seeing it melt away, leaving him free and happy, for just a little while.
He made her want to see him like that – made her want to do that for him again.
What she wanted most of all, of course, was to take things farther than they had – get to know every inch of him in every way she could.
But she had to push that from her mind as she crossed the room to greet Paige and Meredith.
Both of them smiled.
“Thank you so much for letting us know about this,” Meredith said. “I feel safe with Jeremy just down the street, but he’s not always around and you can never be too careful. Especially with everything that’s been going on.”
Meredith laid a protective hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder. “I’ll sleep better knowing Paige can protect herself, too.”
Paige looked embarrassed, but didn’t shy away.
“They say this is stuff any woman should know,” Lucia replied. “I’ll feel more confident knowing it, too.”
She wasn’t about to stop carrying pepper spray in her purse, but a little self-defense training couldn’t hurt.
She made a quick round of the room, saying hi to the girls from her class before things started.
The class was pretty impressive. Not that she was an expert judge, but it was more thorough than she’d expected. They learned not only how to strike an attacker, but also how to break free from a stronger person’s hold. Even how to free taped or zip-tied wrists.
The instructor was giving detailed instructions on how to escape from a trunk when something else snared Lucia’s attention.
One of her students, Olivia, had backed out of her place in line and was slumped against the back wall. Already fair-skinned, she looked downright pale. Sweat had matted her blonde hair to her forehead.
Lucia slipped quickly but quietly toward her.
“What’s up?” she whispered when she reached her side. “Feeling sick?”
Olivia shook her head. “I’m okay. Just … tired from practicing those punches.”
Lucia bit down on her lower lip. She knew full well that the athletic sixteen year old was too fit to be so exhausted by a few self-defense drills. She could swim laps around an Olympic-sized pool and climb out with a smile on her face.
“Are you sure? You look pretty rough.” She pressed the back of her hand against Olivia’s forehead, feeling for fever.
She felt slightly warm, but that was probably just from exertion.
“I’m fine.” She stood up straight, no longer leaning against the wall. The smile she directed at Lucia didn’t quite reach her eyes, but she looked toward the place she’d abandoned in line like she wanted to reclaim it.
“Okay, but let me know if you don’t feel up to sticking around. I can give you a ride home if you need me to.”
Olivia assured her she’d be fine and that her mom would be picking her up afterward, and that was the end of it.
Lucia stayed close and kept an eye on her. Although she moved a little sluggishly, she didn’t fall out of line or slump against the wall again.
Lucia still worried about whatever was bothering her. She couldn’t help it – she felt a sense of responsibility towards the girls in her swim class. If her mother or any of her aunts knew how much she cared about the girls she taught, they’d say it was redirected maternal instinct, and that she needed to get started on a family.
But she knew it was just the way she’d always been. When people worked their way into her heart, they had every bit of it.
Her gaze drifted toward Paige, and she felt a pull in her chest, one that brought her over-active heart and what it wanted to the forefront of her mind.
* * * * *
Beverly gripped a cup of chamomile tea until her knuckles went white. There were four seats at her kitchen table, and she always sat at the one nearest the stove.
It’d been almost two years since anyone had sat in any of the others.
The tea scalded her tongue, and she kept her spine straight as it burnt its way down into the pit of her
He made her want to see him like that – made her want to do that for him again.
What she wanted most of all, of course, was to take things farther than they had – get to know every inch of him in every way she could.
But she had to push that from her mind as she crossed the room to greet Paige and Meredith.
Both of them smiled.
“Thank you so much for letting us know about this,” Meredith said. “I feel safe with Jeremy just down the street, but he’s not always around and you can never be too careful. Especially with everything that’s been going on.”
Meredith laid a protective hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder. “I’ll sleep better knowing Paige can protect herself, too.”
Paige looked embarrassed, but didn’t shy away.
“They say this is stuff any woman should know,” Lucia replied. “I’ll feel more confident knowing it, too.”
She wasn’t about to stop carrying pepper spray in her purse, but a little self-defense training couldn’t hurt.
She made a quick round of the room, saying hi to the girls from her class before things started.
The class was pretty impressive. Not that she was an expert judge, but it was more thorough than she’d expected. They learned not only how to strike an attacker, but also how to break free from a stronger person’s hold. Even how to free taped or zip-tied wrists.
The instructor was giving detailed instructions on how to escape from a trunk when something else snared Lucia’s attention.
One of her students, Olivia, had backed out of her place in line and was slumped against the back wall. Already fair-skinned, she looked downright pale. Sweat had matted her blonde hair to her forehead.
Lucia slipped quickly but quietly toward her.
“What’s up?” she whispered when she reached her side. “Feeling sick?”
Olivia shook her head. “I’m okay. Just … tired from practicing those punches.”
Lucia bit down on her lower lip. She knew full well that the athletic sixteen year old was too fit to be so exhausted by a few self-defense drills. She could swim laps around an Olympic-sized pool and climb out with a smile on her face.
“Are you sure? You look pretty rough.” She pressed the back of her hand against Olivia’s forehead, feeling for fever.
She felt slightly warm, but that was probably just from exertion.
“I’m fine.” She stood up straight, no longer leaning against the wall. The smile she directed at Lucia didn’t quite reach her eyes, but she looked toward the place she’d abandoned in line like she wanted to reclaim it.
“Okay, but let me know if you don’t feel up to sticking around. I can give you a ride home if you need me to.”
Olivia assured her she’d be fine and that her mom would be picking her up afterward, and that was the end of it.
Lucia stayed close and kept an eye on her. Although she moved a little sluggishly, she didn’t fall out of line or slump against the wall again.
Lucia still worried about whatever was bothering her. She couldn’t help it – she felt a sense of responsibility towards the girls in her swim class. If her mother or any of her aunts knew how much she cared about the girls she taught, they’d say it was redirected maternal instinct, and that she needed to get started on a family.
But she knew it was just the way she’d always been. When people worked their way into her heart, they had every bit of it.
Her gaze drifted toward Paige, and she felt a pull in her chest, one that brought her over-active heart and what it wanted to the forefront of her mind.
* * * * *
Beverly gripped a cup of chamomile tea until her knuckles went white. There were four seats at her kitchen table, and she always sat at the one nearest the stove.
It’d been almost two years since anyone had sat in any of the others.
The tea scalded her tongue, and she kept her spine straight as it burnt its way down into the pit of her
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