felt himself frown. “I’m sure you didn’t, son.”
“But she slammed the plates on the table. But not like Mom. Miss Ryken didn’t break any.”
Nick couldn’t breathe. He never had the right words to explain Susan’s odd behavior. Couldn’t excuse it, either. They’d argued so much toward the end. Way too much.
“Don’t worry. Miss Ryken wasn’t mad at you.” She was probably madder than a hornet at him, though, for letting his boy down. And rightly so.
Nick turned left onto the road that took them north of town to where they now lived. He needed to talk to Beth Ryken.
“Hey, bud, do you have recess before your lunch break or after?”
“After,” Corey said. “Why?”
“Just wondered.”
Nick knew his son ate lunch around noontime. So, maybe he’d stop by tomorrow. And see if he couldn’t have a chat with Miss Ryken.
* * *
Beth checked her watch and growled. She was late. Way too late for her early-morning dentist appointment. She pushed down on the gas pedal and picked up speed. And then spotted the flashing lights.
“Really?” Beth slowed and pulled over to the side of the road.
Another growl escaped while she checked her glove box for registration and proof of insurance. Beth jumped at the quick tap to her driver’s-side window. And then her stomach sank.
Deputy Officer Nick Grey with a shining gold star on his chest opened the door for her. He stood there tall and solemn. His mouth twisted into a crooked grin. “In a hurry this morning, Miss Ryken?”
Her stomach, which had dropped somewhere near her sandal-clad feet, now fluttered back to life. Why’d the man have to look so good in that brown uniform?
She let out a sigh. “Late for an appointment. I guess I was going a little too fast, but there’s no point now—I’ll never make it in time.”
“Do you know what the speed limit is on these roads?”
She squinted at him. Seriously? “My dad was a cop, remember? Fifty-five.”
He cocked one eyebrow, but there was a definite twinkle in his eye. “I clocked you at sixty-eight. Not wise on back roads with deer roaming in the fields.”
Irritation filled her. Irritation that she’d get a ticket, irritation that Nick Grey might be a low-down scoundrel who not only scared his little boy but didn’t attend to his education. Even more irritating still was despite all that, Nick Grey grew more attractive every time she looked. “Just give me the ticket and we’ll both be on our way.”
“Would you step out of the car?”
Her eyes flew wide. “What! Why? I’ve got my papers right here. Look me up and you’ll see I don’t have a history of speeding tickets. This will be my first one.”
His brows drew together and he looked stern. Downright scary, too. For a skinny guy, Nick was pretty intimidating. “I’m not giving you a ticket.”
“Then why...?”
“I need to talk to you. Please?”
Oh, there was no denying that pleading look he gave her. And that only fueled the anger simmering inside. She got out of her car and slammed the door harder than she’d intended. “What do you want?”
“What’s with the attitude?”
Beth didn’t hold back. “I saw fear in your son’s eyes last night and I’d like to know why.”
Again the man only cocked one eyebrow, cool as can be. “When you slammed the plates on the table?”
Beth gasped and then sputtered, “I, uh—”
“Corey told me. Look, Miss Ryken, there’s something you should probably know. My wife had mood swings. During one of her more manic ones, she smashed a stack of plates because I was late for dinner. Corey’s a little sensitive.”
Beth’s mouth dropped open, and she slapped her hand over it. She was going to be sick. Corey wasn’t afraid of his father; he’d been afraid of her!
“It’s okay. No harm done. But it hasn’t been easy for Corey, and I didn’t make it any easier by sending him to live with his grandparents. But I’d run out of options.”
Beth’s heart broke all over again. “I’m so sorry.”
“For what? Thinking ill of me? You should. I let my boy down.”
“No, for scaring your son.” Beth leaned against her car and stared at the cherry orchard across the street. She’d called that one all wrong.
The sun shone on dewdrops clinging to the tree buds, turning them into sparkling crystals. Those cherry buds would soon burst open into white blossoms. Just one of many breathtaking sights in Northern Michigan. She sidled a glance at Nick. Yup, breathtaking sights everywhere.
“It’s okay, really. No harm done. His grandparents sugarcoated everything, afraid to raise their voices. I don’t know, maybe they thought they were protecting him.”
“Is that why you moved here? To get away from them?”
He shook his head. “I need to reconnect with my boy. His mom’s issues forced us into a partnership, but then I left my partner behind and abandoned him.”
“Living with his grandparents for a while is hardly abandonment,” Beth pointed out.
“Tell that to a seven-year-old.”
Beth gave him a sharp look. “I see what you mean.”
He nodded and then leaned against her car, too. Right next to her. “You see why I won’t let him repeat second grade? He’s had so much taken out of his hands beyond his control. This will feel like one more failure for him. Another left behind.”
It would feel that way to a seven-year-old. What a tough spot. Beth dropped her head back to look up at the clouds above. Her arm brushed against Nick’s, connecting with what felt like a hard beam of steel.
She scooted away and faced him. “But it’s so late in the year. I don’t want him to get lost in the shuffle if he’s moved ahead.”
“It’s never too late.” Nick’s voice was soft.
Beth drew in a sharp breath. Awareness hummed between them as he watched her. In his eyes she saw something stark and lonely and her heart responded. But she couldn’t erase his worries and fix what had gone wrong in his life. He was off-limits.
She wasn’t stupid. Beth knew mutual attraction when she saw it. When she felt it. There was no way she’d let herself get romantically involved with this man. Not when Beth knew how quickly his life could be snuffed out.
“I want to ask you a favor.”
Beth tipped her head. Sounded like a big favor, too. “What’s that?”
“Will you tutor Corey in reading?”
Beth stood straight and stepped away from her car. Away from him. He made her dizzy.
“I’ll pay you, of course. Whatever it takes.” He straightened, as well.
Beth whirled around. “I can’t accept your money. I won’t. He’s my student. It’s my job to help where I can....”
“But?”
She looked Nick in the eyes. So easy to do. “Repeating second grade might be the best thing for Corey. Have you considered that? He’s new—it’s not like there’s peer pressure to deal with. Not yet. He could even go to the other second-grade class so I’m not his teacher.”
“It’s not the best thing. Not for Corey. And not for me.”