The man’s hands were loaded with boxes, and as they each jerked to the other side, her arm whooshed the lid off the top box. She reached out to right the carton, only to collide with him again, tipping the box instead. He knelt, trying to level it. Again trying to help, she grasped one side of the box, offsetting his motion and tipping the entire carton on its side.
Tiny baby chicks tumbled out, running in every direction.
At first unable to believe what she was seeing, Olivia gaped at the fleeing balls of fluff.
“Quick! We have to catch them.” The man held out the box lid. “Put the chicks in here when you catch them and then back in the box.”
Olivia blinked.
With large hands, he scooped up the nearest chicks, depositing them as he went along.
She hesitated another moment.
“Hurry!”
Realizing the chicks were quickly escaping, Olivia ditched her purse on the floor, clutched the lid and started pursuing the escapees.
She headed toward a small group huddled beneath a bench against the wall. Corralling the chirping chicks was like trying to catch newly blown dandelions.
Plucking them up one at a time, Olivia glanced over her shoulder, dismayed to see what looked like dozens of them still dispersing through the entryway.
She wished the kids weren’t in class. They would be able to catch the little things more quickly. A horrid thought struck and she checked her watch. It wasn’t too much longer until the bell rang and the halls filled with dozens of middle-school children intent on getting to their next classes, their lockers, focusing on everything but what was underfoot.
She scrambled up, ran the short distance to the office and flung open the door. “I need help!” Quickly she explained what had happened.
The secretary, Dorothy, jumped up. She signaled to the two student aides. “Come on.”
“Let’s try to herd them into the office,” Olivia suggested once they were in the hall. “Otherwise, when the bell rings...”
No one needed to hear what that would mean. The kids, nimble and quick, clambered to the floor. Olivia was only a step behind, crawling after several baby birds headed toward the side hall. She closed in on them as they were fleeing to the juncture. Reaching out, she grabbed for two of the closest chicks.
And found she was grabbing the strange man’s hands. Startled, she stared up at him. Eyebrows drawn together in surprise framed dark blue eyes. An impression of finely honed features continued to the cleft in his chin and the line of his firm lips. Realizing she was still hanging on to his hands, Olivia jerked hers away as she rushed to get up. The abrupt motion unseated him, flipping the box to one side, spilling newly collected chicks into the hallway of classrooms.
His long legs, clad in blue jeans, recovered quickly, but not before the man shot her a look of exasperated disbelief. “Why don’t you want these chicks to make it to the 4-H club?”
Olivia’s mouth opened, but nothing sensible came to mind. She spun around, grabbed the closest chicks and dropped two in the box. She looked quickly at her watch, realizing there was hardly any time left before the bell rang.
“Late for something?” the man asked, depositing another large handful of chicks.
He was tall, very tall. So she tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “The bell’s going to ring any second. I’m afraid they’re about to become roadkill.”
The secretary scurried over. “I’m going to ask the principal to delay the bell and make an announcement for the kids to stay in their classrooms. But some kids will manage to slip out into the hall, so be prepared.”
“How are we going to know when we get them all?” Olivia muttered to herself.
“Count them.”
Embarrassed at having him spell out the obvious, she focused on herding a small flock toward the office. Feeling the brush of something against her back, she pivoted, almost losing her grip on the cardboard.
“It’s feed,” the man explained, sprinkling some grains in the lid.
“Is it to...?” Her words trailed off as she stared into his remarkably deep blue eyes.
“Helps keep them in the lid,” he explained.
“Oh. Good idea...” Her mouth remained open but nothing else emerged, because she didn’t know his name.
Apparently he guessed her thoughts. “Zeke.” He paused. “Harrison.”
“Gray. Olivia,” she responded automatically, a result of being an army brat.
Unexpectedly, he grinned. “But you go by Olivia?”
She felt her cheeks warming, her eyes rolling downward a tad. “Yes.”
Zeke knelt down on one knee beside her. “Let’s put the chicks you collected into the box. It’s easier than trying to balance them on the lid while you’re getting more.”
Olivia allowed him to take the lid, trying not to notice just how long his legs were or the play of muscles in his arms as he offered a hand.
She could have easily risen by herself, yet she allowed him to help. Her still-shaky hand tingled beneath his and this time she didn’t jerk away. Remembering the chicks were still running amok, she gestured toward them with a nod of her head.
Understanding, Zeke released her hand.
Nearly half an hour later, the last of the chicks were caught and all eighty accounted for.
Dorothy, the harried secretary, barely paused. “I’ll tell the principal he can release the kids for their next class.” She glanced at her watch as she turned toward the office. “It’ll be a short one.”
Alone with the man, Olivia’s sense of awkwardness returned. “Um, I’m really sorry about all of this.”
Zeke looked up, his eyes, unbelievably, darkening even more. “No harm done.”
“I hope the chicks agree.” She shifted from foot to foot. “Good luck with the 4-H kids.”
He grimaced. “I’d almost forgotten I still have that to do.”
Startled, Olivia checked the time. “And I did forget where I was supposed to be. I’d better—”
“Yeah.”
Olivia watched his broad shoulders and long legs as he retreated. A lifetime ago, before she had met Ted, she would have appreciated the image. But that was all behind her now. Something else that had scattered beyond recovery.
Once he was out of sight, she reluctantly turned toward the office, wishing she didn’t have to face the school principal, wishing as she had so many times that Ted hadn’t died. That they were still a family. That her son still had a father, still thought the world was an adventure instead of a terrifying place filled with awful people and danger.
Running nervous hands down her thighs, she entered the office. Dorothy motioned toward the principal’s office. Through the open door, Olivia saw him, along with Joey and his teacher, Mrs. Tonell. Her stomach sank. Instinctively she knew this was going to be bad. “Sorry to be late,” she began, entering the principal’s office. “You know about the chicks that got loose in the hall....” Her voice trailed off as she spotted a note of disapproval in the principal’s eyes. Like mother, like son?
“We’re not here to talk about the chicks Dr. Harrison brought,” Principal Norrick replied.
Dr. Harrison?
“Please sit down, Mrs. Gray.”
Olivia chose the chair next to Joey’s, wishing she could give him a word of support or a hug of encouragement, but all eyes were on her. So she