A Better Man

by Candis Terry

  Jordan had been so nice last night. So caring and considerate. He genuinely seemed concerned about his little sister. Call it compassion or whatever you wanted, right now Lucy didn’t want anyone using him or anyone else in his family for that matter, as a source of gossip.

  “The woman that runs that paper is nasty,” Lucy said. “All she wants to do is cause trouble. Jordan Kincade stayed to help out his family. But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up hockey or that he’s blowing off his commitment to his team.”

  “Doesn’t mean he’s not either.” Claudia opened the door, leaned against it to hold it open as her students piled in, and grinned. “He’s been away from the team for two weeks. They’re barely hanging on by a skate’s edge.”

  “Surely one man can’t be the savior for an entire team.”

  “Sometimes it’s more than just what they do on the ice, or the field, or the court, depending on what sport they play. Sometimes that one person offers leadership to a team and invokes the confidence the players need before they step into the arena.”

  “That’s a whole lot of pressure for one person.”

  Claudia shrugged. “It’s all part of what they do. That’s why you won’t find any sissy men in contact sports. They have to be tough in both mind and body.”

  Well, Jordan did have a perfect body. That was for sure. And he definitely knew how to kiss.

  “Now, as for the unfamiliar SUV being parked in front of your house last night?” Claudia grinned. “Loooocie, you got some splainin’ to do.”

  Before Lucy could respond, Claudia winked, then disappeared into her classroom.

  Thank God.

  She didn’t know what she would have said. It wasn’t anybody’s business anyway.

  A number of problems existed when you lived in a small town. Any one of them could prevent a person who craved privacy from moving in. When you added in a busybody who ran the small local newspaper, you doubled the dilemma. Until the past couple of nights Lucy’s life had been too boring to pop up on anyone’s radar. She minded her own business and always hoped everyone else would do the same.

  Yes, she had skeletons deep in her closet, but no one who’d known her before she’d left for college would have had a clue of what she’d been through. When her father died six months after Lucy had gone off to college, her mother had moved to Oklahoma to live with Lucy’s aunt, who also had alcoholic tendencies. She hadn’t spoken to her mother in a long time. Maybe she should feel guilty about that. But for her own peace of mind, she didn’t.

  No one in Sunshine knew Lucy had gotten married except Jordan. No one even remembered her when she came back. So no one was the wiser and she planned to keep it that way. She’d worked way too hard to put the past behind her to allow anyone drag it out into the open.

  As she entered her own classroom, the bell rang and Cody Christianson slipped into his seat just in time to receive her death glare.

  “You’re pushing your luck, Mr. Christianson.”

  “Made it before the bell ended.”

  Lucy set the box in her hands down on her desk without giving the handsome young man another look. She already knew she’d find his endearing smirk and matching flash of mischief in his green eyes. Cody was one of those students who pushed the envelope just far enough to make him feel like he was spreading his wings, but never too far to get himself in actual trouble. He reminded her a little bit of what Jordan had been like back in their school days—­a hell-­raiser in training and so charming no one had a clue.

  Finally she turned to face her class. She flashed Cody a look and waited until he took out his notebook. Then she scanned the roomful of students. Toward the middle of the class she found Nicole deep in thought as she read something inside a very pink and flowery journal. Lucy bit back a smile, because Nicole also held a bright purple gel pen in her hand.

  Looked like Jordan’s thoughtful gift hadn’t gone up in smoke after all.

  For a few minutes, Lucy discussed that in creative writing, the ability to look deeper than what the eyes immediately registered was key. As an example, she pulled out a clear clamshell package that contained a small plastic toy bear wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses. The class twittered with laughter.

  “Pretty obvious, right?” she asked the class. “Bear on a vacation. Anyone see anything different?”

  Cody raised his hand. “Bear undercover for Miami vice.”

  She smiled. “Good one, Cody. Anyone else?” When she received no further responses, she continued with the assignment. “When I look at this bear I see that after twenty years of working without a vacation, he’s finally enjoying some time off. But since he’s not smiling, I see him as on that vacation alone. The sunglasses hide his tears and the Hawaiian shirt hides his broken heart.”

  In the classroom of twenty-­four students, you could hear crickets.

  Lucy knew that, for the moment, she’d made them stop and think. Hopefully. Which had been her plan. Even Nicole appeared to be paying attention.

  “Your assignment—­which will be handed in before you leave the classroom today—­is to look deeply at the next object I pull out of the box and write its story.” She glanced about the room and saw frowns, blank stares, and very few encouraging nods.

  Nicole’s expression gave away nothing.

  “Ready?” Lucy reached inside the cardboard and pulled out a bedraggled stuffed bunny she’d once seen at a thrift store and hadn’t been able to leave it behind. So she’d taken it home and given it a place to live on a shelf in her living room. After propping the bunny up on her desk so all the students could see, she said, “You only have until the end of the hour to tell me his or her story. So get started.”

  After five minutes, the quiet in the room stunned her. Usually there were whispers, note passing, under-­desk texting, or a giggle here and there. Today every student appeared to be working—­even Nicole. A sense of accomplishment floated over Lucy. Maybe she’d finally found the key to what worked for this class. Then again, she wouldn’t be surprised if a few of them wrote line after line of “I can’t think of anything.” She’d seen that happen before.

  The minutes dragged on in silence and when the bell rang, a few students flinched like they’d been caught off guard.

  “Please turn in your papers on your way to the door. No sneaking out. If you don’t pass by my desk and hand in the assignment you get a big fat zero for the day.” She hated threats, which was why she usually saved them for the end of class.

  As the class filed out and each student passed her desk and dropped a paper on the surface, Lucy beamed. Some had written only a paragraph, others a full page. When it came Nicole’s turn, she dropped a paper that appeared to be full of delicate handwriting on both sides of the pink floral paper with purple pen. A completed assignment. Lucy’s heart raced.

  “Nicole, could you stay after class for a few minutes?”

  From beneath her heavy brown eye shadow, Nicole rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” Bad attitude dripping like toxic waste, she went back to her desk, clearly expecting to be reprimanded.

  When the classroom emptied out, Lucy motioned Nicole to come forward. With a huff, the teen got up and approached Lucy’s desk, accompanied by irritated stomps of her Ugg boots.

  “I’m proud of you,” Lucy said. The lift of delicately arched brows said she’d obviously shocked the girl.

  “Why?”

  Lucy lifted the paper. “Not only did you finish an assignment, but you handed it in.”

  “Whatever.” Nicole glanced away as if she was either embarrassed or waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  “How about we celebrate?”

  Nicole’s head snapped around. “What?”

  “Come on, Nicole. You know you’ve got talent. I know you’ve got talent. You accomplished something today that matters. I say that calls for a couple of warm cookies
and a cup of hot tea. You game?”

  “I have talent?” She pressed a hand to her chest, and moisture sparkled in her eyes.

  “Loads.” Lucy stood, fighting the urge to pull this poor—­now parentless girl—­in for a hug. “And aside from being your teacher, I’d love to talk to you about the ways you can use that talent and creativity all the way into your future. So come on, it’s the last class of the day, what do you say? I’ll even spring for cheesecake.”

  “I’d . . .” The girl hesitated, then let go of the first genuine smile Lucy had seen all semester. “I think I’d like that.”

  Sometimes accomplishments came easy. Most times you had to work hard for them. Nicole’s smile and willingness had been like a ray of sunshine on this gloomy day. Lucy would not call it a complete success until they had a chance to talk. Maybe she’d gain some insight, or maybe all Nicole really wanted was a sugar rush and a chance to get away from school and home. Whatever the reason, Lucy planned to make the best of it.

  Light rain drizzled down from a bank of low, steely gray clouds while Jordan waited in front of Lucy’s cottage for her to come home. She’d called him little more than an hour ago and asked him to meet her. He didn’t know the reason she wanted to meet. He didn’t ask. She’d called, and that’s all he cared about.

  Last night after he’d left her house, he realized he’d probably drilled her pretty hard about her marriage. Maybe too hard. Her past wasn’t any of his business. And yet he wanted—­needed—­to know.

  What made Lucy tick?

  What did she love? Hate? What was her favorite flavor of ice cream? Did she like her steak rare or well done? Or since—­aside from an obvious passion for cookies—­she seemed so health conscious, was she vegan? Did she like to make slow, sweet love on rainy days? And why had the man she married not seen her value when he had seen it all the way back in their senior year?

  Yeah, his plate was already full and he didn’t have the time or capacity for this sudden attraction to her. He’d always liked her, but now it was like seeing her in a completely different light.

  Lucy had substance.

  Digging emotionally deeper with a woman wasn’t his usual thing. Yet now with Lucy, it became something he craved.

  And she had heart.

  Made obvious by her willingness to help his sister.

  When he’d figured out she didn’t seem to smile as much as she should, he wanted to be the one to put a smile on her face. He wasn’t quite sure how to make that happen but he wanted to know. He wanted to spend more time with her. Figure things out. See what Lucy was all about.

  The only thing he was damn sure about was that after kissing her he wanted to go back for more.

  Moments later when her little white Honda pulled into the driveway, he was out of his SUV and at her car by the time she parked. He helped her from the car, then rolled her bag into the house just as the rain began to fall harder.

  As soon as she unlocked her front door, Ziggy started doing a doggy version of the happy dance. Jordan stepped back as Lucy dropped the rest of her things to the floor, sank to her knees, and proceeded to engage in the hugs and baby talk that told Ziggy what a good boy he’d been and what a handsome boy he was.

  Jordan appreciated seeing the straitlaced schoolteacher let a happy bubble of laughter take flight. Knowing how much love and devotion she put into her pet gave Jordan an inkling of how much love she probably had to share.

  Not that he was looking for love.

  Since he’d left home at the age of eighteen, he’d never had a dog, a cat, or even a goldfish. There had barely been enough time in his life to date the same woman from the same town twice.

  Okay, maybe that one had been on purpose.

  “I’m sorry,” she said to Jordan as she got up off the floor and dusted herself off. “Ziggy and I have a ritual and I need to get his Beggin’ Strip before you and I talk. Is that okay?”

  Jordan often had selective hearing. Lucy on her knees, making a little sweet talk and mentioning something about begging, jumped out like bullet points on an important document.

  “I’m in no hurry.” He jammed his hands deep into the pockets of his leather jacket. Well, maybe he was in a hurry to find out what she had to tell him. But as soon as she walked away from him in that hip-­embracing skirt, he lost his train of thought.

  It wasn’t like the damn material was see-­through, or short, or anything special at all, really. It just gently hugged her hips and her perfectly rounded rear end. That’s all.

  Ordering himself to pull it together, he followed her into the kitchen and watched while she had Ziggy perform a short series of tricks before he sat like a “good boy” to receive his treat. While Ziggy chomped down the snack and Lucy wrapped her arms around the retriever’s neck, Jordan thought he might do tricks too for one of those hugs.

  Yeah. Totally not why he’d come here.

  He shook his head to clear it, then waited until she washed and dried her hands.

  “Would you like some tea?” she asked him, setting the kettle on the burner. “Besides green, I have orange spice, mango sunrise, and Earl Grey.”

  “I’m good.” He’d like a beer or something stronger, but since Lucy seemed like a healthy food and drink kind of girl, alcoholic beverages were probably out of the question.

  “Is it okay if I make a cup for myself? I just indulged in a lemon bar and hot chocolate from Sugarbuns. I think my body is going into shock.”

  He scanned the body in question up and down.

  Looked pretty damn good to him.

  “An after-­school meeting?” he asked.

  “As a matter of fact, yes. With Nicole. And while she didn’t offer any answers to her behavior, she was very friendly and open to discussion about school.” A smile brightened her face and showed off the rarely seen dimple in her right cheek. “Have a seat and we can discuss.”

  Last time he’d sat in her kitchen chair his butt had gone numb. Apparently his hesitation prompted an alternative.

  “Better yet, how about we use the living room?” She poured her tea and, cup in hand, led the way.

  Watching the woman leave a room was as fascinating as watching her enter. Lusting after a woman like a sex-­craved teenager hadn’t been on his agenda for a long damn time. Yet here he was, needing to roll his tongue back up in his mouth.

  “Thanks for coming by,” she said. “I’d have picked somewhere else to meet you but it’s been a long day and I didn’t want to have to wait to share this news.”

  “Judging by the smile you’re wearing I’ll guess it’s a good thing?”

  “Indeed.” Her smile shone all the way up into her eyes. “Today I handed out an assignment specifically with Nicole in mind.” Lucy sat on the edge of the white sofa and pulled a pale blue pillow onto her lap. “Something I hoped would spark her interest and maybe give her an outlet to release some of that anger.”

  Her long, delicate fingers played nervously across the pillow’s lace-­trimmed edge. He hoped it wasn’t him making her nervous, then he realized that making others uneasy was what he was paid to do.

  Though there were two comfortable-­looking armchairs, he sat beside her and took pleasure in her sugary scent, no doubt left over from the bakery.

  “I gave the students until the end of class time to complete the project.”

  “How’d that go?”

  “Better than I imagined.” She lifted her hand, then dropped it to her knee with a slap. “Every student handed in their papers at the end of class. Even Nicole.”

  “Yeah? But did she do the actual assignment?” He forced a smile that hid the fear that while the rest of the class wrote a story about bugs, his sister wrote a story about grizzly bears eating tourists who hiked in the woods.

  “She did.” With a grin, Lucy reached into her bag and removed a folder. She pulled out a
stack of papers and handed one to him.

  The pink paper had flowers, and the feminine handwriting had been written with a purple pen. He recognized the paper immediately as being from the journal he’d bought his sister. His chest tightened and his heart gave a hard, out-­of-­tempo thump.

  “She used the journal.”

  “She did.” She squeezed his forearm. “And she used the pen.”

  He didn’t know why the hell something so simple felt so damn good. It just did. “But I probably shouldn’t read this. Right?”

  “You’re her guardian.” Her head tilted slightly and her long ponytail slid across her back. “Of course you should read it.”

  “But I’m not her only guardian. My brothers and I all share equal custody.”

  “Doesn’t matter how many there are. And because you obviously care a great deal about Nicole’s welfare, I think you have every right to read it.” A smile softened her face. “Of course, you might not want to let her know you’ve done so. Give her the privilege of at least believing she has some privacy. I say that only knowing how it feels to be a teen who’s trying to stretch her wings.”

  He remembered Lucy as a teen. But he didn’t remember her as the type to try and spread her wings. In fact, she’d seemed like the type who’d put herself in a box and tried to live quietly within those tight, confining walls.

  “I can keep a secret,” he said.

  “Then don’t feel guilty. Believe me, if you had an ulterior motive for wanting to butt into her life, I’d stop you in your tracks. But I know your heart is in the right place.”

  She might think she knew his heart; it was just a good thing she didn’t know his mind, because it was wandering all over the damn place. “I wish Nicki trusted me as much as you do.”

  “Who said anything about trusting you?” She smiled to take the burn off the remark. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to run upstairs for a minute and give you a little privacy while you read.”