Chapter 3
When Hale Hanson stopped by Maisy’s classroom later the next day and asked her out, she said yes. He was a nice guy and Maisy needed distraction. Surely she could be drawn to someone else. They agreed to meet at La Trattoria right in the center of town. Annie and Maisy reserved a private room here for the shower/rehearsal dinner. They combined the two because of the short notice for the nuptials.
She found Hal waiting at the bar. He saw her when she walked in and he stared at her approvingly when she crossed to him. “Man, you look great, Maisy Shepherd.”
Caleb had said you clean up real good .
“Thank you.”
He was dressed casually in a yellow shirt, taupe blazer creased khaki pants and loafers. His blond hair was still damp.
“You too.”
“Yeah, I don’t get out of those sweats much.”
A hostess led them to a table. The atmosphere was hushed but homey, with only one dining room and one for private parties. They sat. “Want a glass of wine or a drink?” Hal asked.
“Sure.”
They ordered cabernet and then perused the menu. “It’s a small listing.”
“Yeah, I’ve been here before. Tony, the owner, changes the features every week. He says he refuses to offer everything under the sun. His dishes take time to prepare and are stellar.”
“That makes sense.” After they were served their drinks and ordered meals, he smiled over at here. “Hey, I hear Annie Stefano’s getting married.” His brow creased. “To that cop who was in the news a while ago. Geez, not sure I could handle what happened to him.”
“You were a soldier, Hal. I’m sure you could have. But in any case, they were high school sweethearts who reconnected when he got shot.” She shrugged. “I guess something good came out of the tragedy.”
A slight frown marred his forehead. “But she was engaged to Seth.”
“Yeah but try not to think badly of her. She said she never stopped loving Diego.”
“Okay. I felt bad for Seth, though. But he’s dating the school nurse, now.”
“Oh, my gosh, I didn’t know that. I’m so happy he’s seeing someone.” She wondered if Annie knew.
“Tell me more about yourself, Maisy. I don’t know your background at all.”
“I grew up in Westwood. I knew Annie and Diego of course, because they’re from here too. Like Annie, I went to college.”
“Where?”
“SUNY Binghamton. A state school was all I could afford. Even then, I lived with my brother. He was a minister there.”
“Do you mind if I ask why you didn’t have money?”
“Both my parents died when I entered high school. They only left us the house. Caleb had a church downstate, and he got custody of me.”
“You had it tough. Bummer about your parents.”
“We were both shell-shocked.”
“I’m glad you had each other.”
“Me too. I came back to Westwood and he moved here not long ago. We’re renovating my parents’ house. It’s fun to do it with him.”
“I’ve heard rumors about why he came back here.”
“Yeah, it’s no secret.”
“Did they ever find the bomber of his church?”
“No. And you probably already know his wife had an affair with the youth pastor.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I did hear the gossip. The poor guy.”
“Caleb spent all his time consoling the families of his congregation and she got bored. I almost hate her for cheating.”
“Nah, you’re too nice to hate somebody.”
“I try to be a good person. But I’m no pushover.”
“The kids made that very clear. They talk in front of me. They say everybody knows not to cross you.”
“I’ve come down hard on them when I’ve had to.”
“Yeah, they say that too.”
“Tell me about your family. How you grew up.”
“Sure.” Hal talked happily about his very normal upbringing. It was fun to be with a man who didn’t brood about his upbringing. Then again, Jackson was in a gang. She guessed he had a lot to brood about.
After dinner, she took a peak into the private room. It was lovely. Then Hal walked her to her car. “So, is a small kiss okay?”
“A kiss would be great.” She actually meant it.
He brushed her lips with his. Pressed some but didn’t take it any further. “Tell you what,” he said afterward. “I’d like another date. If you would too, shoot me a note and let me know.”
“You can count on it.”
As she drove away, she thought about Hal. A sweet, uncomplicated guy. Maybe she could fall for him!
* * *
God, he hated these things. Jackson tugged at the collar of his tux as he approached The Westwood Hotel entrance. He sighed before he opened it. He had to be congenial tonight when he felt anything but. At least it was a cocktail party and not dinner.
Once inside the ballroom, he got a drink then went to mingle. He found some acquaintances at one of the high round tables placed all over the room. He crossed to them. “Hey, everyone.”
“Jackson. Good to see you.”
“You, too, Mark. I hope you brought your checkbook.”
“I did. Pathways makes miracles happen. My sister’s kid went there a while ago, and it straightened him right out.”
“I like hearing that. What’s he doing now?”
“He started college this year.”
Jackson smiled. “Those kinds of stories warm my heart.”
He talked with the potential donors for a while then left to mingle some more. He headed for another table and bumped into a woman who came out of nowhere. Her drink spilled. “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry.”
The blonde glanced down. “No worries, it was my fault. And didn’t even hit my shoes.” She raised pretty green eyes to him. “We haven’t met. I’m Morgan Mason.”
“Jackson Kane. Nice to meet you.”
“I recognized you.”
“Have we met?”
“No, my father has donated to Pathways. I came with him tonight and intend to make my own contribution.”
“Thank you, very much.”
“I was going to get some appetizers. Want some?”
“Yes. I should eat.”
They crossed to the buffet of heavy hors d’oeuvres. After selecting some, they went back to the table. He bit into the creamy brie and apple, liking the taste. “So, you know what I do, Morgan. How about you?”
“I’m living on my divorce settlement right now. I gave up my career so I could help my ex entertain clients and people from his law firm.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s an ex because it was never enough for me. But I have a degree in city management. I plan to get back into the field.”
“You sound confident. I’m sure you’ll do well.”
Others came to the table to greet Jackson, and Morgan stayed. They chatted the rest of the evening with donors and alone.
As the event wound down, he said, “You were a real boon to me tonight. You’ve made the evening go fast.”
She sidled into him. “The evening doesn’t have to end. Would you like to escort me home and come up for a drink?”
He thought of Maisy right then. Which was stupid. Well, he couldn’t have a relationship with her. But he could enjoy some recreational sex. “I’d love to.”
* * *
Maisy arrived at the conference room adjacent to Jackson’s office, hoping to avoid being alone with him. All the other teachers were here. She slid into a seat next to Annie.
Jackson said, “Thanks for coming for this evaluation. I know these things can be tedious. But I need your input on all of the boys, both grades and behavior, before the school year ends. If you’ll take out the forms I sent you, we’ll start. Any volunteers to begin?”
One teacher said, “Quentin Wright barely passed Math. If his final project is weak, he won’t make it.”
“You’re supervising that right?”
“Yes. He’s a bit behind. He can’t sit still for any length of time.”
“What about your partner?” Math and Science worked together like Language Arts and Social Studies.
“I think I got him through science,” the woman said. “His final paper is in.”
“What was it on?” Maisy asked. She was curious.
“They had to pick a famous scientist and do a deep dive into him. Quentin picked Sir George Fredric, who was the first to diagnose ADHD in 1902. It caught his interest.”
Jackson asked, “Did you lead him to the doctor?”
“Actually, I didn’t. He found the guy all by himself.”
“That’s even better.” Jackson sat back, thoughtful. “I’m going to intervene in Math. He and I will meet and he can tell me about his final project. I get together with individual kids a lot so he won’t think he’s being singled out.”
Maisy’s heart warmed. He was so good with all the kids and knew how to help them.
“Annie and Maisy you can go next.” Jackson kept his eyes on Annie and avoided looking at Maisy.
“Quentin’s passed Language Arts with a 75.”
“And he got an 80 in Social Studies.”
“That’s terrific.”
Physical Education was pass fail and Hal Hanson reported Quentin passed that. Since the school was exempt from regents exams, Quentin would leave Pathways in the fall.
“Next?”
Maisy spoke up. “I’d like to talk about Frankie Pecorino.”
The school’s psychologist spoke first. “I met with him. He has four demerits. More than any other kid. However, he got the last one over that mess with his brother Freddie.”
Jackson said, “We’ve only got two more weeks to go.”
“When was the last time a student didn’t pass and went on to juvie, Jackson?” Hal asked.
“Our first year, so that would be six years ago. We didn’t have any experience in this kind of school, and we lost one.”
Gemma frowned. “What happened to him?”
“I’m afraid he’s in jail now.”
Silence.
Maisy offered, “Would you consider deleting Frankie’s last demerit due to circumstances? Then he’ll surely make it.”
Jackson had a strict policy against this. The last time he’d done that was with the boy they lost. “I’d rather not.”
“I don’t think he should either.” The math teacher.
Most of the other teachers agreed with Jackson’s decision.
Gemma finished, “Then let’s be extra careful to make sure we don’t lose Frankie.”
“Fine by me.” The science teacher smiled at Jackson. Maisy caught something in her gaze. “You’re the miracle worker who got this program off the ground.”
He smiled back. Then his gaze snagged on Maisy.
Unfortunately, she was watching him with unabashed approval. And she stayed behind when the others left.
“I didn’t single you out, Maisy.”
“I know. Thank you. However, you and I have to meet about the wedding. We’re giving them a shower/rehearsal party. And we’ll need to be together about other things our role in the wedding necessitates.”
A beleaguered sigh. “All right.”
“Can we meet tomorrow?”
“Yeah, sure. We’re off school, but I usually come in on weekends to catch up on things.”
“Nine o’clock okay?”
“Nine it is.”
* * *
Jackson was already seated in the conference room when Maisy arrived. She looked cute as hell in a lightweight blue sweatsuit and sneakers. She probably thought she wouldn’t be appealing in it, but she was. “Good morning,” he said, a bit huskily.
“Good morning.”
“I brought coffee.”
She held up a white pastry bag. “I brought donuts.”
“Yum. I’ll have one now, if you don’t mind. I skipped breakfast.”
He chose a gooey jelly donut. She chose a bear claw. They chowed down happily. When they finished, he reached over and touched her mouth. “You have a bit of frosting here.” He swept it away with his thumb. And felt the contact all the way to his groin.
“Um…” she said, then, “Annie and I already booked La Trattoria’s private room. She and I sent out the save the date cards earlier, too.”
“That’s a lot to have done.”
“It is. Now, Annie and Diego want a quiet dinner with the wedding party, no antics like what can happen at a bachelor party or a shower.”
“Um, what usually happens at those things?”
“What do you mean? The usual things.”
He was embarrassed and looked away for a minute. Then back to her. “I’ve never been to either.”
“Seriously?”
“Maisy, I didn’t grow up or spend my twenties like most people.”
“I don’t know much about your background.”
“Not many people do.” Only Joe Romano.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“I hate talking about it.”
“Then we won’t.”
“So why did Annie pick La Trattoria?”
“It’s the best place in town. And I was…um, there not too long ago. I checked out the room and it’s nice.”
“Were you on a date?”
“What does it matter?”
“So you were.”
“Yes. Can we get back to the planning now.” She sounded exasperated.
“Sure.”
“Open menu or planned?”
“Open. That’s more expensive. I can pay for all this.”
“No, Diego’s father wanted to, too. But everybody will pitch in. Attendants and the bride’s family always foot the bill.”
He didn’t argue.
“Do we need a seating chart?” she asked.
“How many people will be there?”
“Her two sisters and their husbands, her Mom and Dad, his mother and three sisters and their husbands. I doubt Will Kirkland can come.”
“I thought he’d be best man instead of me.”
“He’s just been appointed to the PPD so he couldn’t get away.”
“The Protective Presidentail Detail? Wow. He’s young for that. Good for him. Who are the ushers?”
“Joe Romano. And my brother Caleb. He and Diego got close while he was dealing all that stuff that went down in the department.”
“All right. Do we give toasts?”
“At the wedding, so you should work on yours. But someone should say something at this dinner the night before. Maybe Annie’s Dad. I’ll ask her about that.”
“Anything else?”
“Wine. I don’t know much about that.”
“I do. Is the menu all Italian?”
“Yes.”
“Red then. I’ll come up with something.”
She sighed. “I think that’s it.”
He leaned back in the chair.
She studied him. “Do you wear those designer shirts all the time?
“Mostly.”
“The forest green brings out your eyes.”
“I guess it does. I like nice things, Maisy. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“I’m sorry if I implied there was.” She blew out a heavy breath. “We’re always at each other’s throat.”
“I know. We’ve got to stop it. Are you angry that I wouldn’t forgive one of Frankie’s demerits?”
“I don’t agree with you, but I’m not angry. You want to protect Pathways.”
“I do.”
She gathered her tablet and stood.
He said, “Let me know if there’s anything more I have to do.”
She stared at him.
“Is there something else, Maisy?”
“No. I’ll see you Monday.”
“All right.”
She walked out. His gaze followed her.
Damn it, he wanted a relationship with her. For so long, he’d kept himself from any real connections, had kept himself from women and men, except for Joe. He shouldn’t be letting himself feel things for Maisy either because, after what he’d done in the gang, he wasn’t good enough to have people in his life. Especially not a woman like her.
* * *
“Oh, no. Where’s Frankie?”
Silence from the kids. She shouldn’t have asked them anyway. She was about to retract the question when Tim spoke up. “We don’t know. He didn’t come out of his cabin on time and when we knocked nobody answered.”
“Thank you for telling me that.”
Quentin raised his hand, which was unusual. “We’re worried about him. He got four demerits already.”
“Yes, Quentin, I’m worried too. Unfortunately, I have to call Mr. Kane.”
“You gotta?” Quentin asked.
“Can’t you wait to see if he comes?” Timmy begged.
“I guess I could wait. A bit.”
Mumbles of agreement.
“All right. In Language Arts you read Flowers for Algernon .” The poignant story about a man who receives an operation that turns him into a genius...and then he reverts back to his old ill self.
Harlan said, “Yeah, what a bummer.”
“The story was written in 1959. I’d like you to go to the computers and research how mental illness was viewed in the later nineteen fifties and sixties.”
The kids got up and crossed the room to the row of computers against the wall. Maisy glanced at the clock. She knew in her heart that Frankie wasn’t coming.
They worked for fifteen minutes.
They discussed how mental illness and its treatment was in that decade.
Afterward, when class was almost over, Maisy said, “I have to report Frankie’s absence.”
When they started to object again, she held up her hand, palm out. “I’ve waited longer than policy demands.”
“You gonna get in trouble for that?”
“I don’t know.” She did, though. She would get in trouble. “Be quiet while I make the call.” She crossed to the door and went out into the hall and punched in a number. “Jackson Kane’s office.”
“Hi, Harry. This is Maisy Shepherd.”
“I’ll put you right through to Jackson.”
Damn, she didn’t want to talk to Jackson directly but apparently Harry had orders to put her through to him.
“Hello, Maisy.”
“Jackson. Frankie Pecorino didn’t show up for class today.”
A deep sigh. Jackson cared about these kids. “I’m sorry to hear that. What do the kids know?”
She told him everything.
“Let me get this straight. You waited two hours to call me?”
“I was hoping he would come in late.”
“You didn’t follow policy. You know I asked to be notified immediately if the kids don’t attend class. I track them down.”
“I know. I own what I did.”
A long pause. “I’ll take it from here. I’ll see you in my office at the end of the day.”
“I understand.”
He clicked off without saying goodbye.
She did some work while the boys were in Language Arts, then when Annie came to the office, she said, “Frankie skipped my class.”
“Mine too.”
“I notified Jackson.”
“He’s angry that I didn’t right away.”
Annie frowned. “Why didn’t you?”
“Because I was hoping he’d show up.”
“Maisy, you know the policy.”
“I made a mistake.” She glanced at her watch. “I have to meet with Jackson now.”
“What will he do?”
“I don’t know. See you later.”
“Good luck.”
Jackson was furious. He and Maisy were supposed to have a truce and she went and broke the rules. He didn’t understand her.
She came into the office and said, “Should I sit down?”
“You better.” Across from each other, they squared off like enemies. “Why didn’t you report this right away?”
“Because I didn’t want him to get another demerit.”
“And you knew you weren’t following policy?”
“I did.”
“Maisy, why ?”
“Maybe I didn’t trust you to do what’s best for Frankie.”
The emotional blow hit him square in the stomach. He took in a heavy breath, let it out, then said, “I’m sorry to hear you don’t trust me. I thought you knew me better.”
“I know you’ll follow policy. We can’t give up on him.”
“That wasn’t your decision to make.”
“I know.” He looked up when someone else came to the door. “Hey, Adam. Sit down.”
The principal took a chair next to Maisy. “What’s going on?”
“Tell him Maisy.”
She did.
“That’s so unlike you. I understand your reasoning, but you’ve never done anything like this.”
She just nodded.
He said to Jackson, “You want me to handle this?”
“No. I will.” He faced Maisy. “You’re suspended from your teaching responsibilities for a week. You can return the last week of school.”
Her eyes widened.
Adam scowled. “Jackson, isn’t that a little extreme?”
“No, Adam, it isn’t.”
She gulped back emotion and stood. “I understand. But please, help Frankie. Don’t punish him.” Near tears, she fled from the room.
“Jackson,” Adam repeated.
“Don’t defend her. This is hard enough as it is.”
“All right.” Bewildered, Adam left.
And Jackson was alone with his decision. He felt like shit.
* * *
“You what?”
“I got suspended from school. By Jackson Kane.”
“Seriously? What for?” Caleb was at his desk in the living room, working out his counseling schedule. Since he had a master’s degree in psychology as well as a PhD in Ministry, he’d decided to open a small practice. He was done with ministry.
“I didn’t report a student absence to Jackson.”
He focused on her. “Why would you do that? I know it’s against policy.” Caleb had taken time to learn the ins and outs of Pathways.
“I told him I didn’t trust him to make the right decision.”
“Wow. That must have landed badly.”
“He was hurt.” She lifted her chin. “But my primary concern has to be with Frankie.”
He studied her. “Then why are there tears in your eyes?”
“Because I’m hurt too, that he’d suspend me.”
“But you understand how he feels.”
“I do and it kills me.”
“Want to talk about that?”
“Maybe later.” She flopped into a cushy chair. “What am I going to do for a week?”
“Take care of yourself. You’re exhausted. You’ll sleep. Work out. Read some books you keep putting off. Take care of wedding stuff. Work on the house.”
“I guess.”
“Will you talk to him again?”
“The shower/rehearsal party is tomorrow night.” She closed her eyes. “We planned it together. He’ll be there.”
“Can you handle seeing him?”
“I have no choice.”
“What would you like to do now?”
“Tear something apart.”
“Go get into your old clothes. We can probably finish the den in that time.”
She gestured to the papers on his desk, which would eventually be in the new den. “Weren’t you busy?”
“I was outlining some stuff for the counseling practice. Go ahead, honey.”
“All right. See you—"
Her phone rang. She looked down. “Oh, shit.”
“Him?”
“Yeah. You answer it. Tell him I don’t want to talk to him. Ask him about Frankie.”
Caleb said, “I think you should talk to him.”
“No!”
“All right. I’m putting it on speaker, though. Hello?”
“I’m calling for Maisy Shepherd. Who is this?”
“Caleb. She doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“Are you sure?”
Her brother raised a brow at her. She shook her head.
“Yeah. That isn’t going to happen, Jackson.”
“Okay. Stay with her.”
“I intend to. Did you find Frankie?”
“Not yet. Tell her I’ll let you know when I do. And ask her if I should pick her up for the meeting tonight.”
“No!”
A pause. “You are there. Maisy, let me drive to the La Trattoria.”
“No way. I want my own transportation.”
“Why, as a quick escape?” There was sarcasm in his voice.
“You got it.”
Caleb said, “Jackson. After today, you should talk to somebody, too.”
“I’m looking for a counselor. And thanks for caring.” And he clicked off.
Maisy frowned. “Now I feel worse.”
“Call him back.”
“No. I’ll go change.” And she left the room while Caleb still held her phone.
* * *
Jackson kept his calm though he wanted to pummel something. He should work out on the punching bag but he had to be the adult here. His choices were limited. If he called the police, Frankie would go to juvie. But in any case, Frankie had five demerits. Unless he did what Maisy suggested and canceled the one because he left to find Freddie. What were the alternatives? Maybe he should send his own team. He had a large network that could help.
But the cops should be notified, too. Skipping school at Pathways was very different from regular school because the boys were sent here instead of juvie. Where Frankie would go.
What was best for the school?
What was best for Frankie?
He made a decision and punched in numbers on the phone
“Nick Samson.”
“Nick, I need you again. And your team.”
“Do you want to meet?”
“No. Assemble the guys. One of my students is missing. I’ll send you his file. We have to find him or I’ll be forced to call the police which will have grave consequences.”
“I’ll get right on it. Send me the file.”
They both clicked off.