He pulled her closer, then tipped up her chin and looked deep in her eyes.
“Yeah, darlin’. Now I am.”
At that moment, Niansu rushed in, his eyes wide with excitement.
“They’re here! The TV people are here!”
~~~
Over the next hour, Master Wan and Lexie stood at the side of the dojo bowing to each group before they performed and after. Everything went off as planned, except that Graciella bowed so low that she fell over bringing a shout of welcome laughter from the audience.
When all the groups had performed, Master Wan stepped forward and took the microphone.
“Jai Li and I had planned to demonstrate to our students and all of you what you can achieve if you practice hard and believe in yourself. Unfortunately, I think that I pulled a tendon in my calf this morning.”
Lexie was startled. Master Wan hadn’t said anything to her. Then she saw him wink at Jake.
“However, we have another Kung Fu master with us today. Colonel Jake Gardner, our beloved Anthony’s commander and best friend, has joined us. Jake, may I impose on you to take my place.”
Jake bowed. “It would be an honor, Master Wan.”
Lexie started, then flushed. She hadn’t thought to wonder why Jake was wearing a gi, but now she knew. She marched over to Master Wan and hissed in his ear.
“You set me up! You knew, didn’t you? How?”
“Ah, Jai Li, Colonel Gardner has been very kind to Madam Juen and me. He called us every day that you were in Yuma to report on your progress and on you. There was no reason to discontinue our daily calls just because you returned. Of course, I knew he would be here. Why wouldn’t he? If Anthony could have come, he would have. Jake could and did.”
Lexie felt her face flame. Tears sprung to her eyes. Before she could answer, Jake tugged on her hand and pulled her to the center of the mat. He leaned down and whispered, “You lead. I’ll follow.”
She managed a watery reply. “That’s a nice change.”
He chuckled and brushed her ear with his lips. “Don’t get too used to it, darlin’.”
Chapter 35
For the next five minutes there wasn’t a sound in the room except for the soft thud of their mutual landings and the gasps of the crowd.
Lexie had never ‘danced’ a Kung Fu match but intuitively this is what she and Jake did. As though they had programmed it, they moved into a synchronous dance that capitalized on their strengths. Lexie flew through the air in double and triple flips and never wondered if Jake would catch her. He always did. They feinted and parried, a virtual pas de deux of Kung Fu postures, with mock takedowns and escapes.
After a stunning series of acrobatic leaps, kicks, and strikes, he whispered, “The finale, darlin’.”
She backed up against the wall and headed toward him, flipping from front to back and to the front again. Jake caught her on the third revolution. He spun in a circle, holding her high in the air staring up at her, then slowly brought her to the floor. They stood for a moment meeting each other’s gaze. Holding hands they turned to the audience and bowed.
The audience roared in approval. Master Wan bowed to them both and didn’t try to hide the tears on his face. He wasn’t the only one crying.
Her students rushed forward, surrounding them both. The little girls looked up adoringly at Jake. Lexie wasn’t surprised to see the women crowding around him as well.
Marybel sauntered up to her, her eyes dancing with mischief. In a pretend whisper, she said loud enough for all close by to hear, “Are you telling me, Girl, that this hunk is the man that has been sending you daily presents that you haven’t opened?” She nudged Lexie aside and sidled up next to Jake.
“Hey, handsome, if this little princess doesn’t come around in the next few minutes, I want you to know that there are plenty of pickings among the rest of us.” She added with a grin, putting her hands on her ample hips in a suggestive gesture. “Now, if you like a little more flesh on her bones, I got just the woman for you!”
“Oh no, you don’t!” Sadie forged forward. “I’se can tell, he likes his wimmen slender. So, Marybel, accept it. This is between Jai Li and me!”
Jake’s infectious laugh filled the room. Not letting go of Lexie’s hand, he grinned at the adoring group.
“You flatter me. But I’m a taken man.” He gazed down at her. Pulling her into a protective hold, he gazed down at her, “It’s as simple as that, isn’t it darlin’?”
Before she could respond, several of the news people shoved through the crowd, microphones in hand.
“Excuse me, Col. Gardner. Aren’t you the man who broke the case in Yuma? You brought down an international illegal drug operation and solved two murders?”
Jake shook his head.
“No, it wasn’t me, it was my team. The strongest, most accomplished group of warriors you’ll ever meet. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t be here today, if it wasn’t for one member of the team, Alexis Beloi. You know her as Jai Li, the woman who founded Strong Women Survive.” He pulled her closer to him. When she looked up at him, shocked, he continued, “Lexie is the bravest, most courageous woman I know, and the most accomplished. She took down a mass murderer, broke a multi-national drug ring, avenged her brother’s death, and, not incidentally, saved my life.”
Lexie felt her cheeks heat, stunned that Jake would make such a public statement. But to her horror, he wasn’t through.
Holding up his hand he said, “As much as I would like to answer your questions, I have a more pressing mission. That is to do my best to convince this young woman to marry me.” He looked up and nodded to Nianzu who stood in the doorway. “I understand that our ride is here, so if you will excuse us, we’ll be leaving now.”
At the surprised laughter and cheers from the crowd, that even included some of the press, Jake muscled through the group, his arm around Lexis’s waist, carrying her when she stumbled in surprise.
At the doorway, Lexie saw the Electra Glide parked in the driveway.
Too stunned to protest, she allowed Jake to clamp on her helmet and deposit her on the back of the bike. He mounted the bike, and threw her a wicked grin.
“Are we gonna need the handcuffs, darlin’ or can I depend on you not to jump off?”
Lexie buried her face against his back to hide her tears.
He pulled her hands around him.
“Hold on tight, darlin’! This promises to be a hell of a ride!”
Thank you for reading
