two police officers led Gilda, Marion, Kane, and Mena toward the newly renovated warehouse Mick and Razi had purchased for the martial arts school. Just shy of Ponderer's Point, Mena waved and disappeared into the pharmacy.
"Good riddance," Kane muttered.
Marion frowned. "I thought she was your girlfriend."
" Was being the operative word there, love," he said. "It's hard to know where a guy like me stands with that one."
Marion leaned closer to Gilda. "A guy like him? He can stand in my bedroom anytime."
When Kane's breath hitched beside her and he reached for her arm again, Gilda bowed her head to hide a smile. Marion wasn't normally one to be so blunt about men in front of anyone, but Kane's attempts to flirt with Gilda seemed to have brought out the worst in her.
Fabio opened the front door of the school and waved the others inside.
Gilda led them all into the once-empty warehouse, now a maze of freshly painted mint green walls, blue tatami mats, and new laminate flooring. She strolled through the front lobby and parent seating area and up the wrought iron stairs to the new yoga studio. "Mick? Razi? You guys up here?"
"It's about time you showed up." Mick glanced up. His shoulders sagged as he placed the last of the new laminate. "I see you brought an entourage."
"Yeah." Gilda winced. "Long story."
"The cops are with you too?" Mick sat back on his heels and wiped his face with one hand. "Oh crap. What did you do now?"
Her eyes widened. "I didn't do anything."
Kane leaned closer, placing his hand on her lower back as he whispered loudly, "Actually, I think he means me, love."
Razi pushed over a bucket of water to wipe away the dust. As water sloshed over the new mats, he cast a wary glance at Gilda that asked a dozen different questions then turned to Mick and frowned. "I told you this would happen, Sensei."
Although Thayer opened his mouth, Fabio spoke before his partner could get a word out. "We found Kane on the beach swinging a training sword."
"Of course he was." Mick groaned. "We can't leave him unsupervised for a minute. What do you think, Gilda? The new floors look pretty good, don't they?"
Gilda pried out of Kane's grasp to join Mick, who hugged her hard, almost possessively, then kissed her forehead.
She smiled. "They look great. What else do we have left to do before the grand opening?"
"You mean the big MMA Extravaganza?" Kane asked, far closer behind her than she expected. Dangerous and silent. The guy reminded her of a venomous snake. Well, maybe not venomous, but certainly a snake.
"Our fighters will show up tomorrow ready to roll," Mick said. "I think, for the most part, we're ready. Razi said he'd pick up a few cases of water and a couple fruit trays. The owner of Café Beanz offered to provide muffins and coffee in return for free advertising. All we need is to put the signs up and set out the benches for our spectators."
"That's it?" Gilda blinked. "No working until midnight to get things finished?"
"Not tonight, babe." He kissed her. "Actually, except for the scorecards and the logo, we'll finish right on time. We'll have the octagon set up by tomorrow morning. Most of the fighters are coming into town right after lunch tomorrow then we have the meet and greet at Razi's at five. Aside from picking up the food and dealing with an unexpected change in the program, everything's under control."
She sighed. "Then you don't need me for now. I'm going home for a shower."
Mick grabbed her arm. "Not just yet, Sherlock. I need you to pick up a couple things."
"Of course you do." Gilda smiled when he kissed her nose.
Sherlock became Mick's nickname for her when she snooped around to catch a killer at the old Yoshida school. It seemed the name had stuck.
"Wait, what unexpected change? We have the posters and everything else done. I won't be able to change anything at this point."
"Sherlock?" Kane snorted. "Now that's an interesting nickname."
Her face warmed. "Long story."
"I'd like to
"Good riddance," Kane muttered.
Marion frowned. "I thought she was your girlfriend."
" Was being the operative word there, love," he said. "It's hard to know where a guy like me stands with that one."
Marion leaned closer to Gilda. "A guy like him? He can stand in my bedroom anytime."
When Kane's breath hitched beside her and he reached for her arm again, Gilda bowed her head to hide a smile. Marion wasn't normally one to be so blunt about men in front of anyone, but Kane's attempts to flirt with Gilda seemed to have brought out the worst in her.
Fabio opened the front door of the school and waved the others inside.
Gilda led them all into the once-empty warehouse, now a maze of freshly painted mint green walls, blue tatami mats, and new laminate flooring. She strolled through the front lobby and parent seating area and up the wrought iron stairs to the new yoga studio. "Mick? Razi? You guys up here?"
"It's about time you showed up." Mick glanced up. His shoulders sagged as he placed the last of the new laminate. "I see you brought an entourage."
"Yeah." Gilda winced. "Long story."
"The cops are with you too?" Mick sat back on his heels and wiped his face with one hand. "Oh crap. What did you do now?"
Her eyes widened. "I didn't do anything."
Kane leaned closer, placing his hand on her lower back as he whispered loudly, "Actually, I think he means me, love."
Razi pushed over a bucket of water to wipe away the dust. As water sloshed over the new mats, he cast a wary glance at Gilda that asked a dozen different questions then turned to Mick and frowned. "I told you this would happen, Sensei."
Although Thayer opened his mouth, Fabio spoke before his partner could get a word out. "We found Kane on the beach swinging a training sword."
"Of course he was." Mick groaned. "We can't leave him unsupervised for a minute. What do you think, Gilda? The new floors look pretty good, don't they?"
Gilda pried out of Kane's grasp to join Mick, who hugged her hard, almost possessively, then kissed her forehead.
She smiled. "They look great. What else do we have left to do before the grand opening?"
"You mean the big MMA Extravaganza?" Kane asked, far closer behind her than she expected. Dangerous and silent. The guy reminded her of a venomous snake. Well, maybe not venomous, but certainly a snake.
"Our fighters will show up tomorrow ready to roll," Mick said. "I think, for the most part, we're ready. Razi said he'd pick up a few cases of water and a couple fruit trays. The owner of Café Beanz offered to provide muffins and coffee in return for free advertising. All we need is to put the signs up and set out the benches for our spectators."
"That's it?" Gilda blinked. "No working until midnight to get things finished?"
"Not tonight, babe." He kissed her. "Actually, except for the scorecards and the logo, we'll finish right on time. We'll have the octagon set up by tomorrow morning. Most of the fighters are coming into town right after lunch tomorrow then we have the meet and greet at Razi's at five. Aside from picking up the food and dealing with an unexpected change in the program, everything's under control."
She sighed. "Then you don't need me for now. I'm going home for a shower."
Mick grabbed her arm. "Not just yet, Sherlock. I need you to pick up a couple things."
"Of course you do." Gilda smiled when he kissed her nose.
Sherlock became Mick's nickname for her when she snooped around to catch a killer at the old Yoshida school. It seemed the name had stuck.
"Wait, what unexpected change? We have the posters and everything else done. I won't be able to change anything at this point."
"Sherlock?" Kane snorted. "Now that's an interesting nickname."
Her face warmed. "Long story."
"I'd like to
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