by Alice Ward
“No, you’re just in time.” I slid over on the couch, making room for my friends to join me. Linda disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few moments later with plates and a huge roll of paper towels. I uncorked the bottle of red, already waiting on the coffee table, and poured us each a glass.
“I can’t believe we’re having a football party,” Linda said with an amused grin. Like me, she’d never taken much interest in sports before I met Ethan.
“I can’t either,” Melissa agreed. “And I’d just like to say that this is awesome. It’s so weird to hear the two of you talk about interceptions and yard lines, but in the best possible way.”
“Want to hear something even weirder?” I asked.
“Always,” she replied, her voice piqued with intrigue.
“For the next few months, we’re going to be talking about things like centerpieces and maids of honor dresses,” I announced, my cheeks hurting with the enormity of my smile.
“What?” Melissa squealed.
“I knew it,” Linda added triumphantly.
“When did this happen?” Melissa pressed.
“Just a few days ago. Obviously, we won’t be making any public announcements for a while. Ethan and I were talking about our future, and it just sort of happened. I don’t have a ring yet or anything, but I’ve honestly never been happier.”
“I’m thrilled for you, Em,” Linda gushed.
“Me too,” Melissa added. “I can’t believe you’re marrying Ethan McAlister. This is all so insane.”
“I know. I keep expecting to wake up and realize that it’s all been a dream.”
“So we’re planning the wedding in the next few months?” Linda asked.
I nodded. “I want to do it before we move.”
“That makes sense,” she agreed. “You know we’ll help any way we can.”
“Of course we will. But right now, we’re missing kickoff,” Melissa announced. She grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. Linda opened all of the food, and we gorged ourselves while watching Ethan lead his team to one of the most definitive wins in football history. The Stallions beat New Orleans seventy-two to seven. We opened a third bottle of wine to celebrate the victory.
“You know, Emily, this is a win for you too,” Melissa told me. “After the way Ethan played tonight, he’ll have his pick of teams once he leaves the Stallions. The two of you have an incredible future in front of you.”
***
“Good morning, sunshine,” Ethan greeted me as I stepped into the kitchen. Christmas vacation was over, and I was about to set off for my first day of work after Alfie’s incident. I was nervous but thrilled to be with my students again.
Ethan stood behind the stove, scrambling eggs. He folded them onto a plate, added fresh fruit and a yogurt parfait, and set the food on the kitchen table.
“Breakfast is served, darling.” He pulled out my chair and I smiled back at him as I sat down.
“You’re in a good mood,” I said, biting into a ripe strawberry.
“I’m in the best mood,” he agreed. “I’ve made a decision.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m hot right now, baby. You saw the way my offense crumbled during the bowl game. Newscasters are saying they’ve never seen a single player carry a team the way I did. Victor would look like a fool if he cut me, regardless of the reasons. So today, I’m going to tell my parents exactly where they can stick their opinions. And then, I’m going ring shopping.”
I gaped at him, another strawberry stuck between my lips, mid-bite. It dropped to my plate. “Are you sure about this?” I hesitated; my nerves were already on edge without the added pressure of dealing with the Montez’s. I wanted to go public with our engagement more than anything, but I worried Ethan was feeling a little too cocky after a string of big wins.
“I’m positive. If Victor tries to pull anything, we’ll go public with our side of the story. I think I know someone who’d put us in front of the camera,” he teased.
“I’m sure Melissa would love the story,” I agreed. “But we’re so close to the end of our original plan. I’m not sure rocking the boat is a good idea.”
“We’ll be fine, Emily. I promise. You’re just nervous about today. That’s completely normal after everything you’ve been through. But the moment your kids start filing into the classroom, your nerves will disappear. We’ve been through hell, Em. But it’s over now.”
I didn’t feel as confident as Ethan, but I wanted to. I was tired of the sneaking around and hushed phone calls. I decided to take a leap of faith. “Okay, baby. This is your career and your family we’re talking about. If you think it’s safe to tell them the truth, I’m in.”
He smiled and kissed the top of my head as I ate another bite of my eggs. “Perfect. Now, you don’t want to be late on your first day back. Eat your breakfast, and I’ll take you to your car.”
“Just think, baby,” I said with a smile. “This is the last time you’ll have to sneak me in and out of your house. No more hotel stays, no more takeout food.”
“I’m still very much in favor of takeout food,” he teased. “But yes, no more sneaking around. In fact, I think we should make a public spectacle of ourselves in the very near future.”
***
Ethan was right. The moment my students started arriving that morning, all of my nervous energy disappeared. They greeted me with wide smiles and squeals of delight, begging me to never leave them again. Under the advice of the school counselor, my kindergarteners weren’t told that my absence had anything to do with what happened to Alfie. They asked me where I’d been, and I told them I had some grown up stuff I had to take care of. They accepted my simple explanation and asked if we could have a longer than normal story time, as their substitute hadn’t been a fan of reading out loud.
“She played books on tape, Miss Kinkaid,” Parker Murphy complained, his pudgy lower lip turned down in the most adorable pout. “It wasn’t good.”
“We’ll definitely have extra-long story time,” I promised.
The morning was fairly uneventful, and the kids and I happily fell back into our old routine. As Principal Matthews had predicted, the school board had put me on probation instead of reinstating me completely. But fortunately for me, they appointed Linda to supervise me. I was required to check in with her twice a day, and she had been asked to pop into my room unannounced periodically. So really, it was if nothing had changed at all.
I wasn’t on recess duty, so I was able to take a little time to myself after my class finished eating lunch. I walked the abandoned halls, picturing the man who’d broken into my classroom and trying to understand his motives. Knowing someone had invaded the school so easily was unsettling, and I couldn’t get it off of my mind. Distracted, I walked straight into Ben as he stepped out of the gymnasium. It took us each a moment to recover from being startled, and then we stared at each other awkwardly.
“Hey, Emily,” he finally spoke, shoving his hands into the front pocket of his baggy athletic pants. “How’s your first day back going?”
“Pretty good,” I replied, my voice light and easy. I no longer held any ill will toward Ben. He’d certainly screwed me over, and he’d acted like a child after Ethan and I got together. But given recent events, he was the least of my problems.
“I’m glad,” he said, his eyes shifting around the empty hallway. “Look, I know I’m a bastard for the way things ended between us. And I know cornering you in the breakroom and outside the assembly was way out of line. I… I didn’t handle things well, Emily. I’m sorry about that.”
“Apology accepted.”
“Really?” he pressed.
“Really,” I assured him and actually meant it. “Look, Ben, I was pissed by how things ended too. But in the long run, you did me a favor. Everything happened for a reason. I’m happy now… truly, almost disgustingly happy.”
“I’m glad to hear that, honestly. And I’m so glad they lifted your suspension. When
I found out what happened to Alfie, I wanted to call and check on you. I never for a second believed that you poisoned that little boy, Em. I can’t imagine how being accused of it felt.”
“It wasn’t my finest moment,” I agreed. “I’m just happy Alfie doesn’t have any lasting damage. Though I don’t blame the Hollis family for deciding to homeschool.”
Ben nodded. “I’m surprised there hasn’t been more of that since news got out about the intruder. Any idea who that guy was?”
I shook my head. “None. You?” The cops had passed the intruder’s picture around the faculty, but to my knowledge nothing had come from it.”
“I wish I did. That ass deserves to rot in jail for the rest of his life. You know, for a while… once I realized how out of line I’d been, I worried you might think I had something to do with it,” he confessed.
“It never even crossed my mind. Other people suggested it,” I admitted. “But I told them they were off base. We’ve had our issues, Ben. But I know you’re not a monster.”
“I appreciate that,” he replied, his voice genuine. “I really hope we can be friends, Emily. I know we’ll never be BFFs or anything. But I don’t want us to hate each other.”
“I don’t hate you, Ben. And I don’t see what the occasional friendly chat in the hall could harm.”
But don’t press it, buddy. We won’t be the type of friends who hang out.
Ben’s face relaxed into a relieved smile. “Thanks, Emily. I know this may be pushing it, but maybe the next time Ethan’s cousin is in town, we could all go out to dinner. I promise I learned my lesson about straying. I won’t be that kind of guy anymore.”
If I’d had any idea what Ben was talking about, I would have been furious that he was trying to get me to hook him up after everything he’d done. But Ethan had never mentioned any cousins, so all I felt was confused.
“Cousin?” I asked. “Which cousin?”
“The pretty little blonde. She said her name was Heather.”
“Oh, Heather. I didn’t realize the two of you had met.” I wasn’t about to tell him I had no idea who Heather was.
Ben nodded. “She was here. If I remember right, it was the Monday before Halloween. I was working late with the sixth-grade basketball team. She stopped by the gym, introduced herself, and asked where she could find you. I gave her your room number. Didn’t she mention we’d met?”
I have no idea because I don’t know who the hell she is.
“Sorry, Ben,” I said with an amused shrug. “I guess you didn’t make an impression.”
He blushed and looked at the ground, awkwardly shuffling his feet. “I suppose it would have been pretty weird, anyway.”
“Yeah. We can be friends, but I think me setting you up on dates crosses the line. I’m glad we talked things out, but I need to get back to my room. Linda will be bringing the kids in from recess soon.”
“Of course. Thanks, Emily. I’ll talk to you soon.”
He ducked back into the gym and I carried on toward my classroom, a thousand questions and scenarios going through my mind.
Ethan’s never mentioned anyone named Heather. And I’ve certainly never met any of his cousins. There’s only one explanation for this. The intruder had an accomplice. She came in to pinpoint my classroom, and he came back a few days later to tamper with the snacks. But why? Who were they trying to hurt, and which of us were just innocent bystanders?
I had tons of questions, but nowhere to go for answers. I was tempted to send Ethan a quick text and ask if he had a cousin named Heather, but I knew I had to wait until after school. Getting caught on my phone my first day back was the last thing I needed. I pushed the new information from Ben to the back of my head and met Linda and the kids as they filed in from outside.
“Can we have one more story time, Miss Kinkaid?” Stella Benton asked.
“Absolutely,” I agreed with an indulgent smile.
***
“Calm down, baby. Just take a deep breath. This will be over soon. And it won’t be as terrible as you think.”
I rumpled my face into a frown and gave Ethan my best “you’ve got to be kidding me” stare.
“Okay, that was a lie,” he agreed with an amused laugh. “It’s going to be God awful. But we’ll survive. And as soon as it’s over, I’m going to take you home and show you just how much I appreciate you sitting through this with me.”
A week had passed since Ethan stood up to his parents about our relationship. They’d reacted exactly how Ethan expected: they were pissed, but Victor hadn’t mentioned sabotaging Ethan’s spot on the team. Martha called Ethan that morning and insisted that we join them for dinner, so they’d have a chance to get to know me. Ethan and I both knew their motives weren’t as innocent as they’d have us believe.
“Are you sure I look okay?” I asked, smoothing the skirt of my emerald satin cocktail dress. We were eating at the Montez’s home, but I still felt underdressed.
“You look fantastic,” he assured me again. He turned the steering wheel to the left and the truck glided up a majestic cobblestone driveway. The house at the end of it looked more like a centuries-old resort than a single family home. The stone walls and thick glass windows looked as formidable as their owners.
“This is where you grew up?” I asked as Ethan slid the truck into park.
“Not really. Victor owned the place long before we met him. But we spent most of our time in Nevada so he could keep an eye on some of his bigger investments. Mom and Victor didn’t move in full time until after he started the team.”
“This place looks like it needs a drawbridge and moat.”
“I know. It’s Medieval and I hate it. But we don’t have to stay long. I promise we’ll make our escape the first chance we get. Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I agreed with a sigh.
Ethan got out of the car and walked around to open my door. I took his arm and we walked up the stone steps together. When we reached the door, Ethan knocked once.
“You knock at your parents’ house?” I whispered out of the corner of my mouth.
“They like to keep things formal,” he explained.
The door swung open and a woman in an honest to God maid’s uniform greeted us with a warm smile.
“Mr. Ethan, it’s so good to see you. It’s been too long.”
“Thank you, Carlotta. It’s nice to see you too. This is my fiancé, Emily Kinkaid. Emily, this is Carlotta Moore. She’s taken care of me as long as I can remember.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Carlotta.”
“You too, Miss Emily.” She looked me up and down, smiling her approval before turning back to Ethan.
“Your mother and Victor are in the dining room enjoying a cocktail. Dinner will be ready shortly.”
“Looking forward to it. I guess we’d better go join them.”
Carlotta disappeared through a swinging oak door and Ethan led me through the expansive marble entryway. Oil paintings in antique gold frames adorned the walls and it seemed like everything I laid eyes on was made of glass or stone. I wondered if all of Ethan’s childhood homes had been that cold and unwelcoming.
We passed through a doorway into a formal dining room with the largest crystal chandelier I’d ever seen. A long, narrow table ran the center of the room, and Mr. and Mrs. Montez were already seated at the far end. They didn’t stand to greet us.
“Ethan, it’s about time you got here,” Victor greeted in a booming voice. “We were just about to pour our second round. Sit down.”
“Good evening Victor, Mother. It’s so nice to see you,” Ethan replied, ignoring the hostility in Victor’s voice. “I don’t believe you’ve met my fiancé. This is Emily. Emily, my stepfather, Victor.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Montez,” I offered.
“Yeah, you too,” he replied, staring at the table.
“Mother, you remember Emily?”
“Of course. It’s very nice to see you again, dear. Wou
ld you like something to drink?”
“No, thank you,” I replied as Ethan pulled out two chairs opposite his parents. “I have to work tomorrow, so I’ll just stick with water.”
Marsha studied me for a moment, her nose turned up as if I smelled bad. “Very well, then. More for the rest of us. Ethan?”
He shook his head. “No, thank you, Mother.”
We sat in awkward silence for a few moments before I cleared my throat. “Thank you so much for having us over to dinner. It’ll be nice to have a chance to get to know each other.”
She sneered at me again and drained her glass. “So Ethan tells me you’re engaged, but I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
“We’re having Emily’s ring made,” Ethan replied. “I felt it was only right for a one of a kind woman to have a one of a kind ring. If all goes as planned, it will be ready early next week.”
“I’m sure it’ll be stunning,” Marsha said, her voice flat.
A few more moments of silence passed, and then Victor and Ethan launched into a lengthy strategy discussion about the team’s next playoff game. I zoned out of the conversation, very aware of Marsha’s piercing eyes on me.
It was tough to sit there and be polite when I had so many suspicions swimming around in my head. After my conversation with Ben, I casually asked Ethan if he had any cousins. He listed several, including a woman named Heather. When he questioned my curiosity, I told him I was working on the guest list for the wedding. I didn’t want to make any accusations about his family until I’d worked things out in my mind.
I was almost certain that Heather had been at the school under Marsha’s orders. Ethan’s mom had orchestrated the entire incident as a way to push me out of her son’s life. If it hadn’t been for the school’s security cameras, and my ex-boyfriend, she probably would have succeeded.
Marsha and I ate our roasted duck and vegetables in relative silence while the men continued talking about the upcoming game. When Carlotta finally cleared our plates, my heart danced at the thought that the evening was finally over. It had been boring, but relatively painless, and I wanted to escape while our luck held out. Victor and Marsha had other ideas.
