Single with Kids. Lynnette Kent
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this is your son, Mrs. Manion. Surely, he’s your first priority.”
“Yes, and if I don’t work, he doesn’t eat, which is a priority for both of us. So I’ll call you when I’m free and we’ll set up a time to talk. Thanks for letting me know there’s a problem.” She hung up on the principal’s bluster, took two seconds to master her worry and then turned to smile at the four men waiting for her. “Now, we were reviewing those production figures for the last quarter, weren’t we? Do we have a good reason for the six-percent drop?”
An hour later, she finally had her office to herself. As she put together the reports she’d received, Terri knocked on the door. “Here’s your lunch, Ms. Manion.” She set a tray on the conference table. “Is there anything else?”
Valerie didn’t glance at the food. “Terri, we need to get something settled. I’m going to notify the school that you are authorized to receive any emergency information about Grace and Connor that needs to be delivered. I don’t want to be interrupted in a meeting unless there’s a really good reason. This morning’s chat with the principal was not a good reason.”
Terri’s pale blue eyes went round with shock. “You want me to…to…to brush off a principal?”
Valerie grinned. “Haven’t you always wanted to?”
But Terri didn’t smile back. “N-No. I haven’t.”
“Oh. Well, yes, I want you to tell the principal that if no one’s life or health is at stake, I will call him when I have a chance.”
“But you’re their mother. You have to care about what’s wrong.”
“I do care. But I care about my work, as well. Do the other vice presidents take personal calls from the school during meetings?”
“I—I don’t know…”
“I’ve been working in management for ten years now, and I’ve never seen it happen.”
Terri couldn’t seem to grasp the concept. She wrung her hands. “Their f-father isn’t—”
“No, he isn’t. And he didn’t take calls when he was. I’m not saying I want to ignore a serious problem, Terri. If Connor’s sick, I want them to tell you and I’ll leave as soon as possible to take him home. I just need to be able to prioritize. That means only bona fide emergencies during the workday. Okay?”
“O-Okay.”
Still looking confused, the secretary went back to her desk. Valerie sat down in front of her salad and crackers, with the production reports in front of her. Work time was for working, or else she’d never get everything done.
The intercom buzzed again before she’d had time for more than a forkful of lettuce. “Yes?”
“Ms. Manion, I’m sorry. But it’s the school again.”
“I—” No, she wouldn’t complain. Her authorization wasn’t in place yet. “Let me speak to them.”
Another click on the line. “Mrs. Manion, this is Principal Randleman. I’m afraid we do have a serious problem this time.”
Valerie waited, expecting to hear about some wrestling match in the library.
“Connor punched his fist through a window,” Randleman said. “We had him taken to the hospital in an ambulance.”
ROB ARRIVED AT the elementary school thirty minutes before the end of class on Wednesday. As early as he was, though, he found Valerie there ahead of him, with her boxes of papers, books and supplies already unloaded and sitting on a cafeteria table.
“You are one organized lady,” he told her, noticing the precut craft supplies, the cookies and juice for snacks already prepared. “I’d have to be a real early bird to get the worm before you do.”
She smiled, but he thought her eyes looked strained. “I like knowing everything is ready ahead of time. Surprises make me nervous.”
“I understand.” He held out the bag he carried. “Twenty-five compasses, donated by Moore’s Outdoor Store.”
“Donated? Really?” She gazed into the bag, then looked up in amazement. “How did you get them to do that?”
“Hank Moore’s a friend of mine from high school. I asked and he said he’d be glad to contribute.”
“That’s terrific. We can do the orienteering activity we talked about.” Valerie set the bag beside her other materials. “I came up with another game to have in its place, but I’d much rather work with the compasses.”
Irritation flickered inside him. “I told you I’d get them. You didn’t need to waste time worrying about another activity.”
She turned away. “Well, yes, but sometimes people don’t get around to doing what they say they will, so it’s best to be prepared.”
He caught her wrist between his fingers and tugged her back around. “Listen, Valerie. When I say I’ll do something, you can count on it getting done. No excuses, no second thoughts.” She still hadn’t looked at him, so he lifted her chin with his other hand. “Got that?”
“Got it,” she said, breathlessly, her brown eyes wide. Rob realized suddenly how close he’d brought her—close enough for a kiss, if he bent his head. Just a touch of his mouth to hers…
The loud jangle of a nearby bell announced the end of school. Before the vibrations had died away, he and Valerie stood a table’s length apart. In the next moment, little girls started pouring into the room, which effectively doused any adult inclinations he might entertain.
In time, Rob supposed, he would learn all their names, but to begin with there seemed to be a hundred of them, all about the same size and shape, all dressed in khaki shorts and vests and dark blue shirts, all running and chattering and in general creating chaos. Talk about safety in the meeting place! Ginny came in last of all, wearing the same outfit but easily distinguished by her crutches.
He met her in the center of the cafeteria. “Hey, sweetheart. How was your day?”
“Okay.” She looked tired, as she always did after school. “This is really crazy.” As she spoke, a redhead with pigtails flashed by Rob, headed at top speed across the room. Next thing he knew, Ginny cried out and both girls went down in a jumble of legs, arms, and stainless steel.
“Oh, man.” He knelt by his daughter, who was thrashing around. “Settle down, Ginny.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “You’re okay.”
“I am not. She hurt me!”
The redhead was crying, too. “Oww. My arm hurts.”
Valerie knelt on the other side. “Sit up, sweetie. There you go. Let me see your arm.” Rob helped Ginny sit up, and they got the two bodies separated. The four of them were now the center of a circle formed by wide-eyed little girls.
“That was a stupid thing to do.” Ginny had shifted into a high-gear tantrum. “You don’t run around people with crutches—you might hurt them. Can’t you see where you’re going?”
“Hush,” Rob told her. “It was an accident.”
“I think you’re okay,” Valerie told the other girl. “You just fell hard on your hand.” She looked around the circle. “Why don’t we start the meeting? Girls, get your books from your backpacks and sit down here. Grace, would you bring my books over? And where’s Connor?”
“He went outside to the playground,” Grace said as she handed her mother the materials.
“He can’t play outside with his hand in a bandage. Go get him, please, and tell him to come inside.”
“He won’t come if I say so.”
“Tell him I’d better see him in here