He was sitting in his classroom going over his plans for his first class when a soft knock sounded on the door. Oh no! He was sure that when he looked around that he’d see Suzette approaching him with that big fake smile on her face.
But no, it wasn’t her. Instead, he saw a man standing there that he didn’t know. When he thought about it though, he had seen the guy yesterday in the hall once.
As the other man stepped into the room, he said, “Hi my name is Kent Simon and I’m in the room next door.”
He thumbed toward the wall behind Mike.
Mike took a good look at him. He was young. Couldn’t be more than twenty-five. He was short too. It was difficult to tell from his sitting position but Mike guessed that the guy was probably six or seven inches shorter than his own six two. Otherwise, he was pretty average with brown hair and eyes.
“Hi, I’m Mike Bates.”
“Yeah, everybody knows who you are. You’re some kind of a hero around here.
Mike shook his head but before he could say anything Kent continued, “I guess you know I’m new here. But did you know I was the one Mr. Farley hired to fill in for you ‘til the end of last school year?”
Mike shook his head but again couldn’t get a word in.
“Yeah, but when Mrs. Williams retired I was kept on to replace her. I heard you were from Tulsa. I’m from Joplin. That’s only a little over a hundred miles apart.”
When the kid finally wound down, Mike smiled and said, “Before you ask, I can’t talk to anyone about anything I did while I was with the DEA.”
Kent looked crestfallen for just a moment before he seemed to regroup. “That’s okay. Just knowing someone like you is pretty neat. I watch all those real cop shows on TV and I think what all you guys do is totally awesome.”
Mike was wondering how he was going to get himself out of this conversation when the kid did it for him.
Kent looked closely at Mike then said, “You really don’t like to talk about it do you?”
“No, I’m sorry, but I really don’t.”
Kent grinned and said, “That’s okay. Don’t be sorry. I’m used to it. It must be that way with all you guys who’ve been through it. My grandpa was in Vietnam and he won’t say one single word about it. Whenever the subject is brought up, man, he just clams right up and won't say another word.”
The kid looked up at the clock on the wall, jumped up, and said, “I got to go. Hey, we have the same lunch period so we can talk some more then.” He started for the door but turned and said, “And I promise I won’t talk about anything you don’t want to, okay?”
With that, he was gone leaving Mike no chance to reply. At first, he thought about avoiding the kid. But then as he thought about it, he had a feeling that any conversation with that guy would only be one-sided anyway.
Mike looked up at the clock too. He had another five minutes before the first students would be coming in. He just needed to clear his mind a little first.
He shook his head and leaned back in his chair. In spite of the barrage of words coming out of the kid’s mouth, he seemed harmless enough. In fact, Mike thought he might actually wind up liking the little guy.
He could say one thing for the kid though. He’d certainly taken Mike’s mind off his problems with Suzette.
Mike’s morning classes went quite well and he’d stayed in his room during his free period so he could avoid any contact with the three women from yesterday.
He was planning to stay in his room through lunch too but he was starting to get hungry and wondered if he could sneak in and out of the cafeteria without being caught by Suzette.
He had turned his wheelchair toward the door and begun to wheel it in that direction when Kent burst into the room.
“Hey great! I thought I’d missed you. Come on let’s go. I’ll push you so we’ll get there faster. Today’s lasagna and I don’t want to miss it. They do a pretty fair job with it. Not as good as my mom’s thought, but not bad.”
It was that way all the way to the cafeteria and Mike didn’t even try to break into the kid’s stream of chatter. It did remind him of Lucy though. And in that case, how could he get upset with the guy?
When they had their trays and made their way to the teacher’s lounge, they found an empty table and began to eat. Mike suddenly realized that he was enjoying the company of the young teacher.
Mike kept glancing toward the door expecting to see Suzette come through it at any moment and start tormenting him again.
Kent must have noticed for he said, “Looks like you’re watching for someone.”
Mike didn’t know if he really wanted to talk about Suzette with this guy but decided he’d just be careful how much he said.
“Yeah, there were several women in the lounge yesterday during third period.” He leaned across the table and lowered his voice. “I don’t really want to be bothered by them today.”
Kent had a smirk come over his face. “Yeah, it must be tough having three women chasing you huh?”
Mike laughed. “You don’t know the half of it though.” He looked at the door again. “I figured Suzette would be in here for sure.”
Kent frowned. “Oh I guess you haven’t heard about her dad dying then.” When Mike shook his head, Kent went on, “Yeah, his funeral was at eleven this morning. So that’s where Suzette is and probably the other two women you were wondering about too.”
Mike was able to relax after that and enjoy his meal as he listened to the kid telling him what it was like growing up in Joplin.
He just made it back to his room in time to let the next class in. His afternoon went well and rather quickly too. He found that he was beginning to get back into the groove of teaching again and becoming more comfortable in the process.
If he could just get out of this blasted wheelchair though. Things would be so much better when he finally ditched the thing for good.
* * *
When Daisy dropped Lucy off at pre-school, she automatically steered her car toward Best Friends. She sure hoped the other two women didn’t mind, but she had thoroughly enjoyed their company Monday and she realized she needed it even more today.
She wasn’t prepared for the reception she received the moment she stepped through the door though. Sue Ann was standing behind the counter but Jo was not in sight. Daisy quickly looked around to discover that there were no customers right then.
Sue Ann looked up and called out loudly, “Come on back to the kitchen girl and tell us everything about last night.”
Daisy was overwhelmed as Sue Ann grabbed her by the arm and led her back to the kitchen where Jo was just putting a sleeping Luke in his cradle. She glared at Sue Ann and placed her index finger to her lips.
Sue Ann giggled softly and they all took a seat at the table.
Daisy looked up once she was situated and realized that both of the other women were staring at her in obvious anticipation. Okay! What did she say first?
“Well, as you both know Mike and I went out last night . . . with Lucy along of course.”
They both laughed and Sue Ann snorted before saying, “Tell us something we don’t know girl.”
Jo giggled and said, “Yeah, I can’t wait to hear what happened. The three of you looked so good together last night just like a family out together. When Gil and I stopped by to chat with all of you, Gil said that Mike was giving him such a look that he knew the poor guy didn’t want us in the way. So we left pretty quickly.”
Jo and Sue Ann laughed at that and Daisy blushing timidly joined them. It sure did feel good to be with these two strong Christian women who were fast becoming special to her.
“It was great!”
“Great? That’s all you can say?” Sue Ann had her hands on her hips now glaring at Daisy again. “Come on girl, give.”
“Well, Mike is fun to be with. He really seems to like Lucy too. He talks to her but better yet, he actually listens to her.”
Both of the others nodded and Jo said, “That has
to be a big consideration for you doesn’t it. I mean how he is with Lucy. And I would imagine if he’s that way with her, she likes him.”
Daisy shook her head and laughed. “That’s putting it mildly. Lucy simply loves him. All day yesterday she kept talking about our date with Mike.”
That brought laughter from both of the others again but Sue Ann sobered up quickly and said, “Did you find out anything about his relationship with the Lord?”
Daisy frowned. “Yes I did. I guess you could say he doesn’t really have one, in the true sense that is. He said his parents started going to church after he left home.”
When the other two faces fell, she quickly added, “But I think he’s open. He asked me a question about something Gil said in his prayer when he prayed with him just before his surgery two weeks ago.”
That brought excitement back into the other two faces. Sue Ann made a rolling motion with her hand that Daisy interpreted as urging her to continue.
“He said that in that prayer, Gil kept saying ‘If it be your will Lord.’ That had him puzzled so he asked me what it meant.”
“When I tried to explain it to him, he seemed to take it in well and I think that I’ll be able to bring it back up next time and get him to talk about it some more.”
Sue Ann let out a whoop and then quickly covered her mouth with her hand. All three women looked over at Luke who was still sleeping peacefully.
Jo elbowed Sue Ann lightly in the ribs. “You lucked out this time. But don’t let it happen again.”
Daisy marveled at how the two women who’d been best friends since they were very young girls interacted with each other. They could say some of the most outrageous things, especially Sue Ann, and the other would take it just the way it had been meant.
She was suddenly envious of their friendship and wished for some of the same for herself. Could she ever be that free and open with another person, male or female?
She wondered if she should tell the others about Mike's woman troubles at school or not.
Sue Ann grinned unrepentantly and said to Daisy, “You said ‘next time.’ Does that mean that you’re already planning to go out again?”
Daisy smiled at the two of them again. “Yes, we’re going out again Friday night and this time it’ll just be the two of us.”
The other women grinned and Jo said, “That’s marvelous Daisy. I’m so happy for you.”
Sue Ann was looking closely into Daisy’s eyes and waved her hand in front of her then said, “Wait a minute here. There’s something else. I just know there is.” She looked at Jo who nodded. “Just look at her face.” She turned back to glare at Daisy and said, “We can both see that there’s something else so you might as well spit it out girl.”
Daisy had to laugh at their persistence and especially at Sue Ann’s calling her girl. That made her feel so welcome that she found herself grinning too when she said, “Yes, I guess there is.”
She looked down at her hands and then back up. “I don’t know if I should say much about this one or not. You see, it seems that he has a woman teacher chasing him and she won’t take no for an answer.”
Jo spoke up for the first time in a while. “Did he happen to say what her name was?”
Daisy shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.” Then she thought for a moment. “Oh, yes he did. It was something that started with an ‘S’ and it sounded French.”
Daisy was startled when the other two women looked at each other and shouted out in unison, “Suzette Owens.”
She nodded. “Yes, it was Suzette but he didn’t mention the last name though.”
The other two looked at each other again and Sue Ann said to Jo, “Do you think he knows who she is?”
Jo shook her head. “I’ll bet he doesn’t.”
Sue Ann turned back to Daisy and said, “It doesn’t sound like he knows who Suzette is. And you don’t either do you?”
When Daisy shook her head, Sue Ann continued, “Well, Hershel Hollis was her daddy.”
That took the breath right out of Daisy. She didn’t know what to think or say.
At the shocked expression on Daisy’s face, Sue Ann explained. “You see Suzette had a huge fight with Hershel about the time she graduated from high school. I don’t really know what it was all about.”
She motioned with her head toward Jo. “We were two years ahead of her in school so we were both in Springfield by then. But I do know that she left home that summer, worked her way through college, married a guy in Springfield, and divorced him five or six years ago, then came back here to teach at the high school last year.”
Daisy didn’t think before she burst out with, “Oh my! Mike needs to know that right away. But how do we tell him without him suspecting that I’ve told you two about it? I don't want to ruin things between us before they even get started.”
“Don’t you worry about a thing Daisy.” Sue Ann was already picking up her cell phone off the table in front of her. “I’ll just tell Floyd the situation and he’ll drop the information on Mike in such a casual way that Mike will never know that it came from us.”
“Are you sure, Sue Ann?”
“Sure, I’m sure. He’s a cop isn’t he? He may be a big oaf most of the time but he can be subtle when he needs to be.”
They all laughed at that and Luke began to stir.
Daisy had second thoughts though and said, “No, Sue Ann, wait before you say anything to Floyd. I’m a little concerned about how Mike might take it. Why don’t we wait until after my date with him Friday? I might be able to bring it up then.”
Sue Ann frowned. “Okay, if you think so. I’ll wait then.”
Customers were starting to come in again and Daisy knew she needed to get out of her new friends’ way. When she looked at her watch though, she couldn’t believe that it was already time to go pick Lucy up from pre-school.
* * *
When Jason wheeled Mike into PT later that afternoon, Karen was at a desk about twenty feet away on the other side of her work area. She was on the phone but disconnected as they came farther into the room.
She walked over to them and said, “I just put in a call to your doctor, Mike. I need his permission before I can go on to the next phase in your program.
When he gave her a questioning look, she grinned and said, “Just wait to find out. I want it to be a surprise. Also this way, you won’t be disappointed if your doctor says to wait.”
Mike wasn’t sure what she was talking about but it did sound like progress though. So he endured the warm-up exercises she put him through until Mark called her back.
Thankfully, Mark called her back just as they were finishing the warm-ups. She went back over to the desk to take the call. When she came back, she was smiling and Mike hoped that meant something good for him. It did.
Without saying a word, Karen helped him into his wheelchair and then pushed him over to the parallel bars. He was getting excited now. He sure hoped she was about to do what it looked like she was about to do.
She pushed his chair right up to the entrance to the parallel bars and locked his wheels.
“Don’t move. I'll be right back.”
She stepped around his chair and the parallel bars to a tall metal cabinet, opened it, and pulled out what looked like a large leather belt. Now, he was really getting excited.
She stepped back in front of him and stood on the floor of the parallel bars.
She held the belt out in front of him and said, “This is what’s called a gait belt.”
She turned it so he could see a strap built into the back of the belt. “With this around your waist, I can hold on to you while you get up and onto the parallel bars. If you would buckle it snug around your waist, we’ll see just exactly what you can do. Okay?”
She didn’t have to tell him twice. He eagerly took the belt and secured it as tight as he could around his waist.
She then positioned herself behind him and to the left of his wheelchair.
�
�Okay, Mike, slide as far forward in your chair as you can without falling out.”
He did as she said and grabbed hold of the ends of the bars with a hand on each.
She laughed and said, “Okay you just did step three by grabbing the bars. Now, slowly start to pull yourself up and out of your chair by pulling on the bars and then gradually shifting as much of your weight as possible onto your hands and arms. Okay?”
Mike nodded because he had already started pulling and had his teeth gritted against the pain in his legs as more weight began to shift to them.”
“Now! Mike. Shift more of your weight onto the bars or you’ll fall.”
As he fell back into his chair he called out, “Now you tell me.”
They all three laughed and Mike became aware of Jason standing just to his left with a strange look on his face as if he was trying to will Mike up onto his feet.
Karen patted Mike on the shoulder and said, “That’s okay. Very few ever make it up onto their feet the first try. Rest your arms and legs a few minutes and we’ll try again. I’ll be right back.”
With that, she went through the swinging doors to the front lobby.
Mike laughed as he watched Jason watch her walking away from them. “Man, you’ve got it bad all right.”
Jason ignored the laughter and the comment. He spoke as if in awe. “That woman sure is strong for such a little thing. She can’t weigh much more than a hundred pounds and she held you up for quite a while there.”
Mike thought about it and realized that Jason was right. She had held him up when his legs gave way on him and eased him back into his chair. Wow!
Karen came back a few minutes later.
“Okay, Mike, are you ready to try it again?”
To answer her, he started shifting his body toward the front of the chair again. When he made it she said, “Okay. On three. One. Two. Three.”
This time he was able to get his weight up and onto his hands on the bars before his knees could buckle. He felt a hand on each of his knees and looked down to find a male therapist kneeling there with his hands on both of Mike’s knees bracing them until he could lock them. Then the guy backed away but still stayed close.
The Only Solution (Crowley County Series Book 3) Page 17