Kyle closed his eyes and almost swore. He didn’t watch while Brandon was led off the playground by one arm.
Luke thought it was kind of funny, but he knew it was serious for Brandon’s parents, so he respectfully tried to think of something else so he wouldn’t burst out laughing. He focused on the crack in the wood flooring, a dirty window, a fingerprint on the one-way mirror, anything.
He crossed his legs and sank further into the corner, resting his arms on his crossed lower leg and knee, placing his hand over his mouth and nose and shaking his head.
The director erased the video with the touch of a button. “There you go. All gone,” she said with a curt smile. Then she turned off the equipment, her polished purple nails matching the color of her dress.
She angled her head and looked at Christy with affection. She was obviously a nice woman, and probably had never uttered a four-letter word in her life. Luke knew this was probably way over the top for her.
“So, Mr. and Mrs. Lansdowne, I’m afraid Presbyterian Preschool has decided Brandon cannot continue with the four-year-old program next year. However, there are a number of other schools in the San Diego area which might be able to take him, if you act quickly. Or, there are several day care centers on base—”
“No. He’s not going to some fuckin’ day care center,” Kyle said before he could control himself.
“There you go,” the director said, opening her palm in Kyle’s direction. “He’s hearing this language at home, and frankly, Mrs. Lansdowne, I’m surprised you allow this to happen. I know your reputation as a very God-fearing woman who is fair and honest in her successful real estate dealings. Frankly, if I had a Realtor—”
“I don’t swear, but my husband does. He swears a lot.” She shot Kyle a look Luke couldn’t understand. Half fury, have sexual energy. He knew she’d seen her husband in little Brandon’s actions. Kyle was smart to keep his mouth shut.
“It’s an occupational hazard.” She allowed one eyebrow to rise and licked her lips. Kyle closely monitored every tiny shift of expression. He was leaning back into his chair, viewing her with half-lidded eyes, almost looking like he was enjoying her intensity. And then with a start, Luke realized he was!
The director wasn’t sure what she was witnessing. Squirming in her chair, she delivered a message to break the ice, “I suppose if you work on it over the summer, we could check on him nearer the fall, and see if his language has improved—”
Kyle was still staring into the eyes of his wife. “He doesn’t understand what he’s saying. They’re just words to him,” he said.
“Well, Mr. Lansdowne, we can’t allow such language here.”
Kyle slowly faced the director and nodded. “Then we won’t waste any more of your time. Because I’m going to work with him on the appropriateness of his language, but if he slips up, I don’t want anyone else telling him he’s wrong. That has to come from me.”
The director reacted like she’d been slapped. Slightly offended, she told them she’d allow Brandon to stay the last two weeks of the session, and then offered to give them a list of other preschools, but no day care centers.
Kyle and Christy shared a look Luke would have to say was molten.
Chapter 26
‡
Noreen met Julie at school a half hour early. She was ten years older than Julie, single, and extremely attractive. Julie thought she would have been very successful in some kind of high-paying sales job. But Noreen liked her work and seemed to be good at it. Today she wore a simple pair of dark blue slacks and a cream-colored shell top with pearls. Her hair, which could be worn long, was pulled back in a ponytail. Her dark-rimmed glasses made her look very bookish, which Julie thought was done on purpose.
Julie would have to say she had dressed for a part in a play.
Noreen pumped out a bit of the hand cream Julie kept on the corner of her desk and began rubbing it into her palms. “This is real nice. Lemon?”
“Apricot.”
“Where’s it from?”
“Beautiful little inn up north in Kenwood. My friend took me there after the wedding.”
“The groomsman guy? The SEAL?”
“Yes.”
Noreen leaned over the desk, pulling her glasses low onto her nose, and peered at Julie. “And you let this particular man out of your sight?”
“He’s damaged. He needs time to heal.”
Noreen placed her glasses back on her nose, crossed her arms, and gave Julie a stern look indicating she didn’t approve of something. “I’m beginning to doubt your radar, kid,” she said while she continued to work the cream into her hands.
“Come on, Noreen. Give me a little credit. And can we concentrate on what we’re doing here today, please?”
“Okay, just for the record, Julie, what you guys decide to do about the tutoring is outside my purview, but here’s the thing. If you continue to do things, and they are connected to your classroom teaching, then it kind of becomes part of the contract we have with the school. Does that make sense?”
“Think so.”
“So just watch what you promise, sort of under-promise and over-deliver, if you will.”
“I understand.” She wanted clarification on the one thing she was the most concerned about. “What about having a witness? I mean, he wants to do tutoring off campus, and—”
“It has to be off campus. You cannot use the school for it.”
“So I pick a public place, then?”
“Yes. Why do you see so many tutors in Starbuck’s? Home-schoolers?”
“Makes sense.”
“That way there are lots of eyes on the behavior. You start meeting him in his home, for instance, and then he can say anything.”
“Gotcha.”
Noreen came around the desk and sat on it, peering down at Julie. “You really think this guy is creepy? Couldn’t he just be nuts about his daughter and her grades? I think that’s a little more likely.”
“Can you find out about her older sister?”
“No. Why would the union care about her older sister?” Noreen stood and looked out the window toward the parking lot.
“Because I’m starting to think she’s a link to information that’s important to this situation and connected to her little sister’s problems.”
“You’re been reading too many detective or thriller novels, Jules. Besides, you’re a teacher, not a private eye.”
Something caught Noreen’s attention outside. “He-llo! Julie, that him?”
Julie craned her neck and saw Mr. Miller walking along a strip of landscaping carrying a white paper deli bag.
“Yes.”
“Hubba-hubba. You sure about not liking the guy?”
“Wait until you talk to him.”
“Gotcha. But boy, Julie, I definitely think you should have your antennae checked. He’s gorgeous.”
“And very married.”
Noreen shrugged, fluffing her top and tightening her ponytail. She licked her lips and waited for him to walk into the room.
Miller paused at the doorway, as if stunned by something. His swagger was gone. He was smooth and lithe and, after the initial jerkiness, his movements were sleek and cat-like. His smile also looked all too feral for Julie’s peace of mind. What was astonishing was the way Noreen fawned all over the man.
“Well, I didn’t realize Julie had such a lovely younger sister. Are you a teacher, too?” Mr. Miller set the paper bag down and nearly ran over to Noreen’s side, taking her hand and then lingering. Julie had never before seen such a technicolor scammer operating so smoothly.
Julie watched her scratch the back of her neck in a nervous gesture, slightly swaying from side to side, like a young girl at a school dance just asked to the floor for the first time. She could hardly believe her eyes. Mr. Miller’s transformation since yesterday was unbelievable. Literally.
Julie stood. “Mr. Miller, this is Noreen Powers, my union rep.”
“And she’s smart, too!”
His eyebrows rose. His eyes got large. He placed his other hand on top of their entwined fingers. “Wonderful to meet you. Noreen? Is it Noreen?”
“Yes.”
“What a beautiful name.” He stepped back and gave her a wink. “It suits you.”
Things were going from bad to worse. Noreen had been Julie’s first line of defense.
Miller retrieved his bag and brought it over to Julie’s desk. “Well, I just took a guess and hoped someone else was going to be here to help us eat these things. I took the liberty of going to Hansen’s and picking up some of their legendary Caesar salads.”
He waited on the two women, giving them each their salads, napkins and a fork. He opened three bottles of lemon mineral water. Julie noted his attention to detail. Noreen’s defenses were dropping by the minute. It was a smart move, Julie noted.
The guy was good. She could almost say diabolical.
By the time they had finished their salads and the scrumptious macadamia caramel torte he’d brought for each of them, Noreen had to rush off to another meeting. She made her apologies, even managing to roll her eyes at Julie before exiting the doorway. She’d lingered in Mr. Miller’s handshake, never corrected him about calling her by her first name, and never noticed how he’d inched himself closer and closer to her while they slowly ate and shared small talk. He simply outlasted them with his charm intact.
Julie was starting to doubt her perception of Mr. Miller. She was going to hold back judgment for a bit, try not to come to any conclusion, and just stick to the facts at hand. He seemed genuinely warm and accommodating. Although she still didn’t trust him, she felt herself soften. Maybe her perception had been colored by the painful breakup with Luke.
Luke!
She wondered what he was thinking this afternoon and what he was doing. It took her a few seconds to realize Miller had been talking to her.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?” She asked.
“I was asking if there was any reading material I could take home to study. I’d like to supplement what you’re doing in the classroom with my own tutoring at home. If you approve, of course.”
Me? Approve? What on earth was going on? Had an alien taken over the man she’d talked with in the parking lot?
“Of course, anything you do with Corey at home will help us here. She needs to be read to, and encouraged to read aloud.” Then she had an idea. “I was never able to figure out what she likes. You’ll want to read her things she is interested in. That’s how kids naturally become readers. Even if she does have—” she paused at the beginnings of a frown on his face. “I’m not saying she does have any learning disabilities, but we can hold off on the testing until I’ve had the summer to help build her study skills.”
She noticed he seemed to accept what she was saying. No use in requiring the testing, not if he was going to be this compliant.
“Everyone reads faster when they are given material they’re interested in. Everyone,” she said.
He nodded. “Rabbits. She likes rabbits and chickens.”
“Good. Very good. See, I would have never guessed.”
Miller was pensive. “Her sister used to raise them.”
“Ah. Then she misses her sister. Perhaps that’s part of what’s going on, too. She’s always so shy in my classroom. Perhaps this would bring her out of her shell. Any chance they could visit?”
Miller dropped his own guard a bit, and spoke to his hands folded on the desktop. “Not a chance in hell.”
To Julie’s surprise, Mr. Miller didn’t press her to schedule dates for the private tutoring, which was a great relief. She handed him a reading list for first grade, since Corey was nearly a full year behind. “My goal is to get her beyond second grade level, and on into third grade materials, by the end of the summer. It might be difficult, but if you work with us, it could be done.”
“Thank you, Miss Julie. I appreciate your kindness. I’ll buy all these books this afternoon.”
“No. Let’s not overwhelm her. Just one or two, perhaps take her to the bookstore and let her pick them out. If she’s invested, she’ll be more cooperative.”
He leaned back on his chair and rocked it on two legs. “I like cooperative. Beats the hell out of the other way.”
It was a strange comment, coming clear out of the blue, but Julie let it pass. She told herself she’d be able to spot the signs something was going awry long before it became a problem. She was also convinced Miller had a genuine desire to help Corey read and do better in school.
“We teach them not to be intimidated by the books they get. We in essence make friends with the books. We show them study techniques, even for elementary school-aged children.”
“Make it fun,” he said softly.
“Exactly.” She noticed he had focused on her lips, which caused her to lean back and put more distance between them, even though there was a large desk separating their bodies.
They concluded their meeting. Julie was hopeful the summer would be totally uneventful, that little Corey would get the help she needed, so she would feel more comfortable when school started. She hoped she could get rid of the niggling doubts she still harbored about Mr. Miller and his wife. She wished she’d remembered the woman more clearly. Her demeanor was very similar to the behavior Corey had exhibited in class. Very shut down, very quiet and retiring.
At the doorway, he paused, turning on a charming smile she might have thought attractive if she was meeting him for the first time, or didn’t know anything about his daughter. “I’m feeling very good about this new direction, Miss Julie.”
His words were careful and calculated. Because she could see him weigh and measure what he said, some of Julie’s distrust returned.
“I’d like to apply the same principles to how we interact with one another,” he added.
“I see no reason we shouldn’t be non-adversarial. We are on the same side, Mr. Miller.”
“Indeed, Miss Julie, indeed. You have a good day.”
His smile seemed a little forced, but perhaps he had to work hard to maintain control of his actions and emotions. She saw in him something very dark and dangerous. But if he could hold onto that control, Julie could help his daughter discover the world of learning and the love of books.
She decided it was the only thing she would focus on, and would let time heal everything else.
Chapter 27
‡
Later that night Julie got a call from her brother, Colin.
“I got this confusing voice message this morning. Came from you yesterday. Are you all right?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“Well, what the hell was it about? And why did I get it?”
“I was using you as my reason for ending a meeting with someone I didn’t want to be alone with.” She was surprised at her own honesty.
“Luke?”
She melted. This is what you told yourself you wouldn’t react to. She knew it wasn’t going to be possible to just forget about him and move on. He’d be a permanent fixture in her tight family unit.
“No. Not Luke. Someone else.”
“Things not work out between you two? You seemed pretty close to me. Mom said—”
Julie had to stop him. “No, Colin. You got the wrong impression. He’s fun, and, yes, we had a good time. I’m sorry we created such a public spectacle.” She chose her words carefully. “Colin, he has some things to work out, emotional stuff, you know?”
“Yeah. A lot of those guys do.”
“I’m guessing he has more of a past than you know. Perhaps it just never came up, but he is a sweetheart, just not the type of guy I can spend very much time with. That’s all.”
“He’s been one solid guy with me.”
“Oh, I would expect nothing less. This has nothing to do with it. In matters of the heart, he has some healing to do. I don’t think either of us is ready to jump into anything long term, despite what it looked like. But it was a fun wedding. And Stephanie looked radia
nt.”
“Thanks. So, who is this guy you didn’t want to be alone with.”
“The father of a student I’m having difficulty with. He’s a little high strung. I should never meet him alone, and now I’ve fixed that. But yesterday I needed him to know I had allies. Those guys bailed on me, were supposed to be at the meeting. Like I said, I’ve fixed it, Colin. It won’t happen again.”
“You sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. I’m good at what I do, just like you are.”
“Maybe Luke can run protection for you.”
“No. I’m afraid I have to distance myself from Luke for the foreseeable future. He wants nothing to do with me, trust me.”
“I’m sorry to hear it. I thought you two were perfect for each other.”
“Like I said, matters of the heart are different from knocking down a few beers at the local bar, or surfing together.”
“Guess so. But we’ve had some heart-to-hearts. I consider him the brother I never had. That close.”
“I’m happy for you. But you have to stop thinking of Luke and me as a couple. I’ve moved on. I’m sure he has too.”
“So this father is your new guy? You’re dating?”
“Are you kidding? I just said I didn’t want to be alone with him. Absolutely not. He’s an overbearing parent. I’m going on a trip to Vegas with my girlfriend during summer break. Then I’ll see about dating. But right now I’m focused on getting ready for the summer session.”
“Gotcha. Well, I’m still glad I called. Stephanie and I were very worried, sis.”
“Thanks. How’s the Caribbean?”
“God, I could live here. Love to get a little turquoise house down by the beach somewhere here. Just a place to go to relax and forget the world. We met this guy who does these cottage vacation rentals. Next time, no tourist packages, even though the bridal suite at the Grand Caribbean is outstanding. They have this huge aquarium which takes up the whole lobby, and another beautiful saltwater tank in our room. Unbelievable place.”
“Sounds nice.”
“You’d love it.”
“I’m sure I would. Well, don’t want to run up your cell phone charges. Have a safe journey back.”
SEAL Brotherhood 06 - SEAL My Destiny Page 16