by Kimi Flores
The woman flipped her hair and took a sip from her straw. “I was planning on leaving in a couple of hours so we can spend some time together today.”
I barely kept myself from rolling my eyes. As though she wasn’t going to spend alone time with her child at the zoo. “That’s fine, but I’ll need you to sign him out with me, or go back to school to sign him out.”
She started to look visibly agitated. “Why don’t you give me your cell number, and I’ll call when I need you to meet up with me?”
Oh hell no. She was the last parent I would give my personal cell number to.
“I have a better idea. Why don’t you just sign this right now, and you’ll be free to go whenever you like.” I handed her the sign-out form. I didn’t dislike too many people, but I could do without spending any more time with this woman.
“Fine.” She snatched the clipboard out of my hand, signed it next to her son’s name, and then shoved it back at me. I turned my back and walked into the entrance. I called one of the other teachers to see where the group was and met them at the penguin habitat.
I finally caught my breath when I leaned against the railing in front of the penguins, listening to the presentation the trainers were giving. I could feel someone standing close behind me. Too close.
An unwelcome whisper tickled my ear. “My brother was a fool for letting you go. You’ve grown into an incredible woman, Abs.”
I turned quickly to face Blaine. “What? Why did you say that?” I questioned, irritation in my tone as my eyes darted around to see if anyone else was listening.
He switched our positions, leaning his back against the railing so he could face me. “Relax. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable, it’s just that I’ve had a crush on you for years. Even before you and my brother dated.”
I jerked my head back. “What? But you were a junior when I entered high school.”
“That didn’t make a difference. All the guys noticed you. Unfortunately, Peter just happened to be the first one to ask you out. When I found out you guys broke up, I was already away at Stanford. But now we’re crossing paths again. It must be fate.”
I rolled her eyes and snort-laughed. “Yeah right, Blaine. I’ve had a crappy morning. Please stop teasing me.” I tried to back up a little and accidentally stepped on a small foot.
“Owie, Miss Abby. You crunched my toe.”
Squatting down, I turned my back to Blaine. “I’m sorry, Ben. Are you okay?”
“It’s okay, Miss Abby. I think you meant it as an assident.”
I snickered at the pronunciation, one of my favorite things about being a kindergarten teacher.
“Thank you for your understanding, Ben.” This earned me a huge toothless smile, another reason I loved this grade.
I almost forgot about my ex-boyfriend’s brother hovering behind me, until I stood back up. He was still too close for my liking.
“You’re so good with kids, Abs. You picked the perfect profession.” His eyes sparkled when he added, “You’re going to be a wonderful mother someday.”
“Thanks.” That was weird. Unless they were in a relationship, most men couldn’t care less about what kind of mother a woman would be. As a matter of fact, they generally fled when the subject came up. Needing to change topics, I asked, “Where are your kids?”
“Right over there.” He pointed. “Don’t worry; I’ve got my eyes on them.”
I tried to step away again, this time without taking out any kids, when Blaine grabbed my hand and pulled me closer. “This might sound strange, but I’d love to take you out sometime.”
“I’m sure your family would love that.”
Seemingly irritated, he frowned. “I don’t care what they think. I’m a grown man, and besides, they’ll have their precious Peter back next week when he and his fiancé move here.”
Even though I didn’t want it to, hearing ‘fiancé’ and ‘Peter’ in the same sentence stung a bit.
It must’ve shown on my face because Blaine added, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that would bother you. I thought you were over him, since you were the one who broke it off.”
“What? Is that what he said?” I couldn’t hide my annoyance.
“Yeah. He moped around the house for weeks, said you broke his heart.”
I heard what Blaine was saying, but couldn’t believe it. “That must’ve been what Cindy McCormick was doing with him at my locker then, consoling his broken heart with her tongue down his throat. That is how he broke my heart.”
I was furious, but why? It was so long ago. Why was this still getting to me?
His eyebrows shot up and he looked genuinely surprised. “Abs, I’m so sorry. I had no idea Peter was such a bastard. He’s been with the same girl for four years now. I assumed he was a faithful guy.”
“He probably is, he just didn’t have the guts to break up with me after he discovered something he didn’t like. He chose the coward’s way out.” I ran my hands through my hair, hating that we were having this conversation surrounded by my students and their parents.
“What could he have found out about you that would turn him away? Do you have a tail or something?” He looked down at my behind, trying to lighten the mood.
Giving an unenthusiastic laugh, I did not appreciate his eyes on my ass. “It’s a long story and I’m not willing to talk about it. Sorry, but I definitely cannot go out with you.”
“If you and Peter are history, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t give me a chance. Don’t you find me attractive?” His cocky grin told me that he knew without a doubt how hot he was.
“It’s not that. And you don’t need me to tell you how attractive you are, but I just can’t do it, Blaine. I can’t even entertain the idea.”
Leaning back on the railing, he asked, “Are you interested in that other guy?”
“What other guy?” Confused, I looked around but had a feeling I knew who he was referring to.
“The one you rode with. The one who keeps looking like he wants to run to your rescue.” He motioned toward Caleb, who was standing with his arms crossed, eyebrows furrowed, looking back and forth between us and the girls he was watching.
Wishing it were true, but knowing it was not, I cleared the air. “No, our families know each other, and he’s probably just wondering why I looked upset a minute ago.”
“Isn’t he the writer whose wife died?”
“Yeah.” I glanced at Caleb sadly. “I can’t even imagine what it’s like for him.”
“Me neither.” He looked down, then back up. “Sorry, Abs. I’ll leave you alone then. You can’t blame a guy for trying, though.” Stepping aside, he gathered the boys he was in charge of and headed to the next exhibit.
Each of the teachers bounced from parent to parent, making sure all the kids were accounted for. We decided to eat lunch by the playground area so the kids could run around for a little bit, and the adults might get a small break.
Still keeping a watchful eye, I sat down on the grass by myself, until Caleb joined me. I got a whiff of him, and man, did he smell good. Like clean clothes and fabric softener. There was nothing quite like that scent. I’d switched to an organic, earth friendly detergent, and it just didn’t have that same aroma. Caleb probably thought I was odd, sniffing the air when he sat down.
“Hey, how are you?” He looked genuinely concerned.
“I’m fine. It was a rough start, but all is well now.” Pulling my knees up to my chest, I rested my cheek on them with my eyes glued on him.
“I noticed you got cornered at the penguin exhibit. I didn’t want to interrupt, but there was a moment when I thought I’d have to. You looked so—sad. You kind of broke my heart.”
Did he really just say that?
All the blood rushed directly to my pounding heart, filling it to capacity. I cleared my throat, afraid my shaky voice would give my sudden nervousness away. “He was just talking about old news that never got to me, and I was a bit shocked, but I honestly shouldn
’t be surprised. It’s fine now.” I looked at the playground and noticed that Madison and her friends were out there already. “Are they going to eat?”
“Yeah, about thirty minutes ago,” Caleb chuckled. “They were so hungry, they ate while we went through the exhibits. So, what’s after lunch?”
“The elephants, then my all-time favorite, the giraffes.” My face lit up.
“Giraffes, huh?” He grinned, causing my breath to catch.
“Yeah, but not just any giraffes,” I added. “These ones are exceptional.”
“And why is that?” he prodded curiously, leaning in a bit closer.
“Where else are you going to find giraffes with an ocean view?” Though the animals themselves really were breathtaking creatures.
His eyes went wide. “Seriously?”
“Yes. I love them and can only imagine what the view is like at sunset. This zoo has been my favorite place since I was a kid, and I’ve never seen it at sundown. One day I will.” I smiled shyly.
He sat back, leaning on his hands, as if he were thinking about it too, then he threw me a smile. “I’m sure you will.”
Chapter Five
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree
Abby
Today was emergency drill day at school and although they were necessary, the blaring sound of the alarm would freak out at least one kid in my group, without fail.
The siren would go off, and I would spot that child right away. I expected it, but didn’t plan on it being Madison Hunter. Both my co-teacher Melissa and I had explained to the students what was going to happen before the bell went off, and I hadn’t seen any fear on Madison’s face. Once it happened, though, I grabbed my cell phone before scooping her up in my arms, and led the other children out to the playground. She clung to me, sobbing and chanting, “I don’t wanna die.”
“Sweetheart, you aren’t going to die,” I tried to soothe her. “We’re just practicing for an emergency so everyone will know how to be safe and stay together.” I tried to keep all the kids in line, reminding Justin Zuckerman countless times that he needed to keep his hands to himself.
Madison was clinging so hard she was practically choking me. I tried to pry her away a bit, but the little girl had a death grip around my neck. When the drill was over, the other students were released to recess while I brought my clingy friend with me back to the classroom.
I sat down on my chair with Madison on my lap. “Pumpkin, do you want me to call your daddy?” I didn’t know what else to do. This wasn’t typical behavior from her.
Madison silently rubbed her eyes, answering yes against my shoulder.
Normally I’d go through the office but there was a temp at the front desk and it would be easier if I called him myself. Picking up my desk phone, I dialed the number on my emergency contact list, my heart speeding up. Regardless of the reason, I was about to call Caleb.
Get it together, Abby.
I jumped when I heard his deep masculine voice. “Hello?”
“Um, yeah, this is Abby. I mean Miss Abby,” I corrected nervously. “I’m here with Madison, and I think she needs her daddy right now.”
“Is she okay?” Panic was evident in his voice.
“Well, we had an emergency drill today, and she’s really upset. I haven’t been able to calm her down. She won’t tell me why she’s so bothered.” I rubbed Madison’s back with my palm.
“Leaving now.” The line went dead.
I hated calling a parent in, but I couldn’t let Madison spend the rest of the day so shaken. I phoned the front office and explained what had happened, then held Madison’s tiny, shaking body against mine and started to sway as I hummed the tune my late grandmother always sang when I was a little girl and needed comforting.
Slowly, Madison started to relax. I smiled and continued humming.
⁂
Caleb
I raced through traffic with my heart hammering against my chest. My baby girl needed me, and I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to get there as fast as I could. I was in the middle of plotting a scene, but she was more important than any deadline. I parked in the only empty spot in the lot. It may have been the principal’s space, but I couldn’t care less.
Throwing the car into park, I turned off the ignition, jumped out of my SUV, and ran to the front office. I grabbed a visitor badge and signed in, then rushed to the classroom. As I neared the door, I heard a beautiful melody and had to stop. When I peeked around the corner, my heart melted. The woman who seemed to be starring in my dreams lately was rocking my baby girl.
With the voice of a damn angel.
I craned my neck and peered into the adjacent classroom. It looked like two kindergarten classes were combined and watching a movie, another teacher sitting close by. One boy was bouncing around while the others calmly sat and watched.
“Look, it’s Madison’s daddy,” I heard a little girl yell, then all eyes were on me, including Madison’s and Abby’s. I barely had a chance to squat down before a small body slammed into me.
“Daddy.” Her body quivered, clinging to me, tears freely flowing. “Justin said we were all going to die when the alarm went off, just like my mommy did. I was so scared.”
My wide eyes connected with Abby’s, and she mouthed, ‘Dammit.’ She raised her hand, asking me to give her a minute, then she walked over to the crowd of kids, stopping at the boy who was still bouncing around.
She crouched down in front of the boy. Panic was now written all over the little guy’s face. I whispered words of comfort into Madison’s ear as I watched Abby speak to the child. She pulled on his small hand so he would follow her, and they passed us.
“Give me a minute?” She pleaded on their way out the door. “I don’t want her to leave like that. Go ahead and grab a seat.” She pointed to the seat behind me.
“Sure.” I walked over to the chair she’d been sitting in and plopped down.
⁂
Abby
Why?
Of all the kids who could be in my classroom, why on earth was Justin Zuckerman in mine? I normally handled these situations on my own. It wasn’t a pleasant one, but I had a personal history with this kid’s family. I decided this was one the principal needed to handle. I marched into Principal Hanson’s office, explained what had happened, then headed back to my classroom, hoping Caleb was still there.
I practically ran into them as I turned the corner. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.”
“She was getting embarrassed, so I figured we would wait out here.”
I stepped behind Caleb so I could see Madison. But instead of seeking her face, my eyes landed on Caleb’s neck. He had a cute little mole there, and I had this sudden urge to run my finger over it and kiss it.
Keep it together, sister.
Taking a deep breath, I shook my head and addressed the round brown eyes that now stared at me. “I’m sorry Justin wasn’t a good friend today. Don’t ever take something one of the kids says to heart. Especially something mean.” I wanted to wrap my arms around her tiny body, but that would mean I’d be hugging Caleb, too.
Just the thought of that made me shiver.
“It’s not your fault, Miss Abby, but I wanna go home with my daddy.”
Caleb moved his head and placed a kiss on Madison’s cheek. Of course, my eyes went directly to his lips.
Wanting to comfort her, I answered, “Okay, pumpkin.”
Caleb spun around to face me with a stunned look.
What had I done? “I’m sorry, did you have another plan?” I asked timidly.
“No, it’s just that—” A flash of pain crossed his face. “Only two people have ever called her that.” He pointed to himself, then up.
Nodding discreetly, I swallowed hard. I had just called his daughter a name that her deceased mother had used.
Can this day get any worse?
⁂
By the end of the day, I was still bothered. I headed to the parking lot with f
ull arms, spotting a certain blonde that made me cringe.
Tiffany Zuckerman.
Her narrowed eyes were focused on me, and she did not look happy.
I glanced around, hoping to see another teacher, but everyone I knew had already left. I’d stayed late to meet with Principal Hanson, who’d informed me that Tiffany was fairly irate when she had to come in early to pick up her son.
I stopped on the pavement, contemplating turning around and going back inside, pretending like I’d forgotten something, but that would be too obvious. It was time to face this nightmare head on.
Approaching my car, I tried to ignore Tiffany, but she had other ideas.
Seething, she stalked up to me.
Dammit!
Opening my trunk, I tossed everything in, keeping my cell in my front pocket and keys in my hand.
“What the hell, bitch?” The words slurred out of Tiffany’s mouth as the smell of alcohol assaulted my nostrils.
My jaw dropped. I’d never been called that before. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Tiffany swayed, shooting daggers from her squinting eyes.
“Maybe you need to call a cab and head home, Tiffany.” I felt sick to my stomach.
“Screw you,” she spat. “Just because my brother dumped your trampy ass, and didn’t want anything to do with your bastard kid, doesn’t mean you have to take it out on my son.”
Gasping, I literally had to take a step back to keep from falling over. “What? You don’t know what you’re talking about Tiffany.” Tears stung my eyes, but I did everything in my power to keep them from falling. Tiffany would not see me cry.
“Are you going to cry like the weak bitch you are?” The venom in her voice was unbelievable.
I was beside myself. How could someone be so hateful?
“Where do you keep your piece of shit spawn anyway?”
That was it. There was no way I was going to let this go on. I stormed over to my driver’s door and flung it open.
Behind me, I heard, “Don’t you dare walk away from—” But I slammed the door shut, muffling Tiffany’s infuriated voice, and drove away, leaving her standing there, livid.
