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Thank God for small mercies.
Brady takes Laurel’s hand, giving her a tug, and I watch them walk over, reflecting that I could have asked them the name of the woman who’s teaching their daughter. Still, it’s too late now, and I have to smile as Brady puts his six foot five frame in the way of Anita Knox, giving her little choice other than to back down. The relief on the Kindergarten teacher’s face is enough to make me chuckle, and although I keep half an eye on Nash, I can’t help watching the woman of my dreams, wondering if I’m brave enough to turn fantasy into reality.
Chapter Seven
Zara
Today has gone a lot better than I expected. But I suppose my expectations were fairly low.
The children were mostly well behaved, and I think their nerves were at least as bad as mine, which might have helped. Some of them are lovely. In fact, most of them are. But there’s one in particular who I think may cause me problems. In a way, it’s not surprising. He’s the son of the woman who barged into the classroom this morning, and his name is Alexander. Not Alex, but Alexander. He made a point of telling me that, the little dear.
I imagine that, given the chance, he’d make an excellent bully, although I’ve got no intention of letting that happen. The other children under my care are far too nice to fall foul of such an obnoxious little boy.
And yes, I know I shouldn’t feel like that. But honestly… sometimes you just can’t help yourself.
“It’s time to line up,” Margot says, and I smile across the classroom at her.
She’s been a rock today, and I’d have been lost without her. Watching over so many children was hard enough this morning, but when we got out the painting things this afternoon, I seriously wondered about my life choices… or at least my career choices.
Giving a group of five-year-olds free rein with paints is always going to be a recipe for disaster, and today proved no exception. I suppose I should be grateful they were all wearing aprons, and that the damage to myself was limited to a splash of red paint on my black pants. Luckily, it’s washable, and although I hadn’t planned to do any laundry this evening, I guess that’s gonna be my first job when I get home.
I wander to the door, where Margot is trying to get the children into a neat line, although Alexander is pushing to the front, elbowing Addison out of the way.
“Let me through,” he says, his nose in the air. “I have to go first.”
“Why?” Nadia grabs him by the arm and turns him around. She’s taller than most of the other girls, and according to Margot, has older brothers, so I guess she’s more than capable of holding her own.
“Because my name begins with the letter ‘A’,” Alexander says, pulling away from her.
I step in before he starts a full-scale fight. “If we were lining up alphabetically – which we’re not – then Addison would go before you,” I tell him. “Just get in line with everyone else.”
He glares at me, and as I turn to help a little boy called Theo to pull his backpack on, Alexander pushes his way to the front, clearly refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer.
Addison and Nadia whisper something to each other and move further back, still talking, and although I glance at Margot, she’s busy tying one of the boys’ shoelaces.
Once all the children are in line and have quietened down, Margot opens the door and I lead them out, surprised by how busy the corridor is. It’s obviously taken us longer to get ready than I thought, although at least Miss Montgomery isn’t around to witness that little failing on my part.
Someone else is holding the main door open and I lead the children outside.
I’ve been dreading this part of the day, wondering if I’ll hand over a child to the wrong mother or father, but most of the parents seem to know what they’re doing and step forward in a fairly orderly fashion to collect their offspring.
I even have time to glance around the schoolyard, trying to catch sight of Nash… or, to be more precise, his mother. It’s a form of punishment, I suppose, for wanting her husband – for thinking of him in the way I have been – that I should force myself to see her and their son together… to know that she’s the woman who’s captured his heart.
That’s an awful thought, and not one I want to dwell on, but as I turn slightly, I can’t help the gasp that escapes my lips when I see Tanner standing to one side. He’s alone. By which I mean he’s not with his wife, and he’s talking to Addison’s mom and dad… except the sheriff isn’t Addison’s dad. Not officially. Not yet.
They seem to be deep in conversation, and I have to stare, even though I know I shouldn’t. Tanner is too perfect not to stare at… and although I know it’s wrong, my body heats at the sight of him.
I hate the fact that he’s taken.
No. That’s not true. I can’t deny him happiness, even if it’s not with me.
What I hate is that, for the first time in my life, I’ve fallen in love with a man, and he’s not available. Not only that, but it seems I’ll have to watch him being unavailable on a regular basis, while keeping my thoughts and feelings to myself.
That seems unfair to me, and I drag my eyes away from him, before regret overwhelms me.
My eyes alight on Russ, who’s standing at the corner of the building, leaning against the wall. He doesn’t have to be out here. The children in his class don’t need to be handed to their parents at the end of the school day, but I guess he needed some fresh air… or to stare at me for a while. That’s what he’s doing, and I tilt my head at him, wondering if there’s something wrong. He smiles, which suggests there isn’t, and then makes a ‘drinking’ sign, like he’s asking me to join him. I remember I was trying to find a way out of that, and hesitate for a second, but then nod my head. What harm can it do for us to compare notes after our first day?
“Miss Howell?”
