Chapter 26
Rachel was having a shit day.
It started when her alarm didn't go off, or rather, when she discovered she'd set it for p.m. instead of a.m. the night before. She woke to sunlight streaming through her bedroom window and the sick realization that she had exactly thirty minutes to get ready for school.
She dressed quickly, swiped on tinted moisturizer and mascara, grabbed her purse, and raced out the door without breakfast or coffee.
By the time she skidded into the faculty parking lot, she had five minutes to spare before the first period began.
She practically ran to her classroom, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Cindy was waiting by her door, concern written across her face. “Hey, are you okay? You look—”
“I'm fine,” Rachel said, fumbling with her keys. “Just running late.”
“You're never late.” Cindy followed her into the classroom. “Are you sure you're okay?”
Rachel dropped her bag on her desk and turned to face her friend. “Yes, but there's just a lot going on now.”
“You'll talk to me later?” Cindy's voice carried the weight of years of friendship, of knowing when Rachel was holding something back.
“As soon as I can, yes,” Rachel promised.
Cindy squeezed her arm and left just as the first bell rang. Rachel took a deep breath, smoothed her shirt, and tried to compose herself as students began to file in.
First period was a blur of creative writing prompts. Rachel went through the motions, but her mind kept drifting to Carson, to what he'd told her, and to the pieces of this puzzle slowly coming together.
Then one of the assistant principals walked in.
Charles Hayes was a tall man in his fifties with steel-gray hair and an expression that gave nothing away. He smiled at the class and took a seat at the back of the room, clipboard in hand.
Rachel's stomach dropped when she realized it was her unscheduled classroom evaluation. She knew it was going to take place sometime this semester, but in the chaos of everything else happening, she couldn’t believe it was happening on a day when she wasn't at her best.
She taught the rest of the period hyperaware of Mr. Hayes's presence, of every word she said, every interaction with her students. And worse, Terrance Bogdin was in this class. Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem, but ever since she’d talked to him about his behavior with his girlfriend, he’d been wary.
And at times, churlish. He sat near the front, and Rachel could see the tension in his shoulders, the way he kept glancing at Mr. Hayes and then back at Rachel.
He was nervous, which made Rachel nervous. Which made the whole lesson feel stilted and off-balance.
When the bell finally rang and the students filed out, Mr. Hayes stood and approached Rachel's desk with a smile that was probably meant to be reassuring but only made her anxiety spike higher.
“That was a good lesson,” he said. “I'll have my written evaluation to you by the end of the week.”
“Thank you,” Rachel replied without dropping to her knees to beg for a redo.
As soon as he left, Rachel sank into her desk chair and pressed her fingers to her temples.
Second period. She had to pull it together for the second period.
She made it through the next two periods on sheer force of will and the muscle memory of teaching.
By the time lunch rolled around, Rachel felt wrung out and exhausted.
She was gathering her things to head to the faculty lounge for lunch when David appeared in her doorway.
Rachel's stomach tightened. She hadn't seen David since their awkward dinner conversation about Jack, and the last thing she wanted right now was another uncomfortable encounter.
“Hey, Rachel,” David said, stepping into the classroom. “Got a minute?”
“Sure.” Rachel set down her bag and leaned against her desk, trying to look casual. “What's up?”
“I wanted to talk to you about some of my boys,” David said. His tone was friendly and conversational, but something underneath it made Rachel's instincts flare.
“Okay,” Rachel said carefully. “What about it?”
“I checked grades, and two of my wrestlers have D’s in your class. I wanted to know what they could do to get those grades to a B this week.”
The question hit Rachel like a slap. “What?” Rachel kept her voice steady. “Um… why would you ask me that?”
David's expression shifted, his jaw tightening. “I work hard at this. I've built that team from nothing. We're on track to go to states this year, maybe even win it all. I'm not about to have anyone fuck it up now.”
Rachel felt cold settle in her stomach. “I assume you’re talking about Chuck Mendez and Dell Kellum.
They do have D’s in my class due to work not being turned in and their low test grades.
If they are both willing to stay after school, they can get the unfinished work done and retake one of their tests to earn a higher grade.
Until that happens, they continue to keep a D. ”
“What's the deal?” David's voice rose slightly, his frustration bleeding through. “You start dating a cop, and now you act like we have to follow all the rules?”
“Who I’m dating has nothing to do with this situation,” Rachel protested, her own frustration rising to meet his. “I’m doing my job, have talked with both boys, and am satisfied they know what they need to do to bring their grade up.”
“You being such a hard-ass could mean the difference in my boys winning,” David snapped.
“You’re a teacher,” she retorted. “Do you just change grades because someone asks you to?”
“This isn’t changing a grade that they won’t earn, as soon as they do the work,” he argued.
“When they do the work and it’s graded, then I can change the grade… and only then!”
David drew himself up, looming over her. She stepped back, refusing to be physically intimidated.
“You could cost us the season. Do you understand that? I've worked for years to get where I am. I have parents riding my ass to make sure their boys get scholarships.”
Rachel straightened up, her spine going rigid. “I think you should leave my room. If not, then we’ll take this discussion up with the administration.”
David stared at her for a long moment, his face flushed with anger. Then he turned and stalked out of the classroom, leaving Rachel standing there with her heart pounding and her hands shaking. She sank into her desk chair and pressed her palms against her eyes. What a day… and it’s only half over.
Rachel pulled out her phone and stared at Jack's contact photo. The desire to talk to him was so strong, like reflexes returning after a long hiatus.
But she had afternoon classes to teach. Rachel took a deep breath, stood, and walked to the faculty lounge to eat. She could do this. She could hold it together for a few more hours. Surely, her day couldn’t get any worse.
By the time the final bell rang, Rachel felt like she'd been through a war. Robbie’s normal joking personality was much more subdued. Ben barely smiled, and even Carson appeared distracted. And none of them wanted to meet her eyes.
She gathered her things and headed out to the ballfield, needing to see Jack and to ground herself in something real and solid.
She found him on the field with the JV team, running drills. Carson was at shortstop, Ben at second base, and a handful of other freshmen were scattered across the diamond. Jack stood near the pitcher's mound, his arms crossed over his chest, calling out instructions and encouragement.
Rachel climbed into the bleachers and sat down, letting the familiar sounds of practice wash over her. The crack of the bat. The thud of the ball hitting gloves. Jack's voice carried across the field, steady and sure.
She watched him work with the kids, watched Carson look at him with such trust and admiration, and the worry of the day started to drift away. This was Jack. Her Jack. The boy who'd protected her when they were kids, the man who was protecting these kids now.
Rachel remembered what it was like to see him play for Baytown High School all those years ago.
How he'd looked on this same field, younger and less scarred by life.
Always smiling with a joke or a shout of encouragement to his fellow teammates, but with the same focused intensity he brought to everything he did.
The time they’d spent apart seemed to drift away as she sat there watching him.
The years, the distance, the mistakes they'd both made…
all of it faded into background noise. What mattered was this.
Right now. Jack on the field with his brother and these kids, teaching them not just baseball but how to be good men.
Practice ended, and Jack looked up at her and smiled. Her day was finally getting better, and she smiled in return.
Then his gaze moved to another spectator, and his smile dropped. Rachel looked over to see a pretty, long-legged, athletic woman with short, dark hair stand and jog over to him. She threw her arms around him, calling out, “Jack! I thought I'd surprise you!”
He didn’t return the hug, but placed his hands on the woman’s shoulders and gently stepped back. “Melissa. This is a surprise. What are you doing here?”
“I was flying through Norfolk, and my next transport flight to Germany won’t leave until tomorrow. I thought we could have dinner and catch up.”
Rachel sat unmoving, her heart in her stomach. Or maybe it was her heartbeat racing that she heard, and her stomach was just in knots. She couldn’t take her eyes off them, but in her peripheral vision, she could see some of the JV players staring.
They knew their coach was going out with her, yet here he’d just been in an embrace with another woman. In truth, a rather one-sided, awkward embrace, but she had a feeling the young teens wouldn’t know that distinction.
She could tell the instant when Jack realized the same thing, and he stepped back another foot.
The woman… Melissa, cocked her head, and her voice lowered. “Jack?”