5. Harrison
HARRISON
Harrison finished up the morning milking without too many stops and starts.
New equipment and animals meant a learning curve, but the session with Brian last night had made a world of difference.
Besides, he’d been working with cows his whole life and the Holsteins here were gentle and calm, which let him know they’d been well cared for.
They were producers too. Radcliffe, the former owner, had said as much.
But the man seemed more like a city CEO than a farmer, so Harrison hadn’t taken his production numbers to heart.
Seeing the operation in person had Harrison running some new calculations in his head now, and feeling hopeful that they might actually be turning a profit right out of the gate.
The first feeding of the day was next, and Harrison enjoyed the happy sounds of the hungry cows as they began their meal.
The troughs were filled with sweet water from the natural spring that fed the creek.
That spring was a godsend for animals that drank so much.
His girls would spend most of their days eating and drinking, so plenty of quality food and water were a must.
When his chores were done for the moment, he headed back up to the house to shower and have a quick cup of coffee before going over to the school.
But he paused before he got to the house. The sun was rising in a gorgeous burst of pink-tinged flames over the snowy hillside. He watched it for a moment, then snapped a quick photo and sent it to Mallory before he could change his mind.
Me:
Thanks again for yesterday.
The message stayed unread, which probably meant she was elbow deep in bakery work already. He shoved the phone back in his pocket and headed for the house again.
Something stirred in the shadows under the porch as he headed up the steps, but the juvenile tabby didn’t show himself. The fact that he was here instead of in the barn said plenty though. He was waiting for Katie.
Harrison felt a smile tug up his mouth. Maybe it was only a half-feral cat, but if Katie was getting through to it, maybe it meant the walls around her heart were starting to crack.
He hurried through his shower and then dressed warmly but casually for his visit to the school. He wanted to make a good impression, but he wasn’t going to pretend to be something he wasn’t.
His thumbs drummed the steering wheel as he drove past the other fields and farms on his way to the village. He’d spoken with Principal Tucker by phone already and she seemed like a nice lady. But of course she was a busy woman with a whole school full of children to watch over.
She can spare a little extra attention for Katie, he told himself as he turned onto Sycamore Avenue and parked his truck. Once she knows the situation, she’ll want to help.
He’d bet everything on this town and this school. Hopefully, the investment would pay off.
He found himself missing the way he used to message Mallory in moments like this one, and feel better the second he saw her username pop up with a reply, no matter what it was.
But things had changed now that they had met. He felt weird about texting the pretty young woman about his worries.
When he reached the main entrance, he pressed the button and the secretary buzzed him in.
The walls of the school lobby were hung with student work.
Paintings of snowy scenes including plenty of barns and animals graced the walls, while cut-out snowflakes on practically invisible bits of fishing line hung from the high ceiling.
The admin offices were just past a glass door. He stepped inside and was greeted immediately by the secretary.
“Hi there, Mr. Law,” she said kindly. “Principal Tucker is waiting for you.”
She walked him back to a small but tidy office where an older lady in a pretty lavender suit stood to greet him.
“Hi there,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m Eleanor Tucker. You must be Katie’s father.”
“Good to meet you,” he said, taking it. “I’m Harrison Law.”
“Please have a seat, Mr. Law,” the principal said with a warm smile.
He lowered himself to the seat opposite her desk and she sat too. As he looked around, he couldn’t help feeling more at home. She had student artwork in here too, and a few photos. There was even a framed cross-stitch with a saying by Desmond Tutu, its colors faded by time.
“How is the move treating you?” Principal Tucker asked him when his eyes met hers again.
“I like it here,” he found himself telling her. “The town is a good place for kids, and the farm is going to work out just fine for us.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” she replied. “I’ve had an eye on Katie today and I had a quick chat with her teacher while her class was in the art room.”
Relief filled Harrison’s chest at the knowledge that his concerns were being taken seriously.
“She’s doing very well with her schoolwork,” the principal continued. “And her behavior is excellent.”
Harrison nodded. None of that was new. Though he was glad at the evidence that her old school hadn’t been too far behind this one academically.
“But she’s very quiet,” Principal Tucker went on. “Just like you told us. She’s not engaging with the other students yet.”
It wasn’t until he heard those words that Harrison realized how much he’d been hoping that a simple change of scenery was all Katie needed. He felt like someone had socked him hard in the stomach, stealing the air from his chest.
“Many new students are quiet on their first day,” the principal said. “But with Katie’s history, we have to pay attention. Miss Lovelace tells me that there’s another student who she’s going to ask to partner with Katie.”
“Okay,” Harrison said, knowing in his heart that it wouldn’t make much of a difference. “That sounds great. Definitely worth a try.”
“Amelia Cassidy is her name,” the principal said with a twinkly-eyed smile. “She’s a very special girl herself. She’ll persevere with Katie.”
“I hope so,” Harrison said, not bothering to tell the principal that if the girl’s last name was Cassidy, she was probably a cousin. The town was too small for that to be just a coincidence.
“Meanwhile,” Principal Tucker said, “she should also have the chance to connect with others outside of school, where there’s less pressure.
I know you two are new here, but it may help to start with an activity she likes anyway, even if it’s just one-on-one with an adult.
The music store in town offers affordable lessons, and there are all kinds of free activities at the library if she likes to read or do art or science experiments. ”
Harrison’s heart sank as he thought about how overwhelmed Katie would feel at any of those things. After a full school day, was it really a good idea to take her right into more forced interaction?
“The last thing she needs is for all her interpersonal relationships to happen at school,” the principal said firmly, as if she had read his mind and wanted to counter his argument. “Katie needs a chance to let people get to know her in an environment with less structure.”
“I see,” Harrison said, taking a deep breath as he nodded.
“No one knows your daughter like you do,” she said softly. “And it’s natural for a parent to want to protect their child. I know you’ve been very patient with her, and that’s great. But there comes a time when a child needs a bit of a push, and Katie may need one from you right now. A gentle one.”
Harrison looked across the desk at Principal Tucker. Just this brief visit to her office told him that she had plenty of experience with children and, more importantly, that she loved them.
“Fine,” he said. “We’ll find her an after-school activity.”
“Very good, Mr. Law,” the principal said. “She’s a bright girl. I think she just might surprise you.”
“Thank you,” he said over the lump in his throat.
He was heading back down Sycamore toward Ambler Road and the farm, thinking about what kind of activity Katie might like, when his mind went to Mallory all over again.
But this time when he thought of the sweet girl with the flame-colored ponytail, he impulsively signaled and turned left on Ambler instead of right.
Don’t get your hopes up, he warned himself. She’s a busy young woman with a lot of responsibilities on her shoulders.
But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Mallory had already offered to let Katie use her kitchen to make baklava. Surely she hadn’t been planning to just leave her there to prepare the treat alone.
He turned onto Park Avenue, passed the pharmacy, and found a spot for his truck under one of the lampposts with the candy-cane decorations.
A bundled-up couple heading up the sidewalk said hello to him as they passed, and a woman in a red scarf with a big golden retriever coming from the opposite direction nodded to him before happily greeting the couple and turning to walk with them.
“Hey there,” an older gentleman standing outside the bakery said to Harrison.
Before Harrison could answer, the golden retriever was back, tugging on his leash to get to the bowl of water Mallory must have set outside the bakery. He drank with great enthusiasm before flashing them a goofy canine smile and scampering off after his owner.
“You bought the old Jones place, didn’t you?” the old man asked when the dog had gone.
“Yes,” Harrison said, sticking out his hand. “Harrison Law, good to meet you.”
“Reggie Webb,” the man said with a big smile, shaking Harrison’s hand with a firm grip. “So… you and Miss Mal, eh?”
Harrison blinked at the man, who was smiling at him in a knowing way.
“She, uh, showed me around a little yesterday,” Harrison managed, not certain how to say they weren’t a couple. “And my daughter too, of course.”
“Mal’s a sweet girl,” Reggie said, nodding approvingly. “A man would be lucky to spend time with her.”
Harrison nodded back automatically. Reggie was right about that, and it was clear he had made up his mind about the nature of their relationship.