Spark (5 page)

A large brick building sprawled out before them.

“Cottonwood Falls High School,” Sarah stated as she
took the helmet from Kendria.

“How many were in your graduating class?”

“Three hundred.”

“Wow. I had over a thousand in mine.”

“Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

“I’m starting to suspect you’re not exactly thrilled
about being here.” Kendria fell into step with her, lengthening her
stride to keep up.

“Sleep would be nice.”

Her own body clamored for a bit more. She and Vance
hadn’t exactly spent the night in deep slumber. “Yes, it does have
its benefits.”

“At least you got sex out of it. I was sleeping at my
mother’s.” Kendria had no words, and Sarah laughed. “Sorry, I’m a
bit blunt. It’s obvious to me there was something between y’all
when you first met. I’m not buying that all that huskiness of Vance
was left untouched.”

“I can handle blunt. And, you’re right. He wasn’t
untouched.” She nudged her. “Neither was I.”

“So unfair,” Sarah groused as they walked around the
buildings corner.

Both women drew up short as they nearly collided with
another man. Kendria sucked in a sharp breath.
Holy fucking
shit.
And, she’d thought Vance was fit. This man had a coiled
appearance that screamed danger. His dark hair touched the tops of
his broad shoulders. He had a camouflaged baseball cap on his head
with a curly W on the front.

“Excuse me,” he said, his voice low and thready.
“Well, well, if it isn’t little Sarah Mallery.”

Kendria swore Sarah hissed like a cobra. “Grey
Sorenson. What are you doing back? Aren’t you supposed to be out
saving the world?”

Something passed between the two of them, and Kendria
wasn’t sure she should be witnessing any of it.

“I thought I’d give someone else a shot for a while.
Wanted to see you, of course.”

Her sneer turned ugly. “Full of shit, just like
always.”

He stepped between them and spun on a heel. “I don’t
lie, Captain.”

“I know, Commander. I’m well used to the
truths
that fall from your lips.”

If her words bothered him, he didn’t show it. Kendria
gulped when he put his gaze on her, however briefly.

“Ma’am.”

She held up a hand. “Hi.”

Just as quickly as they’d found her, he looked back
to Sarah. “You know, if you’d just call in the right man to begin
with, the Marines wouldn’t have to be called in.”

Sarah gave him her back. “I’ve yet to find one who
could hold his own with a Marine.” Another glare over her shoulder.
“Especially a sailor.”

“One day, your mouth is going to put you in a
situation you can’t get out of.” Warning vibrated along his
words.

“Thanks for the concern,
Commander.
I’m sure
I’ll be just fine. Come on, Kendria.”

She gave him a wave and fell into step with Sarah.
“Are you okay?” she asked, peeking over her shoulder in time to see
the man finally turn away and walked off.

“Yes. Sorry. That’s just the Navy and Marine
animosity going on there.”

Before them was a bevy of people working on a big
gathering with five floats. “Sure, it is,” Kendria said. “Just like
I didn’t get my brains fucked out last night by Vance.” Sarah’s
slightly shocked expression had her shrugging without shame. “We’re
friends now, I can speak my mind. Oh, by the way, I’m a bit blunt,
as well. I think I mentioned that, but it deserved repeating.”

҉

Vance wiped the grease from his hands and shoved the
rag back into his pocket. Music blared through the shop, and he
stopped to look around. His employees worked hard on vehicles. He
stared through to his office, groaning at the thought of the
paperwork awaiting him there.

“Boss,” Charlie called out to him. “Some men here to
see you.”

“On my way.”
Guess the paperwork will have to
wait.
He made his way to the front and slowed when he spied the
three men who’d been around Kendria’s car alongside the road. “Can
I help y’all?”

Tall Man neared the counter. “Did that car get picked
up?”

“Nope. Still in the shop. I’m still working on
it.”

“The owner show?”

He crossed his arms. “You told Deputy Boshay the
driver was your friend. Who is this person?”

“You don’t need to concern yourself with that. We
just need to find her.”

“So, it’s a her?” The one with the Napoleon complex
walked to a display of model older cars. Vance bristled. “Be
careful with that. I’d hate for it to get broken.”

“It’s a shop; I’m sure things happen all the
time.”

He shared a look with Charlie. “They do. Just like,
sometimes, people get caught under cars that are being lowered. Or
have tools hit them, accidentally, of course.”

Middle Man stepped up and held out his arms. “We’re
not looking for trouble. We just want to find her.”

“You seem pretty sure she’s here, but you weren’t
even sure this was her vehicle, or so you told the deputy.” Vance
made his way to the case and used his larger body to move the
smaller man away.

“Things change. This is the one she rented.” Tall Man
kept messing with the inside of his coat.

Vance knew he had a weapon there. No reason for
someone to wear a jacket this time of year in Georgia unless they
were hiding something. “Wouldn’t your friend call you if she were
in trouble and needed your help?”

“She’s proud and doesn’t always ask for help. Just
like many people, she doesn’t recognize that she may be in deeper
than she first believed.”

Turning to face Middle Man, Vance whipped back around
at the crash of glass. The small one had shoved over his display.
He reacted instantly, striking out as he whirled, he knocked the
small man down. Middle man jumped on Vance and began raining blows
on his face and shoulders. The other two jumped in, as well, and it
turned swiftly into a brawl.

“I’m getting tired of this game,” Tall Man uttered,
rolling away and removing a weapon from his jacket.

“Let’s not do that.”

Vance smiled at the deep sound of another of his
employees. Dan was a man who’d done a few years in the NFL as a
linebacker. He still retained his size. He wrenched the Tall Man’s
arm away and confiscated the weapon.

“Charlie, call Deputy Boshay and have them pick up
this scum that’s invaded my shop.” Vance glanced around. “And
destroyed it.” He stood, wiping blood from his nose as he stared at
the mess of his waiting room. It looked like a tornado had ripped
through. Broken glass, overturned chairs, not even the water
dispenser had escaped harm. It lay knocked on its side, water
spread out from it into a large pool while a few droplets dripped
from the opening.

The other two men on the floor had been carrying
guns, as well. More men from his shop had come at the commotion and
took them before trussing them up. They’d not joined in the fight,
but Vance knew, had he needed help, they would have jumped in. Only
Dan retained his hold on the man he’d grabbed.

“Cops are coming, boss.”

Vance gave a nod and stepped up to the man Dan held.
“You can let him go, Dan.”

“Nope, I like this. I think I’m hurting him. It’s
been a while since I’ve hurt people.”

That was Dan. Vance got in the man’s face, holding
the angry gaze before opening his jacket and locating the cell
phone. The man’s attempt at struggling was meager at best. Dan
grunted and held him without any problems.

“I crush you if you move,” he snapped.

Vance took the phone, turning away to hide his smile.
Dan loved to revert to stilted words and grunting, using his size
to intimidate people. Vance scrolled through the numbers called
until he was confident of the one he was about to dial. Then, he
did so.

“Where is she?” A heavy male voice posed the
question.

“You must be Joe,” Vance said. He moved to the broken
front window.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Doesn’t matter who I am. What matters is I know who
you are. Your boys fucked up by coming after me.”

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

“This is what we’re going to do. Your boys will be
leaving, and you will stay away from my Kendria.”

“Yours?” Anger lined the question.

“Yes, mine. She’s my wife, and if I see any of your
fucking goons around here again, I’m going to send them back to you
in pieces.”

“Kendria is your wife?”

“Not much gets by you, does it?” Sirens filled the
air, and he watched the two deputies cars squeal in the lot. “Your
boys will be needing some bail. Don’t forget what I said.” He ended
the call and crossed his arms as Tim and Vicki strode over the
graveled parking lot.

“What the fuck happened here, Vance?” Tim asked even
though Vicki’s expression mirrored the man’s question.

“You do know you’re bleeding, right?” Vicki pointed
at her nose.

“Had some people who wanted to cause some trouble.
And, yes, I’m aware.”

Vicki glanced at Dan. “Those are the ones from the
road.”

“Yep.”

They shook their heads as they entered. “You know
she’s with Sarah at the school working on floats.”

Vicki’s words calmed him a bit. Around a large group
of people, she was probably doing just fine.

“I’ll go check on her after we’re done here.”

He was antsy while they took statements and got
everything squared away. Charlie and Dan shooed him along his way,
saying they would take care of the cleanup, so Vance hopped into
his truck and headed for the school, a deep need to see Kendria was
fine for himself.

Chapter
Five

“What do you think about this?”

Kendria looked at the blue streamer London Rhymes, a
teacher and homegrown Cottonwood Falls, held up. She nodded. “It
will look fine at the back with the purple, I would say.”

“I agree.”

She got back to stapling on the flowers. London moved
to the back and peered around the corner. “Thanks for helping
out.”

“No problem. When Sarah said we were coming here, I
wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but I’m having a blast.”
Somehow, Sarah got wrangled into staying, and Kendria didn’t mind
at all. She was enjoying herself.
Maybe it was hot and sexy we
ran into.
She cringed again when the choir hit another note she
wasn’t sure was supposed to exist.

“There’s no way I can do it!” the young girl cried.
“Just give it to Marsha.”

“Try one more time,” the teacher said gently.

“The choir always performs before the judging table.
Not sure why they’re having such a hard time today.” London’s
comment reached her over the ill-hit note.

Lowering the stapler, Kendria couldn’t let it go,
even though it wasn’t any of her business. “Excuse me a
moment.”

Well aware she was about to intrude where she may not
be welcome, she made her way over to where a group of children had
gathered around a piano that rested on another float a few of the
non-singing ones were decorating.

“You need to hold that note, Terry,” the teacher said
with a hint of aggravation in her voice.

“I’m trying!” She stomped her foot. “I told you I
can’t do this.”

“Pardon me,” Kendria called out as she paused by the
wheel.

“Yes?” The teacher put her green eyes on her.

“I don’t mean to interrupt, but might I make a
suggestion to the young woman having a problem with holding the
note?”

“Please, I can’t get her to do it.” The teacher waved
her hand.

Ignoring the sarcasm and the pain in her arm when she
climbed onto the wagon, Kendria smiled at the kids standing there.
All ages.

“She called you Terry, right?” The frustrated girl
nodded, dashing the tears away from her eyes. “I’m Kendria.” She
crouched down before the girl so they were eye to eye. “I used to
have that problem of not being able to hold the note long enough.”
She glanced around to the rest of them. “I had a teacher one time
help me out with it.”

“I’m trying. I’m just not as big as the others.”

“That’s got nothing to do with it.” Kendria got back
to her feet. “Are you all standing or sitting for your songs?”

“Standing.”

She nodded. “My teacher told me I had to stop singing
from here”—she touched her chest—“and sing from down here.” She
laid a hand over her diaphragm. “Push up the air from your
diaphragm to hold and hit those notes you didn’t think you could.”
She almost touched the girl then pulled her hand back. “It will
feel a bit different then you may be used to, but place your hand
here.” She directed Terry to touch her belly. “Now, when you sing a
lot it feels like this… Wait, do you know ‘Let It Go’ from
Frozen
?”

“I do.”

“Okay, for example with that song…” She began signing
it, moving her chest up and down to take deep breaths. “Compared to
this.” She started over, her voice flowing clear and crisp as if
she were on the stage.

When she finished her example, she stared down at the
girl. “Do you see what I mean?”

Terry nodded. “You think I can do that even being so
small?”

“Absolutely. Let’s try it together, then you do it on
your own. Perhaps your teacher would be so wonderful as to give us
the starting note so we can start again with the Disney song you’re
performing,” she said with a glance to the woman.

The teacher hit it, and with a shared look to Terry,
they began signing. Kendria sank back down on her haunches and sang
with the young woman. Holding her gaze, they went through the
entire part she had to sing solo, Kendria giving her encouraging
nods along the way. When they finished, she smiled. “You’ll be
fine. Try it once more.”

She moved back by the piano as they sang again. Not
perfect but way better than it had been. She clapped when it was
over, and the group neared her.

“Are you a professional?” Terry asked her.