Indomitable Spirit by Bernadette Marie Page A

thought of it made her stomach warm.
    Kym sat down in the chair he offered and he moved the other chair close so she could rest her leg on it.
    “Jacob, go get a pillow for her to rest her knee on.”
    He nodded and left the room.
    “You don’t have to go through all of this for me.”
    John rested his hand on her arm. “I want to.”
    Jacob returned and handed her the pillow. “Thank you.”
    He nodded nervously.
    “How much homework do you have tonight?” John asked as he took a pot out from under the stove and set it in the sink to fill.
    “Spelling and math.”
    “Why don’t you get started on that?”
    There was the unmistakable groan of disappointment.
    Kym reached out and touched his arm. “What kind of math?”
    “Division and word problems.”
    She scrunched up her face. “I’m up for a challenge. Can I try it with you?”
    Jacob wrinkled his nose. “You want to do math for fun?”
    “Sure.”
    “Okay, if you want to.” He headed toward the coat rack by the back door and took down his backpack. He pulled out the papers and walked back to the table. “I’ll get some extra paper.” He left the room and Kym smiled up at John.
    “I’m about to embarrass myself.”
    John shook his head. “I doubt that. Something tells me you’re pretty smart.”
    “You’re about to find out that math is not my strong point.”
    “You have many others,” he said softly right before Jacob walked back in.
    As John fixed three boxes of macaroni and cheese Jacob proved that he was much better in math than Kym was. Every time she took a moment too long or even got the wrong answer Jacob did a small celebration dance.
    “I told you I wasn’t very good at math.”
    “You’re right,” Jacob said enthusiastically and then his face turned hard. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t nice.”
    “I’ll let it slide. Your homework is done and you had a good time doing it. I’ll be gracious enough to accept defeat.”
    He smiled.
    John placed a pot holder in the center of the kitchen table and then returned again with a huge pot of macaroni and cheese. “Go get your brothers and your sister. Wash your hands.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    Jacob gathered his homework and tucked it back into his backpack.
    Kym lowered her leg and tried to stand. She was wobbly, but John had hurried over to her.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Washing my hands before dinner. But my leg seems to have stiffened.”
    John reached down and touched her knee. “It’s really swollen. You can’t train on that tomorrow.”
    “It won’t be the first time I’ve taught class from the sidelines.”
    He helped her to the sink. “You’ve done this a lot?”
    “This is just a small sprain. I’ll get over this. When I dislocated it, that was a bit more recovery.”
    “And what were you doing when you dislocated it?” he asked resting his hand in the small of her back as she turned on the sink to wash her hands.
    “Run, jump, side kick through three boards.”
    “You did four yesterday.”
    “So I did,” her voice was airy with his breath in her ear.
    “Daddy, I weady,” Cody toddled into the kitchen.
    John’s hand left her body instantly and he picked up his son and set him in the high chair which he then pushed up to the table. “Where are the others?”
    “Bafwoom.”
    Kym laughed at his little words.
    “C’mon. Let’s eat,” John shouted and helped her back to the table.
     
    Dinner was every bit as chaotic as John had promised her. But Kym hadn’t run or even looked frightened. Maybe she was a keeper.
    Jacob, on the other hand, was on the quiet side.
    When they were finished the family spread out through the house.
    “They don’t have after dinner chores?”
    “They are very little and Jacob does quite a bit around here. I let him off the hook after dinner.”
    She nodded slowly. “You don’t think that gives them the wrong idea?”
    John ran water in the sink and added soap. “Meaning?”
    “I’m just saying that even Cody can take a