* *
ADDIE TAPPED HER pen on the desk. Another Monday was nearly over—for the kids anyway. Surprisingly, after a week of supervising detention, she missed it. She’d managed to get something done while the kids worked on their homework.
And she’d gotten to know them all a little bit. They’d ended each session with a few minutes of discussion. And every day Ryan had stayed behind to ask a question or two.
He now knew that her favorite color was blue. He’d learned that while she hadn’t been to Chicago, she had gone to college at the University of Illinois in Urbana. That answer had made his eyes light up with his smile. He’d been extremely interested in hearing about her siblings, especially Wyatt’s ranch and the horses.
She missed their interactions. Glancing at the clock, she figured it’d be another couple of hours, at least, before she finished with the pile of paperwork. She had finally figured out the budget, though. She wanted to pat herself on the back for getting that done. Now the employee files perched on her desk taunted her. She sighed.
Time to look at year-end reviews. What exactly did this have to do with education?
“I’m heading over to the admin office with this,” Gina said from the doorway, a box in her arms. “Do you need anything before I take off?”
“A million dollars?” Addie mumbled to herself. “No. Thanks.” She stared out the window. The bus stop was just outside, and she watched as kids waited and the big yellow buses arrived.
Maybe a cup of tea would help her concentration. She stood, intending to head to the teachers’ lounge. That’s when she saw them.
Ryan was with another boy, leaning against the wall at the corner of the gym building. This was his first day out of detention.
She couldn’t quite identify who the other boy was. Their heads were bent over the screen of one of their phones. She was almost afraid to wonder what had grabbed their attention. Whatever it was, it was apparently quite enthralling.
She liked seeing the smiles on both their faces, though she didn’t really want to know what was going on inside the heads of two thirteen-year-old boys. Still—
She moved closer to the window. From here, she could see them more clearly. The other boy was Dex Silvano. Dex was one of those kids everyone loved, but who she was convinced would grow up to be something great—like a jewel thief or used-car salesman.
He and his family lived only a couple of blocks from her, and Addie frequently ran into his mother at the grocery store. Addie knew more about Dex than she did any of the other kids at the school. That wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Maybe some fresh air would help more than tea. She headed to the door and outside. “Hey, Principal Hawkins,” rang out several times. She smiled, stopping to talk to several kids who’d been her students last year. It helped fill up that little hole that grew inside when she spent too much time alone.
She wondered why Ryan and Dex were still here. They both lived within walking distance. Addie herself sometimes walked to work on nice days. Like today.
“Hello, boys.”
Ryan looked up, and, while his smile didn’t go away, it faded some. She felt a little guilty. He thumbed the screen of his phone dark.
“Hello, Ms. Hawkins.” He shoved the phone into his pocket. “Am I in trouble?”
Addie laughed. “No. I’m just taking a break. Thought I’d enjoy the sunshine.” She lifted her hands toward the sky. “Nice day, huh?”
“Yeah.”
She looked over at the other boy. “Hi, Dex.”
“Hello.” The boy nodded.
“You heading home?” she hinted with a glance toward Ryan.
“Yeah. My dad’s picking me up today.” Ryan gathered up his backpack and hitched it over his shoulder. Dex didn’t have his backpack with him. She almost asked him where it was, but didn’t. His mother would be checking on him, making sure he got his homework done.
“Baseball tryouts start tomorrow,” she reminded Ryan. He’d mentioned it the first day of detention, but not otherwise. Nick’s presence hadn’t helped.
He looked up, seemingly surprised she remembered. “Yeah.”
“Are you going to try out?”
He shrugged. “I dunno.”
She looked closer. “What happened to the boy who couldn’t wait for practice to start last week?”
Ryan glanced over at Dex. Was he worried about what his friend would think of his wanting to play baseball? Dex didn’t let her down, though.
“You didn’t tell me you were playin’ ball. Cool. What position?”
“I dunno yet. I might not make the team.”
“Did something happen? Why the doubts?” she asked.
“No doubts.” Ryan glanced sideways at Dex again. She inwardly smiled. Oh, yeah, even thirteen-year-old boys had to uphold their macho image. He reminded her of her brother DJ. At about the same age, he’d wanted so badly to be just like their brother Wyatt.
“I think you can do whatever you set your mind to.” She repeated the words she’d heard her mom tell DJ back then. “But make sure it’s you you’re trying to be, not someone else. You—” she emphasized the word “—like baseball don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“You should go for it, man. Show that dumbass Nick—” As if suddenly recognizing what he’d said, and to whom, Dex colored. “Uh—”
“I’ll let you off the hook for your language, Dex.” She didn’t want it to interfere with her conversation. “But I expect you—both of you—to let me, or one of your teachers, know if there are problems with other kids.”
“Everything’s fine,” Ryan answered too quickly.
And there it was. The lie he’d nearly told her last week in her office, and in detention. It hurt that he did so now.
“Well, have a good afternoon, gentlemen.” She turned away, then paused and turned back. “Remember, my door is always open.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ryan whispered.
Had she missed something? Why was he distant all of a sudden? She took a few steps backward. “Maybe I’ll stop in at practice tomorrow. See what coach is planning this year.”
That got a smile out of him, and she was shocked at how it transformed his features. She couldn’t look away.
Memories of another boy, another time—an equally devastating smile—overwhelmed her. Before the ache became too much, she shook her head. Reality, and the school grounds, thankfully returned.
Marcus Skylar was going to have his hands full with this one. Someday, some girl was going to fall head over heels for that smile. Addie just prayed Ryan didn’t break that girl’s heart like Cal had hers.
As if summoned by her thoughts, a late-model Jeep pulled up to the curb near the boys. Ryan’s father sat behind the wheel. He glanced at Addie and their gazes locked. For just an instant. He smiled, not the way his son had, but gentle and warm, inviting.
Addie looked away first, turning to go inside. What was wrong with her? Twice, in a few minutes, she’d lost complete track of her thoughts.
She needed caffeine more than she’d thought.
IT WAS LATE when Marcus walked into the coffee shop. Only a few people sat at the scattered tables. The scents of coffee, vanilla and