try. How do you know you won’t like it?”
Lin tilted her head. She was the very girly, preppy twin, with her long hair combed into a straight sheen, and her lip gloss always freshly applied. When had her girls gone from child to pre-teen? It felt like she’d blinked and…bam, they were growing up way too fast. She needed to reel them back. Make them into children again, at least for a few more years.
“You told us we’re not supposed to hit people,” Lin reminded.
“Yes, well. Um.” Portia exited the car and thought quickly of a reply. Her twins often did this, using Portia’s own words against her. She opened the rear passenger door. “You should know how to defend yourself in case you’re attacked.”
“Why would someone attack us? We know not to go to bad places.” Said with all the eye-rolling arrogance of youth.
“But that’s just it, bad places can happen anywhere. Which is why you should be prepared.” It was the best argument Portia could offer.
Little miss Wednesday Adams had a smirk as she said, “Then maybe you should have some lessons too, Mother. We wouldn’t want you to be unprotected.”
Lin hopped right in on that. “Yes, Mother Dear. If we must learn to hit things, then we should do it together.”
The manipulation proved most obvious, and she could have easily countered by telling the twins that she’d already taken lessons and could probably put any teacher on his ass. But rather than fight it, Portia saw a chance to spend time with her girls. “You’re right. I should be prepared, too. I think this is a great idea. The Stalone girls, taking a class together.” She smiled as she wrenched open the door, setting off the little bell.
They walked into a small reception area with tile floors and a shoe rack with a sign. Please remove all outdoor footwear. The rest of the open space consisted of cushioned mats, while the mirrored walls lined with bars reflected the room and its occupants. It resembled, in some respects, a dance studio.
Someone appeared to be crouched behind the counter, only the shaggy top of a head showing.
“Give me just a second,” rumbled the man, his voice deep.
Portia set her purse down on the counter and waited as he finished tucking something away in a cabinet. When he rose to face them, Portia blinked.
“Ted?” Her lips clamped tight, too late to take it back.
The man with the chiseled jaw covered in a thin beard glanced at her, no recognition in his gaze at first. That only lasted a second before his eyes widened. “Macey? Holy crow, I didn’t recognize you for a second there. You changed your hair. It’s been a long time.”
She almost bit her lower lip as he used her old name. Her before name, which her daughters must have heard and yet, neither said a word. She wouldn’t make a big deal about it, not in their hearing range at any rate.
“Yeah, I haven’t seen you since our senior year.” They’d both graduated at the same time, her with honors.
“You went off to university, didn’t you? On some scholarship.”
“Yes.” Then she went on to work for a medical institute doing cutting-edge things. Which was where she’d met the wrong man, and things went downhill.
“Did you graduate?”
“Do I seem like the type who wouldn’t?” she asked with an arched brow.
He made a face. “Sorry. That didn’t come out right. Of course, you became a doctor.”
“I did.” She kept her answers short and clipped. She needed to get out of here and quickly before Ted said something she couldn’t explain to her daughters.
“These your girls?” he asked, resting his gaze on them. “Hi. I’m Ted,” he said, holding out his hand to her solemn Wednesday first.
Her daughter shook it and eyed him. “Mae.”
Lips pursed, and dimple showing, Lin practically shoved her aside to grab his hand next. “And I’m the cute one, Lin. Mother brought us to your lovely dojo to sign us up for lessons.”
Lovely? What was happening here? Her daughters, being nice? Even more reason to leave.
“I was going to register, but looking at your schedule, it appears as if those beginner classes are at the same time as piano.” Portia only partially lied. The twins had piano, but they could easily work Ted’s classes around it.
Mae tittered. Actually tittered as she said, “Oh, Mother. Piano is on Tuesday. We can still come Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”
“Maybe even Saturday,” Lin hastened to add, batting her lashes.
Portia regarded