Indomitable Spirit (15 page)

Jacob held the uniform to his chest. “My dad has been sad for a lot of years. It was nice to see him smile.”

He walked out of her office and Kym reached for the back of the chair facing her desk. With just a few words that kid had rocked her from her foundation. Would he always be so accepting?

John watched his son through the front window of the karate school. He was working with Kym’s grandfather and he’d never seen eyes so intent.

They were working on some kind of kick. Jacob would execute the kick and the old Korean man would walk up to him, speak with a nod, then step back and the next kick was different—better.

There had been a few pre-school basketball games and one summer of t-ball, but Jacob had never taken to anything before. From feet away, out in the cold, John knew that Jacob had found his calling.

Kym caught his eye and smiled and then she bowed off the floor and disappeared into the back room.

“You’re welcome to come inside,” her voice came from behind him and he turned to see her standing only a few feet away in flip-flops.

“It’s freezing out here.”

“That’s why you should come inside.”

John looked back into the school. “He looks so happy.”

“He said the same thing about you.”

He turned and narrowed his gaze on her. “He did? When?”

“When I gave him his uniform.”

John looked back inside. He hadn’t even noticed the uniform. He’d been focused on the happiness in his son’s eyes.

“I’ll pay you for that.”

“I told you, the kids and I have an arrangement.”

“It’s still your income you’re being so generous with.”

“I promise to tell you when it becomes a problem,” she said with a tightness in her voice. “Go inside and watch your children. It will mean a lot for them to know you saw them.”

Kym disappeared around the side of the building from where she’d come and John walked into the school.

The air was muggy from the sweaty kids and the group of parents which gathered around. Immediately there was a need to take off his coat.

“John Larson, your son looks great out there.”

He looked down to see Gloria seated in one of the chairs set there for parents—and grandparents.

“Thank you,” he said and watched as Kym’s grandfather held a pad for him to kick.

“Mr. Kym seems to have taken a liking to him,” she said, but John kept watching. “He’s been training him for most the class. He’s got something special in mind, I can tell.”

“You don’t say.”

Gloria touched his hand and he finally looked away and down at the woman who still wore her nametag from the grocery store pinned to her shirt. “He looks happy, John.”

He nodded and then looked up to see the rest of the class lining up for the end of class, but Jacob and Mr. Kym still worked in the corner.

Mr. Kym set the pad aside and came back to Jacob, who bowed. He turned around and knelt down on one knee to fix his belt. When he stood, Mr. Kym was there with a plastic board that he showed Jacob how it would come apart.

John was intrigued.

Mr. Kym then motioned for two older students, who were waiting for class to start, to join him on the floor. The boys bowed onto the floor and then again when they reached Mr. Kym.

With very little instruction the boys stood side by side, each with one leg back and a hand on each end of the plastic board, and waited.

Mr. Kym then spoke softly to Jacob who put his hands up as if he were going to fight.

It was then John realized the board was breakable and Jacob was going to kick through it.

A million little thoughts clouded his mind. First the thought of how exciting it was, shoved out by the fear of failure. With failure came disappointment. Sometimes it came with injury.

Certainly he hadn’t been training enough to be kicking boards into two pieces, but Jacobs’s leg went back and he slowly lifted it to the board. Mr. Kym nodded. He did the same move again—and again. Then he took an audible breath in and the room went silent as Jacob let out a warrior’s cry and kicked right though the plastic board.

John felt light in his heavy work boots and he’d heard himself let out a huge cheer, but everyone else was clapping too.

He noticed Kym looking in his direction. She didn’t have a smile on her lips, but her eyes were another story.

This woman had come to his little town when his little boy needed something in his life to make him stand out. Perhaps she’d even saved him—saved them both.

It was the defining moment, he decided. They needed to be together. His family needed her—he needed her.

He felt that sunshine glowing on him again from inside the building as the sky had already begun to grow dark. Abigail knew this woman was sent to him to rebuild. He’d be a fool not to hold on with both hands.

Kym hadn’t even seen Jacob break through the plastic board. She was watching the look on his father’s face and it had been priceless.

She needed to see that. She needed to know that there was a pride that could surface and take over the man with the crusty exterior.

When he cheered and Jacob smiled at him she thought she might burst into tears and it had taken everything she had not to run to him.

Jacob had remained in protocol, though the smile on his mouth was from ear to ear. He bowed to his board holders and then to her grandfather who had walked slowly to him and placed a hand on each of his shoulders. She could only imagine what he said to Jacob, but the grin remained and her grandfather’s eyes gave away his own smile.

Jacob bowed off the floor and ran to his father who scooped him up as if he were a small child and held him tightly.

Those tears weren’t just a threat anymore. They were real and they were stinging her eyes.

Her grandfather laid a hand on her arm. “Go, collect yourself. I shall run this class. He will take him home. Tomorrow you can celebrate his triumph.”

Kym understood her dismissal, but she wanted to run to him too and scoop him up in her arms. But never would she go against what her grandfather told her.

She bowed off the floor and quietly disappeared from sight.

Chapter Fifteen

Grilled cheese sandwiches shouldn’t be a dinner for a growing boy who was celebrating. But Jacob didn’t seem to mind the meal as he ate his second one.

John, on the other hand, didn’t have an appetite at all.

He’d looked up from hugging his son only to find Kym bowing off the floor and heading upstairs. They had lingered at the school, the kids doing their payment chores, but she’d never come back down. Didn’t she want to congratulate Jacob on a job well done?

The kids finished eating and began their after dinner chores which Kym had assigned them. She had a way with people, didn’t she? He watched even his two-year-old help in the kitchen. In one night she’d done that voodoo and now his kids suddenly toed the line?

And what kind of ego bash must she have taken to not even stick around and congratulate Jacob on his break? The whole thing wasn’t sitting well with him. What was she trying to do—fix a “broken” family? Well, they weren’t broken. They were bruised.

There was an ache in his heart that had him literally put his hand to his chest and rub.

“Dad, are you okay?”

He noted the horror in his son’s eyes and sat up straight, dropping his hand. “Yeah, just stretching.”

Jacob kept an eye on him as he finished his chores.

Cody walked over to him and climbed up on his lap. He rested his head on his shoulder and closed his eyes. The ache in his chest subsided. The unconditional love of his children was better than any medicine.

John rubbed his hand over the curls on Cody’s head. Christmas was coming and Cody would be turning three. The ache was back. Cody’s day of birth was a hard day to celebrate. It also was the anniversary of Abigail’s death.

He pulled the now sleeping boy closer to him. It couldn’t always be a sad day. Cody deserved some happiness on that day even if the sadness of it was etched in John’s mind—and heart.

Perhaps he was old enough for a party. It wouldn’t be much more than close friends and family. And even perhaps it was time to bury the hatchet all together and make amends with his in-laws.

Jacob sat down at the now cleared off table. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah. Just having a moment.”

Jacob nodded. “His birthday is coming. Is that what you were thinking about?”

John felt the sting of tears in his throat, but he wasn’t going to let them get any further. He swallowed them back.

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking about.”

“We’re all going to get through it. Each year will be easier, but we won’t forget her.”

John fought the tears back harder as they tried to push up. Where did this kid get so much wisdom?

“I was thinking Cody needed a birthday party.”

There was a spark that lit behind Jacob’s eyes now. “I think he’d really like that.” The glimmer quickly faded. “Can we afford that?”

That was another stab into his already guilt ridden heart. “Nothing fancy. Just friends and family.” He saw that it confused him too. “Yes, I mean mom’s family too.”

The glimmer was back, but it was glossy from tears. “I think that would be really nice.”

John kissed the top of Cody’s head. “You can help me plan it, okay? We’ll get busy on it next week after Thanksgiving.”

Jacob nodded and stood, pushing his chair in. “Are we going to Grandma and Aunt Heather’s for Thanksgiving?”

“Yes you are.”

“You’re not coming?”

John bit down on his lip. “Not this year. Let’s see how the birthday party goes, okay?”

Jacob nodded again and started to walk away, but turned back around. “Are you going to invite Ms. O’Bryne here for our dinner?”

He grit his teeth. “I don’t know, kiddo.”

“Are you mad at her?”

Perhaps his son had become a bit too insightful. “Why do you ask?”

Jacob shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his feet. “She left after I broke the board. Maybe she was mad.”

Oh, she was going to get an earful from him. Now his son was upset too.

“I’m sure she’ll tell us,” he assured his son, but he knew she would—he was going to make her. She owed his son an apology too.

No woman was going to make an impact and then not be there to help rein in the feelings his kids were having—or him for that matter. Kym O’Bryne wasn’t going to ruin his already struggling family. After all, she’d already caused quite a tear in his heart.

Kym hit the floor early the next morning. Her restless night had her needing to kick the heavy bag this morning.

Music blared from her office stereo, this too was unusual. Though she didn’t mind music during class to keep the class upbeat, she didn’t usually train with it. Training time was to focus and to decompress from everything else around her.

KISS was her music of choice this morning. Her grandfather certainly wouldn’t approve of that, but he’d already been picked up by some woman in a Subaru and they were headed to Maggie’s for breakfast, he’d informed her.

As she trained, she noticed kids all bundled up, walking down the streets heading to school. Only a few more hours and her school would be filled with those same kids—specifically Jacob and Abby. Kym couldn’t wait. She wanted to congratulate Jacob on his break. It was quite a feat for such a new student.

In the mirror she noticed a pickup truck pull up in front of the school and park. It wasn’t a truck she recognized so she stopped and watched.

The passenger side door opened and someone stepped out of the truck. She waited to catch a glimpse of the person. Soon enough she noticed the flaming red hair.

Without even bowing off the floor, she ran to the front door of the school as her brother pulled his suitcase out of the back of the truck.

Kym waited with the cold washing over her until he came around the truck and hurried toward her.

Liam set his suitcase on the ground and scooped her up, swinging her around in circles.

“You still look twelve,” he said giving her a squeeze before setting her back on her feet.

“I’m thirty. Don’t forget that.”

“You look wonderful. Is that better?”

“Much. You always were bad with the compliments.” She smiled at him. “I’ve missed you.”

“I couldn’t wait any longer to get here.”

“I don’t mind you being early.”

Liam picked up his suitcase and set it inside as she shut the door behind them. “Could they have found a more remote location for you? Tell me things are good, or I’m packing you up with Grandfather and taking you with us.”

His words stung, but she wasn’t going to let him know that. “Things are wonderful. I’ll be staying, thank you very much.”

“I can’t imagine.”

“Of course you can’t. What do you have? Five hundred students?”

He nodded as his gaze scanned over the small school.

“One floor?”

Kym narrowed her eyes on him. “You’ve had plenty of schools with only one training floor.”

Liam shrugged. “You’re right. That wasn’t fair.” Liam walked further into the school. She knew he was inspecting it. “How old is this building?”

“Sixty years.”

“Wow. How do you and Grandfather take care of it?”

The question had her skin itching, which it did when she was put on the spot. “There is a man in town who fixes things when we need it. His kids are students here…”

“Oh, Kym. You’re not bartering are you?”

She realized she was fisting her hands at her side. “What does it matter to you what I do here? Things are good. Business is building and Grandfather is healthy.”

She knew her brother well enough. He knew he’d upset her and he pulled her to him and held her tightly against him.

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t a very good hello.”

“I’m not some weak little girl. I was brought up to handle all of this.”

“And you’re doing a wonderful job.” He kissed the top of her head. “No more sister jabs, I promise.”

“Thank you.”

He backed up from her, keeping her arms in his grasp. “Where is Grandfather?”