Page 134 of Jay Bird

“Oh, yes.”

Chapter TWENTY-TWO

“Again,” Willow called out.

Nova lowered the pads she was holding and gave Willow a look that clearly questioned her sanity. “You know, most people celebrate when I tell them they’re done for the day.”

Willow bent forward and rested her hands on her thighs while she tried to catch her breath. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. Her ponytail was barely hanging on, and muscles she hadn’t even known existed months ago were already threatening to make tomorrow morning miserable.

“Most people probably aren’t paying you to beat the crap out of them either.”

Nova laughed. “For the record, I have not beaten the crap out of you.”

“My ribs would like to file a formal complaint.”

“Your ribs are dramatic.”

Willow straightened and grabbed her water bottle from the bench. “I think I liked you better before I started taking lessons from you.”

“That’s what they all say.”

Willow smiled as she took a long drink, then glanced through the large interior window separating the training area from the children’s room Nova had added when she had opened the gym. Lily was inside with two other children, happily sitting at a small table with crayons scattered everywhere while one of the childcare attendants helped another little boy build something with oversized blocks.

Lily looked happy. More importantly, she looked safe.

Willow still checked on her every few minutes anyway. Some habits weren’t going to disappear overnight.

It had been a couple of weeks since Willow had finally taken Nova up on the offer she had made that first night at Bayside. At the time, Nova had suggested kickboxing because it was good exercise, a great stress reliever, and something Willow might enjoy. Willow had joked that after all the meals she had been cooking for Jay Bird, she probably needed the exercise.

The real reason she had come back had very little to do with calories. Willow wanted to learn how to protect herself.

She wasn’t foolish enough to believe a few kickboxing and self-defense lessons would suddenly make her capable of taking down a man twice her size, and Nova had been very clear from the beginning that wasn’t what she was teaching her. The goal was to create space, recognize opportunities, and learn how to react when someone else had the advantage.

Sometimes survival wasn’t about winning a fight. It was about getting away. That was something Willow understood better than most.

Jay Bird supported the lessons completely. He had even offered to practice with her at home until Willow had informed him that practicing self-defense with a Navy SEAL seemed a little unfair.

He had smirked and told her he had let her win. She had threatened to kick him somewhere particularly sensitive. He had withdrawn the offer.

This afternoon, however, Jay Bird wasn’t home. Bear had texted him earlier about meeting some of the guys at Bayside, and Willow had practically pushed him out the door. He spent so much of his free time with her and Lily that she had begun to worry he was neglecting his friends because he felt obligated to stay close to them.

Jay Bird had informed her that spending time with them wasn’t an obligation.

She had kissed his cheek and told him to go anyway.

Now, standing in the middle of Nova’s gym with every muscle in her body screaming, Willow was beginning to regret not going to Bayside with him.

Nova tossed her a small towel. “You did really well today.”

“Except for one thing.”

The humor disappeared from Nova’s face. “Willow—”

“I want to try it again,” Willow stated.

Nova studied her for several seconds before glancing toward Matt, one of her employees who was wiping down equipment nearby. He was a former police officer who had worked with Willow during several of her lessons, and, more importantly, someone Willow had slowly grown comfortable around.

Nova turned back to her. “You don’t have to prove anything today.”