Walking Away (The Walking Together Series Book 2)

by T. E. Killian

  He was still sitting there with his head in his hands when Larry came flying into the room.

  “Hey Bro, you don’t look so good. What did you do after Tina and I left last night? Did you party all night too? Man that Tina, she’s the greatest.”

  Kent would normally have laughed at his brother’s exploits if he hadn’t been so upset from Payne’s visit.

  “No, I hung around there for a while then went home.”

  Larry, who could be rather intuitive when he was sober, looked into his brother’s eyes. “What’s got you so bummed out this early in the day?”

  Kent just shook his head and frowned. “Payne.”

  Larry sat down in the chair at the side of Kent’s desk. “Say no more. I wonder why old chrome dome’s already starting in on you again . . . and so soon too.”

  Kent just nodded and Larry continued. “Man, I don’t understand why he’s always treated me so good but hammers on you all the time. You’d think that the old jerk would treat us both the same. After all, he and Dad were best friends for all those years.”

  Their dad had been a teacher there for thirty years before retiring a couple of years back. Shortly after that, their parents had moved to Arizona.

  Kent snorted. “Yeah, I even asked Mom once but she can’t figure out why Payne is always down on me.”

  Larry jumped up when the bell rang. “Gotta go Bro. See you after school.”

  Kent’s first three classes went as they usually did on the first day with freshmen, hectic and too short to get anything but administrative stuff done.

  Finally, it was lunchtime and he realized he was looking forward to seeing Grace. He’d already checked to make sure that she had the same lunch hour that he did. Whoa, what was he thinking? Hadn’t he already decided to keep away from her? Hadn’t he also decided that he didn’t need any more heartbreak?

  Regardless, he entered the lounge and looked for her immediately. There she was, sitting at a table with Joanne Lewis. He almost hesitated. Joanne was a nice woman and they’d gone out a few times several years ago. But nothing had ever come of it.

  Then he remembered that she had tried to get his attention last year and he wasn’t interested in going out with her again. Besides that, she had two daughters and one of them was the same age that Michelle would be.

  When he stepped up to the other side of their table, he said, “Hello Joanne, Grace. May I sit here?”

  Both women answered, “Yes” at the same time.

  Once he was seated, he began unwrapping his sandwich and looked up. “How is the first day treating you two?”

  Kent was looking straight at Grace as he said that and Joanne looked from one to the other before saying, “I guess you two should know each other.”

  Grace giggled and Kent thought there was just a bit of nervousness to the sound. “Oh my, yes. Kent was one grade ahead of me all the way through school here.”

  Joanne frowned. “Then you know his brother too?”

  Kent laughed at that. “Yeah, she knows Larry all right and she can’t stand to be around him either.” Then he looked directly at Grace. “But it doesn’t bother me a bit. I know Larry’s always been more than a little obnoxious toward you.”

  He was proud of Grace. She just smiled with a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Again, Joanne was looking back and forth between the two of them with a puzzled look on her face. Then a knowing look replaced it, followed closely by what he was sure was disappointment.

  What was that all about? Then he thought that maybe Joanne was still hoping to get together with him. Well, that was probably the answer.

  Now, he caught Grace watching him watch Joanne. That wouldn’t do. He didn’t want Grace to think he was interested in Joanne, so he turned his attention back to Grace.

  “Are you about to get settled into your new temporary house?”

  Grace laughed softly. “Not really, and you’re right, I hope this house is only temporary and the shorter the better. Brianna and I just couldn’t find a house we liked enough to buy. So we’re having to rent until we do find one.”

  She seemed to think for a moment. “Oh, thanks again for helping us move in the other day.”

  Joanne excused herself then and left the room. Kent hoped that Grace wouldn’t be rushing off too. So he tried to start a conversation that might keep her there. Why did he want to? He wasn’t prepared to answer that question just yet.

  He chuckled. “You know, I still can’t get over the difference in Matt since he met Betty Sue.”

  Grace actually giggled then. “Yes, my whole family is still amazed too. But we’re all just so happy that we don’t know what to do.”

  Before Kent could think of anything else to say, the first bell rang and they both jumped up to head back to their classrooms.

  * * *

  On her way back to her classroom, Grace had several thoughts flying around in her mind at once. First, she was so excited to have made a new friend in Joanne Lewis. She really liked Joanne and she was certain that they would become very good friends.

  Then she thought about all the looks that Joanne had been giving Kent. Was there something going on there? But Kent hadn’t really looked back at Joanne the way she’d been looking at him. In fact, Kent had been looking at Grace every time she turned toward him. Did that mean he was still in love with her?

  Oh fiddle. She was sure that she was only reading too much into things after all that her mom and Matt had told her Saturday. That was all there was to it and she’d better quit thinking about it, at least for now.

  Grace was pleased when her afternoon classes went just as well as her morning ones had. She had to laugh since someone in each class had mentioned Matt being her brother. She had to remember to tell him about it. He’d get a big kick out of it.

  It was going to be a great help to her having a class after lunch then a free period before the last class of the day. She would be able to make it through her afternoon classes so much better that way.

  When she walked into the office after school, she didn’t see her mom or Brianna. But as she stepped farther into the large room and behind the front counter, Dr. Payne came out of his office and she wasn’t sure if the look he was giving her was a smile or a smirk. She found out when he started talking.

  “Well, how was your first day Ms. Donaldson?”

  She smiled at him, trying not to look down on him since he was three inches shorter than she was. “It was just great, Dr. Payne. I think I’m really going to enjoy teaching freshmen again. I’d forgotten how much fun they can be before they get all jaded by the influence of all the older kids.”

  His frown deepened. “Speaking of influence, I see that you had lunch with Kent Jackson today.”

  Before she could answer in any way, he continued. “I would watch myself around him if I were you. He is not a good influence at all. No, not at all.”

  Grace was surprised at first then her surprise grew into anger. “Aren’t you confusing Kent with his brother Larry?”

  Payne shook his head and started toward his office but paused in the doorway to say, “Not at all. Larry Jackson is one of my best teachers.”

  That statement shocked Grace so much that she grabbed a chair and almost fell into it. She sat there wondering exactly what in the world had just happened.

  That was where her Mom and Brianna found her. They came into the room holding hands and giggling. Her mom took one look at Grace and looked down at Brianna. “Honey why don’t you go back into the conference room and finish that picture you were drawing? Then you can show it to Mommy.”

  When Brianna skipped into the conference room, Grace’s mom pulled her up out of her chair and through the doorway into the hall.

  “What just happened to you Dear? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  Grace snickered and shook her head. “No, but I think Dr. Payne must be delusional.”

  Her mom looked puzzled. “What do you mean Grace?”

  She looked into her
mom’s eyes finally. “He warned me not to be influenced by Kent.” She groaned. “Kent not Larry. And when I asked him if he didn’t mean Larry instead, I think he got a little perturbed with me. He actually said that Larry was one of his best teachers. Can you believe that?”

  Her mom laughed loudly at that and Grace looked at her, waiting for an explanation.

  “Grace, don’t you know how those two boys grew up? Their mother has blond hair, so does their older sister Sheila. You know her. Don’t you?”

  Grace nodded. “Not very well though.”

  “Well, Kent’s dad has always been crazy about his mom and her blond hair. And I’ve heard the rumor that since Sheila and Larry both have blond hair and Kent doesn’t then their dad had virtually ignored him most of his life.”

  Grace was beginning to figure things out finally. “I remember now that Dr. Payne and Mr. Jackson were very good friends when he was teaching here.”

  When her mom nodded emphatically, she said, “You mean to tell me that just because of that, Dr. Payne favors Larry over Kent too.”

  Her mom nodded again. “Yes, Dear, that would be my guess all right.”

  “Oh my. Poor Kent.”

  After Brianna showed Grace the picture she’d been drawing, they went out to the car. On the way, Brianna spoke excitedly, “Mommy, can we go see Trish now? Please? She’s always so nice to me.”

  Grace looked at her watch and wasn’t sure if Trish would still be at the diner this late in the day.

  “Okay Sweetie, we’ll go by there but I’m not sure Trish will still be there.”

  As they walked through the door of the diner, they both saw Trish standing at the rear by the doorway leading into the kitchen. Brianna called out to Trish and ran up to her to be hugged by the older woman.

  When Grace joined them, Trish looked at her over Brianna’s head. “I was just about to leave. But why don’t we all sit down a spell and I’ll bet I know a little girl who might just like one of my famous chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk.”

  Brianna and Trish both looked at Grace who nodded. “That’s fine Trish. I have a sneaky feeling that’s exactly why Brianna wanted to stop by here this afternoon.”

  Grace watched Trish as she went to the counter then came back to their table with Brianna’s snack. Trish was about five years younger than Grace’s parents were and she was short with blue eyes and short blond hair that was beginning to turn gray.

  Brianna giggled and was soon enjoying her cookie and milk while Grace and Trish caught up on things.

  Half an hour later, they all three left the diner and Grace was again feeling so happy to be home. She had really missed Trish all those years she’d lived in St. Louis. Sure, she usually came home about one weekend a month and at least saw Trish at church. But it wasn’t the same.

  She had worked for Trish at the diner all through high school and then summers while in college. Trish had been like a mentor to her all that time. Grace knew things would have been different for her somehow if she hadn’t had Trish in her life back then.

  But now, she and Brianna could stop in to see Trish any time they wanted, not only at the diner but at Trish’s house which was only a few blocks from Grace’s parents’ house.

  Chapter Five

  Kent hadn’t really had a bad day. After all, he’d spent some time with Grace at lunch. But his afternoon classes had seemed to take forever and the normal freshman problems seemed to be magnified. He couldn’t understand why.

  He was just closing his briefcase when his cell phone began to vibrate. When he answered it, it was Hal.

  “Kent, I need for you to come down to my office. Something has come up and it can only be taken care of down here and right away.”

  Kent’s first thought was Larry. “Did something happen to Larry?”

  “No, Kent, as far as I know Larry is fine. The same goes for Sheila and her family too. Just come on down here as soon as you can. Okay?”

  Kent disconnected, rushed out the door, and down the hall toward the exit that led to the faculty and staff parking lot.

  When he walked into the lobby of the police station, Bonnie Wilson, the receptionist and dispatcher smiled at him from the other side of the glass separating them. She pointed at a door next to her and then Kent heard a buzzing sound coming from it. He pulled the door open and stepped through it.

  Once inside, he found himself in a hallway that started next to Bonnie’s desk. She turned her large body toward him. “Hal’s waiting for you.” She pointed down the hall. “Down there. Last door on the right.”

  As Kent made his way down that long hallway, his anxiety grew with each step. The door that Bonnie had indicated was open so he stepped into it and paused there.

  He immediately saw Hal sitting in a chair in front of his desk and there was a little girl with long blond hair sitting in the chair next to him. They both looked up at him.

  “Come on in Kent.”

  Hal pointed to another chair that was next to him. When Kent sat in it, he couldn’t stop himself from looking at the little girl who was now on the other side of Hal. Her bright blue eyes sparkled against the sky blue t-shirt she was wearing with jeans. She sure did look familiar.

  Kent looked back at Hal who looked rather uncomfortable. Just when he was about to ask what was going on, Hal began.

  “Kent, when was the last time you saw your daughter, Michelle?”

  Kent had turned his eyes back to the little girl and kept them there as he answered. “Five years.”

  Hal cleared his throat noisily and looked at the girl. “Well, I’m sure that Michelle’s changed quite a bit in those five years.”

  Kent continued looking at the girl as all the pieces began to fall together for him. “Michelle? Is that you?”

  The little girl’s eyes grew rather large. “You can’t be my Daddy. Mommy said that I got my blond hair from you. You’ve got brown hair just like her. You can’t be my Daddy.”

  Hal made a sound halfway between a snort and a laugh with his hand in front of his face. “But Michelle, his mom and sister both have blond hair and blue eyes just like you do.”

  She continued to stare at Kent all the while shaking her head.

  Kent looked at Hal and said, “What happened Hal? How did she get here? Where’s Shelly?”

  Hal frowned. “Got a call from Trish saying she had a little girl down there that seemed to be all alone.”

  Hal reached over to his desk and picked up a piece of paper. “When I got down there, I found this note in her backpack.” He pointed at the floor next to Michelle where a backpack was sitting.

  Kent took the note and read it.

  “This is Michelle Jackson. Her dad is Kent Jackson. Please see that she gets to him.”

  He looked up at Hal. “That’s all?”

  Hal shook his head, picked up another piece of paper, and handed it to him. When Kent glanced down at it, he could see immediately that it was Michelle’s birth certificate.

  Then Kent looked back at Michelle and discovered that she was staring at him with eyes wide open again. Wow! What did you say to your seven-year-old daughter that you hadn’t even seen since she was two? She couldn’t possibly remember him at all.

  “Hi Michelle. You were only two years old the last time we were together.”

  She kept staring at him and was now frowning fiercely on top of it all. Now what?

  Hal leaned toward Michelle. “Why don’t you tell your dad what you told me, Michelle?”

  Michelle looked at Hal briefly then back at Kent. She took a deep breath and let it out in a rather dramatic sigh that only a seven-year-old can do.

  “My mom has a new boyfriend and he doesn’t like kids.” She made a face. “He’s real mean too.”

  When Kent’s face grew red, she hurried out with, “But he never touched me.” She tilted her head toward Hal. “He already asked.”

  It looked like she was going to stop there but Hal prompted her again. “How did you come to be at
the diner?”

  “We sat in my mom’s boyfriend’s car at the store until a bus came and then they took me inside the store to go to the bathroom. When I came out they were gone.”

  She was going to stop again but Hal nodded toward her and she said, “Well, I went out into the parking lot looking for them and wound up in front of that place he called a diner. I went in and this lady there was really nice to me. She even gave me a hamburger to eat and a chocolate milkshake too.”

  She looked down at her feet. “She must have called the cops.”

  Kent didn’t know what to do now. What could he do? He hadn’t been around kids for a long time. He looked at Hal and the old boy must have realized how far out of his element Kent was.

  Hal’s frown turned into an almost smile. “Why don’t you call Sheila? She’ll be able to help you do what you need to do for now.”

  Kent felt like shouting and kicking himself all at the same time. Why didn’t he think of that? Sheila had two kids of her own and one was even Michelle’s age.

  Just as Kent pulled out his cell phone, Michelle said, “You don’t want me either, do you?”

  He put the phone down and looked into her eyes, which were beginning to tear up. “Michelle, I’ve loved you since you were still in your mother’s tummy. I haven’t seen you for five years because your mom left with you and no one here knows where you’ve been all this time.”

  He paused for a breath. She continued to stare at him as tears began to streak down her face. “I’m calling my sister so she can help me get you settled here with me. Okay?”

  She still didn’t say anything but he could tell that he hadn’t completely convinced her yet.

  He knew he needed to reassure her right now or he’d pay for it later.

  “Okay, Michelle, here’s how it’s going to be now. You are my daughter and you’re going to stay with me from now on, because I do want you . . . very much. Do you understand that?”

  She nodded and even attempted a smile.

  Since the real estate office that his sister and her husband owned was very close to the police station, Sheila was there in less than ten minutes. Meanwhile, Kent and Hal both tried to get Michelle to tell them about the missing five years of her life but she either didn’t remember much or didn’t want to tell them. So they gave up just as Bonnie buzzed Hal to let him know that Sheila was on her way back there.