Page 3 of Twice Shy

Ollie made a point of thinking about it, tapping his chin with one finger. “Gee, I can’t remember. You’d better go check for me.”

When Rory dashed off to investigate the contents of the trunk, Ollie said, “I’m helping with the Welcome Cookout tonight. The PTA thing?”

Joel felt inexplicably pleased to hear that. “Well,” he said. “So am I.”

“Yeah?” Ollie smiled and it made his eyes dance. Warm brown eyes, Joel noticed. “Then maybe you can tell me where to put all this stuff? I’ve got, like, a million burgers in the trunk.”

“I found the ketchup!” Rory yelled from behind him. “Blech! Why did you get mayo? Mayo’s gross.”

Ollie rolled his eyes. “It’s not gross, Rory. Lots of people like mayo.”

Rory answered with retching noises and Joel laughed. “You need a hand getting all this into the school?”

“No, I’m fine.” Ollie shifted Luis onto his other hip. He’d started squirming to get down again. “Ugh, you’re getting heavy, Champ.”

“Why don’t I grab some bags for you?”

“No, really, I’ve got it. I can manage.”

Which was when Joel spotted Rory squirting mayonnaise out of a giant bottle onto the pavement. “Uh, Rory…?”

Ollie turned around. “Oh my God! Rory, stop it. What are you doing?”

“Nothing!” The bottle was clearly visible when he hid it behind his skinny back, his eyes wide and innocent. “Mayo’s gross.”

“For the love of—You come right here,” Ollie scolded, his cheeks pinking as he threw a worried glance at Joel. Hell, did he think he was getting graded on his parenting skills? “That’s naughty, Rory. Look at the mess you made. And it’s a waste of food and money. Now what do you say?”

Rory’s bottom lip turned down into a pout. “Sorry, Ollie.”

“I should think so. Now put that bottle back in the bag and—”

“Hellooo! Mr. Morgan, hello!” The strident voice rang out over the parking lot and Joel froze for a moment before turning around to greet Jackie Olsen, chair of the PTA since the beginning of forever.

She trotted across the parking lot in bright white training shoes, her aggressively blond hair up in a ponytail just like her daughter’s, poking over the sun visor shading her eyes. Her second youngest was in Joel’s class, a perky girl of eleven going on seventeen—a definite chip off the old blockette. Joel fixed a smile on his lips. “Jackie, hello.”

She moved in for an air kiss, which he tolerated because it was just her way. “Mwah!” she said, with a smack of her lips. “How was your summer? You look scrumptious, as always. So tan!”

Her flattery and flirtation were old news—she did it to all the male teachers—but with Ollie watching, Joel felt unexpectedly self-conscious. “It was good, thanks. I laid a new floor in my living room and got the roof fixed.”

Pressing a hand to her chest, she feigned a swoon. “Be still my beating heart, there’s nothing more attractive than a man who makes a home.” She turned her aggressively white smile on Ollie, who was staring with unabashed bemusement. “Hi,” Jackie said, offering her hand. “I’m Jackie Olsen. Chair of the PTA.”

“Oh!” Understanding dawned and he smiled. “I’m Ollie Snow—we chatted on the PTA Facebook group? I’ve brought the cookout food.”

“Marvelous,” she said, clearly sizing him up. “Delighted to meet you, Ollie. It’s wonderful to have another dad involved. We don’t get enough men, and— Oh.” Her eyebrows rose as she took in the puddle of mayo next to the car. “Did something leak?”

“What?” Ollie grabbed Rory’s hand. “Oh, er…”

“No problem, we’ve got it,” Joel said, offering a winning smile. “Where are we putting all this stuff, Jackie? In the dining hall or…?”

“Out back next to the sports field. My other half is putting the grill together. Are you going to help cook again, Mr. Morgan?” She didn’t quite flutter her eyelashes, but it was a close thing. “You did such a marvelous job at the Summer Carnival.”

Joel smiled. He’d sweated his ass off behind the grill at the Summer Carnival last June, but he wasn’t about to complain. He didn’t do negativity anymore. Besides, he didn’t mind; it was all in a good cause. “I’ll help Mr. Snow carry this stuff through, then start setting up.”

“And you, Ollie, you’re staying too? I’m sure we could use another man on the grill. I’d offer my other half, but he can barely fry an egg.” She laughed, as if her husband’s culinary incompetence was amusing and not embarrassing.

“Sure,” Ollie said. “But I’ll need to watch the boys. I don’t want them anywhere near the grill.”

“Your wife’s not coming?” Jackie peered around as if a woman might be lurking in the bushes. “Or is she working?”

“Um…” Ollie’s eyes met Joel’s, twinkling in amusement, and Joel had to repress an unprofessional snort. He doubted many people mistook Ollie for straight. “I don’t have a…a partner right now.”

Silence.

Joel dived into it before Jackie jumped in with both feet. “There’ll be plenty of kids running around, and plenty of parents to supervise—if you want to stay, that is.”

Ollie flashed him a grateful smile. “Thanks, I… Sure, why not?”

Joel figured he must be tired of fielding questions about Rory and Luis’s parents, especially in front of the kids. That explained his gratitude.

It didn’t explain why Joel was so pleased he’d decided to stay.

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