Wyatt faced off with Grace on the yoga mat she’d borrowed from Molly. It was spread out in the inn’s backyard, just off the patio. The sun was high in the sky, the lake starting to get busy with boats. The sweet scent of some flower hung heavily in the air, mingling with the smell of pine and fresh water.
Grace looked adorable in a T-shirt and leggings. She’d worn a pair of tennis shoes, as he’d suggested, and had her hair back in a ponytail.She stood with her feet shoulder-width apart and shifted her weight from one foot to the other like she was a prizefighter.
“Okay, bring it on, big guy.”
He smiled patiently. “Settle down there, Gracie. We’ll just be walking through a few moves today. Proper preparation will take more than one lesson. You’ll need to rehearse the moves I show you a few times a week. Muscle memory is everything. You need to know them so well you perform automatically in a threatening situation. I checked with Jim’s Gym, and they have protective padding. So once you have the moves down we should go there and practice a full-on assault.”
“Yeow. That sounds painful.”
“It’s the only way to prepare you for a real threat. I wouldn’t be doing you any favors by treating you like you’re made of glass—an attacker sure won’t.”
Her playful expression fell away. She was probably remembering how she’d felt when that idiot had assaulted her.
“There’s no reason to be afraid. I won’t hurt you, and by the time I’m finished, you’ll be a lot more prepared. A lot more confident.”
“All right. Where do we start?”
“This is a pretty basic move. Let’s do it in slow motion. An attacker grabs your wrist—”
“That’s what that guy did to me. I tried to pull away, but he was too strong.”
“A natural reaction. Try this instead.” He took her wrist in a firm hold. “Here’s what you’re going to do. Make a fist with that hand, then grab it with your opposite hand. Good. Now with the arm he grabbed, point your elbow up. Higher. That’s right. Now slice down as you twist away from him, using the strength of both arms.”
Grace did as he directed.
“That’s it. When you make that twist in real time, use your core—that’s where the real strength comes from. Your purpose is to get loose and run. Let’s do it again. When you complete the move, take a few steps to get into the habit of making a break for it.”
They went through the move again. And again and again. Grace’s motions became more natural and confident each time. “Wow, that seems so easy.”
“Let’s try it in real time. I won’t grab you hard—we’ll wait for the padding for that. Ready?”
She nodded.
He took her wrist.
Grace went through the motions, but her feet got a little tripped up as she turned to run.
“Let’s talk about feet. Whichever side he grabs, put that foot forward. When you twist, you’ll pivot on that foot. Once you have this down, we’ll practice with the other hand.”
While they went through the motions again, Levi and Mia exited the house and stepped onto the patio.
Grace finished the move perfectly this time.
“Good job,” Wyatt said.
“I’m afraid to ask.” Levi’s gaze slid down to the mat. “And you’re flattening the grass.”
“I’m taking him down—that’s what I’m doing—and you’re next.”
“What’dIdo?”
“You’re a Groomzilla.”
“Not since Mia arrived.”
“I’ll give you that.”
“Aw.” Mia snuggled into Levi’s side, clipboard and all. “Have I tamed you, honey?”
