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“Aunt Louise, this is Whitney Maxwell, Noah’s sister. I’m going to drive her to Will Rogers Elementary School where she works.”
His aunt smiled at Whitney then turned to Shane and said, “Are you taking Jason?”
“Yeah, since later this afternoon I have that meeting at the school and I don’t know how long it will last.” He handed Whitney a cordless phone and the telephone book.
While she placed a call to a wrecker service and the school, he poured coffee into a mug sitting on the counter then took a new one down from a cabinet and filled it for Whitney. He handed it to her as she wrapped up her second call.
After taking a large sip of the brew, Shane strode toward the den area and knelt next to his son. He placed his hand on the boy’s arm before he said his name. Pressing a yellow cloth to his chest, Jason slowly looked up at his dad. Shane’s lowered voice didn’t carry to Whitney.
“He has the patience of Job.”
Surprised by the comment, Whitney turned on her heel and faced the older woman, slim, medium height, her gray hair pulled back in a bun at the base of her head. “Shane?” She picked up her mug and drew in a deep breath of the coffee-laced air.
“Yes. It’s been hard since his wife died.”
“Oh, she died recently?” Whitney asked, remembering the ring on his hand.
“Five years ago so he’s been mostly the one responsible for raising Jason. He does a wonderful job with his son. If anyone can prepare Jason for a change, it’s my nephew.”
What happens if you don’t prepare Jason? Whitney wanted to ask the question, but it was a private affair, and if anyone understood the need for privacy, it was she. That thought prompted a decision to call Zoey Crandell and set up an appointment this week to see the apartment because at Noah’s estate—as large as it was—she never had much alone time.
Louise released a deep sigh. When she brushed back a stray strand of hair, her hand shook. “I’m not nearly as good as Shane, hence the runaway this morning. Jason didn’t like the breakfast I fixed him. We’d run out of his favorite cereal so I made him pancakes, his second favorite. I don’t move as fast as I once did. He was out the front door before I could stop him. I’m so sorry for what happened. Are you all right?”
The concern in the woman’s brown eyes reflected the same concern as her nephew’s earlier. Although her chest hurt where the strap wrenched her to a stop, she wouldn’t add to this woman’s worry. “I’m fine,” she hurriedly said to reassure Louise who was still visibly upset even if she was trying to present a calm front.
“I’m so glad of that. Thankfully Jason’s favorite program was on, and he didn’t object to coming back inside. That gave me some time to settle my nerves.”
“I understand he’s starting kindergarten on Thursday at the school where I work.” Whitney took a swig of coffee, its taste smooth and rich like Shane’s voice.
Louise’s eyebrows crunched together. “Before this year, he went to a private special school, but Shane feels he needs more exposure with regular children. I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“What’s wrong with Jason?” The second she asked the question she wanted to take it back. It wasn’t her business, and she normally stayed out of others’ affairs and problems. She had enough of her own to deal with.
“He’s autistic.”
Whitney’s gaze flew back to the pair on the floor in front of the television. She didn’t know much about autism, but she knew it could be very challenging for teachers and parents. Again the niggling doubt surfaced.
“We’re ready to go. When is the wrecker going to be here?” Shane asked as he approached her.
“Half an hour. I’ve given the man all the information. If I leave, will my car be okay until the wrecker comes?”
Aunt Louise stepped forward. “I’ll keep an eye out for the wrecker. This street doesn’t have much traffic.” She splayed her hand over her heart. “I thank the Lord every day for that fact. Don’t worry about your car. It’s off to the side, and if someone wants to get by, they can.”
Whitney nodded. “Thanks.” She was already late for her first day and didn’t want to make it worse.
Jason stood behind his father, and when he glanced up and really saw her, he flew at Whitney. Surprised, she stepped back.
The boy opened and closed his hand as though he wanted something. “Yellow hair. Touch.”
“Jason, you can’t—”
“That’s okay,” Whitney said, interrupting Shane.
She knelt in front of the child and smiled. He didn’t look at her face but fixed upon her hair, stroking its long strands over and over.
“Pretty.”
Whitney caught sight of Shane hovering close beside his son. Worry had returned to his expression, his eyebrows coming together, lines wrinkling his forehead. She started to rise when the child grabbed a fistful of her hair but didn’t pull it.
Shane shifted forward to intervene. “Sorry. His favorite color right now is yellow.” He touched his son’s shoulder and moved to where he was in the boy’s line of vision. “Jason, are you ready to go for a ride? You can touch the yellow car one more time before we leave to go to school. But this time you will have to walk with me in order to touch the car. You are never to run in the street by yourself.”
“Yellow car.”
“But first, Jason, you need to let go of Whitney’s hair.”
“Touch yellow car.” The child released his grip and her strands fell back into place.
Whitney quickly rose while Jason took his father’s hand, tugging him toward the front door.
Shane threw a sheepish look at her. “I guess he’s ready to go.”
After Jason took a few moments to pat and stroke her yellow car, she found herself sitting in the front seat of the SUV while Shane buckled his son in the back one. Jason rubbed a yellow cloth between his forefinger and thumb and stared at the floor. He seemed unaware of what his father was doing.
Shane switched on the engine and peered at her. “I want to at least pay for the damages to your car.”
“My insurance will take care of it.”
“Not your deductible. I’ll take care of that. How much is it?”
Whitney hesitated. She wasn’t quite sure how to take Shane. She realized she’d veered to avoid hitting his son, but she had crashed into his SUV.
“Please, Whitney. The situation could have been so much worse if you…” He snapped his mouth closed, a nerve twitching in his jaw. “Let’s just say I’m grateful you’re a quick thinker.”
“Five hundred dollars.”
He blew out a long breath, throwing his SUV into Drive and pulling away from the curb. “Thanks. I appreciate you letting me do this.” He slanted her a look. “I’ll also pay for a car rental. You can’t go without a means of transportation.”
She hadn’t even thought about that. Shane had a way of covering all the bases, which made her squeeze her hands together in her lap. “I’ll take care of it.” Embedding strength into each word, she was determined to make it clear she didn’t like accepting help like he was throwing at her. She didn’t want to be beholden to anyone, and she already had allowed her older brother to do too much for her. That had to end.
Thankfully he must have gotten the message because he didn’t say anything else. She relaxed back and uncurled her hands.
When they passed Zoey Crandell’s house, she looked down the driveway at the two-car garage with an apartment over it. The well-groomed yard with neatly tended flower beds and two maples standing sentinel out front appealed to Whitney. She peered back at the quiet street, shaded with large trees. She liked the area.
Ten minutes later, Shane parked in the oval lot in the center of the elementary school campus. “Are you sure I can’t do anything else?”
“Yes,” she said, then shook her head. “Are you always this relentless?”
“On occasion I’ve been considered determined. I just feel bad about what happened.”
“Well, don’t. It won’t change anything.” She hopped out of the SUV and leaned back in when Shane and Jason stayed put. “Are you two coming in?”
“In a while. We’ll walk around out here first. Visit the playground.”
Whitney grinned at the child. “Jason, I’ll see you later.”
The little boy ignored her and continued to rub his cloth, his gaze fastened onto the back of the seat in front of him.
After a half minute of silence, she swept her glance to Shane. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Let me know when you need the money for the deductible.”
“Sure. I’ll know more after I talk with my insurance agent and the body shop.” Quickly she shut the car door and hurried toward the primary building.
At the main entrance she peered back at the SUV. She glimpsed Shane’s attention directed at her, and a shiver of awareness shimmied down her length. He was an attractive man, but their worlds were vastly different. Besides, when she’d come back to Cimarron City nine months ago, she had promised herself she was going to start over, make something out of herself. Finally her plans were in place. And they certainly didn’t include getting involved with a man.
Chapter Two
“Thanks for showing me the ropes around here, Amanda.” Whitney stood and stretched her muscles, which had cramped from her sitting on the floor while she labeled cubicles and supplies. Sweat beaded her forehead and upper lip. “I hope they can get the air-conditioning fixed by the time school starts in a few days.”
“I was hoping it would rain today and cool things off, but it passed us by.” Dressed in a turtleneck shirt and jeans, Amanda Miller, another teacher’s assistant, gathered up the labeling machine and markers they used.
“I can imagine. I would have roasted in what you’re wearing.” Thankful she had on a split skirt and a short-sleeve blouse, Whitney didn’t know why the young woman hadn’t gone home at lunch and changed. Whitney knew from their conversation earlier that Amanda only lived a few blocks away from the school with her boyfriend.
“I’m always cold,” Amanda said, but her armpits were drenched with perspiration. Still sitting, she turned away to put the pens in a box.
“Oh, there’s…” Whitney reached toward Amanda to snatch up a marker on the floor next to the young woman that Whitney had missed while cleaning up.
The redhead flinched when she shifted back around and glimpsed Whitney out of the corner of her eye. She grabbed the black pen and gave it to Amanda. The woman’s hand quivered as she took the marker.
Strange, Whitney thought. She’d remembered right before lunch, when another teacher’s assistant had popped into the room they were working in, her sudden appearance had startled Amanda and she’d shaken even more right after that.
“I’m glad it’s time to leave. All I’d like to do is soak in a hot tub, but when I get home, I have too much to do.” Whitney put the labeling machine on the teacher’s desk. “How about you?”
“Yeah, I still have housework to do and to fix dinner.” Amanda pushed to her feet.
“A frozen meal is about all the energy I have to make tonight. See you tomorrow.”
Exhausted after her first day on the job of meetings and helping prepare the classroom for the children, Whitney gathered her purse, then headed toward the front doors. Coming around the corner, she nearly collided with Shane leaving an office near the main entrance. He smiled, but beneath the grin she glimpsed weariness.
“Tough meeting?” she asked, remembering he said that morning he had one at the school in the afternoon.
“A long one, but I think we worked everything out for Jason to begin school this week.”
“Good.” She started forward.
Shane fell into step beside her. “How was your day?”
“Long.”
“And starting with a wreck probably wasn’t the best way to begin it.”
She chuckled. “You think?” She’d called about the bus schedule and found one stopped not too far from the school so she would have a means of transportation to and from work until her car was fixed.
Whitney exited the building into the hot August day. Not a breeze stirred. Perspiration ran in rivulets down her face. She wiped her hand across her forehead then cheeks.
“Can I give you a ride anywhere?”
She glanced from the bus stop to Shane’s SUV. With the suffocating one-hundred-degree weather, she decided to be practical. “Sure. Thanks. I’m going to Noah’s.”
She slid into the passenger seat. At odd times during the day she’d thought about Dr. Shane McCoy, patiently working to help his son understand or reassuring her he’d take care of everything. But mostly she had remembered the concern in his green eyes that sparked something she’d been sure she had buried years ago. Living on the streets as a teenager had quickly persuaded her not to trust anyone and to do everything herself. She’d compromised some while living at her brother’s estate, but she was going to change that when she moved out. Compromising meant giving up part of herself, and she didn’t intend to do that ever again.
“Was everything all right when you arrived late?” Shane asked as he pulled out of the parking space.
“Yeah. Did you ever get Jason into the building?” She’d never been comfortable with chitchat, but with Noah’s large family she’d had to learn quickly, especially with Lindsay, the only girl, following her around.
Disappointment glinted in his eyes. He shook his head. “On the bright side, Jason seemed to like the playground. He loved the yellow-seated swing and tunnels to crawl through. I had a hard time getting him to leave.”
“So he hasn’t seen his classroom?”
“No, maybe tomorrow.”
“What will you do if he won’t go in?”
“I’ll take it one step at a time. With Jason that’s all I can do. He’s my son.”
The love that filled his words made her study his profile presented to her as he drove toward her brother’s estate. Strong. Steady. Full of compassion. Those traits had come to mind when she’d thought about Dr. Shane McCoy. Nothing like her own father. She pushed thoughts of that man from her mind; she tried not to go there.
“But still it must be hard.” She found herself wanting to know what made someone like Shane tick. The men she had known had been people users, thinking only of themselves. Except Noah and his two foster brothers, Peter and Jacob. They were different. But weren’t they the exception, not the rule? Certainly from her experience they were.
Shane didn’t say anything for a good minute while he parked the SUV at the side of Noah’s house. Then he turned to her with a smile deep in his eyes, the color of a lush patch of grass on a spring day. “The challenges of life are what make it interesting. I was blessed the day the Lord gave me Jason. He has made me a better person, and yes, it can be hard at times, but it makes me appreciate each step forward.”
“So you’re one of those people. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.”
He chuckled. “I guess I am. I like lemonade.”
Well, she didn’t. She wanted something better than constantly struggling. Although she’d fought the decision to come to Cimarron City last November, to be involved in Noah’s family, it had been a good one for her at the time. She needed to start fresh and do something with her life. And her brother’s children had caused a dream from childhood to resurface. She wanted to be a teacher and would be one day.
“How long will it take for your car to be fixed?” Shane asked.
“I should have it by the end of the week.”
“How are you going to get to—”
She held up her hand to stop his question. “I’ve got it figured out. The bus runs between here and the school. It’s a pretty direct route.”
He frowned. “How direct?”
“I only have to walk a few blocks. No big deal.”
