Lew crouched and started rough housing with Archer. “Conley, maybe you should train your dog to bring stuff to you when you forget it."
“Yeah, very funny. I didn’t train that dog to fetch. Kate did.” Jack gestured toward Kevin first. “You met Kevin and Lew.”
“Nice to see you both again.”
“Indeed, madam.” Kevin raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“Show off.” Jack lifted Katherine’s hand out of Kevin’s, but didn’t let go.
“Dingbat.” Kevin shot back, looking at Jack and Katherine’s hands.
“Kevin is my best friend in the entire world,” Jack explained, ignoring Kevin’s questioning eyes. “I do not know where I would be without his kind encouragement.”
“A true boon companion, I can tell,” Katherine said, but with a twinkle in her eye that gave away her real meaning. Jack watched her face, enjoying her brightness this morning. Something about it felt strange, but she looked so great he decided to wonder what might be wrong later. Besides, right now she was letting him hold her hand.
“Do I detect the dulcet tones of a lovely woman?" Dan wandered around the front of the engine from the direction of the day room.
“Dulcet?” Lew asked.
“Word a day calendar.” Dan caught Katherine's free hand and kissed her palm after nudging the leash strap out of the way with his thumb.
“I already tried that.” Kevin pointed out.
“Didn’t work, huh?” Dan asked, still bent over her hand.
Katherine pulled her hands away from Dan and Jack and folded her arms. “I’m a high school teacher. I’m not so easily charmed.”
“What if I quote Shakespeare?” Dan assumed a heroic pose. “‘But soft, what light through yonder window breaks. It is the dawn and Juliet, the sun.’”
Katherine looked up at Jack as if she were unsure how to take Dan’s goofiness, so he rolled his eyes at her. She smiled, and it took his breath away. It nearly made up for the loss of her hand. “Nope, that doesn’t do it either,” she said.
“Wow, she’s tough. I give up.” Dan stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.
“Quitter,” Jack coughed.
“So did Jack pass muster?” Lew asked, standing up. “Can you bounce a quarter on his bed?”
“Oh sure. A whole roll of quarters.”
Dan brightened, but Jack put up one hand before he could comment. “Don’t start.”
Katherine looked at each of their faces and nodded. “I see. On that note, the dog and I are going to the grocery store to pick up some milk and then home.” She took a step backward, got tangled in the leash and stumbled. Jack caught her before she fell. “Thank you. Nice chatting with you all. Don’t you have kittens to save from trees or something?”
“That’s Jack’s department,” Kevin said.
Jack grumbled over his shoulder as he walked Katherine down the driveway. “Thanks for bringing my medal.”
“No problem.” Katherine kept her eyes fixed on the sidewalk.
“What are you doing for the rest of the day?” Jack studied the tilt of her head, trying to read her mind.
“Getting milk, reading a book, playing with your dog, grading some essays. Nothing exciting or life threatening.” She started twisting the leash around her wrist.
Before Lew started talking about his bed, she hadn't been at all nervous or upset. Even after she’d checked out the engine she’d seemed fine. At least she hadn’t gone cold.
“Well, I better get going. I’ve got a whole day of excitement waiting for me. Be careful.” She started down the sidewalk so abruptly she took Archer by surprise.
“I can’t be careful. It’s my job,” he called after her, pretty sure she couldn’t hear at the pace she was going.
“You’re right.”
Jack turned at the sound of Kevin’s voice. His friend was watching Katherine walk down the street. “About what?”
“She’s cute. She’s fun. I can see why you’ve skipped so many poker games lately to stay home.” Kevin stared down the road after her. “That wouldn’t be hard to stay home with. Definitely more interesting than a bunch of guys playing poker.”
“And Bobbie.” Jack reminded him. Bobbie was a firefighter from eleven who joined them most weeks. A tall, brawny woman who many of the guys forgot was female, until the annual Christmas party when she pulled out her dresses and make-up.
“Yeah, and Bobbie.”
Jack frowned. “Something’s bothering her. She seemed a little tense.” Jack pulled his medal out of his pocket and looked at it. “She’s usually a little better than that.”
“Usually?”
“Ideally.” Jack turned the medal over and dropped it back in his pocket. “She’s getting better all the time though.”
“She thinks you’re going to die today.”
“No, I don’t think that’s it.” Jack tapped his foot. “I don’t know what to think sometimes.”
“Well, from out here it looks like you might have picked a winner for once.” Kevin shrugged. “Come on. Any minute now Cap’s gonna start yelling. We’ve got a white board session this morning.”
Jack took one look up the road at Katherine, who had turned the corner and disappeared. Something had been odd about her this morning. She looked radiant and happy, but somehow it seemed forced, as if she had something to hide. Shaking his head he started back to the station before he could get more harassment about being love sick.
Chapter 9
Jack knocked at Katherine's door precisely at six. He’d have had a hard time explaining lateness tonight, since picking her up required walking around the side of the house. Still, he’d nearly been late because he changed clothes…twice. He tugged the jacket of his charcoal gray suit and hoped it would meet with her approval.
Since the day she’d brought him his medal at the station, she'd been quiet and thoughtful, but he didn’t know why. She’d spent the normal amount of time hanging out and playing with Archer, but her heart wasn’t in it. Her sophomore class was studying To Kill a Mockingbird and would be watching the movie in two weeks so she should have been pretty happy. Last weekend over popcorn, she had given him a guided tour of the film, telling him where the movie differed from the book. But she still seemed withdrawn and unhappy. If he could just take her into his arms and make her tell him what was wrong, he could fix it. Because taking her into his arms had worked so well last time, he resisted the urge and struggled to wait her out.
The door opened. She stood inside with her coat and purse draped over one arm. “Maybe I should change.” She had on a black dress with a mock turtle neck, a narrow-waisted violet blazer and simple black pumps. She wore her hair swept up in a French twist and looked as elegant as Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffanys. She took a step backward, frowning. “I have a red jacket that would look fine.”
“What’s wrong with the one you have on?” He put his hands behind his back before he reached out and brushed his hand down her sleeve to see what her jacket felt like.
She tugged his purple tie. “Don’t you think it’s a little too cute that we match?”
“No. Come on. You don’t want to miss our reservations, do you?”
She pulled back, her face tense. “You made reservations? Where?”
He slipped his hand around her elbow. He could smell perfume, which he’d never noticed her wear before. Was she wearing perfume for him? The scent was light and flowery. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her now, forget about fixing anything. “Come on, we’re going to a school dance, aren’t we? I’m supposed to take you to dinner first. It’s a rule.”
She locked her door. “Where’s Archer?”
“Where he always is.” Jack guided her down the stairs. “Stop being so nervous. Haven’t you ever been on a date before?”
“I’m out of practice.”
Jack opened the truck door and helped her in. “You look lovely.” This close he could tell she had on make-up to
o. Not much, but on normal days she wore nothing more than Chapstick. Tonight her lips seemed redder, and he noticed a golden glow to her eyes. How likely was it that she'd dressed up, put on perfume and worn make-up to chaperon a high school dance? A knot formed in his throat. “You really do look lovely tonight.”
She looked at him and then dropped her eyes to her lap.
When he climbed in the other side she started rooting through her purse. That was one of her little habits. He wanted to reach across the seat, pull her into his arms and kiss off her lipstick. Then she would have something to do because she'd have to put on more. He started the engine and backed out of the driveway.
* * * *
Katherine walked through the echoing halls with Jack following behind her. She knew she was sending mixed signals, and she hated herself for it. Telling him she wanted to be friends and then she dressed up for him. Saying she needed to keep her distance, but leaning across the table to touch his arm over dinner. At least he’d been joking about reservations. He’d taken her to the Lebanese deli he’d suggested going to before he moved in. The guy behind the counter knew Jack’s name and brought him special dishes, but it was cheap. She’d have felt guilty if he spent a lot of money. As it was, she felt pretty sure she would have to pay for her mixed signals. She didn’t want to price of dinner added to the tab.
“We can hang our coats in the teacher’s lounge. Well, I can hang my coat. It’s down here.” Walking down the steps to the teacher's lounge she could hear her own yammering ringing off the cement block walls. As usual it felt like descending into a crypt.
“Lovely. This isn’t where you banish the bad kids? I keep expecting to run into the boiler.” Jack ducked under the lintel and turned a sharp corner into the lounge.
Katherine’s nervous giggle died in her throat. Darlene and Frank McConikee relaxed on the threadbare couch waiting for the dance to start. Frank was a paunchy late-middle-aged mid-level manager at one of the big corporations downtown. He always looked smug and bored. Darlene was a thickening late-middle-aged algebra teacher. Katherine stopped at the sight of them, and Jack bumped into her. He put his hands on her arms, and didn’t bother to move back. She almost shivered at the reassuring weight of him. Lively, exciting Jack behind her. And Darlene and Frank McConikee in front of her. Kitty had captured the question perfectly. She’d rather be dead herself than survive as Darlene McConikee. “Hi Darlene, Frank.”
“Hello Katherine.” Darlene stood, towing Frank to his feet behind her. Her voice, Katherine noticed, was colorless. She wondered how Darlene’s students stayed awake in class. Maybe she didn’t notice they were all sleeping.
“I didn’t know you were chaperoning tonight, too.” Katherine wanted to lean back against Jack. She couldn’t have explained why she felt so unnerved to be confronted by McConikees right now, but the thought of their lives made her want to burst into tears.
“We like to chaperon,” Frank said. “We do most of the dances.” At least she thought it was Frank. Their voices sounded alike.
“I didn’t know that.” She turned, pressing her shoulder against Jack. “This is my tenant, Jack Conley.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” Darlene said. “Katherine, I still miss having your fiancé here.”
Katherine’s mouth went dry. Gary always liked chaperoning dances. Now she did sag back. Jack’s hands tightened around her shoulders. She hadn’t remembered how life-sapping being around the McConikees could be.
“Katherine used to bring her fiancé to the dances. It was always very effective to have a police officer here in dress uniform,” Darlene informed Jack. “Well, we’ll see you in the cafeteria. The kids should be arriving soon.”
They walked out past Katherine and Jack.
“What was that?” Jack whispered, still holding her upright.
Katherine shivered as his breath crossed her cheek. “I have no idea.” Pulling away from him, she went to hang up her coat and purse. She kept her back to him as she crossed the room trying to control her emotions. Coming face to face with Darlene had reminded her of what an awful thing it would be to have to live like that.
But if she couldn’t stand complete safety, and she couldn’t stand risk, what could she do? “You realize that woman is teaching a generation to hate algebra?”
“Maybe that’s why I didn’t like it.” He hovered near the door. “So your fiancé used to come to these things in dress uniform?”
“Nothing scares a high school kid like a cop in dress blues.” Katherine turned back to Jack. He seemed to take over the room. He stood tall enough to reach up and touch the low ceiling without straightening his arm. Gary never could have reached it. Why did she insist on comparing them when she knew Gary would come up short? “It was a power trip.”
“So what are our duties for tonight?”
“Keep the kids from having sex, getting stoned or drunk, or fighting on school property.” She smiled. “I warned you it was work.”
“Do we get to dance?”
She walked back toward him. He’d been so gentle and solicitous. He’d even said she was lovely. How long had it been since anyone said she was lovely? How long had it been since anyone made her feel lovely? Wasn't there a happy medium between Darlene McConikee and being alone at twenty-five?
“We get to dance, but stick to other chaperons. The girls will be fawning all over you, but don’t dance with them, don’t touch them, and don’t let them get you alone. It’s an awful thing to have to say, but they’re all underage, and they know it. You can’t trust them, or you could find yourself on the sharp end of a lawsuit.”
He picked up her hand when she got close enough and pressed her knuckles against his lips.
“I only want to dance with you,” he murmured.
Katherine heard a whimper and realized too late it had come from her. She had spent the last month trying to figure out why she’d invited him to this dance, but the answer seemed to be getting further away, not closer. “I thought we were just friends.”
He straightened up, the seductive gleam in his eyes replaced with the usual bright grin. “We are friends. Good friends.”
“Who do you think you are, Harrison Ford?” she asked, recalling the evening they’d rented Clear and Present Danger and watched it with a bowl of popcorn and the dog between them.
“Sure, if that’s what you want. Now how do we get to the cafeteria from here?” He peered out the doorway. “I hope this place never burns. It’s a maze.”
* * * *
The cafeteria was loud, dim, and decorated with paper streamers. Not much had changed in high school dances since he graduated. They seemed a lot more fun then. To fill the time, Jack pondered how dull this was and waited for the DJ to play a slow song so he could ask Katherine to dance. It felt as if hours had passed since their last circuit of the cafeteria, but it couldn’t have been more than forty-five minutes. He didn’t want to check his watch to find out, fearing serious disappointment.
Katherine was deep in conversation with the football coach who, over his scarlet and gray striped tie, wore a whistle. Jack doubted it could be heard over the pounding bass. The coach wandered away, and Katherine turned to him with a strange smile. She gestured for him to lean down, so he did and could, for the first time since stepping into the cafeteria, smell her perfume over the scent of too many teenagers and floor wax.
“I now know more about the Ohio State Football program than I ever wanted to know,” she said through her teeth.
“Lucky you.” He chanced kissing her temple because he saw a girl headed their way. He’d been mobbed by girls all evening. At least it provided the opportunity to be affectionate with Katherine, and she couldn’t object. Especially after one of her students told her how lucky she was. He wondered if she was starting to crumble by the way she blushed. Then music wound to a stop and the DJ started talking about an upcoming band candy sale.
She smiled at him. “More defense?”
“Incoming.” He nodded in th
e direction of the girl walking toward them. She looked a little formal to be a student, but she seemed to be about the right age, and she hadn’t been deterred at all by his display so Jack pressed the advantage and draped his arm over Katherine's shoulders. How could she not see how perfectly she fit against him?
“Kitty,” Katherine grumbled under her breath. “Hello, Miss Reilly. What are you doing here?”
The girl stopped in front of Katherine grinning. She touched her curly brown hair, batting her eyelashes. “Hello Ms. Pelham. This must be your friendly neighborhood fireman.”
Katherine’s smile seemed brittle and sarcastic. “Let me introduce you. Jack Conley, this is Kitty Reilly. She teaches art.”
Jack shook her hand and decided her occupation explained her folkie looking skirt.
“I've heard so much about you. That was so nice the day you brought Ms. Pelham her lunch.” Kitty grinned.
“You’ve heard so much about me?” Jack asked. He looked from Kitty to Katherine and back again. He couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked as if Katherine were blushing.
“What are you doing here, Miss Reilly?” Katherine asked again. She shifted so Jack’s arm slipped off her shoulders. “I know you’re not one of tonight’s chaperons.”
“I came to see what was going on. Doesn’t the cafeteria look nice, Mr. Conley?”
Jack felt more than heard Katherine's groan. He shrugged. “I don’t have anything to compare it to.” He wasn’t sure why Katherine would be angry, or even if she was angry. She turned, giving him a view of her elegant profile, and studied a group of kids in the corner.
“That’s a lovely tie, Mr. Conley. And it even matches Ms. Pelham’s jacket. You don’t wear that jacket very often any more, Ms. Pelham. You used to wear it all the time.” Kitty stood with her back to the dance, focusing on Katherine and Jack.
“No, I don’t. It drifted to the back of my closet, and I only remembered I had it the other day.” Katherine thwarted Kitty’s efforts to monopolize them by staring across the room.
“Isn’t it funny how those things work out? And you just found it in time to match Mr. Conley’s tie.” Kitty grinned at Katherine, who ignored her, and then at Jack. He tried to smile noncommittally. Had Kitty Reilly heard a lot about him, or was she pulling Katherine’s strings? And if she was pulling Katherine’s strings, would she stop? He was on shaky enough ground without her help.
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