“I’m happy for you, sis,” Cash had said. “One Way Home.”
Hearing the emotion in his voice, Zoe had asked. “What about you, little brother? Are you finding your way home?”
There was a long pause before he answered. “I’m working on it.”
Zoe truly hoped that was the case. Like her, Cash had been hurt badly. Zoe could tell that Cash was drowning out the hurt by putting everything into his music. That was all well and good, but success was a hollow substitute for love. She grinned realizing the direction her thoughts were taking. Love. Briggs had thrown around the L word a couple times, but she’d neatly sidestepped it. She wasn’t sure what she felt right now. She was obviously super attracted to him and their connection was as strong now as it had always been. But love? Maybe that was rushing things. After all, her life was a complete jumble right now. She was definitely crazy about him. Yes, that was a good way to put it. She was falling for him all over again, and at a record pace. All in.
Earlier, Briggs had come by the workshop and brought lunch. The two of them laughed and ate together … and managed to squeeze in a few kisses. Warmth splashed over her as she thought about those kisses that made her go weak in the knees every time. Dang, she had it bad for Briggs!
This evening, Briggs was coming over for dinner, which Daddy was ecstatic about. Gina was too. She was making chicken fingers, biscuits, and all the trimmings. Things were certainly looking up. Zoe’s biggest concern right now was Milo. He’d been ultra-moody the past couple of days. She’d had it out with Carl—again—over the phone the day before, accusing him of manipulating Milo, but Carl swore up and down that he’d not said another word to Milo about Briggs. The problem was, Zoe didn’t believe a word Carl said. The more time she spent away from Carl, the more she questioned how she’d been able to live with him as long as she had. A saying that Zoe’s late grandmother had often said ran through her mind. Even the wrong shoe starts to feel comfortable if you wear it long enough. “Amen!” she said with gusto.
The alarm on Zoe’s phone dinged. Was it three o’clock already? It’s amazing how fast time was flying now that she was doing what she loved. She reached into her purse and turned off the alarm before stepping back to critically observe her work. She was doing a wood sculpture of Milo’s horse Blue. She was off to a good start but had a long way to go before it was complete. Next, she’d do a carving for Madison, but she refused to do it of that silly chicken! Zoe still couldn’t believe her daughter had a pet chicken named Roach. She giggled imagining what her Park City neighbors would think about that—probably that Zoe had lost her marbles.
Daddy had offered to pick up the kiddos from school today, which was nice because it had given Zoe some extra time to work. However, she wanted to make sure she was back at the house by the time the kids got home so she could greet them and find out how their day went.
She cleaned up her workstation and got to the house just as Daddy and the kids pulled up in his truck. Zoe stepped into the foyer. “Hello,” she beamed with a bright smile as they burst through the door.
“Hi, Mom,” Madison said, returning the smile with a large, unencumbered one of her own, but Milo just scowled and stomped past Zoe, going up the stairs to his room.
Zoe looked at Daddy. “What’s wrong?”
He sighed. “Milo’s having a bit of trouble in his math class. Evidently, he’s behind on a class assignment, so his teacher made him stay in the classroom to finish it while the other kids went to the gym for indoor recess.”
“I’m hungry,” Madison said as she handed Zoe her backpack and skipped toward the kitchen. Zoe and Knox followed.
A furrow dented Zoe’s brows. “That sounds a bit harsh, to make Milo miss recess, just because he’s behind on an assignment.”
“I agree. Evidently, this is the third time it’s happened this week.”
Zoe’s jaw fell. “What? It’s only Wednesday.”
Knox gave her a concerned look. “I know.”
Her hands went to her hips. “I can’t believe Milo’s math teacher has kept him from going to recess all week,” Zoe stewed. Her mind raced through possible scenarios. “Was Milo acting up in class instead of doing the assignment?”
“It didn’t sound like it.”
She shook her head. “That’s ridiculous!” Even though she’d never met Milo’s math teacher and had no clue who she even was, Zoe wanted to march down to the school this instant and have a nice little chat with the woman.
“I think you should go in first thing in the morning and have a talk with the teacher,” Knox said.
“I agree,” Zoe shot back. She looked at Madison who was perched up on a stool. “What are you hungry for?”
“We’ve got some cornbread and pinto beans left over from last night,” Knox suggested.
The mortified expression on Madison’s face caused laughter to gurgle in Zoe’s throat, making her forget about her anger for an instant. Knox also laughed. “I guess that’s a no.”
“How about Oreo cookies?” Madison suggested, giving them an angelic look.
Zoe wagged a finger. “Nice try, Toots, but you need to eat something healthy first.”
Madison folded her arms over her chest, her lips going down in a deep frown. “Fine,” she muttered.
Knox grinned. “How about some cheese and crackers?”
Madison’s expression brightened. “Okay.” She began swinging her legs back and forth underneath the stool. “Then, can I have some cookies?” she asked eagerly.
Knox looked at Zoe. “Can she, Mom?”
“A few,” Zoe relented. She appreciated Daddy giving her the courtesy of asking her permission instead of just giving Madison the cookies. Although if Zoe weren’t standing right here in the kitchen, that’s exactly what Daddy would’ve done—give Madison the cookies. It was crazy how lenient Daddy was on his grandkids whereas he’d made his own kids toe the line. Maybe he was getting soft in his older age. “I think I’ll go check on Milo.”
“Good idea,” Knox said as Zoe left the kitchen and headed upstairs.
Zoe knocked a couple times before putting her ear to the door.
Nothing.
“Milo?” She knocked again. “Can I come in?”
Silence.
She turned the doorknob, grateful that he’d left it unlocked. She opened the door and stuck her head into the room. Milo was sitting on the bed, a glower on his tear-stained face. He wouldn’t look at Zoe, but kept his eyes fixed firmly in front of him. Zoe padded across the plush carpet and over to the bed as she sat down on the edge. “Hey,” she began gently, “I heard what happened at school. I’m sorry.”
He blinked. Once. Twice.
“I’ll go and talk to your math teacher tomorrow.” She searched his face. “It’ll be okay.” Her heart ached for her son and everything he was going through.
A fat tear slipped from the corner of his eye and rolled down his cheek. With a jerky movement, he swiped it away with the back of his hand as he sniffled.
“You wanna tell me the full story?”
He jerked to face her. “Miss Campbell hates me,” he cried.
“Hate is a strong word.”
“She does,” he asserted. “She kept me in during recess for no reason.”
“Papaw told me it was because you didn’t finish your assignment.”
His dark eyes rounded with open outrage. “Two other kids at my table haven’t finished it either, but she hasn’t made them work on it during recess.”
She tensed. “What? Are you serious?”
Milo nodded vigorously.
Irritation crawled up Zoe’s spine. “Why did Miss Campbell make you stay in during recess and not the other kids?”
A wild look came into Milo’s eyes. “I don’t know! It’s not fair!”
She clenched her jaw. “No, it’s not.” Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. But this would have to wait. Zoe took in a breath. “Okay, let’s talk about your math. Do you need me to help you do some
of it?”
“No,” he barked.
She took in a heavy breath. “Milo, if you’re having trouble, then the best thing to do is to let me help.”
“Miss Campbell won’t let me bring it home.”
She rocked back. “What? Why not?”
“I don’t know,” he huffed. “She says I have to do it during recess.”
Zoe was sure her body temperature shot up several degrees. Why was the woman picking on Milo? Zoe had decided to enroll the kids in school in the hope that it would help them acclimate faster to their new environment. She wanted Milo, especially, to make some friends. He’d been so tight with his friend group in Park City that it was hard to see that get ripped away. “This is changing the subject, but how’s it going with making friends?”
“It’s not,” he snapped. Tears gathered in his eyes, his voice trembling. “I hate it here. People are stupid!”
Zoe was taken back by the vehemence in his voice. “Watch your tone,” she warned.
Daggers flew from his eyes. “I wanna go home.”
“This is our home.”
“I wanna go back to Park City,” he spouted, folding his arms over his chest. Zoe could almost see a black cloud gathering around him.
Was Milo giving off a negative aura at school? If so, no wonder he wasn’t making any friends. Zoe’s first inclination was to reprimand Milo for being so insolent, but she caught herself, realizing that what Milo needed right now was love and understanding. It wasn’t his fault that his parents had divorced. She offered a quick silent prayer, asking for help to get through to him. She glanced out the window at the veins of rain drizzling against the window. Beyond that, everything was bleak gray. No wonder Milo was so melancholy. Zoe hoped for Milo’s sake that the rain would stop soon. While Park City was cold and snowy, it was sunny most of the time. Milo wasn’t used to the dreariness.
“Hey, I hear you’re getting pretty good at riding Blue.” She thought of the wood sculpture she was making him. Hopefully, that would help him know that she cared about what he was going through.
He shrugged indifferently.
“Maybe you could show me what you’re learning.”
“Yeah, right,” he huffed, “like you care.”
She flinched like she’d been slapped. “I beg your pardon?”
He turned to face her. “All you care about is Briggs,” he said nastily.
“Hey,” she warned, her words slicing like a whip through the tense air. “I’m your mother and you will not talk to me that way. Do you understand?” She gave him a hard look. Uncertainty crept into his eyes as he nodded. His lower lip trembled as he looked away.
Zoe wanted to break into tears. How did everything get so messed up? She’d always been close to her children, but there was now this chasm between her and Milo. A hot anger stabbed through her. Carl was behind this, she was sure of it. “Milo, have you been talking to your dad about Briggs?”
“No,” he responded immediately.
“Look at me,” she commanded.
Reluctantly, he did so.
“Have you been talking to your dad about Briggs?” she repeated.
“No.” His head swung from side to side.
Zoe studied him, trying to decide if he was being honest. From his guilty look, she suspected that he wasn’t. Her heart twisted. It was so unfair for Milo to be put in a position where he had to take sides between his mother and father. “Look,” she began, “whatever happens between me and Briggs won’t change the fact that I’m your mom. Do you understand that?”
He just sat there, drawing further into himself. She could almost see a wall going up around him. Desperation clawed at her. She had to find a way to get through to him. “Milo?”
He sat up. “I’m hungry. Can I go get something to eat?” His voice was flat, devoid of emotion.
She pushed out a heavy sigh. “Sure.” He scooted to get off the bed, but before he could, she caught his arm. Emotion rose in her throat. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he said automatically as he scrambled out of the bed and hurried out the door, as if he couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Zoe looked out the window. For the first time since it had started raining, a heavy gloominess descended over her. She went hot all over then clammy cold. This thing with Briggs was, well, it was fantastic. A realization hit her with enough force to nearly steal her breath. She wanted to pursue a relationship with Briggs; wanted it with all her heart. But she wouldn’t do it at the expense of Milo. She made a vow to herself right then and there that if it ever came down to a choice between the kids and Briggs, she would always choose her kids. That was the only option.
Her heart began to pound, a wave of nausea rolling over her. She swallowed the dryness in her throat, fighting down the panic. It was absurd to get so worked up. Why would she have to choose between Milo and Briggs? Milo was eleven years old. Sure, he was upset about the divorce, the move, and now, his idiotic teacher was making the situation a thousand times worse. Once Zoe went and talked to the teacher, everything would get resolved. It would eventually stop raining and Milo could once again ride Blue. His outlook would then change. Everything would settle down and Milo would adjust. Kids were resilient.
Zoe clenched her fist. “Things with Milo will start to look up,” she said aloud. “They have to!”
15
Tightening her hand on her purse strap, Zoe sucked in a quick breath as she straightened her shoulders and walked with her posture erect as she entered the school. The scent of wood, polish, dust, and sweat all mingled together, taking Zoe right back to when she walked these very halls. According to Daddy, there had been talk of building a new school, and converting the current building into a community center, but it hadn’t happened yet.
She’d emailed Miss Campbell the night before, requesting an appointment. Miss Campbell asked Zoe to come meet with her during her planning period at one o’clock. After checking into the office, getting a visitor’s badge, and finding out where Miss Campbell’s room was located, Zoe went straight there. The door was open. Zoe walked in and saw a teacher sitting behind a desk. When the woman looked up, Zoe froze in her tracks. “Jolene Belcher?” Was she Milo’s math teacher? Not good.
“It’s Jolene Campbell now,” she snipped, giving her blonde hair a toss.
“Oh, of course. You’re married.”
“Divorced, actually.” Jolene’s eyes were cool as she appraised Zoe. “I heard about your troubles.” Her voice went sickly sweet. “That was low of your ex to start running around with your best friend. If a man did that to me, I’d die of humiliation.”
Zoe flinched, the breath leaving her lungs. She trained her eyes right into Jolene’s. “And just who told you that?”
“I read about it all on Facebook. One of your former neighbors posted something about it.”
Zoe’s eyebrow slid up. “Are we connected on Facebook?”
Jolene looked at her like she was an idiot. “Of course.”
Zoe wasn’t big on social media and didn’t have a clue who most of her friends were on there. She made a mental note to either unfriend Jolene or at the very least, hide her posts from her. Zoe and Jolene had gone to school together since they were elementary age. In fact, their homeroom class had been three doors down from this room. Something else jogged Zoe’s memory. Jolene had a thing for Briggs back in the day. Was that why she’d been giving Zoe the evil eye that night at the bachelor auction? Was Jolene trying to settle an old score by picking on Milo? The hair on the back of Zoe’s neck rose as she prepared herself for battle. One thing Zoe would not tolerate was anyone bullying her kids, especially not Milo’s teacher—the very person who should be in his corner.
Jolene motioned to the chair in front of her desk. “Have a seat.” It was more of a command than a request.
Zoe strode over and sat down. She crossed her legs, placing her purse at her feet. “I understand that you’ve been making Milo stay in during recess to finish an assignment.�
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Jolene’s eyes flashed. “That’s right.”
“Is that necessary?” Zoe took a quick assessment of her old adversary. Jolene had always been a pretty girl. With her blonde hair and clear blue eyes, she was still attractive. In a big-hair, large chest, heavy makeup sort of way. Zoe could smell Jolene’s floral perfume from where she was sitting.
“I feel it’s necessary, which is why I mandated it. Milo is way behind. I’m trying to give him every opportunity to get caught up with the other kids before summer starts. Otherwise, he’ll be completely lost next year in middle school.”
The condescension in Jolene’s tone tromped on Zoe’s last nerve. Her eyes narrowed as she leaned forward. “The school Milo came from is highly ranked. I’m sure he was taught everything he needed to know.”
Jolene shifted in her seat as she started talking fast. “All I can tell you is that Milo is way behind compared to the other students. I would think that as his parent, you would want to make sure that he has every advantage for success.”
“Of course, I do,” Zoe asserted. “Milo’s a smart kid. He’s always made good grades, and I feel confident that he will continue to do so.”
Jolene smirked.
Zoe saw red. “I beg your pardon.”
She blinked. “W—what do you mean?”
Zoe’s eyes narrowed. “Is this about Milo or is it about me and you?”
Jolene’s face turned tomato red. “Are you insinuating that I have some sort of personal vendetta against you?”
“No, I’m not insinuating anything. I’m flat-out saying it. You have an axe to grind, and you’re taking it out on my son.” She clenched her jaw. “And, I want it to stop now, or I’ll go to the principal.”
A shaky laugh rattled Jolene’s throat. “That’s ridiculous. I would never stoop so low as to put my personal grievances before one of my students. I am only trying to help Milo.” She fingered her throat which was covered with large, red blotches.
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