Hidden in Shadow

by Georgia Florey-Evans

  Yesterday was one of the best days she had experienced in weeks. The only troubling spot was when Luke confessed his love. He would never know how much she wished she could have told him what he wanted to hear. But too much was going on. Right now, all her feelings for him were entwined too deeply with the comfort and security their friendship provided. What if she agreed to marry him only to realize, after the stalker was caught, her feelings were just friendship mixed with profound gratitude? It wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

  A knock on her office door brought her out of her reverie. “Come in.”

  “Miss Morris?” Billy Andrews walked hesitantly into the room.

  “Hi, Billy.” She was surprised to see him. “Come on in and sit down.”

  He sank into a chair and looked at Holly. She watched his eyes grow larger as he took in her appearance, finally focusing on the scarf draped around her neck.

  “What can I do for you?” She would keep this meeting as positive as she could.

  “I’m not skipping class or anything.” He placed a familiar pink slip of paper on her desk. “Mr. Murdock gave me a pass out of study hall.”

  Holly smiled at him. “That’s good.” Maybe if she gave him a few minutes, he’d start talking.

  Billy looked at her face again before fixing his gaze on the desk between them. “Miss Morris, do you hate me now?”

  “Hate you?” She was stunned. “Why on earth would I hate you, Billy?”

  Holly nearly rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing what she thought she was. A tear trickled down the young man’s face.

  “It’s all my fault. Jack wouldn’t have hurt you if you hadn’t helped me.” He quickly wiped his face with his shirtsleeve. “I didn’t know he’d do that. Honest.”

  Her heart broke as she stood up and walked over to sit in the chair next to his. “Billy, I want you to listen to me.” She waited until he met her gaze. “Jack is a very troubled man. I would much rather he be angry with me than you. What he did is not your fault.” She searched her mind for the right words. “Just like it wasn’t my fault.”

  “No way was it your fault!” Billy exclaimed vehemently.

  “You’re right.” She placed her hand on his arm. “But I was careless. I got into an unlocked car without checking the backseat. That made me think it was my fault, just like you feel like it’s yours.”

  “Jack did it! It wasn’t your fault!”

  Holly kept her voice calm and steady. “And it’s not yours either. Let’s make a deal.”

  The teenager appeared cautiously hopeful. “What?”

  “I won’t blame myself if you won’t blame yourself. We’ll both remember who’s really responsible.” She held out her hand to shake. “Deal?”

  She could see the wheels turning as Billy considered her words. Finally, with a determined look on his face, he shook her hand. “Deal.”

  “So, do you feel ready to get back to study hall and hit those books?” It wasn’t difficult to smile at the young man beside her.

  He stood up. “I better. Miss Lincoln gave us a big math assignment, and I didn’t get it all done last night. I think I had too much on my mind.”

  Holly stood and signed his pass before handing it back to him. “You just do as much of your math as you can. I’ll speak with Miss Lincoln. She’ll let you make up anything you don’t turn in today.”

  “Thank you, Miss Morris.” Billy clutched the piece of paper. “For everything.”

  Her heart warmed. “That’s what I’m here for, Billy.”

  He had only been gone fifteen minutes, and Holly was trying to motivate herself into getting caught up on paperwork, when the intercom on her desk buzzed.

  “Yes?”

  “Miss Morris, can you come to my office at your earliest convenience?” It was Mr. Graham.

  “Is now all right?”

  “That would be fine.”

  Holly sighed deeply as she stood and headed out of the office. What new duty had Mr. Graham gone and decided would be better taken care of by the guidance counselor than the assistant principal? If he tried to force her to accept more disciplinary matters than she already had, she would be speaking with the principal. And if he didn’t help, by golly, she’d go all the way to the superintendent. Maybe the board. Holly didn’t mind shouldering a little extra weight, but she wasn’t there to assume all of Mr. Graham’s responsibilities.

  By the time she sat down in his office, she had worked herself up enough to argue about anything he might say. The sky was blue? It looked green to her today. She was in such a tizzy she almost didn’t catch what he said.

  “I’m glad to see you here, Miss Morris. I was sorry to hear that Mr. Wallace caused you bodily harm.”

  Talk about taking the wind out of her sails. “Thank you.”

  “The administration and board are aware that you placed the needs of young Mr. Andrews over your own. You are to be commended for that.”

  “I just did my job.” Holly couldn’t quite believe he was complimenting her. Where were the hidden camera and guy who jumped out and yelled surprise?

  “Of course, that’s not the only reason I asked you here.” Mr. Graham peered over the top of his wire-rim glasses, a look of uneasiness on his face.

  She almost felt relieved. This was more like it. Now, they would get down to business.

  “You see, the junior and senior classes have received permission to hold what they’re calling a Spring Fling.”

  Okey-dokey. “I’m aware of their plans.” It was to be a carnival of sorts, with games and prizes. The Parent-Teacher Organization were helping them prepare for it, and the students were very excited.

  “Well, it seems a problem—a rather large one, actually—has developed, and I would appreciate your assistance in solving it.” Holly realized she had never seen Mr. Graham in quite such a state before. He seemed unaware of the long lock of hair he usually arranged to cover his bald spot now poised precariously over his ear.

  She swallowed laughter as the image of a lopsided Gerber baby popped into her head. He was her boss, and she would be respectful if it killed her. “What would you like me to do?”

  “You are probably aware Diana Dowden and Walter Chantmeier are going to be the chaperones. Strictly in a supervisory capacity.” She didn’t like his obsequious tone of voice nor the direction he was headed. “It seems we need two more adult chaperones in order to meet our insurance company’s requirements for coverage on an event of this size. I would deeply appreciate it if you and your friend Mr. Walker would be kind enough to help out.”

  He had to be joking. “It’s this coming Saturday.”

  “I realize it’s very short notice. I have exhausted all other options, or I wouldn’t be bothering you.” He smiled stiffly. “I would be indebted to you.”

  She closed her eyes and sighed. “There really is nobody else?”

  “All other qualified staff members have plans.”

  She was going to have a talk with Tessa. What plans were keeping her from doing this? “And if I don’t agree, what will happen?”

  “I guess we'll have to cancel the event.” What was he doing on Saturday? Maybe he and Tessa should “volunteer.”

  Holly said a quick prayer for patience and guidance. “Okay. I’ll do it. I can’t promise Luke will help, but I’ll ask.”

  “Thank you.” The assistant principal stood. “While we can’t imagine Jack Wallace showing up at such a public event, the other administrators and I agree Mr. Walker would serve as protection for you. Being your friend, he will be more committed than someone else may be.”

  “I’ll try.” She repeated the assurance as she stood and turned to the door.

  It wasn’t until she reached her office she remembered the class reunion. Wonderful. She would spend this Saturday with a group of sixteen and seventeen-year-olds, and next Saturday she would spend the day reminiscing about when she was that age herself.

  Lord, you have a sense of humor, don’t you?


  Chapter 22

  Tessa’s car was parked in front of his garage when Luke drove the tractor in from the field and around the barn. Tessa was visible behind the wheel, talking on her phone. Holly was sitting on his back porch step with Clarence. As he watched, Clarence stuck his nose right up against her neck and nuzzled her. The dog was crazy about Holly. That made two of them.

  Holly and Clarence joined him as he shut the barn door.

  “This is a nice surprise.” He smiled at Holly and would have scratched behind Clarence’s ears if the mutt were paying the least bit of attention to him. As it was, he’d have to chase the dog around Holly’s legs to get close to him.

  Holly’s answering smile lit a flame in his heart. “Wait until you see the rest of it.”

  They walked together to Tessa’s car, where Holly opened the back passenger door and pulled out a large, plastic container.

  “I brought you some homemade, cinnamon-raisin cookies.” She held the gift out for him to take.

  “My favorite.” Luke gladly accepted it before looking from Holly to Tessa, wondering who she was talking to so animatedly.

  “Mitch,” Holly whispered.

  “Oh.” He was happy that his friends realized how they felt about each other. “Can you come in and have some cookies and milk with me?”

  “I can come in.” Holly walked beside him. “But if I eat one more cookie, I’ll explode.”

  Luke chuckled. “Still sampling while you bake?”

  “Is there any other way to do it?” Her eyes twinkled as she asked him the question.

  He washed up once they were in the mud room, and they were soon seated at the kitchen table.

  Luke moaned when he took his first bite. “This is good, Holly. I haven’t had these in ages. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” There was something different in her expression now—guilt?

  “So, what did I do to deserve my favorite cookies?” She had to know he didn’t want to be repaid for trying to help her with the stalker situation.

  There it was again. It was guilt on her face.

  “I’ll make you cookies whenever you want me to.” Her eyes met his, and he was so captured by their beauty he almost didn’t hear her next words. “But this time I have an ulterior motive.”

  He stopped with a cookie midway between the glass of milk and his mouth. “What? I don’t think I heard you correctly. You don’t have ulterior motives. It’s not in your genetic makeup.”

  “Did you ask him yet?” Tessa swooped into the kitchen. “He said he would, didn’t he? I told you there was nothing to worry about.”

  Holly turned and looked pointedly at her friend. “I was just about ready to, thank you.”

  Luke set his cookie down. He had a feeling he needed to brace himself. “What are you two talking about?”

  “Could you make yourself available for four or five hours this Saturday?” The smile Holly produced definitely didn’t make it to her eyes.

  “I guess.” He didn’t have any plans beyond clearing what appeared to be remnants of an old beaver dam out of the creek. “What for?”

  Holly stared at him for a long moment, and then the words gushed out. “The junior and senior classes are having a carnival. I have to chaperone it, and Mr. Graham told me I needed to find another adult to help me. You, to be exact.”

  Chaperone a carnival? Luke liked the idea of spending time with Holly, but watching that many kids? It would be very different than his small youth group.

  “Isn’t there somebody else? A staff member?” He had to ask.

  A sad smile and small shake of her head accompanied the answer. “Mr. Graham told me I was the only qualified staff member available.”

  Qualified. “I’m not qualified, am I? I mean, supervising eight teenagers for church activities doesn’t qualify me for something like this.”

  “I’m pretty sure in this case, just being you is enough.” Her eyes pleaded with him. “The administration wants you there to keep me safe. I asked Mitch, just in case you didn’t want to, and he can’t spare an officer to watch me this Saturday. Hank has been working twelve days straight and has to have this weekend off. If you don’t go with me, I don’t think my bosses will allow me to be there. Then the kids will have to cancel it.”

  “They’ve been working hard, Luke,” Tessa chipped in. “I would do it if I hadn’t signed up for a webinar. I’ll be online for two hours.”

  Luke looked into Holly’s incredible brown eyes and knew he was a goner. “Okay. What time should I pick you up?”

  Relief flooded her face. “The Spring Fling officially begins at two o'clock, but we’re supposed to be there at one. Then, it will be open to the public for three hours, and we’ll have to stay while they close up. Is that too long?”

  He had a feeling a much shorter period of time was going to be too long in this situation, but he would do it for her. “It’s fine.”

  “Thank you, Luke.” Who was he trying to fool? He would volunteer for diaper duty in the church nursery to earn that smile.

  “You’re welcome.” A day watching Holly and supervising fifty or sixty teenagers. What could possibly go wrong?

  Chapter 23

  Straightening the Shadow High Staff T-shirt tucked into her jeans, Holly gazed around the football field. The students had really outdone themselves, and the community was turning out in full force to support them. At this rate, they would raise plenty of money for next year’s senior trip. The senior’s practice of “paying it forward” always touched her. Five years ago, the seniors voted to help that year’s juniors raise the money they would need the following year. They gained nothing from their efforts other than knowing their underclassmen would be able to afford a good senior trip. The tradition had continued, and now she doubted if any of them would even consider changing it.

  Looking for Luke, her guilt eased when she saw him laughing as he helped a few of the boys brace the backboard for the dart game. Something hadn’t been attached properly, and when the first balloon popped, the entire wall toppled over backward. Luke had gone right over and taken charge. He caught her eye and winked.

  “Can you believe this?” Holly hadn’t noticed Diana Dowden standing next to her. “I’m surprised by how well it’s going.”

  Holly turned to her. “I know. It’s only been open for a little over a half hour and look at this crowd. If it keeps up at this pace, the students will raise more than enough money.”

  Diana didn’t say anything, and when Holly looked at her, she saw the attractive blond had focused her gaze on the dart game.

  Not taking her eyes off it, she spoke again. “I see Luke Walker is helping out today.”

  So that’s what—or more like whom—Diana was ogling. “Yes. He was nice enough to pitch in.”

  Diana turned her gaze back to Holly. “He’s single, isn’t he?”

  “He’s not married if that’s what you mean.” Holly felt uncomfortable with this conversation.

  “He’s not in a committed relationship either, is he?” The look in Diana’s eyes told Holly she already knew the answer. “Would you mind if I go talk to him? I mean, he’s not your boyfriend or anything.”

  “Uh...I...” But Diana was already on her way to Luke.

  As Holly watched, the two of them started talking. Then Diana laughed, and Luke smiled. An unpleasant sensation began in the pit of Holly’s stomach and built until she felt like screaming. What was this emotion? It was something entirely foreign to her. Then, as she saw Luke laugh, she knew. Holly was jealous.

  While she was still processing that knowledge, she saw Luke look her way and then say something to Diana. He headed toward Holly. Did that mean he’d rather be with her? Or was he fulfilling his guard duty?

  “Are you okay, Holly?” Luke’s anxious voice penetrated her foggy brain. “You’re awfully pale. Are you sure you’re not overdoing it too soon after the crash?”

  “I’m-I’m fine,” she managed to say. This new feeling was
both powerful and confusing. “I think I need to sit down for a few minutes, though. I’ll go down to the tiny-tot games and sit where I can watch all of them.”

  His frown deepened. “Then I’ll stay there with you.”

  She needed to be away from him to try to sort things out. “I’ll be fine there, Luke. I’ll be right in the middle of a crowded area. He won’t dare do anything with all these people around. You go ahead and make the rounds.”

  “I don’t like leaving you alone.” He took her elbow and started walking. “I’ll walk you there and make sure you’re situated. Then we’ll see how everything looks.”

  They paused at the cake walk and watched as an elderly man ended up on the winning circle.

  “Grandpa, you won!” The teenage girl was talking loudly enough it was apparent he was hard of hearing. “Come pick out a cake!”

  Something about the young lady’s interaction with her grandfather was touching. Holly watched as the girl led the older man to the prize table, which was laden with all sorts of baked delights. It wasn’t until after he picked up a tray of cookies when Holly turned to resume their trek.

  “Do you remember your grandma’s apple pie?” Luke asked.

  “Of course.” Holly would never forget the incident he was referring to. “We got off the bus at her house because our parents were all at a farm bureau something-or-other. She offered us an after-school snack.”

  “She meant cookies or an apple.” Luke’s smile grew. “But I could only see that hot apple pie sitting on the counter.”

  “So, when Grandma asked you what you wanted, you told her you usually had apple pie when you got home from school. Like your mom kept a steady flow of them coming just for your after-school snack."

  “Your grandma didn’t care if I was windy.” Luke chuckled. “I still say it was the best piece of pie I’ve ever had, or will have, in my life.”

  “I miss Grandma.” Holly’s grandmother passed away shortly after Holly’s high school graduation, from complications due to pneumonia. Her grandfather had succumbed to heart disease before Holly was even born. Her maternal grandparents were missionaries in Haiti, and she saw them so seldom she didn’t feel close to them at all.