Chapter Two
“S tay in line, class. Remember, hands to yourself.”
Jenna did her best to steer her class of twenty-three third-grade students—including three with special learning needs and Individualized Education Programs—into the lunchroom with a minimum of distractions.
The day that had started out with such stunning news from Angela had quickly spiraled. Her dead battery had only been the beginning.
As soon as she reached the school, she discovered both of her paraprofessionals, who helped with reading and math, as well as giving extra attention to those who struggled most, had called in for personal leave. One was pregnant and had bad morning sickness and the other one had to travel out of town at the last minute to be with a dying relative.
Jenna completely understood they both had excellent reasons to be gone. Unfortunately, that left her to handle the entire class by herself, and her third-grade students were so jacked up over the approaching summer vacation—or maybe from the sugar in her cupcakes—that none of them seemed able to focus.
One more week , she told herself. One more week and then she would have the entire summer to herself.
The previous summer, she had taken classes all summer to finish her master’s degree, as well as working nearly full-time at Rosa’s gift shop, By-the-Wind.
She didn’t feel as if she had enjoyed any summer vacation at all.
She wasn’t going to make that mistake again this year. Though she still had two more classes to go before earning her master’s degree, she had decided to hold off until after the summer, and she had told Rosa she couldn’t work as many hours at the gift shop.
Addie was growing up and Jenna wanted to spend as much time as possible with her daughter while Addie still seemed to like being with her.
“Don’t want spaghetti.” The sudden strident shout from one of her students, Cody Andrews, drew looks from several students in the cafeteria. Some of the adult guests having lunch with their students also gave the boy the side-eye.
Jenna felt immediately on the defensive. Cody, who had been diagnosed with autism, was an eager, funny, bright student, but sometimes crowds could set him off and trigger negative behaviors.
He had seemed to have a particularly difficult morning, maybe because Monica, the aide he loved dearly, wasn’t there.
“Do you want to get pizza from the à la carte line?” she asked him, her voice low and calming.
“No. I don’t like pizza.” That was news to her, since his favorite food was usually pizza and he could eat it five days a week without fuss.
“What about chicken tenders?”
He appeared to consider that for a long moment, his blond head tilted and his brow furrowed. Finally he nodded. “Okay. I like tenders.”
The lunchroom was crowded with parents and friends of the students who had come for their monthly Lunch with a Guest activity.
She strongly suspected another of the reasons for Cody’s outburst might have something to do with that. His parents were recently divorced and his father, who used to come have lunch with him every month, had moved two towns over.
Normally she didn’t eat with the students, preferring to grab a quick bite at her desk while they were out at recess, unless she was on playground duty. But because Cody was being so clingy, she had decided to bring her sack lunch to the table. Now he slid in next to her with his tray of nuggets.
She waved to a few of the parents, then pulled out her sandwich just as she felt the presence of someone behind her.
She turned and was astonished to discover her upstairs neighbor standing beside his daughter, Brielle. He was holding a tray that carried both their lunches.
“Hello.”
In boots, jeans and the same black T-shirt he had been wearing earlier in the day, he looked big and tough and intimidating. Completely out of place in an elementary school lunchroom.
He should moonlight as a bouncer at a biker bar, since nobody would dare mess with him.
“Hi, Mrs. Haynes. This is my dad.” Brielle, his daughter, beamed with pride.
“I know. I’ve met him. We’re neighbors.”
“This is his very first time coming to one of the Lunch with a Guest days.”
She forced a smile. “Welcome. I hope you enjoy yourself.”
“So far so good. It’s pizza. What could go wrong with pizza?”
He obviously had not tried the school pizza yet, which could double as a paperweight in a pinch.
Jenna was disconcerted when Wes pointed to an empty spot down the row from her. “Is it all right if we sit here? There doesn’t seem to be room with Brielle’s class.”
It was always a tight squeeze in the small lunchroom when each student brought a guest. Parents ended up finding spots wherever they could. She gestured to the empty spot. “Go ahead.”
She was fiercely aware of him as she finished her sandwich.
“I have a dog,” Cody suddenly announced. “Her name is Jojo, and she’s white and brown with white ears and a brown tail. Do you want to see?”
Jenna realized with some alarm that the boy was talking to Wes in particular, unfazed by his intimidating appearance.
“Um. Sure.”
Cody pulled out the small four-by-six photo album he carried with him all the time in the front pocket of his hoodie, a sort of talisman. He opened it and thrust it into Wes’s face, far too close for comfort.
“Wow. She’s very pretty,” Wes answered.
“Does she do any tricks?” Brielle asked, genuine curiosity in her voice as she peered around her father’s muscular arm to see the photograph.
“She comes when I call her and she sits and she can roll over.”
“I wish we had a dog,” Brielle said, a hint of sadness in her voice. “We have a cat, though, and it’s the best cat in the whole world.”
Jenna thought the interaction would end there, as Cody could be quiet and withdrawn with strangers. She was surprised when the boy turned the page of his well-worn photo album to show other things that were important to him in his life. His bedroom. His bicycle. His father, who had walked out the previous year.
She might have expected Wes to turn his attention back to his daughter. That was the reason he had come to lunch, after all, to spend time with Brielle. Instead, he seemed to go out of his way to include the boy in their conversation.
She couldn’t help being touched by and grateful for his efforts, especially because it allowed her a chance to interact with some of the other students who did not have a guest with them for various reasons.
As soon as the children finished lunch, they were each quick to return their trays to the cafeteria and rush outside for recess.
Brielle seemed to take her time over the meal, probably to spend more time with her father. Cody was the last to linger at the table, apparently enjoying his new friends too much to leave.
When he left to go out to recess, watched over by the playground aides, Jenna rose as well.
“I brought over a battery for your car,” Wes said abruptly. “I can switch it out for you before I head back to the garage. I thought that might be better so you don’t have to worry about needing a jump again after school is out.”
This man was full of surprises. “Really? You would do that on your lunch hour?”
He shrugged. “It’s no trouble. Will take me less than ten minutes. Brie can help me. She loves to work on cars, don’t you?”
His daughter beamed. “Yep.”
“I will need your car keys, though.”
“They’re in my classroom. I’m about to head back there, if you don’t mind following me.”
“Not a problem.”
He and his daughter walked with her, Brielle chattering happily with her father. She didn’t seem to mind his monosyllabic responses.
As they made their way through the halls, Jenna couldn’t help but be aware of Wes. She was a little surprised to realize she had lost some of her nervousness around him. It was very difficult to remain afraid of a man who could show such kindness to a young boy who could sometimes struggle in social situations.
“Thank you for helping with Cody. He’s having a pretty tough time right now. Guest days are sometimes hard on him. You helped distract him.”
“I didn’t do much. We just talked about his dog.”
She wanted to tell him the conversation obviously meant much more to the boy, who was deeply missing his father, but she didn’t want to get into Cody’s personal problems with him, especially not with Brielle there.
“The distraction was exactly what he needed. Thank you.”
Wes didn’t quite smile, but she thought his usual stern expression seemed to soften a little. “Glad I could help. About those keys...”
“Yes. I’ll get them.”
She opened her classroom and headed for the closet where she kept her personal effects. After digging through her purse, she pulled out her key chain with her car fob.
“Here you go,” she said.
He held his hand out and she dropped the keys into it, grateful she didn’t have to touch him for the handover.
“Thanks. I’ll bring them back when I’m done.”
“Do you need my help out there?”
“No. We got it.”
“Thank you.”
The words seemed inadequate but she did not know what else to say. As soon as Wes and Brielle walked out the side door closest to the faculty parking lot, her friend Kim Baker rushed out of her classroom across the hall, where she taught fifth grade.
“Who is that?” Kim asked, eyes wide. “I must know immediately.”
“My neighbor.”
“ That’s the serial killer?”
Jenna winced, feeling guilty that she had confided in her dear friend after she found out Wes had recently been released from prison.
“He’s not a serial killer. I never said he was. He was in prison for property crimes. Fraud, extortion, theft. But Anna and Rosa assure me he was exonerated.”
“There you go, then. You should be fine.”
“Especially since I have nothing to steal.”
“You and me both, honey. We’re teachers.” Kim looked in the direction Wes had gone. “I have to say, I wouldn’t mind having that man on top of me.”
“Kim!” she exclaimed.
“Living upstairs,” her friend said with a wink. “What did you think I meant?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re a happily married woman. Not to mention soon to be a grandmother.”
Kim was only in her midforties but had married and started a family young. Her daughter was following in her footsteps, married and pregnant by twenty-two.
“I am all those things, but I’m not dead. And he is way hotter than you let on, you sly thing.”
Jenna could feel her face flush. She hadn’t told Kim much about Wes.
“I am curious about why your sexy new neighbor is stopping by in the middle of the day to talk to you. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No!” she exclaimed quickly. “Nothing like what you’re thinking. He jumped me this morning.”
“Go on,” Kim said, eyes wide with exaggerated lasciviousness.
Jenna let out an exasperated laugh. “My car died, I mean. He jumped my battery. He offered to fix it tonight, but since he was coming by the school today to see his daughter for lunch, he offered to fix it now.”
To her vast relief, this information was enough for Kim to drop the double entendres. “That is really nice of him.”
“Yes. It is.”
“And you’re sure that’s all?”
“Yes,” she said, more forcefully this time. “He’s been very kind. That’s all.”
Kim made a face and reached for Jenna’s hand, her features suddenly serious.
“I’m only saying this as your friend, but I can’t think of anyone else who deserves to have their battery jumped by a sexy guy. And if he’s kind and thoughtful, all the better.”
The genuine concern in her voice touched Jenna, even if she didn’t agree with the sentiment. She was deeply grateful for the many friendships she had made since coming to Cannon Beach. The people of this community had truly embraced her and welcomed her and Addison into their midst.
She still could not quite believe she was now free to stay here as long as she wanted.
“I appreciate the sweet sentiment, Kim, but I’m fine. Completely fine. I have everything I need. A great apartment, a job I love, Addie. It’s more than enough. I don’t need a man in my life.”
And especially one who intimidated her as much as Wes Calhoun.
Kim did not look convinced, but before her friend could argue, Wes returned to Jenna’s classroom, on his own this time instead of with his daughter.
He set Jenna’s keys on the edge of her desk. “Here you go. She’s running great now. Started right up. Looks like you’re due for an oil change, though. You’re going to want to get on that.”
“I will. Thanks. What do I owe you for the battery?”
He looked reluctant to give a number but finally did, something that seemed far less than she was expecting.
“What about labor?”
“Nothing. There was really no labor involved.”
She wanted to argue but couldn’t figure out how in a gracious way. “Thank you, then,” she finally said. “I’m very grateful.”
She would have said more, but the bell rang in that moment and children began to swarm back into the classroom from the playground.
“Glad I could help,” he answered. “I’ll let you get back to your students.”
“I’ll settle up with you this evening, if that’s okay.”
Again she had the impression he wanted to tell her not to worry about it, but he finally nodded. “Sounds good. See you later.”
Two students approached her desk to ask a question about the field trip they were taking on Monday to the aquarium in Lincoln City. By the time she answered them, Wes had slipped away.