Page 5 of Twice Shy

Mr. Morgan touched his shoulder. “I’m going to start clearing up.” With a nod to Jackie, he said, “This could go on a while.”

“I’ll help. These are the last of the burgers and they’re just keeping warm now.”

Between them they piled all the empty packages, mayo and ketchup bottles, into the sacks Jackie had provided—sorting out the plastics from the trash for recycling. When they were done, he followed Morgan back around to the front of the school where the dumpsters were hidden behind a neat wooden screen. The little space behind it smelled of trash and cigarettes.

“This is where the smokers hide out,” Morgan said, making a show of wrinkling his nose.

“Classy.”

He laughed. “Right?”

It was a nice laugh, gentle and reassuring. The kids must love him. “I quit a couple of years ago,” Ollie said. “After I took on the boys.”

“Good for you.” Morgan opened the dumpster and Ollie swung his trash sack up and inside. “I guess I’m lucky. I never started.”

“No, I don’t suppose you did.”

Morgan gave him a curious look. “What makes you say that?”

“Oh. Nothing. I mean, only that you seem very…wholesome.”

“Wholesome?”

“That’s not an insult or anything. I just mean you seem the sensible type. Too sensible to start smoking at sixteen, that’s for sure.”

“Wholesome andsensible?”

“There are worse things to be,” Ollie said, shoving his hands in his pockets.Flighty,reckless,irresponsible—to name but three of the many epithets leveled at him during the custody hearing.

To his surprise, Morgan turned serious. “I actually can’t argue with that. Sensible and boring are kind of my watchwords these days.” He nodded toward a white car sitting in the parking lot. “Help me carry the recycling over? They don’t collect from the school, so I put them in my recycling at home.”

“See?” Ollie teased. “That’s both wholesome and sensible.”

“I’ve learned there’s a lot to be said for both.” He smiled ruefully at whatever expression he saw on Ollie’s face and popped the trunk. “I wasn’t always an elementary school teacher, you know...”

“No?” He found himself smiling too as he dropped the recycling inside and, after Morgan locked his car, turned to walk back to the sports field with him. “Let me guess. You’re a retired spy? Secret agent?”

Morgan laughed. “Oh, way darker than that.”

“Really?” Ollie cocked his head, considering. “Politician? Ooh, I know—you’re a former Mafia Boss in witness protection.”

“Hmmm… try former investment banker.”

“Wow. That reallyisdark.”

“Told you.”

They slowed as they reached the corner of the school building, the low September sunshine spilling over the trees and spinning the summer-dry grass into gold. Ollie spotted Rory racing about with his friends, Luis toddling along behind, their laughter rising over that of the other kids as if his ears were tuned only to them. Jackie had finished her recruitment drive and people were starting to leave. Moms and dads gathering their kids, scooping them up to go home. Rory had a sharp mental image of Jules and Ellis being here and doing the same, and he ached that they’d never had this moment, never seen their children running and laughing together in the sunshine.

Without warning, grief ambushed him, rising sharp in his throat. He stopped dead, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Now wasn’t the time, not with the kids around; he never let them see him cry. Slowly, he breathed out, allowing the wave of grief to crest and subside. When he opened his eyes, Morgan was watching him.

“Okay?”

“Yeah.” He forced a smile. “I’m fine.”

Morgan was silent for a moment, then turned his attention back towards the field. “I’m going to help pack up, but feel free to head off with the kids if you need to get home.”

“I guess it’s getting late.” He sighed because he’d rather stay—he was enjoying the grown-up company—but the kids came first, always. “Um, hey.” He snagged Morgan’s sleeve to get his attention.

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