Homer leaned forward and rested his arms on the gleaming desktop, his frowning gaze moving from her to Colt and back.
“I must say that I’m shocked by the way you two have handled things. The people of Wolf Creek will not be pleased with either of you when word gets around about your conduct. Both of you should be more mindful of your station in town and be the best examples you can be in all situations. And as for you, Miss Grainger, I must say that I am quite disappointed in your inability to preserve your temper and your composure. As the town’s educator, you’re held to a higher standard than a regular citizen.”
Allison swallowed her pride and decided to take full responsibility for the fiasco. “You’re certainly justified in your feelings, Mayor Talbot, and I know you’re right. Perhaps Sheriff Garrett would have been more amenable if I hadn’t let my anger get the best of me. I have no excuse except to say that the incident far surpassed the bounds of reasonable behavior, and I overreacted.”
Even as she said the words, she was dreading another year with Cilla and Brady—if she were lucky enough to be offered another year. “I do, however, think the sheriff should get to the bottom of whatever is causing their conduct, and he should also be more conscientious about keeping his promises.”
“On those things, Miss Grainger, we are agreed. So it seems to me that the solution to this whole debacle is very simple.”
“It is?” she said, somewhat in shock since she’d lain awake many a night the past year trying to come up with a way to solve the problem.
“I believe so, but it will require a high degree of cooperation between the two of you if there’s to be any significant change in the situation. Wouldn’t you both agree?”
“Of course,” Allie hastened to say while part of her mind was wondering just what “cooperation” Homer was talking about.
Colt nodded but his eyes held a wary expression.
“Well, then, here’s what’s going to happen. School takes up in little more than six weeks. If the two of you don’t have this worked out by the beginning of the school year, you’ll both be looking for jobs come September. Understood?”
Homer rose, and rounded the desk, heading for the coatrack near the door. “I’m due for a few rounds of checkers with Lew, Artie and Pete over at the store,” he said, reaching for his hat. “You two feel free to use the office as long as you like.”
“For what?” Colt asked, speaking up for the first time since Allison had begun her apology.
“Why, for working out the details of just what and how the two of you will work together to solve the issues with Brady and Cilla. Y’all have a good day now.”
* * *
Stunned at the sudden, unexpected dismissal, Colt watched the mayor leave the office. He felt as if he’d just taken a punch in the gut. He’d escaped being fired. Barely. Maybe. Of all the scenarios that had crossed his mind since Danny Gentry had knocked on his door to tell him the mayor wanted to see him at once, this particular conclusion had never entered his mind.
He loved his job. Loved the people of Wolf Creek. Moving the kids again would be hard on them, and Brady might never catch up if he kept moving from school to school. Children needed roots. Lifelong friends. They all did. Thank goodness they had another chance.
He glanced over at the schoolmarm, whose lips were still parted in shock. At least she had her hair pulled back in some sort of bun again, he thought with ill-tempered satisfaction. The no-nonsense style made it easier to think of her as his adversary instead of a real person he was forced to work with closely.
“I suppose you got a lot of pleasure telling Homer every word I said,” she snapped. “You probably ran to see him right after I left your office yesterday.”
“I wasn’t tattling.”
“No?” she said, her shock giving way to annoyance.
“No. I was just trying to tell him what happened during our...discussion to the best of my recollection.” Minus losing his own temper, of course. “I certainly never intended to put our jobs in jeopardy.”
“Hmpf!”
Though she sounded disgruntled, Miss Grainger was looking at him with an expression that hovered between dismay and apprehension. No doubt she was regretting a few of her actions, too. After all, she was not just any woman, he reminded himself crossly. She was Miss Grainger, the town’s shining example of virtue, deportment and intelligence. Cosseted and corseted with no idea what children were like since she’d never had any. Laced so tight and so caught up in her expectations for learning there was no room for womanly tenderness or sensitivity to his children’s needs in her tiny little heart.
“So what do you propose we do?”
Her prim voice grated on his already raw nerves. Did the woman ever loosen up?
“How should I know?” he said, getting to his feet and glaring down at her. “Aren’t you the one with all the answers?”
Her brown eyes narrowed in a way that was fast becoming familiar. “Please sit down, Sheriff,” she commanded. “After yesterday, you must have learned that I am not so easy to intimidate.”
Feeling as if he were a schoolboy who’d been scolded, he sat.
Miss Grainger frowned. “I’ll be the first to say that I don’t have all the answers. However, even though you may not like it, I feel that it is important that we continue working with Brady until we can figure out some way to help him. I’ll write some letters to my former professors. Perhaps there have been some new discoveries in the area of learning disabilities since I began teaching.”
“Disabilities!” Colt barked. “My son is not disabled in any way.”
“That’s not what I—”
“There’s nothing wrong with Brady,” he snarled. “Did you ever stop and think that maybe the reason he isn’t doing well is because you aren’t a good enough teacher?”
“Every day.”
The soft confession robbed him of his anger. It wasn’t the answer he’d expected. There was uncertainty and misery in her sherry-brown eyes, and maybe just a hint of dampness. He turned away from her, hoping she wouldn’t resort to tears, that handy-dandy feminine standby that women the world over used to manipulate the opposite sex.
After several long seconds, Colt calmed himself and searched his mind for something to say. Miss Grainger, too, appeared to gather her emotions. Her chest rose in a deep sigh and she seemed to shake off her melancholy, looking up at him with renewed determination. “I daresay if we both work hard at it, together we can help him.”
Colt doubted it, but it wouldn’t hurt to try to appease her, since she did seem upset by the whole affair. Besides, Homer had given them an ultimatum. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Thank you for Cilla and Brady’s apologies. I believe that was the right thing to do.”
“You’re welcome.”
Silence reigned in the small room until she said, “Have you tried to find out what’s at the root of their behavior?”
“In fact, I did,” he told her. “I was a little surprised at what they had to say.”
She raised her eyebrows in question.
“Brady told me he was tired of disappointing everyone all the time. He also said that it’s embarrassing when you make mention of him having the wrong answer in front of the class.”
Miss Grainger looked shocked. “It was never my intent to humiliate anyone. I just try to point out the error and offer to help