by Jayna Morrow
Slade’s bedroom door was open, and he stood in the center of the room, remote in hand, flipping channels. When he noticed Gabriel watching him, he rushed to the door and slammed it shut.
Gabriel stood in the dark hallway, defeat weighing heavy on his bowed head. His stomach growled, and he realized he hadn’t eaten all day.
In the kitchen, he threw together a bologna and tomato sandwich and leaned against the counter while he ate, his mind racing. Never in a million years would he have guessed the ending to this day. With effort, he managed to finish his sandwich and wash it down with a glass of water.
After a few minutes, Slade entered the kitchen and headed straight for the fridge.
The kid made a point of ignoring him. “Did you find anything good to watch?”
Slade grabbed a banana off the top shelf as he crossed the kitchen. “There’s never anything good to eat in this house.”
Was food really what he was worried about? “I’m certainly not a good cook like Grandma.”
Slade gave him a look that could cut glass. He tossed his half-eaten banana on the counter and stomped back to his room.
Gabriel didn’t go after him. He’d crossed a line he shouldn’t have. He threw the rest of the banana in the trash and washed his plate. His cell phone rang as he was finishing up. He looked at the caller ID and sighed. “I know what you’re going to ask, Garrett.”
“Don’t get upset.” His brother sounded almost contrite enough to be convincing. “I’m just calling to check on you. I’m concerned.”
“You're nosey like everyone else. Do me a favor and mind your own business.” He pushed the red button and tossed his phone on the table.
3
A few months later...
Sparrow pulled into Gabriel’s driveway a little after seven in the morning—just in time to see him step onto the porch and twist the doorknob to make sure it was locked. Another minute or two and she would have missed him.
He looked ragged in wrinkled pants and an untucked shirt. His hair was slightly mussed.
She’d tried for months to reach him by phone and mail with no success. Their last in-person visit hadn’t gone well either, but she had to try again. Sparrow let her gaze roam the front yard. The lawn hadn’t been mowed in what looked like months, and it now resembled a neglected jungle. All the plants were dead or dying. It saddened her to see the state of the property.
She took pride in building productive relationships with working parents to benefit her students, but Gabriel Hearth refused to cooperate. Stubborn. Like father, like son. She couldn’t make headway with either of them. No matter what was going on, Gabriel gave her the same answer every time…that he’d tried everything and was doing the best he could. Well, if he didn’t know how to handle his son, then she could teach him. But first, she had to convince him to listen.
The man simply could not go on pretending Slade’s behavior was a minor problem. Now Slade was teasing someone half his size. Bullying was taken very seriously at Sweet Home High. Between cutting classes, wandering the halls after the bell rang, and acting like a clown, Slade was turning her campus into a zoo.
“Miss Walker, what a nice surprise. Too bad I’m heading up to the office, or I’d invite you in for a visit.”
She jutted out her chin. Years of dealing with her demanding father, who’d tormented her on a daily basis, had made her immune to sarcasm. Everything had to be his way, but her father truly loved her. He’d pushed her hard to excel. Success in life was his goal, and nothing else mattered. Not her feelings, not her desires. And she’d have to use a similar tough love mentality with Gabriel. “I’m glad I caught you. You have Slade to thank for it.”
He crossed his arms. “Congrats on winning Principal of the Year. That’s quite an accomplishment for a new administrator.”
“Thank you.” Sparrow refused to allow her gaze to waver from his obstinate stare. The way he emphasized “new” hadn’t gone unnoticed. “I didn’t win it by pushing papers and shaking hands. I won it for my efforts in teen behavior reform, something I’ve been working on for many years in the classroom and trying to share with you all year. I’d like to visit with you about the program. I think it will help you with Slade’s behavior.” She looked at the dead and dying flowers.
Not too long ago, she’d heard about this man landscaping his yard as a gift for his bride-to-be. What Sparrow wouldn’t give to have someone love her that much. But Gabriel’s fiancée hadn’t appreciated Gabriel’s devotion, although it was difficult to reconcile a devoted, caring man with the exasperating boor who refused to listen to reason.
The front door opened, and Slade stepped onto the porch with a brown paper sack in hand. That the young man was Gabriel’s son could never be denied. The similarities in their appearance were striking. Slade was a scrawny, shaggy-haired version of his father. Only the eyes were different. Gabriel possessed a brilliant blue gaze, while Slade’s eyes were a hazy gray.
Without acknowledging the presence of either adult, the boy immediately went for the bike that was propped against a small shed. Then he took off down the driveway.
She’d heard from a life-long family friend that Gabriel’s parents had raised Slade until their deaths not too long ago. She felt sure that loss had something to do with Slade’s behavior—that and the fact that Gabriel obviously didn’t give a fig about his parenting responsibilities. If he’d show as much devotion toward Slade as he had toward his former fiancée’s garden, maybe his son would act better in school. She glanced at the wasteland of a front yard. Maybe Gabriel was depressed and couldn’t bring himself to deal with the landscaping or his son’s aberrant behavior.
“I bet he forgot to lock the door.” Gabriel climbed onto the porch and turned the knob. Sure enough, the door swung open. He reached in, set the lock, and then shut the door again.
Sparrow couldn’t hang back and watch any longer. It was time to do what she came here for. She stood on her toes, so her heels wouldn’t sink in the ground, and prance-walked toward the porch.
More dead, drooping, and rotting plants sat all around. Even the ones in the ground were dying. Patio furniture littered the yard, never having been returned it to its proper place after the last wind storm.
This didn’t seem right. The Hearth family was a town staple. Strong. Upstanding. Not…this. Something was going on, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Maintaining a tough exterior would be impossible while walking on the balls of her shoes. Besides, the cold weather had probably hardened the earth enough that her heels wouldn’t sink. She took a step. The ground felt solid enough. She took another. Then another. Confident the ground would hold, she took off at normal speed. But she only made it a few steps. Just shy of the porch, her entire left heel sank deep into the dirt and held. The unexpected tug was enough to throw her off balance and face first into the grassy jungle.
Her arms shot out in an instinctive attempt to prevent injury, but the action didn’t stop her from coming right out of her shoes. Her body lay sprawled out for several seconds while she swallowed her pride and gathered her bearings, ignoring the hearty laugh from somewhere above her prone position on the ground. She didn’t want to look up at Gabriel, didn’t want to see the smug smile that was surely planted across his face—and thriving, unlike all the plants on the porch. This was not how she’d imagined her confrontation with Gabriel Hearth.
Two big hands came around her waist and hoisted her onto her knees. Once she got her footing, he took her by the hand and helped her up the rest of the way.
“Good with words. Not so good in heels,” he joked. He stood in front of her, the delinquent high heel hanging off the tip of one long finger.
She snatched the shoe from him and replaced it on her foot. “That was a fluke accident. I assure you I’m quite capable in heels.”
“Really? It looked like you hesitated before you took your first step.”
“Well, if someone would learn how to use a lawnmower
and put down some stepping stones.” She shook her head and pointed from the porch to her car. “Honestly, Mr. Hearth, this yard is a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
“I’ll chance it,” he retorted.
Sparrow harrumphed and then stomped up the steps. She wobbled at the top but managed to maintain her balance.
“Easy there, girl. Can’t blame that one on the ground.”
A thick section of hair had broken loose in her fall and hung in her eyes. She swiped at it several times before securing it behind her ear. Showtime. “My behavior program is designed to help parents with difficult teens learn to manage their conduct. You’ve told me several times that you’ve tried everything, but you haven’t tried this. I believe it will work for you. Here.” She held a brochure in her outstretched hand. “The school is hosting a seminar for parents. It’s about how to talk to your teens and turn them around. I think you should come.”
He took the brochure, folded it, and pushed it into his pocket without giving it a glance.
Oh, well. She’d tried. She headed back to her car and even made it halfway there before sinking a heel again.
Gabriel gave a loud groan and jogged over to her. Without a word, he swept her up into his arms as if she was light as air.
Startled, she threw her arms around his neck and held on. “What are you doing?” she squeaked.
“Preventing a lawsuit.”
He reached her vehicle and set her back on the ground. Then he tucked his hands into his pockets and waited for her reaction. She should berate him or something. Instead, she opened her car door and climbed inside. Heat flushed her neck, and she knew it would be reflected in a dull red wash of color, which he was sure to see. No sense pretending she wasn’t embarrassed. “Thank you.” Her voice came out in a mousey whisper.
“You’re welcome.” His cellphone rang, and he answered it.
The crunching sound of dry grass and leaves drew her attention.
Slade steered his bike with one hand, the brown paper sack clutched in the other. Scowling, he glanced at his father.
Gabriel abruptly ended his phone call to confront his son. “What are you doing here?”
“I forgot my backpack. Why is she still here?” Instead of using the kickstand, the boy let his bike fall to the ground.
“You could come and say hello to your principal.”
“No way.” He turned and ran up the steps, letting himself in the house with his key.
Sparrow couldn’t let it go. “Mr. Hearth, there’s got to be a reason for his behavior. You need to find out what’s really bothering Slade—before you lose him.”
“He’s just acting so crazy. And his mother’s not around to help me—” He cut his words off mid-sentence as if he’d said too much.
“Teenagers aren’t crazy, just hormonal. You have to deal with them in a special way. Come to the parent workshop. That’s all I ask.” Sparrow gulped and looked deep into his steel blue eyes for a hint of emotion, even the slightest glint of life to work with. But she could only make out a shallow hint of a man.
Townsfolk described Gabriel Hearth as a rugged cowboy who took pride in running his dairy and managing his family land. A real large-and-in-charge fellow, if a bit on the quiet side.
The man who stood before her, while still large and rugged, was a far cry from being in charge. From the look of things on the exterior of his home, it seemed his world was out of control. From Sparrow’s perspective, whether he had always been this way or his behavior was a result of a tragic event didn’t really matter. A child’s future was in the balance. She resisted the urge to smack him upside the head and force him to give Slade the attention the boy was crying out for. “Aren’t you the slightest bit worried about your son’s recent behavior?”
His gaze that had darted away previously, now focused fully on her. That got him. “Slade’s a good kid, Miss Walker.”
“I have no doubt about that.” She wrapped her oversized sweater tighter to cut the chill in the air. Their gazes met again. Her hand went to her throat, and she almost forgot to breathe. Focus, Sparrow. She wasn’t letting him off the hook just because he looked good…really good.
“Look, Miss Walker, I’m doing the best I can.”
“You’re overwhelmed. This is a stressful situation for everyone involved, but I can help you turn Slade’s behavior around if you’ll work with me.”
Gabriel shook his head, obviously unconvinced. “Thanks, but no thanks. This is a private family matter. I assure you that I’m working on it. Slade is an amazing athlete and makes good grades. The worst thing he’s done on school property is trespassing on the playground a few times.”
“I hate to tell you this, but you are mistaken. If you’d return my phone calls, then you’d know that Slade’s gotten into a lot more trouble than that. And with the crowd he’s been hanging with, I expect things will only get worse. Please, Mr. Hearth. Come to the meeting.” Determined to have the last word, she shut the door, started the engine, and backed away.
He stared after her with that familiar, obstinate expression she was beginning to think he must reserve only for her.
He wouldn’t come.
~*~
Back at school, Sparrow approached Garrett Hearth on his conference period in the teacher’s lounge. Consulting with Gabriel’s little brother might shed light on things. Without discussing anything too private, she brought him up to speed on her visit. “Do you think he’ll show up at the seminar?”
“He rarely leaves the house except for work now.” The look on his face was solemn as he pushed buttons on the copy machine.
“You seem to care a lot about your brother and nephew, in spite of your differences.”
He nodded and leaned against the counter while his pages copied. “More than Gabe will ever understand.”
“And he cares about you. I remember last year when he had me deliver you to his house to recuperate. Y’all were at odds then, but he still looked out for you.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, he cares. Our relationship has always been strained, but we love each other.”
The copier quieted. Sparrow grabbed the stack of papers and handed them to Garrett. “I may be wrong, but I think you care more about Gabriel than he cares about himself.”
“He’s dealing with a lot of issues right now.” Garrett tucked the stack of papers under his arm. His blue eyes reflected the same pain she’d seen in Gabriel’s. The brothers’ eyes were similar, but Gabriel’s were a brighter, more riveting blue. They always drew her in first and held her captive. But the man’s eyes had nothing to do with his issues.
“Actually, I think the problem is that he’s not dealing with them.” She paused, and then pushed on, hoping Garrett wouldn’t shut her out. “Tell me about Slade’s behavior from your perspective. His record shows he was a model student with great behavior and great grades. Then he changed almost overnight.”
“My parents—Gabe’s and mine—died several years ago. Slade’s behavior took a turn for the worse at that time. They may have been Slade’s grandparents, but they took care of everything for him from the day he was born—as if he’d been their own child. When they died, my brother went from being completely unattached to having a teenage son. Multiply that with the fact that he’s a workaholic, and you have a recipe for disaster.”
He wasn’t telling her anything new, but she was glad to have confirmation of what she’d already deduced. “I’d love the opportunity to work with him on Slade’s behavior, to help them develop a better relationship, but he never shows up for meetings or returns phone calls. I’ve visited him at home on my personal time, and half the time he doesn’t bother to open the door. I’m beginning to think I need to use my program on your brother. His behavior is as bad as Slade’s.”
Garrett chuckled. “That might not be such a bad idea. Gabriel always blows everything out of proportion if it concerns Slade. You aren’t the only one who’s complained about my nephew’s behavior. But when it boils right down to
it, they’re alike when it comes to their bad behavior. The key to reaching Slade may be to first reach Gabriel.”
Treat the problem, not the symptoms. Exactly. Until now, she hadn’t looked at things from this perspective, but Garrett was right. The key to saving Slade meant saving Gabriel first. He hadn’t made a good impression on her so far, and now she was beginning to understand why.
“What do you have planned?” Garret watched her. His eyes narrowed as if he could see right into her mind.
She didn’t have an answer…not yet. Plus, she didn’t know if she could entirely trust Garrett. He and Gabriel were brothers, which meant he couldn’t help being biased. He might try to meddle in the situation. Or tell Gabriel what she was doing. “I’m not sure. I’ll come up with something.”
He nodded and turned back toward the copy machine.
“I just feel compelled to help them both,” Sparrow said quickly.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s kinda weird having my boss get involved with family matters, but I trust you know what you’re doing.”
She hadn’t thought about it from this perspective. She should just stick to discipline involving Slade’s behavior in class. But there was something about Gabriel Hearth that she couldn’t resist. Of course, she would have to follow business protocol. She was a professional, after all. It wasn’t enough to treat symptoms, one must treat people. To be a competent doctor, one must have a full medical history, and doctors were expected to give advice on living a healthy lifestyle. Didn’t the same theory apply to principals?
And it wasn’t just the Hearth family. She’d already made a name for herself in the education sector as a principal who truly cared about her students and their families. She’d gone out of her way to provide a detailed support system for the community, which went beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic.