Cupid to the Rescue: A Tail-Wagging Valentine's Day Anthology

by Lisa Mondello

  The video went on to introduce the main characters.

  Pickles sat in her cucumber patch sunning herself. Miss Lovely Lettuce joined him. Pickles said, “Oh dear, you’re crying.”

  Miss Lovely Lettuce wiped her eyes. “Someone is cutting all the leaves off my lettuce before it grows up.”

  Maggie kept peeking at the kids as Alexandra read. All were mesmerized. Rosie made the rounds, and some didn’t even pet her when she sat by them because they were into the story.

  After the introduction ended, she read them part of the first book. “You can open your eyes if yours were closed. You were very good today. Thank you for sharing Pickles with me. Now, time to go plant your own gardens.”

  The kids’ left with smiles on their faces. Alexandra’s books were the best for kids.

  The second group came into the room. Brett was first. He rushed to Rosie to hug her. “Brett, you’re supposed to ask if you can hug Rosie.”

  “Still? I love her.”

  “You have to ask anyway.”

  She greeted rest of the kids. Showed them the podcast, then explained that they’d share Rosie.

  “No!” Brett shouted at her.

  “First off, there’s no shouting. And yes, you must share Rosie, or I’m afraid you’ll lose your turn.”

  He glared at her.

  “Tell me you agree to that, right now.”

  “I agree,” he said begrudgingly.

  Maggie sighed. They’d dodged another bullet.

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  Noah was glad when noon came around. He waited while Maggie got Rosie’s sweater on. “Are you happy to be done today?”

  She stood. “I am. I worried about Brett the whole time.”

  “But he did what you told him to, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Maggie, that’s success. He’s gotten attached to Rosie, which is fine, but he has to learn she’s not his.”

  “I wonder if Brett’s parents would get a dog.”

  “They’re coming in for a second semester Parents’ Night. Maybe we could ask in our private session with them.”

  “We will.” She put on furry lined boots and her pink jacket.

  “What will you do now?”

  “Rosie and I are going for a hike.”

  “In the winter?”

  “There’s a path that’s cleared in a park I know.”

  “Be careful, Maggie.”

  “I’m always careful. Please, Noah, don’t be protective of me.”

  Severely depressed when she left, Noah headed to the teacher’s cafeteria, grateful all over again for the fact that Stepping Stones used special aides to supervise student lunches. He needed some down time.

  After getting his food from the buffet provided every day for teachers, he sat with a group and listened to the chatter. After a bit, Tim asked, “How was the morning in the garden?”

  “The kids did great.”

  “Boy, I wish I had Maggie and Rosie to do the reading. Don’t get me wrong, my aide is excellent. But I’m jealous.”

  “Sorry, Tim. Maybe if this works out with a dog in our class, you can get one next year. The story, by the way, was written by Maggie’s aunt’s sister. It’s about a Pickles who lives in a cucumber patch.”

  “And they solve mysteries. I have the whole Pickles series.”

  “Really? I heard of it but never pursued them.”

  “I got copies of each book in my classroom.”

  “Can I borrow them?”

  “Sure.”

  Another teacher frowned. “We’re not supposed to talk about school at lunch.”

  “My bad.” Tim smiled. “So, Amy, what do you want to talk about?”

  “My wedding.”

  Noah groaned inside.

  He left lunch early and returned to his classroom. From the door, he looked at Rosie’s corner. It was empty, just like he felt inside. For the hundredth time since Friday night, he wondered if he’d done the right thing by ending the relationship with Maggie. Could they have worked this out? He sat at his desk and tried to review his afternoon lesson, but instead, his mind drifted back to that one awful night that had almost destroyed him…

  They’d been at the cake tasting for their wedding and Laura had been animated. “I love this one, Noah. It’s gooey.”

  “Sure, whatever you want.”

  “We have to try the others.”

  Because she was enjoying herself, he could, too. “Pass me the gooey one, then.”

  In the end, that’s what they chose. And never got to eat.

  They walked home in the pretty April night. A breeze picked up her blond hair and tousled it. She leaned into him contentedly as they entered the house Noah had bought three years ago and Laura had already moved into.

  She went into the bathroom, while he was getting wine for them. He brought it into the living. And waited.

  And waited.

  Finally, he went to the john and knocked. No answer. He tried the handle. Nothing. He had a bad feeling, so he smashed his shoulder against the door and it flew open.

  Laura lay on the floor in a pool of blood. Oh, dear God, no. He wrapped her right wrist tightly with a towel, then felt her pulse as he called 9-1-1. None. He started chest compressions. “Please Laura wake up…”

  But she never did. He’d overheard the EMT say, “She meant business.” Apparently, she used a horizontal cut, which severed the artery. If it had been vertical, she might have survived.

  Noah spent six months doing almost nothing. He took a leave from his teaching job and wallowed in his grief, until his father moved in with him and brought him out of his despair. The experience was one of the reasons he got a Masters’ Degree in Special Education. He wanted to help troubled kids because he couldn’t help Laura.

  He glanced back over to the corner. “Nope, I made the right choice,” he said aloud. The bold truth was before him: He could never relax with Maggie, fearing she might end up on his bathroom floor.

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  “Come on, girl. You’re lagging behind.”

  Maggie smiled at her dad, who was ten feet ahead of her on a fairly steep hill. He’d met her and Rosie at the trail to hike where the path had been forged. She was happy her father had arranged this because being with him was uplifting.

  She teased him. “Not all of us have a gym in our basement.”

  “What? You live in a mansion with an indoor/outdoor pool and a huge workout area.”

  “I do not, Daddy.” She reached him and kissed his cold cheek. “I live in the guest house.”

  They’d been hiking for a half hour so they stopped at a bench installed by the city. The weather turned sunny today but it was a cold 50 degrees out. “How did it go this morning with Noah?”

  Maggie’s throat clogged. “It was so hard to see him. He’s suffering.”

  “So are you, honey.”

  “I am. Damn it, I was so hopeful about this relationship. It was easy to…click with him. Too easy, I guess.”

  Her father’s face was ruddy and his blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight as he stared over at the trees empty of foliage. “What were you supposed to do? Share your deepest secrets in the short time you’ve known each other?”

  “I wish now that I was more wary of jumping into a relationship with him.”

  “Sometimes, love is at first sight.”

  She grinned. “Like you and Mom?”

  “Yeah. I saw that hair and those eyes and I fell hard and fast. Her, too.”

  She took his hand. “I’m so glad you got married again.”

  “I could never imagine my life without her, even as I signed the divorce papers. It was a dark time.” He studied her face. “And you got caught in all our crossfire.”

  She’d learned to own the truth when people said things like that, especially her parents. “I did. You and Mom and Trish helped get me through it.”

  Her father focused on her. “One of my biggest regrets in life is what happened to you.” He
let out a heavy breath. “It’s still affecting you.”

  “I cut myself, Dad. I told Noah we shouldn’t be together after he shared his history. I’m responsible for all that, not you.”

  “I know, baby. But I own my part in all of it, too.” He stood, “Come on, see if you can keep up with your old man.”

  Old man did not equate with Declan Marino. A former army captain, a renown trauma doctor, he was strong and fit.

  No wonder her mother couldn’t get over him.

  As she got Rosie into a quick trot, she was grateful for them both in her life.

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  Noah pulled into his driveway and saw an unfamiliar car parked outside the garage. And the lights were on in his house. His family had keys, and since a burglar wouldn’t park out in the open, then turn the lights on, it must be one of them.

  He went in through the kitchen door to heavenly scents of homemade…meatloaf, he guessed. And found his dad at the stove. And Huxley at his feet. “Hey, Dad.”

  Adam Carson turned. Noah resembled him, though his dad’s dark hair had some gray in it. “Hey, Noah. Come on over.”

  “I have to take the dog out.”

  “I got here at four and took him for a walk. Boy, he hates being on the cold ground.”

  “Yeah, sometimes I carry him just so he gets some air. The downside of small dogs.” He thought of Rosie trampling through the snow at the dog park and in the field at school.

  Noah hung up his coat and put his school bag in the closet then hugged his dad. “What are you doing here?”

  “I flew here from Killington instead of going home. Hence the rental car.”

  “You left the ski trip?”

  “No, it was over. I came because I saw you’d called.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  He poured them each some coffee and they sat at the kitchen table. Huxley cuddled into his bed in the corner. “Remember how I knew when you had trouble at school before you even came home? And how you didn’t tell us you were cut from the baseball team, but I sensed something was wrong?”

  “And you were on my doorstep even before you even knew Laura had committed suicide. I remember all that. Today, too, huh?”

  “Like always, buddy.” His deep brown eyes were full of concern. “What is this time?”

  “Believe it or not, it’s a woman.”

  “Holy shit, there hasn’t been anybody serious all these years.”

  “I know.”

  “How serious was it? Is it?”

  “Was. Right now, it feels like it was very serious. I’ve known her since November, then I saw her for a few days in December. I spent New Year’s Eve with her. We’ve only had a couple of weeks since we started school.” He looked at the calendar on the wall. “It doesn’t make any sense that I’d hurt like this because we broke up.”

  His father put his hand on his shoulder. “The heart wants what the heart wants. Now, tell me the whole story.”

  He watched his father’s face change from concern, to shock, to anger. “Damn it,” he said, “Life is unfair. The one woman you show interest in since Laura, and she’s so much like her.”

  “Actually, Dad, she’s not. She’s strong-willed, capable of dealing with our most troubled kids and can run rings around me.”

  “Is she physically strong?”

  He explained about all that.

  “Poor girl. Even though she’s got control of it, her cutting is still haunting her.”

  “Hell. I never thought I’d resurrected something so awful.”

  “Maybe she’s strong enough to handle what happened. It was a while ago, and she’s better now. A lot better.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Noah, wallowing in your feelings for a while is exactly what you both should be doing. Stuffing them, like you did after Laura died, is the worst thing that could happen.”

  “I guess.” He glanced at his dad. “I miss Maggie.”

  “I’ll bet. I’m going to stay a few days and see if I can help with that.”

  “I’d like you to.”

  “That settles it. I’ll get my bag.”

  When his dad stepped outside, Huxley jumped up on his lap. He cuddled his dog, thinking of another dog and her owner.

  ♥ ♥ ♥

  On Friday night, the teachers gathered at a local bar to celebrate their first paychecks. Though Maggie’s was smaller than most, she decided to attend, and bring her dad as her plus one.

  “Are you sure you want me along?” he said. He’d dressed in jeans and a shirt, lettered with, “Trauma is my business.”

  Maggie burst out laughing. “With that tee on, you’ll have a lot of people to talk to.” She arched a brow, like he often did. “And the women will flock to you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m coming for moral support, right?”

  “I’ll have you to talk to. I don’t know anyone well. And yes, Noah will be there, so some papa-love for me will help.”

  “Let’s go, then.”

  He drove to the parking lot of a popular bar called HomeWork’s and parked in front. Just as another car pulled into a space across from them. Maggie glanced out the rear window. She recognized the vehicle.

  When a man got out with Noah, she started to laugh.

  “What’s so funny?

  “You’ll see.” They exited and, even though it was cold, they waited for the men to reach them.

  Noah’s jaw slackened. “Hi, Maggie.”

  “Hi, Noah.”

  For a moment, they stared at each other. Both dads finally cleared their throats.

  “This is my dad,” she said to his father. “Declan Marino.”

  A smiled curved the corners of Noah’s mouth. “Funny thing, this is my dad, Adam Carson.”

  Her father held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Adam.” Maggie held her breath when he turned to Noah. “Noah, I’m happy to meet you. And I’m sorry about the situation between you and Mags.”

  Adam smiled. He circled to Maggie and clasped her shoulder. “I feel the same, Maggie. Life is hard, isn’t it?”

  Her eyes teared. Geez, she didn’t cry that much anymore.

  “Shall we go in?” her dad asked. “It’s cold out here.

  They made their way up the steps and inside. The coatroom was by the entrance. “Here,” Adam said from inside the small anteroom. “I’ll take the coats.”

  She and Noah shed theirs first so they moved out of the way. Maggie heard Adam say, “Clever shirt, Declan. Noah told me your background.”

  Maggie studied Noah’s face. God, he looked good in a navy-blue sweater and collared light-blue shirt beneath. She moved in close and took his hand. He gripped hers.

  “We’re pathetic,” Maggie finally said. “We both brought our daddies here.”

  “I take it Declan came because you told your mother what happened. He doesn’t seem mad at me.”

  “He’s not. Is your dad mad at me?”

  “Nope.”

  “Life is hard” she quipped, reiterating what Adam said.

  “Do we wait for them?”

  “No,” she heard her father call out. “You guys go on in. We’re getting acquainted in here.”

  “Geez, are they throwing us together?” Noah asked.

  “We’re still friends. Come on, I’ll buy you a beer.”

  An empty spot at the end of the bar beckoned. Maggie went over and ordered them both beers. Noah moved back when someone vacated a stool, then grabbed the back. “Sit.”

  She slid onto the seat. He stood and faced her.

  “We can’t talk about school at these parties.”

  “I figured. How’s Huxley?”

  “He’s good. Dad’s determined to get him to walk in the snow. He’s so skittish.”

  “His little paws are fragile.”

  “Rosie’s okay?”

  “Yeah. She slept all afternoon. The two reading lessons wore her out.”

  “That was a smart thing to do, telling Brett you’d l
et Rosie walk back with him holding the leash if he behaved.”

  “I’m glad it worked.”

  “You two aren’t talking about school, are you?” Tim Kane had come up to them, like he often did when they were together. He was handsome in a maroon Stepping Stones sweatshirt over jeans. And Maggie felt not a whit of attraction to him. Instead, her heart longed for Noah.

  “So, I heard you have a famous…what would a sister of an aunt be called?”

  “I call her Alexandra or Lexy for short.”

  “Why don’t you tell Tim about your family situation? Before she comes to school to read.”

  “The author’s coming to talk? Cool. What’s wrong with her?”

  “Nothing at all. My Uncle Connor married a princess from a small country in Italy. She and Lexy are sisters.”

  Tim’s face blanked. Then, “Are you pranking me?”

  “Nah. I wouldn’t do that. Tell him, Noah.”

  “I’d think she’d prank you, but she isn’t now. And her aunt has six sisters.”

  “One is Ravenna, the illustrator of the books.”

  “Man, those are the best. I can’t take this all in.”

  “Hi, guys.” The dads came up to them.

  Tim turned around. “Adam, hi. You’re here with Noah?”

  “Yep, I’m visiting for a few days.”

  “Hello, I’m Maggie’s Dad, Declan.”

  Tim burst out laughing. “You two brought your fathers?”

  “Damn right,” Maggie said.

  “Don’t tell me he’s prince or king or something?”

  “Not in the way you mean. But he is an absolute prince in the metaphorical sense.”

  “How cute.” He gave Noah a knowing look. “And you’re all here together.”

  “Yeah.” Noah said, “We’re all here together.”

  Teacher’s Pet: Chapter 6

  On Monday morning, Noah told the kids they had finished their stint at gardening and would have a social studies lesson. When moans rippled through the group, Maggie stepped up. “You don’t like me reading to you?”

  “I do, Ms. Marino.” This from Lea Dickinson. “Can Rosie sit next to me first?”

  And once again, all hell broke loose.