

Kym felt her cheeks tighten from her wide smile. “That would be him. He doesn’t take anyone or any moment for granted.”

Malory winced and her hand came to her side.

Kym’s reaction was to jump and help, but Malory’s calmness over the situation had her easing back in her seat.

“Are you okay?”

“Contraction. I’ve had a few, but we’re still a few weeks away.”

“Is that normal?”

“So I’ve been told,” Malory said as she reached for her class of water and took a sip through a straw. “Oh, Mr. Wills is here.” She adjusted in her seat and winced again.

“I’ll help him. You tell me what to do.” Kym stood up and walked around the counter.

The cold air came in with Mr. Wills and Kym shivered.

“Hello, Mr. Wills,” Malory said from her seat. “Did you order this cold?”

“Not me. If I could have a beach on the side of that lake that stayed eighty degrees all year long I’d have one.”

Malory laughed easily at the elderly man. “Mr. Wills, this is Kym O’Bryne, she runs the karate school. She’ll help you this morning.”

“That’s fine,” he said with a smile and looked at Kym. “Your grandfather is Kym too?”

“Yes sir, Sung-ki Kym, but he finds that going by Kym is much easier for others.”

“He’s a fine man.” He continued to give his order to Kym and she did her best to fill it with a little help from Malory.

But it didn’t stop at Mr. Wills. The door continued to open and close for the next hour and Kym insisted that Malory, who was still wincing from time to time, sit still and let her help.

“You’re a life saver,” Malory said as the door closed and for the first time since Kym had stood it hadn’t opened again.

“Do you mind if I fill my mug again?”

“Please!” Malory shifted with another pain as Kym retrieved her mug and filled it. “So tell me about you and John Larson.”

Kym kept her back to Malory and finished filling her mug. Why was she surprised she’d asked her about him? After all that was why she’d come so early in hopes of learning more about the man. She needed to let go the stupid notion of caring for him. Kym wasn’t a home wrecker and she wasn’t going to start either.

“Tell you what?” She finished pouring her coffee and walked back to the table without making eye contact with Malory.

“Has eyes for you, in case you didn’t know that.”

Kym picked up her mug and put it to her lips. How was it that this married “friend” of John’s didn’t seem to see a problem with the eyes he had for her?

“I think you’re mistaken. We have a working relationship and that is all.”

“Nah, I’ve known John my whole life and the only other woman he looked at like that was Abigail.”

The coffee burned as it slid down her throat. Abigail. She assumed that Abby would have been named after her mother.

“Abigail is his wife?”

Malory nodded as she sipped from her water, but Kym found that unnerving. How could she sit and casually ask her about John and then discuss his wife with her?

“I’ve never met his wife,” Kym said as she set her mug on the table and looked back up at Malory.

Malory’s eyes had changed and she leaned in over the table as much as she could. “Met her? Why would you have met her?”

“John’s wife? I haven’t met many people. I haven’t run into her yet.” And now she feared doing so. If she knew what John had almost done last night—Kym was already mortified.

“Kym, Abigail died almost three years ago.”

Suddenly the room grew frigid cold. How had he not mentioned that? “I didn’t know.”

“There were complications with her pregnancy. She went into labor with Cody and something went wrong.”

Kym lifted her fingers to her mouth. “Oh.”

“She’d only wanted three kids. John had wanted four. He holds himself responsible for her dying.”

“Things like that just happen.”

Malory rubbed her stomach. “I know.”

“I’m sorry. It is very insensitive of me to talk about this with you. I’m sure you have your own worries about your baby.”

Malory smiled. “I do, but I’m not worried that anything will happen to me. Abigail’s situation was unique to her.”

“No wonder he’s so crabby.”

Kym’s comment had set Malory into a fit of laughter until a pain in her stomach drew her back. “He’s a pain in the butt isn’t he?” She let out a breath. “Can’t help but adore him though. His children are wonderful. He’s doing a good job with them.”

“That’s why Jacob is so protective over Abby.”

Malory nodded. “He takes his role as big brother very seriously.” Malory winced again. “Oh, speak of the devil himself.”

Kym quickly turned in her chair and looked out the front window. John had driven up and parked his truck right next to Kym’s car. He was loading up a bucket with tools and heading into the bakery.

This was the sign that Kym should leave.

She turned back to thank Malory for the coffee when she noticed her face was red and she was panting.

“Malory, what’s wrong?”

The door opened and John stepped through. He took one look at Malory, dropped the bucket, and rushed over to her. “How far apart?”

“They just started moving in faster,” Malory answered and let out a few controlled breaths.

John took his cell phone out of his pocket and hit a few buttons. “You’re time is up buddy,” he said as he helped Malory to her feet. “I’ll meet you at the hospital. Wil is in labor.”

He threw the phone down on the table and Kym disconnected the call. She sat helplessly as John swept Malory off her feet and started for the door.

“Get her coat,” he called back to Kym.

There was a coat rack by the door and hanging on it was one coat with a purse tucked up under it. It had to be Malory’s. She grabbed it and hurried out the door toward the truck.

John was already helping Malory into the seat when she reached them. He ripped the coat from her hands and covered Malory with it. Then he took the purse and tucked it at her feet.

Just as quickly, John shut the door and hurried to the other side of the truck.

Kym moved back to the building as John backed up and sped out of the parking lot.

She stood alone outside in the cold, her coat long forgotten inside, and tried to catch her breath.

So many things ran through her head. The pain in Malory’s face was the first thing she thought about. She’d never been around a baby or even a pregnant woman, but John hadn’t even given it another thought. He knew she needed him. He’d scooped Malory up as if she were a doll and carried her out to his truck. She couldn’t even imagine what would have happened if Malory’s labor had progressed further. Tears were freezing in her eyes. Kym realized she was good at taking kids and teaching them how to be ready for anything and yet she wasn’t ready for anything. She wasn’t ready to take care of Malory had she needed her. And she certainly hadn’t been ready to deal with the crush her heart was going through. Pity had enveloped her when she’d learned about Abigail. John was a crushed man.

Her heart ached for him and even more now she’d wished he’d finished that kiss. But not having known then what she was faced with now, she would have probably come to her senses and dropped him to the ground.

No, she wouldn’t have. She’d been paralyzed by his hands on her. His dark eyes had softened so that she had no defenses against them.

But now, now he’d seen her when she wasn’t
ready for anything.
Oh, she’d been stupid to tell him that when he’d dropped that wrench. But he’d needed to be put in his place.