An Unexpected Father

by Lisa Ruff

  “Avoiding a mother and father who want to set me up on another date with a nice local boy.” She set her purse on the workbench and leaned a hip against it. “Am I interrupting?”

  “No,” Patrick said.

  “Yes,” Ian countered almost as quickly. Ian saw Anna shoot a glance at Patrick.

  “Sounds like somebody got up on the wrong side of the table saw,” Anna teased.

  “I’ve got two tons of work to do, thanks to Mr. Sure-we-can-have-it-done-by-next-week.” Ian pointed a wooden slat first at Patrick, then at his sister. “And I don’t need an audience.”

  “I could help,” she offered.

  Patrick snorted. “Right. Pretty architects should draw things. Not build them.”

  “You might be surprised. I know my way around a construction site.”

  “Like that tree house you helped me build?”

  “I was seven years old.” Anna crossed her arms over her chest and huffed out an irritated breath. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you? I’ve learned a few things about cantilevered loads since then, you know.”

  “I should hope so,” Patrick said with a grin. “That thing came down in a hurry.”

  “Gravity is a merciless bitch,” Ian added solemnly as he reached for another pipe clamp.

  Patrick laughed. Ian saw Anna’s eyes narrow to angry slits. He suddenly felt as though time had reversed and they were kids again. Anna had an Irish temper that matched all that bright red hair, and Patrick, like most older brothers, could never resist poking her.

  “I think my degree and experience makes me better qualified to build things than you.”

  “It makes you qualified to tell people how to build things, maybe,” Patrick said doubtfully.

  Anna put her hands on her hips. Now her irritation was real. “Do you belittle Kate like this?”

  “He wouldn’t dare,” Ian said, figuring it was time to referee—as usual—when the banter got too serious between them. “Better knock it off, Patty, before she whacks you with a plank.”

  “She started it,” Patrick said in laughing protest. “Besides, teasing my baby sister just shows how much I miss her.”

  “How come you’re so dressed up?” Ian asked Anna, trying to change the topic. “Got a hot date with one of Mom’s preapproved matches?”

  After one last warning glare at Patrick, Anna turned to Ian. “I went to lunch with Mimi.”

  Ian forced himself not to tense at the mention of the name. “Have a good time?”

  “Fantastic! I’ve really missed her,” Anna said. “I didn’t realize how much until today.”

  “She’s got a great kid,” Patrick said.

  A cell phone rang. Anna reached for her purse, but it was Patrick’s. Looking at the screen, he rose from the stool. “Sorry, I’ve got to take this.”

  After Patrick stepped outside, Anna took his seat. “I really admire Mimi. She’s sacrificed everything for her son. Don’t you think?”

  “Mmm.” Ian kept his eyes on his hands as they fitted louvered slats into the slots of the frame. There was no way he was rising to whatever bait his sister was offering.

  “She’s even prettier than she was in high school, too.”

  “I didn’t know her then,” Ian said, hoping he sounded disinterested enough to make her give up her fishing expedition. No such luck.

  “We talked about you.”

  “Great,” Ian said in as neutral a tone as he could muster.

  “She’s definitely got the hots for you.”

  “She does?” His gaze flew up to meet his sister’s. When he saw her eyes start to twinkle mischievously, Ian knew he was caught—hook, line and sinker.

  “Gotcha,” she said softly.

  Ian looked back down at the wood frame in front of him. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them. Fury rose in a wave. He slammed the block of wood he’d held down on the table. “Don’t play games with me, Anna. This is not high school.”

  “I’m not playing games!”

  “What do you call it then?” He leveled a hard look at her. “You waltz in here, spend a few hours with Mimi and start matchmaking. You’re worse than Mom.”

  “I was just—”

  “I’m leaving in exactly three months, seven days and eleven hours. I don’t need any complications right now. I don’t think your friend is interested in that, either.”

  Anna frowned at him, but remained silent. Finally, she nodded. “Okay. You’ve made your point.”

  “Good.”

  “I’m sorry, Ian.”

  “Yeah,” he said softly. “Me, too.” Her sad dark eyes told him she meant what she said. They also told him that she guessed just how deep his sorrow went. He lowered his head and pretended to look at the pieces of wood on the bench. “I need to finish this panel.”

  “Sure.” She fidgeted with her purse handle, then picked it up and stood. “Well, I guess I better go. I’ll see you at dinner?”

  “If Dad’s at the grill, I’m there,” Ian answered with a half smile.

  She left without another word and Ian heard the door click behind her. He stood quietly, his hands on the bench, waiting for his mind to clear. His eyes automatically traced the shape of the frame he had just assembled, soothing his thoughts. Suddenly, he noticed that something was wrong. He had reversed two of the louvers.

  Shaking his head, he undid the clamps, but the glue had already set. He would have to cut all the wood for it again. What a waste—a stupid, boneheaded mistake. A burst of impatient anger streaked through him. Ian cursed and threw the frame across the room. It hit the far wall and split into a dozen pieces. Running his hand over his head and back to his neck, he massaged a knot there that would not budge. He had made too many mistakes to be sorry about lately. Meeting Mimi Green was at the top of the list.

  Chapter Six

  Mimi shifted in her seat, gripped the black leather purse in her lap and wished she could get up to pace. Jack sat at her side staring at the floor. One of his legs swung back and forth, bumping against the chair leg. Mimi put a hand on his knee. He flashed her a glance and she gave one brief shake of her head. His leg stopped moving, but he started to pick at the armrest of the chair instead. A mother and daughter came out of the principal’s office, the mother with a determined grimace, the young girl’s head downcast.

  “Mr. James will see you now, Ms. Green,” the secretary said.

  Mimi rose, smoothing down the skirt of her navy dress. Borrowed from her mother, she hoped the outfit made her look serious and mature. She had scooped her hair back into a neat French twist and added pearl earrings to complete the ensemble. Still, she was nervous, as if she had done something wrong for which the principal would punish her.

  Jack had jumped to his feet, too, only to sink back into his chair with a scowl when the secretary asked Mimi to go in alone. Mimi put her hand under Jack’s chin and tilted his head up so their eyes met. “Behave,” she said softly.

  Jack shrugged and squirmed away from her touch. Mimi turned and opened the door to the inner office. From behind a desk, a tall, portly man rose and extended his hand.

  “Ms. Green. It’s nice to see you again,” he said, shaking her hand and closing the door behind her. “Please, have a seat.”

  Mimi sat facing his broad desk while the principal took the chair behind it. She had been here once before, when she had enrolled Jack in school after their return to Crab Creek. From that visit, she had come away liking the man who oversaw the school; he seemed genuinely interested in educating her son.

  Mr. James glanced at some reports in a file on his desk and frowned slightly, then folded his hands, one over the other, on his desk. “Ms. Green, I asked you to come in today with Jack to discuss his progress in our school.”

  “I’m happy you’ve taken an interest in him.”

  “Ms. Green, do you get a chance to supervise his homework?”

  “Yes, I’ve been working with him as much as I can. It’s been a struggle, bu
t I think he’s improving.” Mimi’s voice rose on a hopeful note. “His grandfather has been helping him with numbers, too, and Jack’s score on his last math test was better.”

  “I saw that in his teacher’s report,” Mr. James said. His tone told Mimi he wasn’t nearly as hopeful.

  “I know he’s not quite caught up on his English assignments, but I promise you, he’ll get them done this week.”

  “I’m sure Ms. Scheuer will be glad to hear that.” The principal paused. His eyes were kind, though his face was solemn. “Jack is at the bottom of his class, Ms. Green. And despite your efforts at home, his performance has slipped even further these past two weeks,” Mr. James said gently. “I must tell you that, as it looks right now, we cannot pass Jack to fifth grade.”

  Mimi sucked in a sharp breath. The words struck with the force of a blow, sending her thoughts reeling. She tried to focus on the man sitting opposite, but her vision was hazy for a moment. “What? Are you sure?”

  Mr. James flipped through some papers. “Unfortunately, yes. Jack is struggling to keep up with his peers. He always seems to be just on the edge of failing. Not only at this school, either. I’ve looked at the records from his previous schools this year and I see the same pattern.”

  “But he did the extra homework,” Mimi said urgently. “He brought his grades up.”

  “In this school, yes, he has,” Mr. James said with a nod. “But the transcripts from his other schools tell a different story. I’m afraid that if he goes on to fifth grade, he’ll just fall further and further behind.” Mr. James continued citing data from the pages in his file to prove his point.

  Mimi held up a shaking hand to stop him. “How is it that I’m hearing about this on the last week of school?”

  “I do apologize for that, but please understand that your son hasn’t been a student here long. It took a while to get all Jack’s transcripts transferred, and for me and his teacher to evaluate them,” Mr. James said. “As you know, your son’s schooling has been…shall we say, varied.”

  That pause was like a lash on Mimi’s back. “We’ve moved around a lot,” she said, her voice shrill in her own ears.

  “Yes. I can see that.”

  A flush of heat rose in her cheeks and a wave of panic threatened to overwhelm her. She dug her fingers into the leather of her purse and tried to stay calm. “Mr. James, if Jack has to repeat fourth grade I’m afraid he’ll get too discouraged and he’ll give up altogether.”

  “Yes, I’m concerned about that possibility, too. So, before we take that drastic of a step, I’d like us to try another alternative.”

  “Which is?”

  “Enroll Jack in summer school, starting next week. We have an excellent program. If he applies himself, I believe he can catch up to the rest of the students in his class by the end of the summer.”

  “Of course,” Mimi said. She needed no time to make the decision. “Tell me when and where and I’ll make sure he’s there every day.”

  Mr. James folded his hands again as he looked over at her. He cleared his throat and smiled. “Jack is a bright boy, Ms. Green.”

  “Not so bright that he isn’t failing school,” Mimi said with a wry twist to her lips.

  The principal chuckled a little. “No, that’s true.” He looked down and then back at Mimi, his face serious. “I spent quite a bit of time going over Jack’s records and reading the evaluations his past teachers have written. I also had Jack tested recently.”

  “Tested?”

  “Standard evaluations. Nothing out of the ordinary. But, Ms. Green, your son is very bright,” Mr. James said.

  “That’s good, isn’t it?” Mimi cocked her head to the side a little, wondering where this conversation was going.

  “It is,” he agreed. “I really think Jack’s intelligence is what has kept him from failing before. The number of schools the boy has attended? It’s not surprising that he’s behind in his classes. It also explains why he has difficulty making friends and fitting in socially.”

  Nausea washed over Mimi. She gritted her teeth together against it. Every word the principal said was like an ax chopping down the life she and Jack had lived. “He won’t be moving from now on,” she said. “We’re here to stay.”

  “That will be good for Jack, certainly,” Mr. James said with a nod. “But what I’m trying to say is that just being sure Jack attends school won’t be enough. Somehow, we have to convince him to learn.”

  “Of course he’ll learn. I’ll make sure—”

  Mr. James held up a hand, patting the air as if to calm her. “We can all tell Jack to do the schoolwork, we can stand over him and watch him do it, but unless we capture his interest, he will continue to just skate through. Ms. Green, I think a significant portion of Jack’s problem is boredom. Because he is bored, he doesn’t pay attention. Because he doesn’t pay attention, he fails. When he fails, he thinks school is a waste of time and he gets more bored with it. It’s a spiraling circle down.”

  “So what do I do?”

  “Getting him in to the summer school program will be a start. The teacher this year is very good at challenging her students. I’ve already spoken to her so she is aware of Jack’s situation.”

  “Thank you.”

  Mr. James leaned forward in his chair. “We need to find a way to capture Jack’s attention, some incentive. Is there something that motivates him? Something you can reward him with if he applies himself? Is he into some particular sport or activity?”

  “Well, he likes music. And he’s recently become interested in sailing.”

  “There you go.” Mr. James held up his hands as if all their problems were solved.

  Mimi remembered her argument with Ian Berzani about Jack’s education. To her chagrin, the principal seemed to be agreeing with him. She looked down at her purse and noticed the marks her nails had made in the leather. Loosening her grip, she looked back at the principal. “So if he pays attention in school and does the work, I should reward him with something he likes.”

  “Exactly. Sometimes, it’s that simple.”

  “He’s going to hate going to school in the summer.”

  Mr. James smiled, a twinkle in his eyes. “That is a foregone conclusion. I’ve never had one child who didn’t. But if he profits from it, it’s worth the pain.” The principal sat back in his chair. “Let’s bring Jack in here and talk to him about it. I’m sure he’s anticipating the worst, as it is.”

  Mimi agreed and steeled herself for the coming battle.

  HALF AN HOUR LATER, Mimi and Jack walked out of the school to their car. Jack was quiet, his hair down over his eyes like a shield. Inside the car, Mimi paused before starting the engine.

  “I guess we have some work to do.”

  Jack remained obdurately silent, his face turned toward the window. Mimi reached out and brushed a hand over his head, but he ducked away. Her heart aching, she turned the key and drove them home. Jack kept his face averted for the entire trip, then dashed out of the car and into the house without waiting for her.

  Inside, Claire and George waited anxiously. “How did it go?” Claire asked quietly.

  In a few brief sentences, Mimi told them what had happened and what had been decided. “So, here we are,” she finished with a sigh, sitting down at the kitchen table across from her parents.

  Claire put her hand over her daughter’s and patted it gently. “If summer school is what it takes to get him on track, that’s what he’ll do.”

  Mimi turned her hand so that their fingers interlaced. “Think you could convince Jack of that?” She shook her head. “He thinks it’s my fault that he has to go. In a way, I guess he’s right.”

  “You are not to blame for this, Mim,” her father said sternly.

  “Aren’t I?” Mimi looked at her parents. She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, but blinked them away quickly. Holding up a hand to stop whatever they were about to say, she forced a smile to her lips. “Don’t answer that. This isn’t abo
ut me right now. I have to focus on Jack.”

  Her parents were silent, then her father asked, “So how do we convince him to go to school?”

  Mimi grimaced. She had come up with an answer to that question on the drive home, but she didn’t like it now any more than she had then. “I go talk to Ian.”

  “What for?” George asked.

  “He’s got the carrot that will lure Jack,” Mimi said. “After Saturday, I think Jack would do just about anything to get on a sailboat again. Even go to school in the summer.”

  “Well, that’s perfect then,” Claire said with a relieved smile. “I’m sure Ian will do whatever he can, dear. He’s a very nice man.”

  Mimi looked at her mother, opened her mouth, then closed it. Nice was not a word that would stick to Ian Berzani. “We’ll see. I’ll hope you’re right.” With that, Mimi rose and went to the door. “Wish me luck.”

  Outside, forcing herself forward, Mimi walked slowly down the street to A&E Marine, postponing a meeting with Ian. She was going to have to grovel, and the prospect was not a happy one. As usual for a hot summer day, the yard was busy. She looked around the stacked boats, but saw neither Ian nor Patrick. A sign pointed to the office, so she turned to go there.

  As she crossed the parking lot, she spied a too-familiar backside climbing down a ladder a few boats down. She reached the boat just as Ian stepped off the bottom rung. Standing right behind him, Mimi swallowed the lump in her throat. Before she could speak, Ian swung around. When he saw her he jumped, the tool bag in his hand dropping to the ground with a clang and clatter.

  “Holy shit!” Ian stumbled back against the ladder, hitting his head.

  Mimi lunged forward, hands outstretched. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “What the hell are you doing?” he said in a growl. He avoided her touch, pushing himself away from the aluminum steps and rubbing the back of his head.

  “Are you all right?” Mimi asked, taking a hasty step backward.

  “I’m fine.” Ian reached down for his tool bag, picking up a couple of chisels that had jumped out of it.