Chapter 11

11

ALAINA

A few days later, I dismissed my class for lunch and recess. The kids spilled out of the classroom like a pi?ata that had been burst open, their laughter and shouts echoing down the hallway. As the last of them scampered away, I went to my desk and grabbed my lunch bag. I unzipped it and pulled out the ham and cheese sandwich I had brought along.

I sat down, chewing and lost in thought. I opened my laptop to go over more of the details for the festival. There were a lot of moving parts. I had to be careful I didn't drop any balls. This was my chance to show I could be a valuable asset to the school beyond teaching the kids. I needed to prove myself. I was the teacher with the least amount of experience.

Trudy, our principal, walked in with a smile that said she was up to something.

I swallowed down my bite. In the back of my mind, I was trying to remember if I had lunch duty. I didn't think so.

"Hey, Alaina! Got a minute?" she asked.

"Of course, Trudy. What's up?" I replied, motioning for her to take a seat.

She perched on the edge of one of the tiny desks. "I wanted to talk to you about the fall festival. How is the planning coming?"

"Good." I nodded. "We have a lot of parents that have confirmed they will be there."

"Expect a few to back out," she warned.

"I'll keep on top of it."

"Are you okay with your assignment?"

"Doing the cotton candy booth?"

"Yes."

"Of course," I said. "I'm looking forward to it. I happen to love cotton candy. I can't wait to make it."

Trudy's smile widened. "That's great to hear."

I could tell there was something else on her mind. "What's going on?" I asked.

"I noticed something interesting the other day," she said.

I paused, giving her a curious look. "Oh? What's that?"

"Well," she said, leaning in with her voice low. "I couldn't help but notice Roan Lockhart's son is in your class."

I smiled. "Rafe. Yes, he is."

"His father is quite the handsome fellow, isn't he?"

My cheeks heated up. "Trudy, come on. He wears a wedding ring. Besides, he's a student's dad. It's strictly professional."

Trudy raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? Maybe there's a story there."

I laughed, shaking my head. "I think you're reading too much into this. He's just being a good parent, involved in his kid's school activities. That's all. I don't know what the story is. I haven't asked. Rafe doesn't talk about his mother. I imagine she's passed away. That's not something I'm going to bring up."

Trudy nodded, her fingers tapping idly against the desk. "Well, I wouldn't be so sure. You never know with people and their stories," she said, her voice taking on a mysterious tone. She gave me a knowing smile before she stood up and walked toward the door.

After Trudy left, I spent the rest of the afternoon thinking about our conversation. Roan's mysterious wedding ring had always puzzled me, but I'd never had the nerve to ask about it. And Rafe never mentioned his mom, so I was completely in the dark about their family situation. What was Trudy trying to get at? It was one of the strangest conversations I had with her.

I shook it off and finished my lunch. The kids started to trickle in once again.

"Did everybody have a good lunch?" I asked.

The usual enthusiastic responses echoed around the room. I listened to the shouted-out sentences about who ate what and who won the game of tag. I gave them a few minutes to get out their wiggles before it was time to steer them back to learning.

"Okay, everyone. Let's put our adventure stories on hold for a little while and get back to it."

The next hour was filled with geography lessons, coloring maps, and discussing different cultures around the world. As the kids scribbled on their sheets, I walked around the classroom and answered questions.

Before I knew it, the bell rang, marking the end of another school day. The children rushed out of the room, backpacks flapping behind them and shouts of "Goodbye, Ms. Callaway!" echoing down the hallway.

I walked out to the front doors to do my duty, watching the kids that waited for parents or drivers to pick them up. Most parents were punctual, but there were always a few stragglers. Rafe, usually picked up by a driver, was lingering near the door, his usual cheerful demeanor replaced by a somber expression.

"Hey, Rafe," I said gently. "Everything okay?"

He looked up at me, his big eyes filled with an emotion I couldn't quite place. "I'm fine, Ms. C," he mumbled.

I knelt down to his level, trying to catch his eye. "Are you sure? You don't seem like yourself today."

"I'm fine."

"Did you have a good recess?" I asked him. I had noticed he was one of the few kids that didn't have anything to say after lunch.

Before he could answer, the familiar black car pulled up. Rafe quickly grabbed his backpack. "That's my driver," he said. "See you tomorrow."

Concerned, I watched him go. I hoped he wasn't getting bullied. He seemed to be getting along with everyone. I didn't want him to have a hard time like he did in New York. Roan brought him here to get him out of that situation. I didn't want to lose Rafe if Roan decided his son wasn't getting the education he needed.

I liked Rafe. I liked seeing Roan. I was sure Rafe enjoyed the classroom. Something must have gone horribly wrong.

Part of me wanted to email Roan and ask if everything was alright at home, but I hesitated. I shouldn't be looking for any opportunity to email Rafe's dad. That would be crossing so many lines. I didn't need to look for an excuse to talk to Roan. Maybe I was seeing a problem where there wasn't one.

As I packed up for the day, my mind kept drifting back to Trudy's words and Rafe's sad eyes. It was frustrating not knowing what was going on in their lives, but I reminded myself that it wasn't my place to pry. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. I trusted Roan would handle things. He was a pretty attentive father and would likely pick up on his son's mood.

I walked out of school and started the walk back to Cate's place. I popped into the market and got a few things to make dinner.

I got home and greeted Beau. "Ready to go potty?" I asked him.

He got up slowly and stretched before we headed outside. After Beau had done his business and we'd come back inside, I set to work making dinner. As I chopped and sautéed, I found myself thinking about Rafe. I genuinely cared about the kid. I hoped he was okay. I whipped up a stir-fry in no time. While it was simmering I decided to give Cate a call to see when she would be home. She answered after the first ring, sounding cheerful.

"I'll be home soon. A client just canceled on me, so I have some extra free time. I'll swing by the shop and pick up some dessert on my way home."

"Perfect," I said. "Dinner will be ready when you arrive." We exchanged a few more words before hanging up.

I served the stir-fry onto two plates and set them on the dining table, just as Cate walked through the door. She held up a small box with a mischievous grin, and when she lifted the lid, the smell of fresh pastries wafted into the room.

"I'm surprised you are going to eat dessert," I teased.

"I'm celebrating." She shrugged. "I landed a new client. My boss loves me and promised me a nice bonus."

"Congratulations," I said.

"How was your day?" she asked.

"Good. Although the principal was acting weird."

"How so?" She sat down and immediately picked up her fork and took a bite.

"She was talking about Roan," I said, sounding more puzzled than concerned. "She mentioned he was handsome. I reminded her he wears a wedding ring, but she acted like it didn't matter. It was so weird."

Cate paused, her fork halfway to her mouth. "That is strange," she admitted. After a moment, she shrugged and resumed eating. "She is a woman. I don't think there is a straight woman on this planet that wouldn't think Roan was attractive."

"Yeah, but that's all she said. She came to my classroom at lunch to basically tell me Roan was handsome. It just felt so odd. So out of the blue."

"Did you ask her why?"

"No, not really," I replied. "I didn't want her to think I thought it was weird."

Cate laughed. "Maybe she just wanted to strike up a conversation."

"By talking about a parent?" I questioned.

"I don't know." She shrugged.

I took a few bites before continuing. "That wasn't the only weird thing today. Rafe looked really off today." I quickly explained his unusual behavior at pick-up time.

"And you're sure it wasn't just a one-time thing? Kids have bad days sometimes. Maybe he got in trouble at home. I wouldn't read too much into it. Unless you think his dad might be doing something."

"Absolutely not!" I gasped. "Roan is a great father."

She looked at me with surprise. "You're awfully defensive of a man you don't know."

"I do know him!" I exclaimed, my cheeks flushing. "Not like that. I mean, as a parent. He's really involved with Rafe's life. I see it every day. I just worry about him, you know? Roan told me Rafe had a really hard time at his last school. I just don't want to see him dealing with that again."

Cate nodded her understanding, her gaze softening. "You care about your students. It's one of the things that makes you such a wonderful teacher."

I picked at my food and chewed thoughtfully. "Just feels like something is off," I muttered.

Cate just hummed in response, finishing off her plate. "Or you're worried your hot dad is going to pull his kid and you won't get to see him anymore."

"Very funny," I muttered.

"Talk to Rafe," she said.

"I did. I tried."

"If he's bummed out tomorrow, talk to him again. If you think it's something bigger, you should talk to Roan. That's what any teacher would do. Don't make it weird because the guy is attractive. Just do what you would do with any other student."

I nodded. "You're right. I will."