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“No, no. I can be good and listen.” Noah pushed his fist into Dakota’s bicep. “What’s the deal? You interested in her?”
“Yeah, but she’s… well, she… she’s…”
“Not falling completely under your spell,” Evan finished.
“Exactly. I don’t know what to do about it.”
“Thisisa rare occurrence.” Noah drummed his fingers on his thigh. “She did seem shy though. I tried to spark a conversation, but she was just down to business on adopting that cat. Didn’t want to engage in small talk. I mean she was polite, but short, you know? I figured she wasn’t into burly, handsome guys like me who smell like wood from working at the sawmill.”
“Maybe she can sniff out idiots,” Jimmy said. “You know, like a superpower or something so she doesn’t waste her time.”
“Could be,” Noah said, glaring at his cousin, “but that wouldn’t explain why she’s immune to Dakota. I think we can all agree he’s not an idiot or why would we let him lead us in dangling precariously off the side of a mountain face?”
Jimmy and Evan grunted their agreement and got to their feet as did Noah and Dakota.
“Maybe she is just shy.” Dakota hadn’t considered that perhaps he was being too forward. Possibly Leah needed to get to know him more before agreeing to spend time with him, but she had to spend time with him in order to get to know him.
But maybe if she didn’t have a choice and wasn’t totally alone with him…
Two hours later, after finishing the climb with Noah and his cousins, Dakota drove over to Maplehaven Elementary and asked to see Principal Myers.
“What can I do for you, Dakota?” She motioned for him to have a seat on the small couch in her swanky new office as she sat at the other end.
“Actually, it’s what I can do for you.” He gave her his most charming smile—one he used when he was a student and had to get himself and Noah out of any number of situations.
“You and your family have done quite a bit for the school already, haven’t you?” She gestured around the office with her outstretched hands. “I’ve never worked in a more beautiful school.”
“The final product did come out nicely, didn’t it? I’m glad you, the teachers, and the students are enjoying the building, but…” He pulled out one of his Birch Peak Adventures brochures and tapped the cover of it. “I’m here to offer some outdoor enjoyment for the students as well. Just because you have a great building doesn’t mean the students shouldn’t be learning outdoors too. I’d like to donate one free adventure trip for the class you think might be the most deserving.”
Principal Myers picked up the brochure and flipped it open. “Wow, Dakota, that’s generous. Are you sure?”
Dakota nodded. “Hey, you never know which kid will be inspired by such a trip and want to pursue a career in environmental studies or something.” He knew connecting an adventure trip back to learning and career readiness would seal the deal.
Principal Myers smiled and stood. “I know just the class.”
Dakota crossed his fingers in his lap, praying this crazy strategy would work out the way he wanted it to. “Which one?”
“Follow me.”
Principal Myers opened her office door and led Dakota out into the hallway. He was surprised at how clammy his hands were as he worried about bumping into Leah. Would she think he was stalking her? Would she be upset he was hanging around her place of work?
Even worse, would she ignore him completely? Why was this woman having such an effect on him?
After a short walk down the still sparkling new hallway, the principal stopped at the kindergarten wing. “Take a peek in there and tell me what you see?”
Dakota peered through the window Principal Myers had indicated and took in the scene before him. Tiny kindergarteners were cuddled up to older students, books surrounding them. Some little ones had expressions of rapt attention as the older students read aloud to them. Others were smiling and laughing as the older students chatted with them. All of them looked as if they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
And then, in the corner of the wide open space, Dakota saw her. Leah was sitting with one older student and two kindergarteners. She had a raccoon puppet on her hand and her face was animated as she interacted with the little ones. Her fourth grader—who Dakota now realized was Luke—had a fox puppet on his hand and he reached out to the kindergarteners with it, causing them to squeal in delight.
“Every Wednesday, Miss Greenstead takes her fourth graders down here to the kindergarten wing and they engage in a buddy reading session. Each and every kindergartener loves this time. They ask for it every day. Miss Greenstead’s students are such good role models and under her direction they are truly blossoming into something I don’t even have the words to describe.” Principal Myers put her hand on Dakota’s forearm, drawing his attention—barely—away from Leah. “If any class deserves your kind offer of a free adventure, it’s Miss Greenstead’s fourth grade.”
Score!He was a little afraid at how well this was going. So far anyway. What would Leah’s reaction be though?
“It certainly looks as if they’re doing something wonderful in there.” It also looked as if those fourth graders had the hottest teacher on the planet. In a flowy burgundy dress that was almost medieval in its design and her hair pulled back from her face in a braid that snaked over her shoulder, Leah resembled elven royalty. She’d put any Tolkien character to shame.
When she stretched her legs out under the table where she sat, Dakota chuckled at her shoes which had dark red apples all over them. He wondered if she’d chosen them because of the time of year, because they were associated with teachers and schools, or because of the fairy tale references. In any case, he enjoyed the quirkiness she let show in her crazy shoes. It made him want to get to know everything about her. Surely someone with that little streak of fun was worth unraveling.
“Do you want to announce the good news to them? I can have Miss Greenstead take her class to the cafeteria for you.” Principal Myers moved to the door and put her hand on the knob.
