Reluctant Housemates

by Linda Barrett

  “Just like me.” He shrugged. “No problem.” And at the time, he’d meant it.

  Bart had nodded briefly, and Jack thought no more about it until right now. He removed his meal from the oven and walked out onto the deck to eat. Man, he’d lucked out. The well-named Sea View House was perfect for him.

  AFTER TWO STRAIGHT DAYS of almost nonstop driving, Rachel pulled up to her parents’ house late on the Saturday night before Labor Day. She turned the ignition key off, rested her arms on the steering wheel and lay her head down, totally exhausted.

  During the past hectic week, she’d given away some of her furniture and taken other pieces to consignment shops in Kansas. She’d shipped boxes of personal belongings and some kitchen supplies to Pilgrim Cove. Then she’d packed her vehicle so full that the driver’s seat was the only available space inside.

  More difficult than all the physical work of a quick move, however, were the emotional goodbyes. She’d managed to recruit another coach for her team, but the girls were teary-eyed when she swam with them for the last time. And her teaching friends at school…all said they looked forward to Rachel returning the next year. But Rachel knew it was only a pretense to lessen the sadness of saying goodbye. “If you get hungry for an ocean,” she’d joked, “come on over. I’ll share it.”

  Now she had thirty-six hours before she was scheduled to meet with Dr. Bennett as well as with the director of Athletics and Clubs, the attendance coordinator and the chairman of the Guidance Department. The office support staff would also be on hand. If she didn’t get some sleep, she’d make exactly the impression she was trying to avoid.

  From a distance, she head a door slam and then familiar voices.

  “She’s here, thank God, in one piece.”

  Rachel sat up and opened her door. Her folks must have been standing at the window, watching for her. She got out of the Explorer and stretched, then moaned. Everything hurt.

  “A meal, a hot shower and a night’s sleep. You’ll be as good as new.” Pearl hugged her daughter and urged her into the house. “Don’t worry about a thing, sweetheart. We’ll all help you move into Sea View House tomorrow. The kids, too. I’ll do a basic food run to get you started.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” Rachel would have agreed to anything right then, and for once appreciated that her mother was taking charge, organizing and ordering her family around.

  “We’ve already got the key for you. Bart brought it to the diner this morning along with the lease. You can sign it and return it sometime this week.”

  “I guess he knew I’d be short on time tomorrow.”

  “He also had Matt Parker and Ralph Bigelow do a check on the plumbing and electrical systems,” said Lou. “The cleaning service came in as well.” Her dad paused. “And the windows were washed.”

  “Wow! Windows, too?”

  “Your mother took care of those. I would have paid someone, but she wanted to do it herself.”

  “What?” Rachel pivoted to face Pearl. “That’s too much work!”

  “What’s the point of living by the ocean if you can’t see it?”

  “Come on, Mom. Were the windows that dirty?”

  “Well…maybe not. But I wanted to do it. So you’ll feel comfortable and happy there. And happy to be back home in Pilgrim Cove.”

  If only happiness were that simple. “I’ll be happy if I do a good job at the school and improve those test scores.”

  “But I can’t help you with that.” Pearl’s voice trailed off on a note of disappointment.

  And then it clicked. “Mom?” Rachel walked over to hug the woman who wanted her to stay close. “Thanks. That’s quite a welcome-home gift.”

  A tight squeeze was the response.

  At eleven o’clock the next morning, Rachel stood in the middle of her kitchen at Sea View House staring at disorder everywhere. Too many cartons. Too many people. Too many voices giving directions and no one listening. Wasting time. She wished she had the luxury of standing by one of the sparkling windows to enjoy the ocean view! Better yet, she wished she had a half hour to swim. And she absolutely needed time to prepare herself for her first day on the job.

  “Everybody stop!” she called. “Let’s control the chaos so that in two hours we can all have lunch.” Now it was Rachel who gave the orders. “Alex, if you and David could set up my office—my computer is a must. And unpack the cartons of books in the same room. The boxes are marked. And Susan, if you and Jen could work in my bedroom—the linens are in that carton under the table. The hanging clothes are in plastic over there. Dad, you and I will work the kitchen, and when Mom gets back, she’ll stock the food. Everybody…ready…go!”

  And they did. Without any backtalk from anyone. Not even from her brother. His participation had surprised her at first, until she realized that her parents must have insisted. Or maybe Susan had. No matter who was responsible, Rachel was happy to see him.

  Five minutes later, she heard her name being called from the bedroom. “Aunt Rachel, we’re booting up the computer now. Want to check it out?”

  “That was fast, guys,” Rachel said, walking into the study.

  “That wasn’t guys with an ‘s,’” said Alex. “David reconnected it by himself.” Her brother’s eyes gleamed with pride when he looked at his son.

  The boy shrugged. “No biggie. Anyone can do that.”

  “Not true, David. Not true at all,” said Rachel.

  “Hey, Dad!” interrupted David. “Look what she’s got as a screen saver! It’s us. Me and Jen.”

  “Jen and I.” Rachel and her brother spoke in unison, then started to laugh. They stared at each other and laughed some more. And Rachel could’ve sworn she heard ice breaking with a loud crack. A new beginning, she hoped.

  In a little more than an hour, the Captain’s Quarters was almost ready to be lived in. Rachel looked at all they’d accomplished, then walked onto the large covered deck outside the kitchen. A round table and chairs and several chaise longues provided a casual dining area. She stepped to the front of the deck and leaned against the railing. Beyond her backyard, the beach was full of bathers. Large colorful umbrellas dotted the sand. Two boys ran along the shoreline trying to fly a kite. A happy scene, and Rachel sighed with contentment before turning around and going back inside.

  “As soon as we’re finished, I’m going to bring the signed lease to Bart,” she announced. “After tomorrow, my mind will be on other things.”

  “When you’re finished with Bart, come to the house for an early dinner.” Pearl put her hand up as Rachel was about to protest. “I know you have work to do, but you have to eat, anyway. We’ll have simple hamburgers on the grill. Eat and run and I promise not to be insulted. In fact, invite Bart to come, too. I’ve got plenty.”

  “Do you think he’ll give up a meal at the Lobster Pot?” asked Rachel with a grin. “If I remember correctly, he loves to play at being maître d’ for his daughters. He’s the best piece of public relations Thea and Maggie have.”

  “That’s the truth,” said Lou. “But ask him, anyway. We enjoy a glass of schnapps together from time to time.”

  Rachel wrinkled her nose. “Okay.”

  But Bart was on the verge of leaving the office when Rachel arrived. He filed the signed lease in the cabinet drawer marked Sea View House and sent his regrets. “I’ve got a new listing. Want to see the property. But tell Lou I’ll stop by to raise a glass if I’ve got some time later.”

  “Will do.” She turned to leave.

  “By the way, lass, I did mention that you’d have a neighbor upstairs, didn’t I?”

  She spun around. “I don’t think so.”

  “Not to worry. He’s a fine man. We check out everyone who stays at Sea View House, and he passed with high scores. More important, I like him, and my gut instincts never lie.”

  Rachel couldn’t help smiling. The statement was so Bart.

  “He has two jobs and crazy hours,” Bart continued, “and a separate side entrance up to th
e Crow’s Nest. You’ll be like ships passing in the night, hardly seeing each other.”

  “Oh. Then I guess that’s all right. You just surprised me. I really don’t think you mentioned it before.”

  “Sorry, lassie. Must be losing my touch.” He met her glance, and his eyes twinkled. But he didn’t crack a smile.

  Losing his touch? Rachel didn’t believe a word of it.

  THE NEXT MORNING, RACHEL dressed in a lightweight black slack suit with a black-and-white polka-dot blouse and low-heeled shoes. Her small purse fit inside her attaché case. She felt neat and professional despite her jitters as she pulled into the school’s driveway. No one was parked in front, and she continued to the back lot. Empty also. She glanced at her watch and finally chose a spot near the front entrance. It was seven-forty-five. She was definitely early, but she felt wide-awake after ten hours of undisturbed sleep.

  The events and activities of the last few weeks had caught up with her the previous night. After she’d dined with her family and returned to Sea View House alone, the quiet had wrapped itself around her, and the familiar ocean tang in the air seemed to trigger a sleep response. She’d flopped onto her mattress and had heard nothing until her alarm went off at six.

  She reached into her half-empty briefcase and pulled out a legal pad. Might as well put her time to good use, especially since she was walking in rather cold. In five minutes, she had composed a page of questions as well as reminders to herself as one thought followed another. Were there teacher issues? Or student issues? Family issues? Social issues? Outdated books? Curriculum? Attendance problems? Something was broken here, maybe more than one something. And it was up to her to uncover and fix it.

  A car pulled into the spot beside her, then a second, and soon Rachel was being greeted by Dr. Bennett and three others. Three sets of curious eyes coupled with a mix of warm and cautious smiles.

  The most enthusiastic greeting came from Judy Kramer, the chair of the Guidance Department. An attractive woman probably in her forties, she had a firm handshake and a genuine smile. “We’ll take all the help we can get. Everyone’s worried about performance. An objective newcomer might see more clearly than we do.” No doubt Judy was sincere.

  Bob Franklin, the athletic director, seemed more concerned about his players’ abilities and teams’ stature in the community. “Don’t forget, the games raise some of the money to support the cost of the program. We’ve also got local sponsors. Sports are big around here. Athletics and after school clubs are crucial to developing well-rounded kids.”

  His statements were logical, but Rachel sensed the man had his own agenda. She stared at him and nodded. “I’m very aware of the benefits team sports have for students, Mr. Franklin. I’m an athlete myself. I’m a coach in the USA Swim Club.”

  Franklin’s expression was comical—wide eyes, open mouth. Rachel could almost hear his sigh of relief.

  “But I’m also aware of the pitfalls athletes can encounter,” she added. “A swelled head and attitude, poor academics…” She smiled at the athletic director. “Let’s hope the benefit side wins.” She couldn’t blame him for wanting her to know his position. Athletic programs were often praised to the heavens or blamed for everything that went wrong in a school. However, she planned to reserve judgment on Bob Franklin.

  The man’s eyes narrowed again, but he said nothing more and Rachel turned to Helen Wong, the attendance coordinator.

  “Welcome, Rachel Goodman. I do spreadsheets for you—any kind you want. You want big statistics, small statistics, I can do it. By grade, by age, any demographic you want. I give you the same daily reports I give to guidance counselors. My computer sings for me. We’re a team.” The petite woman with salt-and-pepper hair turned to Dr. Bennett. “Is it not true?”

  “Don’t know what we’d do without you, Helen.” Dr. Bennett tried to keep a straight face, but the corners of his mouth wobbled and his eyes glistened with suppressed laughter. Finally, he started to chuckle. “If nothing else, I can always count on you to reduce my stress.”

  He looked at Rachel. “She’s also a whiz at monitoring budgets. And in case you couldn’t tell, she has an opinion about everything. Soon she’ll be running the school.”

  Anyone else would have blushed at his teasing, thought Rachel. Helen Wong looked Bennett square in the face and said, “I’m not ready yet, boss.”

  Rachel’s spirit soared. The bantering was a very good sign of Dr. Bennett’s management style. Obviously, people enjoyed working with him and weren’t afraid. So far, so good.

  Dr. Bennett led the group inside the building to the suite of administrative offices where the returning staff members disappeared. Rachel followed Dr. Bennett to his private office. “Tomorrow’s faculty meeting won’t be as easy. Some have sharp memories of your student days, and they’re eager to see what you can do. Just remember, Rachel, the committee chose you, so let whatever remarks they make roll off your back. You’ll win them over in the end.”

  Rachel felt herself straighten to every bit of her five-foot-nine inches. “I’ll get through the first encounter with a smile. Then I’ll get to know each teacher one-on-one. It’ll take a little time. That’s all.”

  He studied her. “Just make sure they know who’s in charge.”

  “Why, Dr. Bennett, I thought that was you!”

  He grinned and waved her away. “Why don’t you take a stroll around the place. Refresh your memory, discover changes. Then we’ll set you up in your office. Here’s a master key. Explore.”

  “Thanks. Uh…before I do, I have one small question.”

  He looked at her expectantly.

  “Is Cornelia Stebbins still teaching here?”

  Silence rang in her ears as she waited for his response. But Dr. Bennett was shaking his head. “Retired and gone to Florida.”

  Yes! “I’m not sorry to hear that.”

  “She really got to you, didn’t she?”

  Got to her? The woman caused her the kind of pain that still brought tears to her eyes years later. “Let’s just say, I would have had to monitor her constantly. How could I trust her not to tear out the hearts of other youngsters?”

  She took the key and left, glad her old nemesis was gone, but her smile faded and her spirit plummeted, anyway. She’d put up a good front, but she’d sensed there was a whole lot of attitude about her from the staff that Dr. Bennett was keeping to himself. Which meant that tomorrow’s faculty meeting would be a real challenge.

  SUNLIGHT STREAMED IN through large sash windows in the double classroom. Although not all seats were taken, it seemed to Rachel that the space was filled to the bursting point. Still wearing casual summer clothes and sandals, the teachers seemed not only comfortable but excited as they chatted with their colleagues. Rachel caught snatches about summer events, family news and the upcoming school year. While Dr. Bennett mingled with his staff, Rachel stood near the desk at the front of the room, glad she’d chosen to wear a tailored skirt and blouse. First impressions counted, and she aimed to present a professional image.

  At least two of the old-timers had already recognized her and stopped to ask about her dad. Then Tom Sullivan, the boys’ phys ed teacher and coach, came over to welcome her home. Rachel took his warm words as a positive sign and felt herself begin to relax. Of course, Tom, who was Bart Quinn’s son-in-law, might just have a soft spot because of her swimming achievements, and because he never had to contend with her in class! Regardless, his greeting lessened her concern about Bob Franklin’s attitude yesterday.

  “It’s one-ten, and although not everyone’s here yet, we’re going to start,” said Dr. Bennett as he walked toward Rachel. The principal motioned her to sit next to him behind the desk. The room quieted down and all eyes focused on Rachel’s new boss.

  “It’s good to see everyone looking healthy, rested and excited about the year ahead. New beginnings are what teaching is about each fall. New beginnings for students as well as staff, and this year, a new beginning for the s
chool as a whole. In that vein, we’ll start with introductions since seven new staff members have joined us. We have six new teachers…hmm, I count only five in the room right now…as well as a new assistant principal whom you’ll meet shortly. I know she has some words of welcome and her own short agenda today.”

  As the teachers introduced themselves and the subjects they taught, Rachel tried to memorize as many of the names as possible, tried to smile or nod to each person. She jotted a note asking Helen for a faculty list by department, length of service and class performance the prior year.

  The introductions took almost half an hour, and just as the last person finished speaking and sat down, the classroom door flew open.

  “Sorry I’m late. The Wanderer had engine problems, so I’ve come directly from the marina.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  RACHEL RECOGNIZED HIM instantly. The same set of broad shoulders, the same playboy grin, this time surrounded by a scruffy beard. With his red T-shirt, denim shorts, boat shoes, and the scent of salt and seaweed, the man loomed like a modern day pirate of the Caribbean. He overflowed with testosterone, a restless heat that couldn’t be missed.

  This was the same guy she’d bumped into outside Town Hall after her interview. The guy who’d ordered her out of the ocean one night during her vacation a few weeks ago. A single glance at him made her own heart stop for a moment before resuming its natural rhythm. She could hear the flutter among the staff. Hopefully, her own mouth wasn’t hanging open like some of the other women’s.

  “Just in time to introduce yourself,” said Dr. Bennett, motioning the newcomer to the front row of seats.

  The man strode with confidence, his slightly rolling gait revealing a seagoing life. “Sure,” he said. “Name’s Jack Levine, new to town. I’m a last-minute hire for the Science Department. Life just worked out that way.” He glanced at Rachel, his hazel eyes twinkling. “Nice seeing you again,” he said before sitting down and stretching out his long legs in front of him.

  Rachel nodded in acknowledgment and tried to stop the heat she felt rising to her face.