“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am. How do you know this brave guy?” Joel tousled Bradley’s hair, which lay unusually sparse in places.
“I’m his teacher.”
So this is her.
Joel rose to face the reason he was here today. Her phone call had deployed six military units to a hundred-student school in a middle-of-nowhere town.
“So, you’re the one.”
She started at his words. He wondered about the blush invading her cheeks until he realized how his statement could have been misconstrued. He dipped his chin to his chest, laughing at himself. Half-embarrassed, he looked back up. “You’re the one…who called Dream Corps?”
She laughed then nodded. “I am.” She smiled again. Cute mouth. Nice teeth. The kind that spoke of parents who’d forked over some hefty dough to orthodontists.
“Miss Stanton, you knew about all this?” Bradley’s words rode out on the winds of an awe-induced whisper.
The riot of auburn curls framing her ivory face bounced as she looked from Joel to Bradley. Childlike mischief frolicked in her eyes as she surrendered a secret wink to Joel. “Not exactly.”
He admired the way she pretended not to notice how hard Bradley attempted to simultaneously push his shoulders up and his chest out as far as Joel’s. The jerky movement came out looking more like a barnyard bird with Parkinson’s.
Joel watched her study Bradley, enthralled with the level of loving care in her eyes.
Eyes that seemed to glow with interest when they came to rest on Joel. He bit down on his cheek to keep from grinning over the possibility of the attraction being mutual.
Pink infused her cheeks when he didn’t break his focus except to travel lazily down to her left ring finger before returning to her face again. The gesture was far from covert, as he’d intended to gauge her reaction.
Her blush deepened. Butterfly-delicate hands fluttered across her forehead before coming to rest atop Bradley’s shoulders. “Shall we walk?”
Bradley clasped her hand, then Joel’s. He had the feeling she’d wanted to slip out from under his assessing gaze but Bradley trapped her. He grinned. This couldn’t have worked out better had he planned it himself. The threesome trekked past soldiers talking with huddles of enthralled students.
Around the east side of the school Bradley led them through a garden gate to a huge oak tree. An anklet of yellow flowers surrounded it. Bradley pointed to one whose color seemed muted. “That’s mine. Planted it myself.”
“Each student in class planted one,” Amber explained.
Another teacher motioned Bradley to the gate.
Joel remained beside Amber. Concern troubled her expression as she eyed Bradley’s flower, then the ones flanking it. Joel brushed fingers along the droopy petals. “Hey, I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything.”
She blinked and smiled. “It shocked me to see the wilted condition of his compared to the others.”
Joel pushed his fingers in the soil surrounding Bradley’s flower, then eyed the other stems intently. “I’m no botany expert but my mother was an avid gardener before she died. She taught me a thing or two. Seems to me Bradley’s isn’t planted in the soft dirt like the rest. If it doesn’t perk up, maybe transplant it into better soil so it can take root and be healthy. It might thrive then.”
“Thank you.” Amber stood, tracking Bradley, who grinned at them from the gate. “I think he’s waiting for us.”
Joel chuckled. “I think so.”
The fence chinked as Bradley bounced against it. “Miss Muñez says a special show is coming.”
“Okay, catch a bathroom break and take your seat with the other students,” Amber said.
Joel adjusted his waterproof Luminox watch with the PJ emblem and motto So Others Might Live engraved on the band and peered at the face. Ten minutes until the hour.
“Where’d you get that cool watch?” Bradley turned Joel’s wrist around, peering intently at it.
Joel slid his cuff up. “It was a gift from one of my boys.”
Bradley’s shoulders slumped and his grip on Joel’s wrist slackened. “Wow. Your kid sure is lucky. How many you got?”
Joel caught Bradley’s hand before he pulled it away. “I don’t have children. By boys, I meant one of my teammates.” Joel gave Bradley’s hand a comforting squeeze as compassion for the little guy consumed him.
“You gonna have any kids?” Bradley swung their arms back and forth like a hand clasp pendulum.
Miss Stanton put a firm hand on his shoulder. “Bradley, it’s not polite to ask personal questions.”
Joel looked at her and shrugged. “Doesn’t bother me.” He met Bradley’s gaze once more. “I don’t think being a dad is in God’s plans for me, buddy.”
Bradley squished up his nose. “Why not?”
“Enough, Bradley.” Miss Stanton’s voice carried a sternness that made even Joel perk up.
Bradley dipped his head. “Sorry, sir.”
Joel inched Bradley’s chin up with his finger. “No sweat, buddy. It’s all good, but I think it’s okay that you know. I didn’t have great examples for parents so I’d probably be no good at it.”
It struck Joel suddenly that his uncle Dean had been more of a father figure than Joel’s dad had been. Joel hadn’t thought about that in years. He certainly didn’t want to start thinking about it now. Despite Joel trying to sweep thoughts of Dean from his mind, they clung like stubborn dust.
The latent question of years ago resurfaced. Why had Dean gone out of his way for Joel? Were his actions motivated by guilt for cheating on Joel’s dad with his mother?
Or was there something else?
No matter. Joel had little mercy for a man who trampled on another man’s wedding vows. He didn’t want to disappoint Bradley in case the kid got some wild notion about hoping Joel would want him. A career military dad was the last thing this kid needed. He relinquished Bradley’s hand.
“Will I get to talk to you again?” Bradley asked in a small voice and twisted his shirt hem.
Miss Stanton smoothed his fidgety hands down.
“Of course. I’ll be here all day unless something happens. Tell you what. Save me a seat after the show and I’ll sit next to you. I’d feel honored if you’d be my best buddy today.”
Bradley’s face ignited with joy. “Cool! Did you hear that, Miss Stanton? He wants me to be his best buddy today! I’m going to be a PJ just like Joel when I grow up. A man of integ—”
“Integrity,” Miss Stanton enunciated. Pain flashed across her face with Bradley’s words. Joel doubted Bradley saw because she quickly hedged it. He determined to put his prayer pedal to the metal so that Bradley would get to grow up.
“Integrenary.” Bradley skewed his face.
“In. Teg. Rit. Tee,” she repeated. “Bathroom, tater.”
“Okay, gator.” Bradley ambled toward the building with an unsteady gait.
“You sure he’ll make it up those steps without falling?” Joel eyed Bradley until double steel doors swallowed him.
“Probably not, but he’d be mortally wounded with embarrassment if I helped him in front of the other students. Mr. Montgomery, I apologize for Bradley’s personal questions. He hasn’t been raised with the best of manners or social skills.”