by Lexi Wilson
“You did?” I asked in surprise. “That was quick.”
“What can I say, I’m a brilliant detective.”
I chuckled. “You sure are. And modest, too. So, what’s the deal? Did you find out anything?”
“Yeah, looks like the car is stolen.”
“Oh no,” I said. I was hoping it wasn’t going to be anything bad. “That’s not good.”
“Yeah, it’s not. Look, it doesn’t mean she’s in the wrong, though. She might not even know the car is stolen. She could’ve bought it from the guy who stole it and she might be completely innocent. I just wanted to let you know. I’m going to do some more digging around to see what I can come up with. Just hang tight for now. Do me a favor and keep her in your sight until we can figure out what is going on?”
“Sure, I don’t think that’s going to be too hard. It’s a small town and she doesn’t seem like she’s planning on going anyway. Well, I hope she’s the innocent one in all of this considering she’s going to be working for me.”
“Yeah, I hope so too. You said you thought she was running away from something, though. So, don’t get too distracted by her pretty face. She might be in trouble, or she might be trouble herself.”
“Don’t worry, I don’t plan on getting involved. Well, I better go. Her car is here, so she’s already here before me.”
“She’s punctual, at least,” Styles pointed out.
“Yeah, that’s a good thing. I think. Can you be a bad person and punctual at the same time?” I asked.
Styles laughed. “Yes, I’m sure you can.”
“Oh well. Okay, thanks for letting me know. Call me if you hear anything more.”
“Will do. Say hi to your mother for me.”
I made my way into the school, my head filled with ideas about Kaylee. I really knew nothing about her other than her troubled eyes. Part of me hadn’t even been sure that she would turn up to work that day. I still wasn’t sure why I had decided to give her a chance, but my mother hadn’t seemed surprised when I’d phoned her to let her know. She said I was always trying to save people, and she seemed pleased that I was willing to give this girl a chance. That was what I liked about my mother. She was always on my side and always showing me the right thing to do. She said she would’ve said yes, too.
My mother came out to see me and enveloped me in a huge hug.
“Hey, Mom,” I said. “Sorry I’m a little late. I was on the phone to Styles. He says hello, by the way.”
“Oh, how’s he doing? I love that boy.”
I chuckled. “He’s fine. He loves you too. I sometimes think he only hangs around me because he likes you so much. So, is Kaylee here?” I asked.
My mother nodded. “Yes, and she’s lovely.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, I’m glad you think so. Did you show her around?”
“I did. She came quite early. She’s very punctual. I showed her around and took her to the piano room. She admitted that she hasn’t played for a while. I think you’re right, Jaxon, I think she’s running from something. She seems to have applied for a job that she has no experience in. She says she used to play, but she hasn’t taught before. I told her to get some practice in before the kids got here, so that’s where she is now.”
“Thanks, Mom. Yeah, I get the impression something big is going on. Like she’s here to get a fresh start on life. I wonder why she chose this town, though?”
“Because it’s the greatest little town in the world,” my mother said.
I grinned. “I must agree. Okay, let me go and say hello to her before I set up. I prepared a schedule for her to see her through the first day. I know how daunting it’s going to be for her.”
I made my way to the piano room and stuck my head around the corner. From where I was standing, I could see her but she couldn’t see me. She was playing beautifully, but every now and again I could tell that she hadn’t played in a while. She’d stop, try again, stop, try again, until it was perfect. She definitely had a talent for it. I couldn’t help but feel intrigued by this woman. She was beautiful, but in a haunting sort of way. Even from where I was standing she seemed sad, and the melancholy music she was playing only added to this. I wanted to go up to her and wrap my arms around her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. Something moved nearby and I saw that her daughter, Allie, was sitting on the floor with her coloring books. My mother hadn’t mentioned that her daughter was going to be there. Not that it mattered, anyway. I just hoped she would be able to teach with her daughter so close by. But Allie seemed like a good child.
I didn’t want to interrupt her playing, but Allie saw me and waved, which made Kaylee stop and turn around.
“Oh, hi,” she said shyly. “Uh, I got here early.”
I smiled. “No problem at all. My mom said she showed you around. You play beautifully, by the way.”
She looked relieved by that statement. “I do? Thank you. That’s nice of you to say. I was telling your mother that I haven’t played in a while. I mean, I…I should’ve told you before I asked for the job, of course. I...”
I chuckled. “I don’t care. You can play, that’s all that matters. We really needed a piano teacher, and I’m happy to have you.”
“Thank you,” she said, and I noticed a small blush form on her cheeks, which was incredibly endearing. I couldn’t quite imagine that this woman in front of me was someone who would steal cars. I just couldn’t. For now, I was going to give her the benefit of the doubt and believe that she was the one in the right. “Oh, and I’m sorry about having to bring Allie with me today. My life is a little bit upside down at the moment, but I’m going to be making a plan.”
“Don’t worry about it. Allie is always welcome. Now, let me take you through the schedule,” I said as I pulled up a chair next to her.
She seemed surprised to have me sitting so close to her, and I noticed that her hands kept flying to her hair. Upon closer inspection, her hair looked like it could do with a bit of a wash, but it was only something you’d notice from up close. I wondered if this was why she was so nervous to have me near. Was she embarrassed? And why couldn’t she wash her hair, anyway? I had a million questions, but they all seemed too personal and I didn’t want to scare her away. Instead, I averted my eyes and took out the schedule to give to her. I’d given her a detailed idea of what to expect for the day.
“I know it’s always a bit daunting at first, but if you follow this you’ll be fine. I’m thinking that you can just work on these songs with the students for the next few weeks, and then we can reevaluate everything once you’re more settled. Are you okay with these songs? I want to start off very simple and then work our way up.”
She looked at the sheet and nodded. “Yeah, this is perfect. Actually, it really helps to have this because I wasn’t quite sure where to start with them today. Thank you for doing this.”
“No problem at all. I work well with structure myself, so I figured it might help you too. Oh, and here is some paperwork I need you to fill out. If you could fill it out today and give it to me before you leave that would be great. It’s nothing too serious, but it’s good for us to have a few signatures.”
“Oh…uh, sure,” she said, and I noticed a slight look of panic cross her face. I waited for her to say something more on the matter, but she didn’t, so I didn’t push it. Although it did make me wonder what was going on. If she got panicked about filling out something as simple as a form, it couldn’t be good.
“Right, well, I’m going to leave you to it, then. I’ll introduce the kids to you when they arrive, which should be quite soon,” I said as I glanced at my watch.
“Uh, Jaxon, I have a favor to ask you.”
“Sure, what do you need?”
“Well, uh,” she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She glanced over at Allie and seemed relieved when Allie seemed distracted by something else. “Would it be possible for me to get paid out in cash just to start off with? I… I’m in the process of
sorting things out, but that would really help me a lot in the beginning.”
“Oh!” I exclaimed in surprise. I didn’t expect her to ask me that. It wasn’t in my nature to buck the system, but I could tell she obviously needed this. I nodded. “Sure. I won’t be able to do it for very long, but for the short-term that is absolutely fine by me.”
“Thank you so much,” she said with relief, and smiled gratefully at me. “Is it just you and your mother that work here?” she asked.
“No, we have another teacher, Mindy, who comes in. She doesn’t come in as often, though. She’s a retired teacher and only helps when she can. She probably won’t be in today, but you’ll meet her soon. And, of course, we now have you.”
She smiled. “I’m so happy I got this job. I won’t let you down, Jaxon. I promise you. I’m a hard worker.”
The kids arrived, and I introduced them to her. Then, I made my way back to my own classroom, where I took the kids through their guitar lesson. I kept wondering if I was doing the right thing by having her here, and wondered if she was even going to be any good at the job. What if she was awful and I had to let her go? I couldn’t imagine being able to tell her that she was out of a job. Just then, I heard the sound of laughter coming from her classroom, followed by the sound of music being played, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I had always followed my gut instinct, and it had never failed me before. Kaylee needed to be here, I was sure of it, and I had done the right thing by letting her work with me. Moments later, my mother popped her head through the door and grinned at me.
“Sounds like she’s doing well,” my mother said.
I nodded. “Yeah! It looks like we finally found ourselves a piano teacher.”
Chapter 6
Kaylee
I loved my first day of work. I loved it so much that for a few blissful hours I completely forgot about my situation. I forgot that I was homeless and that I barely had enough money to support myself. I forgot that I was running away from a man who had once hit me so hard I’d fallen down unconscious. I forgot that I was scared, tired, and hungry. Instead, I let the music take over, and I focused on the friendly faces of the children I was teaching. I did not have many kids in the class, but I was happy about that. I liked that I got to have some one-on-one time with them, and I liked the way they all treated me with respect. The kids also loved Allie, and she was delighted to have some younger people around her for a change. The day went by quickly, and the following day I was eager to do it all over again.
The second day was even better than the first day for me. I felt a lot more in control and a lot less nervous. I had a schedule that Jaxon had prepared for me, and the whole thing was just a lot less scary than I had envisioned it to be. I was so grateful that playing the piano had come back to me so easily. Thankfully, the songs I was teaching the kids were at a very basic level, so they had no idea that I was a little out of my depth. I could do the songs that they needed to learn, and in doing so, it gave me time to refresh my memory. I came in early again that day just so that I could have time to practice.
At the end of the day, Jaxon came by to give me some money, and I almost wept at the sight of the bills. Money had never been a big deal for me, but things were different now. I didn’t need to be rich. I just wanted enough money to support my child. I was going to try and continue the way things were until I had enough money to get us somewhere small to stay. It took all of my might not to jump up and kiss Jaxon for the cash. There was no way I would’ve been able to wait until the end of the month to get paid.
“Thank you so much,” I said to Jaxon. “I really appreciate it.”
“No problem at all. You’re doing great. Are you enjoying it here?”
I smiled. “I really am. You and your mother have made me feel at home. I am loving the kids, too. They’re all so eager to learn.”
Jaxon chuckled. “I think they might be showing off with you. They’re good kids, though. I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Kaylee. It’s good to have another teacher here. This school is growing and we’re very proud of it.”
“So, you should be. Well, have a great evening. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Jaxon frowned. “Tomorrow?”
“Uh, yes. You are open tomorrow, aren’t you?”
He shook his head. “No, we close on weekends. Phew, lucky you brought it up, otherwise you would’ve come here for nothing tomorrow.”
“I’m more than happy to come if you need me, though. I honestly don’t mind working on the weekends.”
He chuckled. “Wow, you really are a hard worker. No, don’t worry about it. The kids won’t be here and neither will we. Anyway, you’ve worked hard and you deserve a break. I’ll see you bright and early on Monday.”
I tried not to show my disappointment as I headed out. I had been hoping to work on the weekend, mostly because I had nothing else to do on the weekend. The school gave us somewhere to go and something to do. Also, it had an actual bathroom, and just that morning I had lied to Lisa about my shower being broken and asked if we could use it. Standing under that hot shower and washing my hair again had been wonderful. Now I was going to have to wait until Monday to do it again, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I was going to be able to use the same excuse. I wondered if Jaxon would eventually give me a key to the school. Then, we could go in when we pleased.
As I made my way to the car, a woman came rushing up to me. She looked to be about the same age as Lisa. She was pretty, in a boyish way, with her hair cropped close to her head. Not many women could get away with a hairstyle like that, but it suited her.
“Kaylee?” she asked as she got nearer.
My heart thumped in my chest. Who was this woman and how did she know my name? Was she onto me? “Uh, yes, do I know you?” I asked suspiciously.
“I’m Mindy,” she said. “I work at the school, and I’ve been dying to meet you.”
I breathed out a sigh of relief. “Oh, hi, Mindy. I’ve heard great things about you,” I said.
She chuckled. “You have? That’s good to know. I’ve heard great things about you, too. We really needed a new piano teacher, so I’m glad you found us. I’ll be in most of next week, but I’m sorry I wasn’t there for your first few days.”
“Oh, that’s okay, Jaxon and Lisa have been really nice.”
“They’re lovely, those two. Well, I’m glad I bumped into you. Oh, is this your daughter? She’s beautiful.”
I smiled down at Allie, who had fallen asleep in my arms. “Yes, this is Allie. She’s exhausted from her day of playing. She loves it at the school, too.”
“She’s adorable. I wish I could sleep as well as her.”
I grinned. “You and me both.”
“Well, I better be off. Glad to finally meet you. I’ll see you on Monday.”
“See you then.”
I walked off in a good mood, feeling for the first time like I belonged somewhere. The music school was just what I needed to get me back on track again. I’d been frightened for too long. It was time to take matters into my own hands. Allie woke as soon as we got into the car, and the two of us made our way to one of the local stores to stock up on food. It was good to have money again, but I didn’t want to spend it all at once. Still, I decided to treat Allie to a few new meals for a change, and made sure that she also got some fresh vegetables and fruit added to the mix. We ate at the little tables outside the store, and then got back into the car to figure out where we were going to set up for the night. I didn’t want to keep going back to the same place each night in case someone caught us. I drove around a bit and then finally found a place on the other side of the park. I considered buying a small tent, but I felt safer in the car. As usual, I waited until Allie was fast asleep until I even considered going to sleep myself. Tonight, as with most nights, I didn’t fall asleep straight away. Also, I’d parked near a lamp, which was annoying me, but I didn’t want to drive away and wake up Allie. She looked so peaceful lying next to me. It was still a bit early
to sleep anyway, so I got out my book and started to read. I’d already read the book before, but I had nothing else to do with my time.
I was only a few pages in when I heard a noise. I jumped up in surprise and looked around to see what was going on. I couldn’t see anything, but I had a feeling that someone was watching me. I reached into the back seat and pulled out a crowbar. It was the only thing I had to protect myself, although I wasn’t even sure if it would help me. Holding onto it did make me feel a little better though, and I gripped it tightly as I waited to see if anyone would appear. I noticed some rustling through the trees, and then gasped when I saw Jaxon walking toward me. I knew it was a small town, but of all the people to find me, why did it have to be him?
I hoped he hadn’t realized it was me, but my old car was quite easy to identify, and I saw that he was walking right toward me. I dropped the crowbar and readied myself for a flurry of excuses. I felt angry that I was going to have to defend myself now, although I was sure it was more a feeling of embarrassment than anything else. The worst part of it was the look on his face as he realized who I was. It was a look that I hated so much but that I had seen on so many faces before. It was the look that Susan gave me every time that I went into the diner. Pity.
I waved and acted like I was about to take off, but he asked me to roll down my window. I sighed and did what he asked. He was my boss, after all, and I didn’t want to make a scene.
“Hi, Jaxon,” I said, but I didn’t meet his gaze.
“Is everything okay?” he asked. He peered in and saw Allie fast asleep.
“Everything is fine. I was just on my way out,” I said.
“You were? Doesn’t look like it to me. It looks like you were getting ready for a night in your car.”
“Well, I’m not. I’m leaving,” I lied. “What are you doing at the park at this time of the night anyway?”
“It’s not that late,” he said. “And I’m walking my dog.”
“Oh,” I said as I looked down and saw the little dog. I hadn’t even noticed him.
