Beth Andrews - Caught Up in You

After sitting, she organized a pile of papers. He could practically see her organizing her thoughts, as well. Her desk was covered; papers and math workbooks were stacked in neat piles, a plastic bin sat empty at the corner. A stapler, tape dispenser and hole punch lined up with the edge of the desk. Pencils, pens and markers were jumbled together in a wooden holder declaring that Teachers Have Class.

She was as tidy and put together as her desk, her hair smooth, her nails trimmed and painted a light pink.

He rubbed the frayed knees of his jeans. Wondered if he should have gone home, shaved first, but that would have been stupid, going all the way across town to comb his hair and rid himself of his day-old—okay, three-day-old—beard. He had no one to impress here. Nothing to prove. His kid was well dressed, well mannered and, other than a few scrapes in the playground last year, well behaved.

And well loved.

If Harper didn’t see that, she wasn’t as smart as her rank in their high school graduating class had indicated.

“No mail?” Harper asked as Max returned.

He shook his head.

“Thanks for checking. Would you like to play a game on the iPad while your dad and I talk?”

“Okay,” he said quietly, his gaze flicking to his teacher’s face before lowering again.

“Great.” She took an iPad from her desk drawer, handed it and headphones to him. “Why don’t you sit in the beanbag chair?”

He hurried to the corner and toed off his sneakers. Sitting cross-legged, he put on the headphones and, as easily as that, was cut off from the world, lost in whatever educational game Harper had on that tablet.

Those things were like magic.

“I was thrilled to see Max’s name on my class list at the beginning of the year,” Harper said, sounding as if she really meant it. “I had your niece and she was a pure delight.”

Because Bree always worried about doing the right thing, loved to read and never got a grade lower than an A. Sort of like the woman before him. In school Harper had been one of the brainiacs. Popular with both students and teachers, she’d been incredibly smart and impossibly friendly.

It wasn’t natural to be that nice all the time.

No surprise Harper thought highly of Bree. He didn’t hold his niece’s sweetness or intelligence against her. He loved her like crazy.

He just didn’t want his son compared to her.

“Bree’s a good girl,” he said.

“She is. She must be in what...? Fifth grade now?”

“Sixth.”

“Middle school? It doesn’t seem possible. How’s she liking it?”

“Fine.” And what any of this had to do with Harper’s reason for calling him to meet with her, he had no idea. Women. Why couldn’t they just say what was on their mind? It would save everyone a hell of a lot of time and trouble.

“I’m glad she’s doing well. It can be a big transition for some kids, that leap from elementary to middle school.”

She looked as if she expected him to respond to that but since he had nothing to add, he kept quiet.

“Well,” she said, “anyway, thank you for coming in today. I was sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk at the open house.”

He narrowed his eyes slightly. Straightened in his uncomfortable seat. Was that a reprimand? If it was, why couldn’t she lay into him instead of making him guess whether or not she was pissed? “I was working.”

When he wasn’t working, he spent time with his kid, not running off to meetings and socializing. He wasn’t going to apologize for it.

“Are you still at Bradford House?” Harper asked.

He nodded. Everyone wanted to know about Bradford House. Some were interested in the renovations Montesano Construction was doing at one of the oldest homes in Shady Grove, Pennsylvania. They wanted a description of every room, or an invitation to see the soon-to-be fully operational bed-and-breakfast themselves without actually paying to stay there.

Or they brought up Bradford House’s owner, Neil Pettit, a hometown boy who was now one of the NHL’s elite players. They wanted the latest gossip, insider information about Neil’s reasons for buying the Victorian, his sister Fay’s suicide attempt and his reconciliation with Eddie’s younger sister, Maddie, a few months back.

Eddie drummed his fingers on his thigh. Waited for Harper to start with the inevitable questions or probing comments, ones designed to get answers to topics that were none of her business.

“It’s so great that Neil and Maddie are together after all these years of living separate lives.”

See?

He grunted.

She remained undeterred and, unfortunately, talkative. “It’s so romantic.” She leaned forward as if they were two good buddies sharing happy secrets and fun times. “High school sweethearts falling in love again.”

Romantic. Christ.

Funny how so many people agreed with Harper. Guess they conveniently forgot how Neil took off after getting a sixteen-year-old Maddie pregnant. That he’d been in their daughter’s life only part-time until recently.

Most people except Eddie and his two brothers. Hard to let something like that go, especially when it happened to your baby sister and niece. Eddie, James and Leo might forgive what Neil did—mainly because Maddie wanted them to. But forget? Not in this lifetime.

“I think it’s wonderful Bradford House is being renovated. It’s always been one of my favorite houses in Shady Grove,” Harper continued. “I was by there last week. That wraparound porch you added is gorgeous.”

“I didn’t add it,” Eddie said. He’d been working on a bathroom remodel across town when the exterior work had been done at Bradford House.

Her smile dimmed, going from supernova bright to regular shining-star glowing. “I meant you as in Montesano Construction.”

He lifted his right shoulder.

“Okay,” Harper said, drawing the word out. “Guess that’s enough shop talk. No, no—” she held out her hand as if to stop him from speaking, though his mouth remained tightly closed “—really, I know you could go on and on and on about your work but let’s stick to the subject at hand, shall we?”

Scratching his cheek—he really did need a shave—he narrowed his eyes. She was messing with him. He wouldn’t have thought she had it in her, not when she looked all innocent and sincere.

“Max is a very sweet boy,” Harper said as if she hadn’t been yanking Eddie’s chain. “He excels in art, has a real talent for it. Not that I’m an expert or anything but I know what I like.” She smiled at her own lame joke, didn’t seem to mind that Eddie didn’t.

“I really enjoy having Max in my room. He’s kind and thoughtful but a bit of a loner. If we could get him to open up more, to come out of his shell—”

“Being shy isn’t a character flaw that needs overcoming,” Eddie said quietly.

Max was fine the way he was, and if he wanted to stay in his shell, so be it. As a kid, Eddie had been told to talk more, be more outgoing and friendlier. All he’d ever wanted was to be left in peace with his thoughts.

“No, of course it’s not.” Harper sounded confused, looked flustered and embarrassed. “I only meant it might be good for him to make a few friends.”

Max had friends. Max had a friend, Eddie amended. Joey Malone, a kid he’d met in first grade. They were in different classes this year but still hung out.

“That why you wanted to see me?” Eddie asked. “To discuss Max’s social life?”

She opened her mouth only to snap it shut and shake her head, as if getting rid of whatever she’d been about to say. “Actually, I want to discuss Max’s progress so far this year. The first marking period ends in two weeks.” She slid a yellow paper from the pile on her desk and held it out to him. “Maybe once you see his progress report, you’ll understand why I’m concerned.”