Page 17 of Welcome to Forever
Chapter 5
The next afternoon, Micah parked the Jeep and trailer with his lawn equipment on the side of the school and stepped out. He’d been dreading coming here all day. Half dreading, half looking forward to it. He needed to talk to Kat about the kiss they’d shared last night.
“Dad!” Ben called, waiting for him on the concrete breezeway at the front of the school.
Micah mustered a smile, which wasn’t too hard when it came to his son. “Hey, buddy. I thought your teacher said you could help grade papers while I did the lawn this afternoon.”
“She did. Just wanted to say hi.”
“I can do better than hi.” He wrapped Ben in a tight hug, knowing there were no kids around and Ben wouldn’t mind this time. “It won’t take me long. If your teacher needs me, she knows where I’ll be.”
“Right.” Ben squirmed out of Micah’s grasp and started rolling his wheelchair toward the building alone. He’d yet to mention anyone with long-lasting friend potential, but it’d only been a week. School wasn’t like the Marine Corps, where life and death situations necessitated that you formed an immediate alliance with the person standing next to you.
Scratching his chin, Micah watched his son disappear back inside the building while debating his choice. He could mow the grass first or go in and talk to Kat. He’d prefer to be clean and smelling somewhat human when he saw her,so yeah, talk first, mow later.
He opened the door to the front office and started to say something to the woman sitting behind the desk, but the brunette held up her hand first.
“I know who you are,” she said, grinning like they had some inside secret. “And I know who you want.” Her brows raised teasingly. “She’s somewhere walking around the school with the little hoodlums right now, though.”
“Hoodlums?” he asked, not sure that he’d heard her correctly. Weren’t all the school’s employees supposed to gush over the kids, even the unruly ones?
“This week’s troublemakers,” the secretary continued. “She’s put them in some kind of club, and she’s making them do good deeds. You know, wash the blackboards and stuff. A regular Pollyanna.”
“Pollyanna?” He was here to see Kat. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to speak to the principal.”
“Principal Pollyanna. That’s what I call her when she’s not listening. And also when she is.” The woman offered her hand. “Hi. I’m Valerie Hunt, Kat’s oldest friend. Kind of. We weren’t really friends growing up, but I knew her when she was knobby-kneed and clumsier than she is now. Therefore, I’m allowed to tease her and still keep my job.”
“I see.” He glanced around impatiently.
“I’m also privy to all the juicy information that involves her.”
This got his attention. He was getting out of the Marine Corps next May, so any gossip he stirred here would stick with him forever. “Juicy information?” he repeated, hoping he’d heard her wrong.
“Usually. But she’s been real tight-lipped this week. All I know is she ate dinner with you and your son last night when I bailed on her.”
His whole body relaxed. “That’s all there is to know.”
Val’s eyes skimmed over him. “So, where is Ben’s mom?”
Maybe he should’ve chosen to mow the lawn first. He hadn’t realized he was walking into an interrogation. “She’s active duty,” he said.
If Val was surprised, it didn’t show. Instead of responding, she continued to stare at him, waiting for him to say more.
“Ben’s mom is about to go back to Afghanistan. He doesn’t know it yet.” So why had he just told the nosiest person he’d ever met?
Her face softened. “Poor kid. That must be hard.”
A huge knot formed in the back of his throat. “Maybe I’ll just catch Kat…uh, Principal Chandler, when I’m done with the lawn.” He started to leave, and then walked straight into the leggy blonde who’d invaded his dreams last night. She braced herself against his chest, and looked up at him, surprise making her lips part just slightly the way they had last night after he’d kissed her.
Yeah, he was glad he wasn’t sweaty and dirty just yet.
“Micah…I mean, um, Mr. Peterson.” Her gaze skittered toward her secretary.
“I was hoping to run into you,” he said, unable to help the slow smile that spread through his face. Or the way his heart sped up just looking at her. He could get used to the feel of her body against his. “I wanted to talk to you.” His gaze flickered behind him, and he lowered his voice. “Privately.”
She pulled her hands from his chest with what seemed like the effort it took to pull apart two magnets, and took a tiny step backward. “Sure.” She started to lead him into her office, and then stopped. “How about we take a walk outside instead?”
Opening the door for her, he agreed. “Perfect.”
