Page 90 of Welcome to Forever
It was no secret that Mrs. Burroughs thought Kat was too young and inexperienced to be the principal at this school. But she never thought that Mrs. Burroughs would intentionally undermine her efforts to help the kids. This club wasn’t temporary and it had made a difference. Dora Burroughs was supposed to be her partner here.
The reporter placed his pen back in his front pocket. “After seeing it for myself, this is definitely front page material. The town will eat this up.”
“Thank you.” Kat shook his hand one more time, then watched him walk away.
“What are you going to do?” Micah asked, when their interviewer was out of earshot.
She shook her head, watching the kids maneuver a water hose to spray the plants. “I don’t know. It seems like my assistant has resisted every decision and action I’ve made since I became the principal here last year.”
“I can talk to her if you want me to,” he said.
This made Kat smile. Yeah, she’d love to see how Micah would handle that confrontation. But it was her battle, not his. “I don’t think so,” she said, resisting the urge to lean into him. “Maybe it’s just like with the kids. Maybe no adult wants to rebel, either.” She chewed her lower lip. “Maybe we could force her to dig holes and drop seeds. Perhaps that would fix her.”
Micah laughed softly. “Adults are a whole different story. I think your assistant doesn’t like the fact that someone half her age is telling her what to do. And I think that some part of her might want to see you fail.”
“So what do I do?”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and squeezed. “You’re already doing it. You’re standing up for yourself, showing the world how wonderful you are. And you’re not failing.”
“Right.”
“I know I’m proud of you,” he said.
Kat tilted her head and looked up at him. “You are? That means a lot to me.” They held each other’s gaze for a beat, and then she shrieked as cold water drenched the front of her blouse.
The kids in the Friendship Club roared with laughter.
“Water the plants, not the adults,” Micah said, feigning temper. She knew him better than that, though. Under his tough Marine exterior, he was gentle. The kind of guy who’d make her a backyard oasis in the middle of the night.
She watched, laughing as he pretended to chase the kids for the hose.
“I’m going to get you guys,” he said playfully, moving much slower than she knew he could. Even Ben was wheeling his chair across the ground as fast as his right arm would push.
So the group still had a little rebellious streak. At least they’d kept up their angelic appearances for the Seaside Daily News reporter. She wouldn’t have wanted this water fight to end up on the front page tomorrow morning. Although that probably would’ve made Mrs. Burroughs happy. An assistant principal who wanted to see her boss fail wasn’t good for anyone, and the school couldn’t thrive with that kind of leadership.
Micah finally grabbed the hose and pretended to turn it on the kids, who shrieked with delight.
She’d talk to Mrs. Burroughs tomorrow, and try to come to a truce. If that didn’t happen, then she had a decision to make: continue being undermined or let her assistant principal go.
—
The following Saturday, there were more than enough fresh vegetables to feed an army on the table in front of Micah. Or a crew of hungry Marines.
“How long did it take for your aunt Clara to clean and cut all these things?” Lawson asked, dropping the last box on the table.
“I didn’t ask, but she’s a saint.” Micah glanced over the food proudly. “A hot, home-cooked meal is good for the soul. And after what these guys have been through, they deserve it.”
Lawson nodded, and they both grew quiet a moment. They both knew good men and women who’d lost far too much in the desert. They’d risked their lives, all of them. Some came home with wounds that couldn’t be seen—some called those lucky. And others had wounds visible for the entire world—the not-so-lucky.
“Put us to work,” a broad-shouldered Marine, Donny, said as he walked into the room. “We might be Marines for life, but we’ll be damn good cooks for a day.”
Lawson grinned, giving him and the other Marine who’d walked in a shove. “I don’t think so. You’re on cleaning duty.”
Donny’s smile faded. “Seriously? I thought I’d get some action behind the stove.”
“Have youeverhad any action behind a stove?” Micah asked, tossing a glance over to Donny, a tall, lean Marine with a blond buzz cut and a California tan.
“Not exactly,” Donny brooded.
