Not that he needed to interact with them much. Not when I was running Alcott.
“Morning, Jeff,” Rachel said as I passed her office.
“Good morning.” I dipped my chin, then ducked into my office across the hall from hers.
She gave me enough time to hang up my coat and shake the mouse on my computer before she swept through my door, her arms overloaded with papers and an iPad. “I need help.”
“You got it. Just let me grab a cup of—”
Korbyn strode in carrying a steaming mug and a maple bar on a plate.
“Coffee,” I said. “Thanks.”
“You got it, Jeff. Anything else?”
I picked up the cup, blowing on the black liquid before taking a careful sip. “No, thanks.”
Korbyn winked at Rachel, the two clearly having planned this ambush for the moment I got here. Smart. If you didn’t catch me in the morning, chances were, I’d get busy and the day would run away from me.
“Ready?” Rachel asked.
“Am I?”
She adjusted her thick-framed, tortoise-shell glasses. “Every single one of my bids is falling apart.”
“They were fine yesterday.”
“A lot has changed since yesterday.”
I took another sip of coffee, then leaned my forearms on the desk. “All right. Then let’s put them back together.”
Two hours later, she returned to her own office, projects back on track. And I opened my inbox to a slew of new emails. When I finally looked away from the monitor’s screen, my stomach was growling.
“Lunch.” I scanned the office, then groaned. I’d been so worried about getting Katy out the door, I’d forgotten my lunch in the fridge at home. So I picked up my phone, about to order a sandwich when it vibrated in my hand, the school’s name flashing on the screen.
“Hello,” I answered, standing from my chair and ready to grab my coat if Katy was sick.
“Mr. Dawson?”
“Yes.”
“Hi, this is Della Adler. Katy’s English teacher.”
Miss Adler. Katy’s favorite. “Hi. Is everything okay?”
“Well, not exactly. Normally, I’d hand disciplinary matters over to Vice Principal Jones, but in Katy’s case, since this is the first time we’ve had an incident, I wanted to talk with you about it directly.”
“Hold up.” I plucked my coat from its hook. “Did you say disciplinary matters?”
“Um. Yes. Would you be able to come to the school? I’ve got Katy in my classroom for lunch.”
“On my way.” I ended the call and strode from my office. “Korbyn, I’ve got to take off. Would you clear my calendar this afternoon?”
“On it,” he said as I breezed past his desk in the lobby and pushed out into the cold.
Disciplinary incident? What the hell was going on? Katy had never, ever gotten in trouble with a teacher. Not once. This had to be a misunderstanding, right? Or maybe another kid had caused some trouble and tried to blame it on Katy?
I tore across town to the middle school, parking in the guest lot. Children laughed at recess as I hustled inside, checking in at the office and getting directions to Miss Adler’s classroom.
My footsteps were too loud in the hallway, echoing off the lockers, but the bell rang, drowning them out. Doors opened and kids flooded from classrooms, some carrying lunch bags and all with coats. The noise was intense as they headed in the opposite direction, probably for the cafeteria.
I waded through the sea of little faces, making my way to a classroom with its door propped open. My only visits inside the middle school had been to the gymnasium for an awards assembly and a Christmas choir concert.
Rosalie had insisted on attending the parent-teacher night at the beginning of the school year and subsequent conferences, so I hadn’t met any of Katy’s teachers. Maybe that had been a mistake.
Was this about Hailee? If that little shit had done something to get Katy in trouble…
My hands balled into fists as I strode into the classroom.
The woman seated behind the desk made my steps falter.
Damn. That was Katy’s teacher?
Her dark hair was pinned into a messy updo. She wore a pair of baggy tan overalls with a fitted white shirt beneath and a plaid scarf around her throat. A stack of rainbow beaded bracelets decorated her left wrist.
Katy was always talking about Miss Adler’s clothes. How she dressed like a cool kid, not a stuffy teacher. In my head, I’d pictured an older woman, not a woman in her late twenties.
And I certainly hadn’t pictured a woman so, well…damn. She was beautiful.
She turned toward the door, her caramel eyes taking me in as she stood and extended a hand. “Mr. Dawson.”
“Jeff,” I corrected, taking her delicate hand in mine. “Nice to meet you, Miss Adler.”
“Likewise. And it’s Della.” She shook my hand, then gestured toward the desks.
Where my beautiful daughter was seated in the front row. “Hi, Daddy.”
“Dandelion.” I crossed the room, propping on the edge of the desk beside hers. “What’s going on?”
Katy’s gaze flicked to Miss Adler.
Mine followed.
She’d returned to her chair, her arms crossed. Her posture screamed disapproval, but her expression was gentle as she looked at my daughter. “This is the third day in a row where Katy has caused a disruption in my classroom.”
“Katy.” I pointed to her head, looking between the two of them. “This Katy?”
Della nodded.
The Katy in question pulled her lips in, like she was fighting a smile. Wait. Did she think this was funny?
“What kind of disruption?” I asked.
“She has been cursing in class.”
“Cursing?” No way. Not my kid.
“She’s used a few colorful words, mostly under her breath,” Della said. “But loud enough that other students have overheard and either snickered or brought it to my attention. Today’s was the f word.”
The f word. My daughter had said the f word? I blinked, then turned to Katy.
Guilt was etched on her face, but she still looked like she was about to laugh.
“What the fuck?”
Chapter 2
Della
Now I knew where Katy had picked up the language.
“Daddy.” Her eyes widened.
“Shit—shoot. Sorry.” Jeff ran a hand over his mouth, like he was trying to erase the slips. “Katy, wait in the hallway.”
The second he pointed to the doorway, she slid out of her chair and picked up the backpack resting at her feet. There was an odd look on her face that I couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t a smile, not exactly. But it was a smile, sort of.
It was as baffling as her cussing. Katy was not the girl to cause a scene. Up until this week, she’d always been a perfect student.
She was about to scamper away, but before she could leave, Jeff stopped her. “Wait.”
Katy looked up at him and they shared an unspoken conversation. Her shoulders drooped. That non-smile smile vanished. Then she turned to me, apology and sincerity written all over her cute face. “I’m very sorry, Miss Adler. I promise it won’t happen again.”