He raised his eyebrows and popped one of the mints into his mouth. “Do you by any chance have Simon Newberry in one of those classes?”
“I wish I did. I’m sorry to say, he’s part of my select few group. By rights, he should be going into his junior year, except he was held back in sixth grade. I’d like to retain him again, but Mrs. Newberry’s concerned he’ll feel out of place because of his age and size. She’s insisting she wants her son pushed ahead.”
“Good.” Jake chuckled and plucked a fifty out of his wallet to give to the cashier. “With my son graduating, I need the kid. The Pop Warner coach invited me to see Simon play last fall. He’s nearly as fast as Alex was in eighth grade. And he’s got a hell of an arm.”
She expelled a giant huff. “Don’t you think it’s more important for him to be able to read than throw a stinking football?”
So much for not pushing her buttons. “Of course. I was kidding. How bad is his reading? I played with lots of guys in college who weren’t all that literate, but they muddled through with extra help.”
“A fourth grader can read better than Simon.”
“Oooh.” Jake sucked a breath through his teeth. “That is bad. What about tutoring this summer?”
“His mother is a single parent, earning only a little more than minimum wage. I told her I’d tutor Simon for free, but it seems as if she and the kid have both given up. Neither of them will accept that, no matter how well Simon does in football, he has no shot at the NFL unless he gets into a decent college.”
That certainly wouldn’t happen if the kid was still reading Green Eggs and Ham
After Jake received his change, he followed Maggie to her light blue Camry. He reached to open the driver’s door for her, and their wrists collided. Time seemed to stand still for a split second before she yanked her hand back as if he’d spilled hydrochloric acid on it.
“Sorry,” he muttered and swung open the door. As she slid behind the wheel, her short skirt hiked up, exposing nearly the full length of her thigh. He’d forgotten how incredible her legs were, which was unusual on someone so tiny.
At his age, it generally took a lot more than the sight of a woman’s legs to turn him on. His gaze insisted on making the journey north just as she yanked down her hem. Damn. Did she still wear those prissy white cotton schoolgirl panties, or had she graduated to silk and lace?
He had to get a grip on himself, or the next thing he knew, his imagination would have him shoving her against the car and banging her right there.
After nineteen years of obsessing over Maggie, he should have learned that entertaining fantasies like that would only make him want her more. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to visualize the high school’s estrogen-challenged gym teacher naked. The mental image of Miss Hutchins’ muscle-bound birthday suit never failed to cool his passion. Until now.
Strolling around to the passenger side of the car, he glanced at the far end of the parking lot as he slid into the warm bucket seat. Alex’s convertible still sat there with its top down. His son was much too busy swabbing Emma’s tonsils to be doing any talking.
Jake jerked his head toward the Aston Martin and smirked at Maggie. “So, what do you think of the ride my son’s taking your daughter on? Rather scenic, wouldn’t you say?”
Maggie turned toward Alex’s sports car and gasped. “After what they just told us, I can’t believe those brats have the audacity to make out in public where we can’t help but see them. It’s as if they’re thumbing their noses at us.”
“I doubt that was their intention. In fact, I’m sure they’re not thinking about us at all.”
“At least they can’t get into too much trouble in a busy parking lot.”
How the hell much more trouble did she think they could get into than they already had? “I hope you’re not deluding yourself that the only time my son has been intimate with your daughter was the night he got her pregnant.”
There wasn’t a doubt in his mind Alex was enjoying the freedom of not having to close the barn door since the whole herd had already gotten out.
A wrinkle creased Maggie’s forehead. “You think they’re having sex regularly?”
“O-kaaay....” A cynical snort escaped him. “That tells me how much you know about the relationship between eighteen-year-old boys and their joysticks.”
“And why would I know anything about that? Remember? My mother never let me near any teenage boys—let alone their willies. As you may recall, yours was the first.”
As if he could ever forget the look of awe on her face when he’d taken her innocence or the shock and guilt he’d felt the next morning on discovering how young she’d actually been.
“Thanks for reminding me. I might have forgotten if you hadn’t. Allow me to educate you. At twenty-three, I had the restraint of a saint compared to a guy Alex’s age. I guarantee my son’s taking advantage of every opportunity he can to get Emma naked.”
Maggie glanced over at their kids. Her mouth twisted in a derisive smile as she started the engine. “If he’s anything like you, I don’t doubt it. But I wouldn’t lay all the responsibility for their behavior at Alex’s door. My daughter doesn’t appear to be lacking enthusiasm.”
“Do me a favor and pull into the space next to theirs so I can give them hell.” Jake lowered the window while she drove across the lot. Alex and Emma were so caught up in their heavy breathing session, they didn’t notice when the Toyota parked parallel to them.
Jake cleared his throat loudly. “That’s some talk you’re having with Emma, Son.”
The kids sprung apart like two magnets with opposite polarity.
“Maybe I ought to sell tickets.” He raised a disapproving eyebrow. “It could help support you when the school board denies my tenure after they hear their Marriage and Family teacher can’t even get his own son to keep his fly zipped.”
Emma scooted back over the console into the passenger seat as Alex turned a deep shade of pink and glared at him.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Jake said. “On one hand, you’re trying to convince us you’re mature enough to take on marriage and a baby, and then you turn around and pull a stunt like this. Adults don’t make out in parking lots in broad daylight—especially with the convertible top down.” He nodded toward Emma. “If you love Em as much as you claim, you should respect her enough to refrain from swapping spit in public.”
“Thank you for defending her, Jake,” Maggie glared past him at her daughter. “But she’s just as guilty as your son. Emma should have enough respect for herself to insist they wait until they’re alone.”
Alex glanced over at Emma and then turned back to Jake, his eyes downcast. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I lost my head.”
“That doesn’t cut it. From what I’m seeing, getting married is the least of your worries. Neither of you is showing enough maturity to raise a baby. And believe me, if I don’t see some before your child is born, Emma’s mom and I will petition the court for custody of our grandchild until you two grow up.”
Horror played across his son’s face as the gravity of what Jake had threatened sunk in.
“Drive carefully and be home by eleven.”
Alex’s mouth hung open for a split second. “But, Da-ad, it’s Friday night.”
Jake slapped his own face in mock surprise. “Gee, so it is. I guess that makes tomorrow, Saturday, huh? I’d think a responsible guy who’s about to have a pile of doctor bills rolling in would be out early in the morning, pounding the pavement.”
Even to his own ears his sarcasm seemed a bit extreme. But the kid needed a wake-up call, and Jake wouldn’t be doing his son any favors by making things easy for him.
Huffing, Alex started the Vantage and gunned the four hundred and twenty horsepower engine. “Whatever.”
Which loosely translated meant—Bug off. Hasta la vista, Baby. We’re outta here.
Jake shook his head. If that was the most articulate response a National Merit Scholar could come
up with, the country was in big, big trouble.
~~~
Margie pulled out of the parking lot in the opposite direction from Alex, torn between fury and admiration for the way Jake had handled the kids and the dry wit he’d used to make his point. Although, she doubted Alex shared her opinion of his father’s direct, no-nonsense approach.
She glanced at Jake and smiled. “I wouldn’t have known what to say. You were great.”
“I don’t know about that. My ex-wife would tell you my flair for sarcasm is my least attractive trait. But in this case, I’m hoping it’ll light a fire under my kid’s butt and inspire him to make me wrong.”
She stepped on the brake as the traffic signal changed to red. “You mentioned something about the board letting you go. Don’t you already have tenure?”
“Nope. I just started teaching in this district three years ago. I’m eligible this coming year, but the board has been dragging their heels on my contract for the next term.”
“I’m sure they’ll offer you one. I’ve heard wonderful things about you from other parents.” The light switched to green, and she stepped on the gas. “And after seeing you in action with our kids, I understand why your classes are overfilled.”
“I think that has more to do with the fact we discuss sex openly.” He laughed. “That’s part of the problem with my tenure. You know Howard Carmichael, the school board president?”
“Yes, unfortunately.” She shuddered, recalling her meeting with the pervert chiropractor. “His younger son, Kevin, is in my reading enrichment class. Last fall, Dr. Carmichael and his wife separated for a while.”
“Really? I hadn’t heard about that.”
“It was just for a few months.” Margie shrugged. “But he attended the parent/teacher conference alone and spent the entire time coming on to me.”
“You should’ve lodged a complaint with the superintendent.”
“That would’ve been tough since seeing Carmichael’s lewd expression was vital to catching the meaning of his veiled remarks. Except when he actually asked me to dinner on his way out of the classroom. He patted his fly and assured me he had a whole lot to offer a lonely young widow like me.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.” Margie shook her head. “I’m surprised you didn’t hear about this. A group of parents in the hallway overheard us. They spread the story afterward about how I humiliated him.”
“I can’t wait to hear your answer.”
“I simply smiled sweetly and said, ‘Thanks anyway, but I’m allergic to penicillin, so I’ll have to pass.’”
Jake dropped his head back and laughed, reminding her how much she’d loved the sound. “Man, I would’ve loved to see the look on old Howie’s face.”
“I’ve never seen a human being turn that particular shade of red before. He glowed like Rudolph’s nose after he saw how many parents were standing behind him.” She smiled sideways at Jake. “So what kind of trouble has he been stirring up for you?”
“I’ve already been hauled before the board once for an informal hearing about the provocative content in my Marriage and Family class.”
Despite the goose bumps already traipsing down her bare arms, she cranked up the air conditioner in order to vent Jake’s masculine smell from the car. Breathing his scent had put every nerve in her body on full alert.
“So how’d a Dr. Phil wannabe end up teaching in the family and consumer science department?” she asked. “You were already halfway through your master’s in psych when we met.”
“I guess you could say my dreams got derailed by life. Having Alex and being on the road so much with the team made it hard to attend classes—even at night.”
“Been there, done that.” Even though Emma had already started school by the time Margie enrolled in college, it had been tough being a wife, mother, and full-time student.
“So when you quit playing ball, why didn’t you go back for your doctorate then? Financially speaking, you should’ve been pretty well set after winning two Super Bowls.”
“I could’ve, but I didn’t want to spend what I’d invested. My mom’s illness left my dad in debt up to his eyeballs. During the first two years I played ball, I paid off her medical bills and his house and put a million away for him so he could retire.”
“Wow.” It was hard to dislike such a generous man.
“He deserved it. Unfortunately, Roxanne wasn’t used to economizing. Everything she bought had a designer label. Part of the reason I hung up my cleats was to give her and Alex a more normal home life.”
“I figured you would become a sports announcer or something. Wasn’t it hard to simply walk away from professional football?”
Jake shrugged. “I get enough of the pros as a guest commentator during some of the bigger games. It’s not something I’d want to do all the time.”
She could understand that. “So why’d you switch from Psych to Family and Consumer Science?”
“I had to. Skinner, Piaget, and Maslow only scratched the surface of what I wanted to teach the kids. So I took the Praxis exam for dual certification.”
She couldn’t believe this was the same man who’d made love to her so tenderly and then married someone else without giving her a second thought. Witnessing what a wonderful father Jake had become fed her resentment.
The sudden lull in the conversation cranked up the tension in the car several notches. She glanced away from the country lane for a moment and discovered Jake studying her like an alcoholic staring at a cold six-pack—as if he were dying for a drink but knew one sip….
“So,” she said, breaking the uncomfortable silence and jerking her gaze back to the road, “I guess your old district wouldn’t let you slide over to that department, huh?”
“Only if I wanted to put on an apron and teach traditional home economics courses.” He shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t expect to be teaching for more than a few more years, anyway.”
“Then what?” The man was way too young to be thinking about retirement.
“Well, I haven’t given up my plans to be a psychotherapist,” he explained. “After Roxanne left, I went back to get my doctorate. It was tough finding a grad school where I could do it in the evenings, but I’m working on finishing my dissertation, now. I’m specializing in adolescents.”
“I’m impressed.” It couldn’t have been easy for him, what with being a single parent and teaching.
“My dad was a big help with Alex.” He pointed toward the intersection ahead. “You do know how to get to my house, don’t you?”
She flipped on her right blinker. “Yes. Emma raves about it every time we pass it.”
“Well, I’m not looking forward to rattling around alone in it come August.”
If the kids got their way, Emma would be leaving home even before then. Margie prayed her daughter would change her mind about getting married. She’d always wanted another baby anyway. They could buy a house with a big backyard, and Margie could baby-sit while Emma went to college in the evenings. The prospect of her daughter moving out wouldn’t be so depressing if Dan were still alive. Margie didn’t know how she would stand the lonely meals without Emma’s chatter or the silent evenings with no music blaring in her daughter’s bedroom while she studied.
A half mile down the rural road, she pulled the Camry into the long driveway leading up to the sprawling one-story stone house overlooking a breathtaking panorama of farmland being gobbled up by upscale housing subdivisions at an alarming rate. Jake’s home had to be close to four-thousand square feet and sat on a rise with a small pond and a beautiful gazebo behind it, all backlit by the promise of a gorgeous sunset.
He nodded toward his front door. “Okay. Let’s sit down with a glass of iced tea and discuss what to do with the kids.”
Just as long as the only thing on his agenda was a conversation about their children. “Okay, but I can’t stay too long.”
Spending an entire evening squirming under Jake Manion
’s bone-melting gaze ranked extremely high on her list of tortures to avoid. Like somewhere between having a tooth pulled and a Brazilian bikini wax.
And having unwanted hair ripped from her privates was sounding better and better.
Chapter 4
Margie reluctantly turned off the engine and followed Jake into a large foyer and winced at the click-clack of her heels against the obviously expensive hardwood floor. Glancing into a formal dining and living room on either side of her, she let him lead her past a powder room to the back of the house.
The center hall spilled into the dining area of a huge combination country kitchen and immense family room where the door to what appeared to be a study sat ajar. She swept her hand around the great room and pointed to the enormous flat screen television. “Now, I understand why Alex wants to live here. You could show movies and charge admission.”
“Actually, my team watches games here a lot. As long as they bring their own snacks and keep the noise down to a low roar so I can work, I don’t mind. But they each have to ante up for drinks from my fridge so I’m sure no one’s sneaking any booze in.
“Doesn’t that get a little intrusive? I mean, all those kids underfoot must make having a private life a challenge.”
Jake leaned against the wall and smirked. “As my son would say—what private life?”
“Uhh, I didn’t mean that as a fishing expedition for information on your love life. I assure you that’s the last thing I have any interest in.”
Liar.
The man’s lethal sex appeal started her heart knocking against her breastbone like a woodpecker’s beak. Even though he’d left her with wounds that had never healed, she couldn’t help but admire his dedication to the kids.
Playing ball at the high school could be just what Simon needed. Jake might even be able to convince him to continue working with her.
She tipped her head back and gazed up at Jake. “Tell me something. How badly do you want Simon Newberry to play for you next year?”
“Very badly. But I don’t want his education compromised. Besides, his grades would probably make him ineligible.”
A Little Bit of Déjà Vu Page 5