SEAL Forever Read Online Free PDF Page A

courage requires a leap of faith. Could she be brave for five minutes, long enough to watch Bob leave?
    The gym had been up for sale for a year and a half, and Bob had inherited it from his uncle, who had been killed in a surfing accident in Mexico. Did that mean this place had good karma or bad? Did it matter? Not really.
    If she was being honest with herself, she really liked this place. Endlessly easygoing and laid-back, people here smiled a lot. Also, its California Art Deco decor, spare and sparse with a multitude of heavy mats, and a black-and-white color scheme with bursts of color here and there pleased her aesthetically. Yes, her solace was here on the West Coast.
    Besides, she’d found community here. The members liked her programs, and most of the single gym rats had brought in more friends, which had meant more business and more classes for all the instructors. Plus, she could play retro music softly in the background, indulging her love of ’80s music.
    The gym’s perpetually upbeat attitude jibed with hers too. It felt good to hang with people of a similar ilk. Maura was looking forward to chatting with a few of the kids before their next class. As she drew closer to the group, one of the kids separated and ran toward her.
    â€œMiss Max’ell, Miss Max’ell, I have a new trick,” said Tats, a small charmer who’d recently lost his two front teeth. “Want to see? It’s really super.”
    â€œYes! Please, show me, Tats,” she replied, following him into the center of the gym, where the heavy-duty, triple-lined mats were stacked.
    Tats did a backflip. This trick had eluded him for weeks.
    She was proud of him. “That’s amazing! How did you learn it?”
    â€œI practiced with the harness, and yesterday Joe helped me work it out. I know just the right amount to torque and tuck.” He beamed with pride.
    She hugged him. “Do you think we should add it to your superhero chart?”
    â€œYes!” he said.
    They walked over to a wall where there were pictures of kids, teens, and adults—all shapes and sizes—and each person was dressed in a superhero costume. There were names such as Super-Genius, Heroically Happy, and other unique heroes created by individuals. Underneath every picture was a list of their superpowers and another list of their super accomplishments, everything from walking ten steps to ten miles, skipping rope, walking the balance beam, and so on. The superhero concept had been her brainchild, and over the past four months, it had transformed the gym into a superhero league and quadrupled their memberships for families.
    The kids’ program was her favorite, and Tats was a regular. She watched him write down his accomplishment and then decorate the achievement with stickers.
    â€œMaura?” A woman tapped her on the shoulder. Mrs. Bolijier, Tats’s mom, asked, “Can I talk to you a minute in private?”
    â€œSure.” She patted Tats on the back. “Good job, buddy. Take your time with the spiffy decorations. I’m going to the office to chat with your mom.”
    â€œOkay!” The happiness radiated from the kid as if he’d just won the Olympics. Who knows, maybe someday he would.
    They walked the few steps to the glass-enclosed office. The desk was mostly clean, but as everyone tended to use the space, it could get cluttered.
    â€œWhat can I do for you?” Maura gestured to a chair and they both sat down.
    â€œI can’t afford to pay for Tats to come here anymore.” The woman wouldn’t look her in the eye, and her hands were shaking.
    Maura touched her fingers to the woman’s hand. “What’s going on?”
    A tear-filled gaze held Maura’s. “I cut everywhere I could. Beni left, and with Tats and Simi to care for and no job, I cannot hold it together.”
    â€œDo you have a place to stay?” Maura didn’t dare move. She didn’t want to