Read Online Indomitable Spirit by Bernadette Marie - Free Book Online

and her eyes widened.
    “You brought a crew with you,” she said as she backed off the floor, bowing, before she turned and walked toward them. “Who are these guys?”
    “This is Mason. And this one,” he ran his hand over the thick blonde hair of his youngest son, “is Cody.”
    Kim squatted down so that she was eye to eye with Mason. “It sure is nice to meet you, Mason.”
    Mason took a step backward toward John’s leg, but Kym didn’t move. “It looks like your dad is here to put new filters in the furnace. Would you boys like to kick some pads with me?”
    Mason was quick to nod.
    “You don’t have to entertain them. You have a class soon.”
    Kym looked up at him and smiled. “You’re right. I do. And these two would be more than welcome to join us for a few minutes.”
    She twisted and looked at Cody. Her eyes softened. “Cody, would you like to join me? Yes, ma’am?”
    John watched his son process the fact that the woman hadn’t given him a choice. He nodded automatically even though he didn’t move toward her quickly.
    Kym smiled wider as she stood. “Looks like we are settled then.” She held her hands out for each boy to take and John was surprised when both of them took her hands and walked with her toward the training floor. He couldn’t hear her words, but he knew she was explaining the process to them as they all three bowed.
    He wasn’t sure he liked the fact that the woman had some ancient Asian magic she used on them. The commands, the bowing, the getting exactly what she wanted when she wanted it—that bothered him. Already his two oldest were working for her to take her classes. And now his two youngest were out there following every word she said to them. They didn’t listen to him like that. And, as he walked to the back of the school with filters tucked under his arm, he realized he too had fallen victim to her voodoo with those green eyes.
    John gritted his teeth as he made his way to the furnace. Oh, he’d gotten himself into this one. Who was he to offer help out of nowhere? That wasn’t his style. And as he pulled up the door to replace the filter he realized that was just what he’d done. He’d been the one to volunteer. In fact, hadn’t the woman said she didn’t need his help?
    And what was all that crap Chris was talking about him being toast? Stupid friends. They didn’t know everything.
    John examined the two filters. He took the one that wouldn’t fit and set it against the wall. Then he slid the correct filter into the slot and looked around the back room of the school. The water heater was old. She was going to have to replace that soon, he thought. He’d have Kelley order one up and have it on hand.
    He looked at the old windows. They’d been painted shut about a million times. That was a fire code violation. Oh, Marcus Hunt would have a hay day with that.
    He could hear Cody’s little voice attempt at making some loud grunt as he kicked a pad and Kym cheered him on. Well if she wanted to babysit them for a few minutes he’d let her. No skin off his nose.
    He noticed a screwdriver on the counter and he took it to the window. He could at least break some of the paint seal and see how much damage there was. And why not? She was entertaining the troops. She deserved this. John chuckled to himself as he drug the sharp edge of the screwdriver through the caked on paint. If she wanted to take on kids that weren’t hers, then she should be stuck with them.
    The screwdriver dug into the paint, but only managed to make a scratch.
    He was going to need something much bigger than a screwdriver. Setting it on the windowsill he pulled a utility knife out of his pocket, opened it, and began making grooves into the paint. Now he was making progress.
    Finally, the window had been freed from the captive paint. Wiggling the pane, he managed to get it to budge from the position in which it had been stuck in for years.
    “I thought you were just changing out the