Wildflower Redemption by Leslie P. García

Author:Leslie P. García [García, Leslie P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Adams Media
Published: 2013-11-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

She hadn’t lost it. Luz discreetly slipped her heels off and wiggled her feet, massaging one with the other before sliding her shoes back on. Then she finished the water on her desk and glanced at the clock on the far side of the room. The kids would be coming back from P. E. in a few minutes, and then she’d send them on home.

They’d been a bright group, quick with answers and reasonably well behaved. She’d fed off their energy, chuckled inwardly at how predictable some of the behaviors were—the tattling, the feuds over small things, and the perpetual attempts to get away with minor infractions.

She’d been careful not to favor Chloe over the others, and Chloe, obviously well schooled by her father, never once called her by her first name instead of Ms. Wilkinson.

Esmeralda had come by, professional and courteous, and called Chloe out for a few minutes, and Luz hated the pinprick of resentment that wouldn’t go away. She wasn’t Chloe’s mother. She tried to credit Aaron’s reasoning, tried to believe that if her daughter had gone through what Chloe had, she’d overreact sometimes, too. She just couldn’t make herself believe that Aaron needed to call Esmeralda over a temper tantrum.

“Luz, dear,” the principal said from the door. “I know your students are almost back, but you have a visitor.”

Mrs. Carter’s voice vibrated with excitement or pleasure; Luz really didn’t know the woman well. She pushed her feet into her shoes a little more firmly and stood, all color draining from her face as Brian stepped into the room.

“Brian! What the hell are you doing here?”

Mrs. Carter’s face blanched. “You weren’t expecting him? I thought…”

“He’s my ex-husband, Mrs. Carter!”

“Yes, but he said you all might be getting back together. Oh, dear, I am so sorry!” Voices outside grew louder—the first graders coming back from the gym.

“You leave at once!” the principal spat at Brian. “I should have you escorted out by the security guard. Lying to get into a school—”

“Luz—”

She ignored him, stepping out into the hall. “Come on in, Miranda,” she greeted the first child in line. “How was P. E., everyone?”

“Let’s go, Mr. Chambers,” Mrs. Carter repeated. “Right now.”

Luz focused on the students, but after a minute, she heard footsteps leaving.

Thank God!

“Was that your husband?” one of the girls asked, and several of the students giggled, but most seemed to assume that it was.

“No, just some man I used to know.”

“Oh, a friend.”

“A friend came to see you—”

“Take your homework folders and sit down, please.” She passed out the folders, recognizing most of the names, not answering any further questions.

Chloe took her folder without comment and went to sit down, quiet and unhappy. Luz wondered if she missed her dad already. He’d always traveled, though, apparently, so that seemed unlikely. Maybe she was just tired after the chaotic weekend they’d spent with sleepovers and disappearing dogs…and wrestling matches. Heck, she missed Aaron already herself.

• • •

Aaron leaned back into the softness of the couch

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