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She really didn’t want to spend time with him. “Afraid not. It takes two signatures on the applications.”
“Fine. But I can’t be late getting home.”
“No problem. It won’t take long. I’ll get the list of the necessary permits from Sharee, then we can get started.” Sharee had everything lying on the edge of her desk. He picked it up and joined Annie in the hall. She stared at the thick stack of papers he held.
“Do we need that many permits?”
He shook his head. “No. These are our committee packets. All the things we need to do our job. You ready?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Yes, Annie, you do. I told you I can get you onto another committee.” He watched her mull over the idea. Would she seize the opportunity to walk away? The defiant lift of her chin was his answer.
“No. It’s fine. I don’t want to be seen as the new teacher who couldn’t be a team player. Besides, I never walk away from my responsibilities.” She turned and walked ahead of him and out of the building.
This was the second time he’d given her an out and she hadn’t taken it. Why?
Jake walked to his SUV, unlocking the door with his key fob as they approached. He opened the driver’s side door, but Annie had stopped a few feet away, her blue eyes wary.
He stared at her, puzzled. “Something wrong?” It hit him then. She was afraid to get in the car with him. He set his jaw. “We can take your car if you’d rather drive.”
A look of chagrin passed over her face. “No. You know your way around town. I don’t.” Reluctantly she climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up.
Settled in behind the wheel, he cranked the engine, suddenly aware of her sweet fragrance permeating the air. He stole a quick glance. Annie sat pressed against the passenger-side door as if ready to jump out at any moment. He set his jaw. Her aunt had painted him with a very black brush. Suddenly it became important to prove her wrong.
“I won’t bite you. I promise.” Her cheeks turned a very pretty shade of pink and she quickly looked away, though she kept stealing quick peeks at him as he drove. “Go ahead.”
“What?”
“I can practically hear the questions rattling around in your head. Go ahead and ask them before you burst.”
She took her time replying. “You’re not what I expected.”
He uttered a small grunt of amusement. “Let me guess. You expected a tattooed, earring-wearing biker dude with a chip on his shoulder.”
She looked away.
“Don’t feel bad. It’s what everyone expects of a foster kid.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to appear so unfeeling,”
The pity in her tone scraped across every nerve. He gripped the wheel a little tighter. “No need.” Jake pulled to a stop in the parking lot of the county courthouse and got out.
Annie joined him, walking stiffly at his side. He pulled open the large wooden door and they stepped from the humid August air into the cool interior. After checking the directory, they took the stairs to the office on the second floor.
Jake requested the permits and took the applications to a nearby table. “How’s your handwriting? Mine isn’t so hot. You should probably fill them out.”
“Okay, but you’ll have to tell me what to put down.”
Jake pulled up a chair as close to hers as he could, leaning toward her so he could give her the information she needed. Too late he realized his mistake. His closeness made him acutely aware of her silky hair brushing her shoulders. Everything about her screamed femininity. Even her handwriting as she wrote was filled with curvy, ladylike strokes. He had a hard time believing she was as vindictive as her aunt. No one who looked like a fresh spring day could have a black heart.
Paperwork complete, Jake returned it to the desk. “Next up, utility permits.”
“Where’s that?”
“Down the hall.” Annie stepped over to the water fountain while he continued on. He inhaled a deep breath, welcoming the brief separation. Being close to her did strange things to his senses, and he didn’t welcome the feelings that stirred up. Women hadn’t played a part in his life since Crystal had canceled their wedding a week before the ceremony.
A man approached him as he neared the office door.
“Jake. Good to see you.”
Jake grinned and grasped his hand. “Same here, Judge.”
“I was sorry to hear your sentence was extended. I’d hoped with Mrs. Owens passing that would all end. I’ve always regretted that arrangement but at the time, well...” He patted Jake on the shoulder. “I’ll keep you in my prayers, son.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Annie met Jake’s gaze and then quickly looked away, but not before he saw the questions flare up in her blue eyes. He pushed open the office door and took care of the permits.
Back in the SUV Annie fell silent again and he noticed her rubbing her thumbnail, a gesture he suspected meant she was either stressed or confused. “I feel more questions coming on.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because you get all quiet and tense and you worry your thumb.” She quickly clasped her hands in her lap.
She was silent a long moment before speaking. “The man you spoke with.”
“Judge Rankin. He worked out my sentence with your aunt and uncle.”
“He sounded like he regretted it. Do you?”
The muscle in his jaw flexed as he tried to form a response. He regretted everything about that night. “It was better than prison.” It was time to turn the tables. He had a few questions of his own. “You’re not what I expected either.”
“Oh. In what way?”
“You’re not like your aunt.” The two women were like darkness and light. Ice and sunshine.
“I’m nothing like her.”
There was an edge to her words. Had he insulted her? “Then why are you continuing her retaliation?”
“I’m not. I’m honoring her wishes. Big difference.”
“Not to me. Do you agree with this arrangement?”
She kept her face averted. “It doesn’t matter if I agree or not. It has to be this way. It’s about family.”
What did she mean by that? Was she saying she’d do whatever her aunt asked regardless of the circumstances? Jake pulled into the school parking lot, stopping near her car. Annie immediately opened her door.
“Wait. I have your committee packet.”
“I’ll get it later. I’ve got to get home to the twins.” She shut the door, not waiting for him to reply.
He watched her hurry to her car like someone was chasing her. Did she fear him that much? What had she meant about it having to be this way? Did she mean his sentence? Or something else?
He waited for her to drive off and then let his foot off the brake. So much had happened today and he had no idea how to deal with it all.
Maybe she was right. Maybe working together wasn’t a good idea. It definitely would create a lot of tension unless they found some common ground. For reasons he didn’t quite understand, he wanted her to see the man he was now—a responsible adult, a productive member of society—but maybe she’d never be able to see beyond the accident.
What would she do if he told her the truth about that night? Would she believe him? Probably not. He doubted anyone would. It’s why he’d kept silent about the accident all these years.
An accident that didn’t happen the way people believed.
* * *
Annie watched her sons enjoying their meal that evening with gusto. Their appetites were growing as fast as they were. Listening to them talk about playing with Denise’s kids helped relieve her stress over the unsettling events of the day. Sharing quiet time with them was a blessing. There’d been precious few of those when their father was alive.
Her conscience rose up and stung her. It wasn’t as if she were glad that their father was gone, but life was so much more peaceful without his drunken rages.
Ryan took a sip of his sweet tea. “I’m glad we moved here, Mom. There’s lots of kids to play with and Coach is awesome.”
Her heart warmed at seeing her boys so happy. Life here was so much better than the harshness of before. They’d talked often of the coach who played sports with the neighborhood kids. She’d been too preoccupied with the house to watch them playing. “He is, huh? Why’s that?”
Tyler nodded in agreement. “He teaches us stuff. He showed me how to hold the football a special way to make it spin when I throw it.”
Ryan giggled. “He’s awesome ’cause he got Tyler interested in sports.”
“I’ve always liked sports.” Tyler glared at his brother.
“Next time we’re going to play basketball. Coach has a goal in his driveway. Can we get one? That would be so cool.”
“We’ll see. So, who is this coach?”
Ryan shrugged. “One of the dads, I guess.”
After clearing the table, the boys went off to the family room. Annie opened her new laptop and clicked on her student roster. She was looking forward to the new job even with Jake across the hall. Logically, there was little reason for them to interact during the day, and after school he’d be busy coaching. When they were at home she simply would keep her distance. The only glitch in her plan was the publicity committee for the carnival. There was no way out of that.
The doorbell chimed and Annie shoved back from the table and walked to the door, anticipating finding Denise on the other side, but Jake stood on her porch with a folder in his hand.
“Sorry to bother you but you left before I could give you the committee information you’ll need.”
She took the folder, a rush of shame warming her veins. She had bolted from his car when he dropped her off without even a thank you. Jake had been nothing but kind and helpful and she’d behaved poorly. “I was in a hurry to get home for the boys.”
His expression showed his skepticism. “I understand.” He pointed to the folder. “Look that over. If you have any questions, just ask. We’ll need to get together soon and design a flyer, but it can wait until after school starts.”
She nodded. “Good. I have a lot to do before then.”
Ryan came up behind her. “Hey, it’s Coach. Tyler, Coach is here.”
The boys crowded around her, smiling up at Jake.
“Hey, fellas.” He smiled at the twins but it vanished when he looked at her.
Annie stared at him. “You’re the coach they’ve been talking about? I thought it was one of the dads from the neighborhood.”
Tyler pushed forward. “We’re going to play basketball soon, right, Coach?”
She saw Jake wince. “Why don’t you two go back inside. I need to talk to Coach for a minute.”
They waved and went back into the house. Jake spoke before she could.
“Sorry. I thought you knew. I hope you won’t let the past prevent you from letting the boys play in the games. They seemed to enjoy it, and I make sure it’s safe.”
What did she do now? The boys knew nothing about the sentence imposed on Jake. If she made too big a fuss about them playing ball in his front yard, they’d want to know why and that would require an explanation she wasn’t willing to give.
“My heart wants to say no, but my head says it’s why I brought the boys here. I wanted them to have the freedom to play they’ve never had.” She shifted her weight. “Since my husband died I tend to be overly protective of the boys.”
“Sorry to hear about your husband. What happened?”
“He was killed in a drunk-driving accident.” Jake’s eyes darkened and his expression turned to stone. Too late she realized that he must have interpreted her remark as a dig about Bobby Lee. She extended her hand to apologize but he stepped back.
“I’d better go. If you have any questions about the committee, just let me know.” He pivoted and hurried down the porch steps and down the side walk.
She hadn’t meant to taunt him. She took a deep breath. It had been a very emotional day with too many adjustments on the fly. She went inside and closed the door. He’d been attempting to reassure her about the boys playing ball games and she’d responded with an unintentional slap in the face. Not her finest moment.
Maybe it was time to let go. Accept that Jake was in her life and deal with it the best she could. She couldn’t continue to live with the tension every time she was around him. Just because he wasn’t what she’d expected didn’t mean he was a bad guy. He’d been kind, helpful and the neighborhood kids adored him. He was well respected at school. Shouldn’t that be a trustworthy endorsement?
But technically Jake was a criminal. Wasn’t he? And what would her aunt think of the boys befriending the enemy? As she walked down the hall toward the kitchen, she passed a large mirror on the wall and glanced at her reflection. Be honest, Annelle. You’re feeling guilty about agreeing to your aunt’s terms. The truth was she was ashamed of her part in the arrangement, but she had to think of her children’s future. They deserved a home and a life without chaos and uncertainty. Didn’t they?
She exhaled a loud exasperated sigh and strode into the kitchen.
Thankfully tomorrow night was her widow’s therapy session. She needed all the advice and support she could get because she had no idea how to proceed from here.
* * *
Jake jogged across the street, his mind choking on the news Annie had revealed. Her husband was killed in a drunk-driving accident. No wonder she had issues with him. Every time she looked at him, she either saw her cousin or her husband.
Annie’s revelation rocked him, unleashing a long-buried need to forget and escape. He needed to get some perspective before he made a very bad decision. Pulling out his cell, he placed a call to Harley. “I’m going to be late getting there tonight. I have a meeting to go to.”
“You okay? You sound strange.”
Harley was not only his friend but his foster brother and his pastor. He knew him better than anyone. Most times that was a blessing, but sometimes it was a nuisance. At the moment he wasn’t sure which was which.
Jake ran a hand through his hair. “Ever have a day when you were blitzed on all sides?”
“Many. What’s going on?”
“We have a new teacher at the school. Annie Shepherd.”
