by Katie Meyer
“True. He also made me dinner after Owen was feeling better and finally went to sleep. And then...well, we kissed.”
“Whoa. Dr. Wright—I mean Luke—kissed you?”
Heat flooded Megan’s face. “Actually, I kissed him.”
“Oh wow! That’s even better. I knew I liked you!” She gave Megan’s arm a squeeze. “So now what? Are you guys seeing each other? Is he even allowed to date one of the school parents? Is that why you want to keep it quiet?”
Megan shook her head, trying to ward off any more of Cassie’s questions. “Now, nothing. I don’t know if he’s allowed to date me, but it doesn’t matter. The kiss was a onetime thing.”
“Did he say that?” Cassie’s eyes narrowed. “Because if he took advantage of you and then dumped you, you could report him to the school board.”
“No, it’s not like that.” Megan’s hands twisted the napkin in her lap. “I told you, I’m the one who kissed him. And then I realized what a mistake it was and I asked him to leave. Actually—” she bowed her head “—I kind of kicked him out.”
“And that’s it?” Cassie asked incredulously. “Surely he must have had something to say about that.”
“I didn’t give him a chance. When he tried to change the subject, to talk about Lily going to school, I told him he could email me.”
“Oh. Wow. Okay, so I guess the next question is, did he? Email you, I mean.”
“I don’t know. I turned off my email notifications.”
“Well, go grab your phone and turn them back on,” Cassie ordered. “Because I have a very strong feeling this isn’t over yet.”
* * *
Megan reread Luke’s email for at least the tenth time, which was dumb, since she’d understood it perfectly the first time. It was clear and to the point. Nothing personal. Nothing to indicate they had anything other than a professional relationship. Still, she was glad she’d insisted on waiting until Cassie had left to open it. She’d promised to call her new friend if she needed to talk, telling her she’d be the first to know if anything of importance happened.
She was pretty sure this bare bones email, more a list of instructions than anything, didn’t count.
As per our agreement, Owen will be permitted to bring his service dog, known by the name Lily, to school on a trial basis. Please note the following stipulations:
• She is to be kept on a leash at all times;
• She is to use a designated area for relieving herself, and any waste must be properly disposed of;
• All vaccination records and county licensing information must be kept on file with the school;
• This agreement may be revisited at any time, for any reason.
Please sign the attached liability forms and return them along with copies of the above-mentioned medical and licensing information as soon as possible.
Also, please plan to attend with Owen and Lily the first day, to help with any issues that may arise during the transition.
Sincerely,
Luke Wright, Ph.D.
Principal
Megan wondered absently if his email program used a standard signature, or if he’d purposely typed out his credentials to impress her. Not that she cared. She was more concerned with that final bullet point, the one saying he could basically change his mind at any time, for any reason. So much for thinking she could stop worrying. That one line meant she’d be on edge until Owen graduated.
Her fingers twitched over the keyboard as she contemplated how to respond. She couldn’t exactly say, “Attached are the signed forms you requested. Also, sorry about kissing you and then freaking out.”
In the end, she went with simple and to the point.
I appreciate this opportunity. Health permitting, Owen and Lily and I will be there tomorrow. I have attached the signed forms you requested. Let me know if there is anything else you need.
Sincerely,
Megan Palmer
That should satisfy him, and if he did decide to talk...well, she’d left an opening. A small one, but still, “need” could have many meanings. And if not, she hadn’t embarrassed herself by delving into things better left unsaid.
Shutting her laptop, she stood and stretched. She’d gotten a decent amount of work done, but she’d have to do more tonight if she was going to spend all day at the school tomorrow. Now, though, she wanted to give Owen the good news.
“Hey, buddy, can you come here for a minute?”
Owen looked up from the Lego creation he’d been building. Some kind of outer space fire station, with a plastic figure in a NASA spacesuit riding around the block buildings on top of the fire truck he’d gotten for his birthday last year. “What is it?”
“I have some important news. Good news,” she added.
That got his attention. Dropping the truck in his hand, he stood and scrambled through the jumble of toys to join her on the couch. “Tell me!”
“Well, I just got an email from Mr. Wright, and he said it’s okay for Lily to come to school with you. Would you like that?”
For a second, he just sat there, eyes wide, mouth open. She’d have taken a picture if she could. But as soon as she thought it, he was back in motion, bouncing up and down on the couch like it was his personal trampoline. “Whoa, easy on the couch, buddy. Keep that up and you might launch yourself right into space. Then who would Lily go to school with, huh?”
Abandoning the couch, but not the motion, he leaped to the ground where his acrobatics continued. Laughing, she watched him, loving the sheer joy in his eyes. “So, are you going to tell Lily, or am I?” she teased.
He grinned. “I am!” Still mostly airborne, he crossed the room and knelt beside the sleepy dog. As always, his motions slowed when he was with her. When Lily had first come home with them, Megan had worried he’d be too rough with the dog, too boisterous, but it had never been an issue. She had a feeling it was more Lily’s calming influence than her own words of caution that had done the trick, but that was okay. After all, that was the whole reason they’d gotten a service dog.
“Make sure you tell her to be on her best behavior,” she advised Owen, watching him whisper to the seventy-pound canine. “Principal Wright said we can bring her on a trial basis.”
“A trial?” He looked up at her, confusion clouding his face. “She has to go to court?”
“Court?” It took her a minute to make the connection. “Oh no. Not that kind of trial. A trial basis means we are going to try it out to see if it works. If it does, she can keep going to school with you. But if it doesn’t...like, say, if you start playing with her instead of listening to the teacher, then she’ll have to stay home.”
He considered her words, his expression serious. “Lily won’t mess up. She’s always good. I’m the one that gets in trouble. But I’ll try hard, I promise.”
An ache grew in the middle of her chest, stealing her breath. “Oh, honey, I know you will. You just keep doing your best, and that’s good enough for me.”
He nodded. It was a phrase he’d heard from her many times.
Because at the end of the day, that’s all either of them could do. Just do their best and hope it was enough.
Chapter Eight
The sound of the first bell echoed over the din of children’s chatter as students made their way past Luke’s office to their classrooms. In five minutes, the tardy bell would ring, and another school day would begin. The routine was the same every time, and yet today felt different. He felt different. Keyed up. Unless something had changed, Owen would be back in class today, which meant Lily would be coming with him. And, as he’d requested, so would Megan. He felt fairly confident about his decision regarding Lily, but he didn’t have the foggiest idea how to act around Megan.
It wasn’t like they’d broken up or something. They hadn’t even dated. He could handle that. He’d never
planned to be anything more than friends. But after the way she’d spoken to him, he wasn’t sure they even had that anymore. That shouldn’t be a big deal. Except the two days he’d spent with her and Owen had been the best days he’d had since moving to Paradise.
Pathetic, but true. He liked Megan’s sense of humor, her deep-rooted sense of loyalty, her toughness. And he really liked how she felt in his arms. Most of all, he liked how he felt when he was with her. She made him feel alive, in touch with the world beyond his work. And now, for reasons he still couldn’t quite understand, it was over.
He wasn’t sure he could go back to a Megan-free life. Two days, and he was addicted. Now he had to decide if it was better to go cold turkey and avoid her as much as possible, or to give in to his urge to check on how things were going in Owen’s classroom. If he avoided her, would she think he was angry? Was he angry?
Maybe a little. At least, he had been. She was the one who had kissed him, and yet she’d acted as if he were the one to blame. So, yeah, he’d been upset. But he was a big boy and knew that everything wasn’t about him. Now he was more concerned than anything. From what he could tell, she didn’t have a lot of people she could count on, and it wasn’t in his nature to just walk away.
Mind made up, Luke left the office just as the tardy bell was ringing. His footsteps sounded loud in the suddenly empty hallway. As he made the short trek, he reminded himself to focus on Owen, not Megan. His students were his first priority. His feelings for Megan, whatever they were, could wait until he was off the clock. There would be plenty of time for that brand of self torture later.
As soon as he opened the classroom door, he saw her. She was kneeling next to Owen’s chair, one hand on his shoulder and the other on Lily. And he realized, watching them together, that there was no way to compartmentalize his concern for Owen and his feelings for Megan. Yes, he wanted more than anything for Owen to be successful. But Owen’s success was in huge part due to his mother, and her support. And one of the things he admired about Megan the most was her dedication to her son. It defined her. There was no way to separate it from her, or her from Owen. They were a unit, a family.
And he was on the outside.
“Principal Wright. I didn’t know you’d be visiting us today.” Owen’s teacher, Ms. Feltz, met him at the door, and then directed the class to say good morning. He smiled at their chorused greeting. He might not have everything he wanted, but he did have a whole school full of kids that needed him and, most of the time, respected him. That was worth a lot.
“Good morning to you all. I suppose you have noticed the newest, furriest member of the class?” Giggles and nods responded. “Good. Well, I know she’s a super cute dog, and you all want to meet her, but as Mrs. Palmer and Owen are going to explain, she’s here for a special reason. She’s a working dog, and just like it is your job to pay attention to Ms. Feltz and follower her instructions, it’s Lily’s job to pay attention to Owen and follow his instructions.” Owen straightened in his chair at Luke’s words. “You already know you aren’t allowed to play around and distract your classmates from their work, and that goes for Lily, too. Let her do her job, or she won’t be able to keep coming, okay?”
Laughter gone, they nodded. He made eye contact with each child, hopefully impressing upon them the seriousness of the situation. When he was as sure as he could be that they would at least try to do as he asked, he turned the floor over to Megan. “Mrs. Palmer is here today to help Lily get settled in, and to make sure everyone is comfortable. So listen to her and, if you have any questions, you can ask her or Owen, or Ms. Feltz.”
“Thank you.” Having Megan smile at him was like feeling the warmth of the sun on his face after a month of rain. He wanted to stay, to hear what she’d say to the children, to see her smile again. But he had no logical reason to remain, and a full day of meetings and phone calls ahead of him. He’d made the right decision by coming to the classroom. He’d gotten his fix. It would have to be enough.
For now anyway. Because she’d smiled at him, maybe he hadn’t quite ruined everything after all.
* * *
If Megan had had any illusions that her life was tough, by midmorning Tuesday she’d reconsidered. Yes, juggling motherhood and a career on her own required some serious sacrifice, but it could be worse.
She could be an elementary school teacher.
Now that was tough.
Kids were constantly moving, asking questions, dropping pencils or needing bathroom breaks. The noise was nonstop, and she quickly developed a new appreciation for how hard Owen had to work to keep it together in such a high-stimulus environment. No wonder he came home exhausted each day. She was reaching that point herself and the school day wasn’t even half over.
“Mom,” Owen whispered, tugging on her sleeve. “What happens if Lily needs to use the bathroom?”
They’d been over this at least three times already, but for some reason Owen was still fixated on the question. That happened now and again. It was almost like his mind got stuck and no amount of reassurance seemed to help. She just had to wait it out; eventually he’d move on. Until then, he’d worry, sometimes obsessively. “Remember, I said that she goes out every three hours. You’ll walk her to the spot I showed you, behind the school.”
“What if I get lost? Or I forget? What if she has an accident on the floor?” His horrified expression made it seem like having an accident in the classroom was the absolute worst thing that could happen to someone. And maybe to him it was. “You won’t get lost, it’s just down the hall. And if you forget and she needs to go, Lily will let you know, just like she does at home.”
“What if I don’t notice? Like, if I’m busy taking a test or something?”
Ms. Feltz glanced their way, sending a wordless reminder that the students were supposed to be working quietly. Even if Megan could figure out a way to reassure Owen, this wasn’t the time or place for what would assuredly be a long conversation.
“Listen, let’s take her right now and then you won’t have to worry.”
“Now?”
“Yes. I’ll go with you and make sure you remember how to get there, okay?”
“But I’m not done with my worksheet!”
Ms. Feltz sent another, sterner look their way.
Crap. Not good. “Fine, you finish your work, and I’ll run out and take her myself. You can go with me next time.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Taking Lily’s leash, Megan tried to be as unobtrusive as possible as she navigated between tables to the front of the room. Still, she attracted quite a bit of attention and decided she’d ask about Owen moving to a spot closer to the door tomorrow. That would at least make these little trips less disruptive.
That still left the issue of Owen’s anxiety about the task. She wasn’t sure what to do about that.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
Luke’s voice came from somewhere behind her. Spinning, she somehow tangled Lily’s leash around her ankles, tripping herself up and confusing the poor dog.
“Here, let me help you with that.” His hand on her shoulder was probably meant to steady her, but the memories his touch sparked were more unsettling than the sudden loss of balance. Standing on one leg, she quickly unwrapped the leash and took a much needed step back. Space was a good thing. She just wasn’t sure there was enough of it in the universe to keep her from reacting to this man.
He let his hand fall back to his side, a sheepish grin on his face. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine.” Megan shifted the leash from one hand to the other, hating how awkward this was. What a difference a day could make. One dumb decision, one loss of control, and now everything was different.
Before, when he’d just been Owen’s principal, she’d sometimes been anxious because she was worried about her son and his education. Now, she still had that to d
eal with, but there was this big barrier between them, one she’d thrown up. Necessary, but uncomfortable. She didn’t know what to say, or how to be around him. How did you go back to a purely professional relationship with someone after something like that?
Seeing she had her balance, Luke motioned for her to continue walking, falling into step beside her. “Is everything going well in the classroom?”
“Just fine. Why?” What had he heard? Could the teacher have contacted him with complaints already? Owen had been a bit loud, and the other students did seem a bit distracted, but it was the first day. “Just working out the kinks, figuring out a routine, that kind of thing,” she explained, trying not to sound defensive.
“Good. I just wondered...you seemed pretty pensive. When I saw you leaving with Lily, I was worried.”
“Oh no, I’m just taking her for a bathroom break. Owen was in the middle of something, so I’m taking her myself.” They’d reached the end of the hall and she paused. Was the conversation over or was he going to follow her outside? Did she want him to? She hated this...this feeling of uncertainty. “So, I’d probably better do that. Take her out, I mean.”
“Right. Of course.” He stepped forward and pressed down on the heavy metal bar that activated the door. “Ladies first.”
She stepped past him, careful not to accidentally brush against him. At least outside she could put more distance between them, have a bit of breathing room. Lily, unconcerned by human drama, made her way briskly to the grassy area that ran between the back of the school building and the faculty parking lot. Once there, however, she took her sweet time. Apparently every grass blade needed to be smelled individually before she could choose her spot.
Megan mentally willed the dog to hurry. The sooner Lily was done with her business, the sooner she could escape whatever awkward conversation Luke was planning. The chaos of the classroom suddenly seemed like a refuge in comparison to the noise in her own head.
“I’m sorry.”
Once again, Luke’s words had her spinning around in surprise. At least this time she hadn’t hog-tied herself in the process. Of all the possible ways she’d imagined this conversation could go, him apologizing to her hadn’t been on the list.