She sighs. “Okay. But I’m here if you need me.”
Chapter Seven
Max
My alarm goes off at six a.m. Reaching over, I slap it with my hand. It continues to beep, so I rip the clock radio from the wall and hurl it across the room. I’m not a morning person. The only thing that gets me out of bed is that I don’t want to risk turning up to work late, which is a real possibility if I don’t get my ass into gear.
I almost sleepwalk through showering and preparing my breakfast. I unlock Lance’s doggy door, allowing him outside, and then finish the rest of my coffee before I take him for a quick run around the block. The caffeine helps wake me up, but I know I won’t be fully alert until well after nine.
Fuck this. I should’ve become a baker or something. At least then I could sleep all day. That’s what I get for thinking teaching would be awesome because of all the holidays. Every morning it’s the same fight, but once I do finally get in there, I love my job.
It’s my fourth week as principal of Southern Elementary School, and I finally feel as if I’m beginning to settle in. Other staff and students are beginning to relax around me. Some of my co-workers are even inviting me out. Not all the staff has been welcoming toward me, though.
“It’s not funny, Max¸” Kelly gently scolds me. “We shouldn’t be tolerating violence at all, no matter what her circumstances are. I know you’re new to this school, but Mr. Mattich wouldn’t have—”
“Last time I checked, Miss Walker, Mr. Mattich had retired and I had been hired to replace him,” I say pointedly. “Are you questioning my ability to handle this role?”
She blushes. “No, of course I’m not.”
Bullshit.
I may have only been here for a few weeks, but I recognize jealously when I see it. I’d been warned that Kelly had been up against me for the role. She obviously hadn’t handled being rejected too well.
“When Kiara and Tilly get here, please send them to my office. I’ll deal with this issue.”
“But—”
“That’s all for now, Miss Walker. Please close the door on your way out.”
She stares at me openmouthed for a minute, and then turns on her heel, stalking out of my office. I wince as she slams the door shut.
Is it such a bad thing that I don’t see this as a huge issue? Sure, Tilly shouldn’t have hit Jimmy, but she’s hardly a problem kid. I’ve seen worse behavior at some of the other schools I’ve been at, and dealt with it without getting the parents involved.
I wonder how much of this is Kelly wanting to flex her muscles and show everyone that she could do a better job of running this school than I can. I can already sense that this isn’t going to be the end of her trying to show me up.
After a pretty uneventful morning, I’m left to deal with two students caught cheating on tests, a girl who skipped the last three days of last week, and a sixth-grader who smuggled his cat into class. I dish out detentions for the first three and a warning to the cat kid, leaving me to babysit his cat, Mr. Scruffy, until the end of the day when his mother can pick it up. It’s just before lunch and I’m drinking my coffee as this black-and-white ball of fluff glares at me from the windowsill. I’m half tempted to open the window and let the damn thing escape.
Rana, my receptionist, lets me know my afternoon meeting is here. It’s with the mother of a child who has been sick and missed a few months of class. The kid is better now, but it’s a question of whether she can catch up on what she missed out on.
Conveniently, the teacher of the student is Kelly.
Opening my door, I usher the girl, her mom, and Kelly into my office. They sit down, the mother throwing me an odd look when she sees Mr. Scruffy.
“A student thought it would be fun to hide the cat in his schoolbag,” I explain, my voice dry.
“Ah.” She grins. “Anna has tried that once or twice,” she adds, ruffling her daughter’s hair.
“So, I’m glad to hear you’re all better, Anna. Are you looking forward to starting back at school?” I ask her.
She shrugs, pushing her dark bangs from her eyes.
“She’s missed nearly four weeks with a pretty serious kidney infection. But she’s been doing work Miss. Walker has been sending home for her, so I think she’ll be okay with keeping up.”
“Miss. Walker?” I say, raising my eyebrows.
Kelly nods. “She’s a bright kid. I don’t think there will be any issue with her keeping up. I’m happy to spend a little extra time tutoring her if she needs it, but I honestly don’t think she will.”
“Okay, then we’re sorted.” I say, wondering why the meeting was organized in the first place. Surely Kelly could’ve sorted this out herself? “She can come back whenever she’s ready.”
“Thanks, Mr. Wilson.” Mrs. Forster stands up and puts her hand out.
I take it and smile at her warmly. “Anytime.”
Chapter Eight
Kiara
I’m nervous when I walk through the halls after class to pick up Tilly. I’ve never had to meet a teacher about her behavior before, and I’m not sure what to expect. I’d met Ms. Walker once before at a student-teacher night, and while she was nice, I’m stressed about how much Tilly isn’t telling me.
Her version of the story is that Jimmy and Tommy were teasing her again. She told Ms. Walker, who pretty much dismissed her complaints. The boys wouldn’t let up so Tilly took matters into her own hands and pushed Jimmy. What worries me is the wording of the letter. Telling me that my kid’s behavior is appalling and that the school has a zero policy on violence feels a bit extreme. She’s five years old, for God’s sake, and they started this. Where’s their zero tolerance on bullying?
At three forty-five, I knock lightly on the door. Tilly looks up from her bookwork where she sits in the middle of the empty classroom, her face lighting up.
“Mommy!” she squeals, pushing her seat back.
“Matilda,” Ms. Walker says sternly from the front of the room.
Tilly’s head drops as she slumps in her chair. Who does this woman think she is?
“Come over here and give me a hug,” I say, purposely shooting a sour look in her teacher’s direction.
Tilly nods and swoops into my arms. “I don’t wanna get in trouble,” she whispers in my ear.
“You’re not in trouble, princess,” I say, stroking her cheek. “Just remember what we talked about. Hitting people is never allowed, okay?”
She nods solemnly, her wide eyes not leaving mine.
“So,” I say, turning my attention to Ms. Walker, “I’ve heard her side of the story. I’m assuming you have a different one?”
“Actually, the principal, Mr. Wilson, has requested to be the one to speak to you.” Her tone is clipped, and I wonder if her cold attitude is directed at me or at Tilly. Either way, I can’t work out this woman’s problem.
“Great,” I say, taking Tilly’s hand. “And where will I find him?”
“I’ll take you to his office,” she mumbles, sighing as if we’re the biggest inconvenience in the world.
I make faces at Tilly as we walk down the hallway. She giggles, causing Ms. Walker to shoot us an annoyed look. The next few faces I direct at her back make Tilly hysterical. I know I’m being childish, but this woman’s holier-than-thou attitude is pissing me the hell off.
“Just take a seat and I’ll have Rana tell him you’re here.” She walks over and whispers something to the receptionist, whom I can only guess is Rana. Ms. Walker then turns on her heel and stalks out of the room without even acknowledging us.
“Is your teacher always like that?” I ask Tilly.
“Yep.” She nods, rolling her eyes.
Why would you want to teach children if you’re going to act like that around them? I shake my head and try to put her out of my mind.
“What’s your principal like?” I ask her.
All I know of him is that he’s pretty new and apparently young. Mr. Mattich, his predecessor, had
been at the school for forty years when he retired. Short and overweight with graying hair, he was a stern man with a great sense of humor who was well loved in the community.
“He’ll see you now.” I look up and realize the receptionist is standing in front of us. I smile and stand up, waiting for Tilly to tie her shoelace before we walk over to the office door.
Though it’s cracked slightly open, I still knock.
“Come in.” I push the door and guide Tilly inside first, closing the door behind me. “You must be Ms. Halloway.”
Looking up for the first time, the smile vanishes from my lips. No fucking way. I blink, positive I’m imagining the figure standing in front of me. But I’m not. It’s him.
What I hate most is the unfamiliar feeling that’s racing through my body. My heart pounds. I tell myself it’s because I’m surprised to see him, but it’s more than that. I like seeing him again.
“Take a seat,” he says, pointing at the two seats in front of the desk.
I nod, my body numb as I slide into a chair, Tilly climbing onto the other one. If Tilly notices my odd behavior, she doesn’t show it. She’s paying more attention to the cat perched on the windowsill.
Wait, why the hell does this guy have a cat in his office?
“Can I get you a drink? Coffee? Tea? Water?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
I search his face for a sign of surprise or shock to see me, but there’s nothing.
Is that a twinkle in his eye? The bastard is actually enjoying my shocked reaction. Did he know who I was before meeting me today? He’s acting way too collected for it to have been a surprise.
“No, I’m good,” I say, my voice cold.
I’m feeling vulnerable, so my defenses kick in, and my immediate reaction is to play it cool. It’s like flirty mechanic guy all over again.
“So, you wanted to take care of this matter personally? Is there a reason why?” I ask. Not that he needs to answer. I fucking know why: he knew I was Tilly’s mother.
“It’s not the reason you think it is,” he promises.
I raise my eyebrows, not convinced.
“It’s more a case of I think Miss. Walker was making this into more of an issue than it needed to be, so I wanted to make sure it wasn’t blown out of proportion. Tilly did the right thing by telling her teacher that the boys were bothering her. What Miss. Walker should have done is defuse the situation then, or come to me.” He turns his attention to Tilly. “Matilda, do you know why you’re here?” he asks, his voice gentle.
She nods. “I did something bad,” she whispers, her bottom lip quivering. It takes all my willpower not to wrap my arms protectively around her.
“What did you do?” he asks.
“I hit Jimmy and I shouldn’t have because hitting people is naughty, even when they’re mean,” she says, her voice faltering.
“That’s right,” he says. He smiles at her and she breathes out, her shoulders relaxing. “Next time they bother you, you come and see me, okay? I’ll make sure they stop.”
Tilly nods, her blue eyes determined. “I’ll be good,” she promises.
“Then I think we’re done here,” Max says, rubbing his hands together. “It was nice seeing you again,” he says to me, getting to his feet.
My cheeks heat but I manage to nod. “Thanks for taking care of this,” I mumble.
My arm on Tilly’s back, I lead her out of his office. I can feel his eyes still on me until we’re out of his view. I breathe out a sigh. I’m shocked I handled that as well as I did. Tilly skips along beside me, chattering to herself as we walk out to the empty parking lot.
Pressing my key, I unlock the car and load her into the back.
“You want to go and see Aunt Ellie and Cassie?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Tilly yells enthusiastically.
I laugh and close the door, walking around to the driver’s side. As soon as I see my sister I’m going to kill her. There’s no way she could’ve not known that he was Tilly’s principal, given he’s apparently one of Grant’s oldest friends.
“I swear I didn’t know,” Ellie cries when I confront her, her eyes wide.
“I’m so embarrassed,” I groan, collapsing onto the sofa. “He drove me home because I was crying so hard. I made a total fool of myself because of you, and now he’s in my life permanently.”
“Come on,” Ellie scoffs, earning her a glare from me. “Seriously, you’re overreacting a little. How many times did you see her old principal?”
“Enough,” I growl, narrowing my eyes at her.
“Are you annoyed because you’re attracted to him?” she asks delicately.
“What? No. I’m angry because of my ass of a sister.” I get up and call out to Tilly. “We have to go,” I mutter, gathering our things.
“Kee, I’m sorry. Stay for dinner. I promise I won’t mention him again, okay?”
“Fine,” I mumble, giving her a look that clearly reads back off. I put my bag back down just as Tilly walks into the room.
“Yes mommy?” She asks, out of breath as she jogs over to me.
“I just wanted a kiss,” I say, wrapping my arms around her. She giggles and tries to duck out of my embrace, but I’m too strong for her.
“Mommy,” she squeals, the cheeks going red as has smothered her with kisses.
“Okay,” I sigh, unable to hide my grin. Go back and play with Cassie,” I say, watching her as she skips out of the room.
As I help Ellie prepare dinner, I’m actually enjoying myself. I love spending time with my sister. She always seems to know how to cheer me up. We’re just putting the last of the vegetables on to cook when I hear the front door open.
“That must be Grant,” Ellie says. A few seconds later, Grant rounds the corner into the kitchen, followed by Max.
My eyes widen. Max winces, as if he senses something is wrong. At least he looks surprised to see me, but had been burnt by Ellie too many times not to believe this is another one of her set-ups.
“Seriously?” I huff, under my breath, loud enough so only she can hear. “Till, get your stuff. We’re going,” I yell. I glare at Ellie, completely ignoring Max, and storm outside to wait. Ellie races after me, swearing she had no idea he was coming over.
“How could you not know?” I say, too annoyed to do anything but laugh.
“He and Grant are friends,” she pleads. “You know him, he’s always dropping home with friends and not telling me.”
Max comes outside, his face apologetic. “I had no idea you’d be here. I’ll go,” he offers.
I sigh and shake my head. “It’s fine,” I say, gritting my teeth.
“You sure?” he asks, furrowing his brow. “Then why are you leaving? If you’re leaving, then so am I.”
I sigh, not wanting to ruin everyone’s night. Surely I can get through dinner and then kill Ellie?
“Fine,” I grumble, still annoyed. “I'll stay.” I keep my expression stoic as I move past him and back into the house. I take a seat in the living room where Tilly and Cassie are playing. My arms crossed over my chest, I hope I'm giving the impression that I don't want to be bothered.
Apparently not.
Max sinks into the seat beside me. Having him so close both terrifies and excites me, which only fuels my anger. This was exactly why I want to avoid seeing him again. Damn Ellie, this is all her fault.
“So, this pretty much ruined your night, huh?” He says, a grin creeping on to his lips. My heart melts a little bit.
“No, it's not that,” I say feeling like a complete bitch. “I just don't like feeling like I'm being pressured into something.”
“If it's any consolation, I had no idea you are going to be here, and I’m pretty sure Grant didn't either.”
He couldn't have known because I didn't even know I was staying for dinner.
“And if it helps at all, this was a last-minute thing, me being here. On my menu tonight was frozen meatballs. Grant insisted I come over. There was no way Ellie could have known
either.”
Great. Now I feel worse. I’ve caused a big scene over nothing.
“I'm sorry. You must think I'm some psychotic, crazy person,” I groan, covering my hands with my face.
“Not at all,” he chuckles. “You're much more entertaining than most of the women I know.”
I narrow my eyes at him, but I can't help smiling, even though I'm not sure that was a compliment.
“Dinner is ready,” Ellie calls out.
We all move in to the dining room and by chance I find myself sitting next to Max. The more time that passes the more relaxed I feel, to the point where I'm actually enjoying myself. As much as I don't want to give Ellie the satisfaction of witnessing how much I like Max’s company, I can't help it. He’s a funny guy and he makes me laugh.
God, I’m so confused.
After dinner, Tilly and Cassie return to playing, but not before Tilly begs me to let her stay over. I agree, so long as Ellie agrees, since it will be her getting up early to take her to school.
“Of course you can,” Ellie grins, pinching Tilly’s cheek. “You're always welcome here.” I smile, yet another reason why I love Ellie. She loves that kid as much as I do.
We all move back into the dining room as the girls run off to Cassie's bedroom to play. I find myself sitting next to Max again. He sits in the seat casually, with one leg pushed under the other. His hands are resting on his thighs and I can’t drag my eyes away from them as I take in his long fingers and the well-defined muscles of his arms. I can just imagine those being wrapped around me as he uses those long fingers to tilt my chin up as his lips—
“Coffee?” Ellie offers, interrupting my thoughts.
I nod, my face heating up. Caffeine is exactly what I need right now. She gets up and leaves the room, tugging Grant along with her. I groan and bury my head in my hands. Does she ever let up?
“What is it?” Max asks, amused.
“You really didn’t catch that less-than-subtle yank at Grant’s shirt to let him know they needed to leave us alone?” I ask dryly.
Words Left Unsaid Page 5
