Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Ellie scooted a nametag printed with Lark’s name in front of her. Quickly, Lark peeled off the back and stuck it to her T-shirt.
“The best piece of advice I have for you in a dangerous situation is to remove yourself from that setting. If you’re walking and someone seems to be following you, get into a crowd of people immediately. Don’t go off alone. Ask for help. Call 911.”
The atmosphere in the store lost its usual frivolity. Wyatt’s tone was serious. His next question made everyone shiver.
“Who’s been in a situation that made you uneasy? Made you wonder if you were safe? Maybe you dismissed the danger.”
Tori raised her hand, “I was in an elevator and a man rushed in to join me just as the doors closed. I was never so happy to see anyone when my neighbor pushed the call button reopening the doors.”
She looked around the group before adding, “It sounds silly.”
“It doesn’t sound silly at all,” Ellie blurted.
“I got mugged once,” Riley shared. “I was just glad he only wanted my money.”
“Those flowers outside my shop and on my car really scared me,” Daisy admitted, settling closer to Tarson’s bulk.
The ice broken, each person admitted a time they were frightened and didn’t know what to do. Even the men detailed a time they’d been on edge.
“Life is generally pretty safe. Whenever that voice goes off in the back of your mind, you need to listen. Don’t dismiss it. Don’t fail to act because you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings,” Wyatt stressed.
He nodded at Avery. She uncapped a marker and wrote on the whiteboard placed in easel form on a table, “Step one: Get away.”
“If you can’t get away, fight,” Wyatt instructed.
“Fight?” Ellie asked. “I’m not very powerful—or brave.”
“That’s why you’re here. Even the brawniest guy, like Tarson here, has weaknesses. Get away from the threat if you can. If not, Step two: fight,” Wyatt repeated as Avery wrote it down on the board.
“I think Tarson could just sit on me and I’d be pretty defenseless,” Riley pointed out sarcastically.
“Tarson, do you mind?” Avery held out a hand, inviting the large man into the center of a cleared area.
When Daisy’s Daddy joined her, Avery turned her back to him. Looking over her shoulder, she instructed, “Attack me from behind.”
“Gotcha.” The trained soldier didn’t hesitate. He’d been through many defensive lessons in his career in the military. He surged forward to wrap his arms around Avery, lifting her from the ground.
Immediately, the policewoman went into action. She kicked backward into Tarson’s shins and bashed her elbows against his ribs. Avery continued until Tarson dropped her back to the ground. The instant her feet were on the ground, she ran.
“Ooo!” echoed through the room as the women watched her disappear into the kitchen.
“Get away. Fight,” Wyatt repeated. He smiled as each of his students nodded and leaned in. Lark knew he had them.
The self-defense class continued for ninety minutes. Wyatt and Avery taught them an attacker’s weakest spots and how to target them. They discussed how to get out of different holds and had the woman pair up to practice. At first, they were tentative, but soon they seemed to understand their power to fight back.
Lark grew more confident as the class continued. She’d been concerned for no reason. She wasn’t the most coordinated woman in the room, but she wasn’t the least, either. No one laughed or made fun of anyone when they fell awkwardly on their butts. They were learning. Together. And Lark found she was enjoying herself.
“Cupcakes for everyone!” Ellie declared when they’d finished the last defensive drill of the night.
Quickly, she unveiled a platter of cupcakes, each bearing a different letter to spell, “Kickass.” Riley ran back to grab a gallon of cold milk from the walk-in cooler in the back and poured tall glasses for everyone.
“Could you teach us a class about pepper spray and tasers and stuff?” Tori asked when they had refreshments and had begun to cool off.
“I’m glad to come back whenever you wish,” Wyatt assured her, settling into a seat next to Lark.
“We’d like that,” Ellie enthused as she sat down on Garrett’s lap.
Lark nodded along with the other ladies.
As the conversation continued around them, Lark leaned close to Wyatt to whisper, “Thanks. I think I could actually do some of those things.”
“Good. I want you safe, kitten,” Wyatt answered. He tipped her head back. “And you did amazing, by the way. I was very proud of you.”
She grinned at him. She was proud of herself, too. Maybe she wasn’t such a klutz after all. Maybe she should listen to Wyatt more often. He seemed to be right a lot.
Chapter Seven
Wyatt was on top of the world. The next few weeks were a whirlwind of excitement. He almost wished he could have taken time off work so he could spend every moment with Lark. But that wasn’t reasonable, and besides, he needed to save his vacation time so he could take her on the most amazing honeymoon someday. That’s how certain he was.