There was utter silence until the boy named Dylan shouted, “I’m strong, Ms. Merrick, I can bench press two fifty.”
The other kids hissed, called insults, some threw wads of paper at him and one yelled, “You’re so full of it, Dylan, you can’t bench press a Barbie.”
Rocky was standing in front of the class, arms crossed on her chest and a smile was on her face.
“Dylan,” she called and the kid yelled back, “Yo!”
“Hard not to see you’re ripped,” Rocky commented and Dylan immediately stood and cut some poses, flexing his muscles while more wads of paper were thrown at him and comments were shouted. Dylan ignored them, kept posing and Rocky spoke over them. “That kind of strength, I bet any bully you saw in the halls doing stuff and saying stuff they shouldn’t, you called them on it, they’d stop. That’s strength and compassion.” She grinned. “Now you just have to pass my midterm and maybe you’ll add wisdom to that.”
The class burst into laughter, Dylan grinned back at Rocky, sat down and another kid called out, “Don’t hold your breath, Ms. Merrick!”
The bell rang and Rocky held up her hands. “All right, more Jem, Scout, Boo and Atticus tomorrow and Friday because we’re watching the movie and I’m introducing you to Gregory Peck so be prepared to get your socks knocked off. But remember, Friday, I want you all to bring in the title of your favorite song. We’re talking lyrics, not music, people. And if one of you brings in the title to a boy band song, automatic detention,” she threatened, there was more laughter and she turned toward the stage, saying, “Dismissed.”
The kids shot up and filed out and as they did, Layne realized that every one of them had read the damned book. There was mass participation but even though he barely tore his eyes off Rocky, he’d noticed even the kids who hadn’t called out comments or questions had been totally engaged.
He stepped into the auditorium from the entryway, the kids saw him and some of them stared, some grinned, some nudged others and avoided his eyes.
But when Dylan saw him, he turned back and shouted helpfully, “Mr. Layne is here, Ms. Merrick!” and a bunch of girls giggled when he did.
Rocky had been picking up her papers but she whirled at Dylan’s comment, scanned the back and her eyes locked on Layne as he strode forward. She dropped her papers and started up the aisle toward him, meeting him halfway with a smile.
“Hey,” she said softly through her smile.
“Hey,” he replied and tore his gaze off her dimple to look in her eyes.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Wanted to watch you do your thing,” Layne answered.
The smile faded but her lips parted and she stared up at him with something in her eyes he couldn’t quite read.
So he guessed.
“Baby, I was only there for ten minutes. I didn’t –” he started to explain but she cut him off on a whisper.
“You wanted to watch me do my thing?”
Layne studied her face, still couldn’t read it so he kept explaining. “You made me want to reread that book and the way you did it made me appreciate it in a way I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t loved it so much. You told me you were teaching it and…” Layne stopped talking when she looked down and to the side and he lifted a hand to curl it around her neck. “Roc.”
Her head twisted back, her eyes locked on his and she whispered, “Jarrod didn’t discuss my kids, my work, none of it. He had zero interest. None. And you’re spread so thin it’s a wonder you aren’t transparent and you find the time…”
She suddenly trailed off, bent to the side, dislodging his hand and looked around him as he heard the sounds of kids entering the auditorium.
“Up front, center, first three rows,” she called to the kids. “Kayla, do me a favor and tell folks when they come in. Mr. Layne and I need a minute.”
“Sure, Ms. Merrick,” Kayla called back and Layne wasn’t sure what was going on in Rocky’s head, even though he figured it was good, but he was fucking thrilled the “Ms. Merrick” thing had caught on.
Rocky grabbed his hand, her fingers wrapping strong around his and she tugged him down the aisle and along the front of the seats. She kept hold of his hand as she led him up the steps at the side of the stage and then ducked backstage with him.
When they were out of eyesight, she stopped, kept hold of his hand and stepped into him so their bodies were nearly brushing.
“Okay, well, it goes without saying if a hot private investigator can’t make out with me at a football game, I can’t lay one on a hot private investigator in the school with my class assembling fifty feet away so you’ll just have to make do with the knowledge I really, really want to make out with you right now, Tanner Layne,” she announced and he grinned as he stifled a laugh.
He dropped her hand and put both of his to her hips, bringing her the inch forward he needed for their bodies actually to be brushing while he murmured, “Sweetcheeks.”
She rested her hands on his chest and asked, “Was it okay?”
“Was what okay?”
“The lesson. There’s just so much to say with that book, you can’t get to it all so I have to melt it down. I mean, we could talk about it for a month and not –”
Layne cut her off. “It was okay.”
She stared into his eyes. “You sure?”
He dipped his face closer to hers and whispered, “Baby, they were eatin’ it up.”
She instantly blew off his compliment. “It’s a good class. Those kids are bright.”
“No, Roc, you’re a good teacher. Those kids might be bright but you make it interesting and I reckon you changed a few lives in there today, or at least the way they look at things.”
“You think?” she whispered.
“Oh yeah,” Layne whispered back.
She smiled, eyes bright with dimple and, fuck, but he wanted to kiss her.
“You need to negotiate a new contract, sweetcheeks,” Layne informed her and she burst out laughing then tilted her head down and pressed the top into his chest above her hands before she leaned back and looked up at him.
“Guess what?” she asked, the laughter still playing about her lips.
“What?” he asked back, watching her mouth.
“Adrian Cosgrove called in sick Monday and yesterday,” she stated and his eyes went to hers.
“Yeah, you told me.”
“Well, he didn’t call in sick today.”
Layne’s brows shot up. “No shit?”
She shook her head. “No shit. You haven’t heard?”
“Been busy, baby.”
“Then you should call Colt or Merry and get the lowdown because he barely stepped in the door when the principal called him into his office. Then, about five seconds after Principal Klausen suspended him, Chris Renicki and Marty Fink arrested him for assault and battery.”
Layne grinned. “Day’s lookin’ up.”
Rocky grinned back. “Definitely.” Then her grin faded and she stated, “He’ll make bail.”
Layne shook his head. “Don’t worry, Roc, Paige and Seth will stay where they are until they’re safe. They’ll be covered.”
She nodded and asked, “Did Jas call you during lunch?”
“Nope,” Layne answered. “Everything okay?”
She nodded again and said, “Yeah. Apparently Tripp negotiated a double date.”
“Come again?”
“He asked Giselle if she’d ask her parents if it was okay, after football practice but before Youth Group, if Giselle could go out with Jas, Keira and him for pizza and then Jasper could take her home and they said yes.”
Layne smiled. Jas was right. Religious or not, the parents had caved.
“Why are you smiling?” Rocky asked.
“Nothin’, sweetcheeks.”
She let it go and announced, “That means I’m heading home tonight.”
Layne’s smile died. “Why?”
“The boys wo
n’t be at your place, you told me you have to work late and then you’re staking out Gaines’s car so you won’t be there and as much as I like Devin, without you and Jasper and Tripp running interference, I don’t know if I could take a night of mostly full on Vera while waiting for you to come home.”
It was definitely time to have another chat with his mother.
“Roc –”
“Anyway,” she interrupted him. “It feels like I haven’t been home in ages so it’ll be good to go through mail, make sure no lab experiments are fermenting in my fridge and watch something other than football and cop shows.”
“There’s something other than football and cop shows?” Layne asked and she smiled.
“Yes, celebrity dance contests,” she answered, Layne tipped his head back to look at the ceiling and tipped it down when he felt her press close. “I’m kidding, sweetheart. I hate those shows. I much prefer football.”
His hands gave her hips a squeeze, the bell rang and her head turned to the side.
“Key,” he said quickly and she looked back at him.
“Sorry?”
“Drop your extra key at my house or in the mail slot in the door to my office. Text me where you put it. I’ll come over when I’m done and spend the night at your place tonight.”
She looked to the side again as the noise the kids were making unsupervised got louder and then back to him.
“You sure?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“What about Jasper and Tripp?”
“They’re not kids anymore, sweetcheeks, and anyway, Vera and Devin are there. Devin can have a bed. He’ll be fuckin’ thrilled.”
She looked to the side again and whispered, “I have to go.”
“Roc. Key,” he ordered on a squeeze of his hands at her hips and she looked at him.
“Mail slot at your office. Just in case Devin isn’t home when I stop by.”
Yep. He definitely needed another chat with his mother.
“Right,” he said.
She made to move away from him, repeating, “I have to go,” and Layne released her.
“Baby,” he called when she’d walked three feet away and she turned back. “You owe me a make out session.”
She grinned. Then she disappeared.
Layne found the backstage door and headed down the side hall to the corridor and then to the office where he signed out and made nice with all the office ladies, keeping them sweet because he figured, with Rocky working there, one day he’d need it.
Layne was headed out the front doors when he heard his name called and he turned to see Nick Fullerton jogging down the hall toward him.
“Heard you were in the school. Glad I caught you,” Nick said when he made it to Layne.
“Hey Nick, everything all right?” Layne asked and Nick grinned.
“Yeah, got promoted officially to head coach today,” Nick answered.
Layne shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations. Way you called the second half of the game Friday, they made the right choice.”
“Thanks, man,” Nick was still grinning. “Anyway, been spendin’ the last coupla days in Adrian’s office, goin’ through stuff. Just wondered if there’s a reason Jas isn’t talkin’ to the scouts. He decide he’s not goin’ to college or something?”
Layne felt the muscles in his neck contract. “What?”
“Scouts,” Nick said. “From Ohio State, Illinois and Ball State. They’re interested in Jasper. They know he’s got the goods even if he isn’t handling the ball. He’ll make all-county and, he performs under me, maybe all-state. He doesn’t have great grades but he’s scored high on the SATs and he’s a class officer.”
Layne felt a muscle jump in his cheek before he said low, “Nick, far’s I know, Jasper hasn’t heard word that any scouts have come forward and declared interest. We knew they were scoutin’ but nothin’ after that.”
Nick stared at him hard.
Then he said, “I’ll return some calls.”
“Obliged,” Layne murmured, Nick nodded and turned to jog back down the hall.
Layne watched him for three beats until his neck relaxed and his temper was under control.
Then he turned and walked out the door.
* * * * *
“Merry, you been dodgin’ me for three days. You get this, you call me. I don’t hear from you by tomorrow, I hunt you down,” Layne growled into his phone and snapped it shut.
No sooner had he closed it when it chimed in his hand and he looked to see he had a text from Rocky. He opened his phone and read it.
Going to bed early. Have a headache. You don’t need to come over. See you tomorrow?
Layne clenched his teeth and hit the reply button with his thumb.
I’ll be over.
He hit send, flipped the phone shut, tossed it on the seat beside him and looked out the windshield of his truck toward the side doors of the church.
Youth Group should be out any minute now.
He wanted to get this done. He wanted to shut Gaines down; find a way to make Adrian Cosgrove pay for beating his wife and son and fucking with Jasper’s future; rest in the knowledge his ex-wife was safe in her own home; take down Rutledge and whoever was pulling his strings; bring Jarrod Astley low so he’d be out of Roc’s life; talk his mother into getting her shit together or getting her ass back to Florida; and he wanted to talk to Merry so he could sort Rocky out.
Then he wanted to go on vacation.
With Rocky.
And maybe his boys.
His phone chimed, he looked at it sitting in the seat, its screen lit and he picked it up and flipped it open. Another text from Raquel.
Okay, baby. You have dinner?
He smiled at the phone, his earlier irritation evaporating, and texted back.
No but I’m good.
He sent the text, flipped the phone shut and started upending and twisting it in his fingers as he looked back at the doors to see kids coming out.
Youth Group met in the old sanctuary, the church that had stood there for fifty years before they built on the new, modern sanctuary which was four times the size and the new build included a Fellowship Hall, kitchens and offices. They still used the old sanctuary for church business, like Youth Group, and rented it out. The new church wasn’t new, as such. It had been built when Layne was a kid. But it didn’t resemble the old church at all, even if it was attached to it. The new church was attractive but the old church had charm, it fit the ‘burg. Even when he was a kid and his mother took him there, Layne never understood why they built it that way. The two buildings were attached but they didn’t match. Two different styles, two different eras and the new church, even though it dwarfed the old one, never seemed like it belonged.
He watched Jasper, Giselle and Tripp leave the building and head to the Charger. He also watched Tripp say something that made Jasper throw his head back and laugh and Giselle turned hers to smile a big smile at his son. Then he watched Tripp take advantage of the smile and grab her hand. She couldn’t hide being startled by the contact but she didn’t pull away either and walked to the Charger holding Tripp’s hand.
Layne’s lips tipped up. Tripp was definitely learning cool.
His phone chimed and he had another text from Rocky.
There’s a plate in the oven. Remember to turn it off, will you?
Got it. Go to sleep. Layne texted back, flipped the phone shut and tossed it back to the seat.
Then he watched the kids drive away in their cars or with their parents who had come to pick them up. Then he waited for Gaines to leave. The Honda and a red Ford Focus were the only cars left in the lot.
Then he waited longer.
Then he waited even longer.
Finally, he saw the lights streaming through the stained glass windows of the old sanctuary go out and, five minutes later, Gaines walked out with a young girl. Pretty. Tall. Thin. Dark, long hair, so healthy it gleamed in the lights of the parking l
ot. Layne knew she was sixteen since she could drive, maybe seventeen. But she didn’t have the confidence of a senior, she didn’t hold her body in that way that hinted at the woman she’d become. She still had girl in her.
Which made their farewell turn Layne’s stomach.
They were right under an overhead light but she still placed her hand on Gaines’s chest and got up on her toes and he bent his head, put his hand to her waist and kissed her neck.
“Son of a bitch,” Layne hissed at his windshield.
So much shit was going down, he was off his game. He should have had a camera ready mainly because he’d promised Rocky he’d get a photo of Gaines to Merry but now because, if Layne had shots of it, that kiss would make the Youth Minister need to answer uncomfortable questions. He had one in the glove compartment but he didn’t have it out.
Even so, he would never have imagined Gaines would stand in the parking lot of the fucking church and kiss a teenager’s neck for any driver in any passing car to see.
This guy was bold which meant he thought he was untouchable.
There had to be a reason for that. There had to be leverage. He had to have something.
Layne pulled out his camera and took shots and watched as Gaines smiled at her all the while she waved as she went to her car. She got in and took off and Gaines got in his Honda and left the lot. Layne waited while Gaines turned right on Green then he tossed his camera to the passenger seat, rolled out of the secluded, tree shrouded, unlit back area of the lot and kept his eyes on the Honda, flipping on his headlights and turning right with three cars between them.
Gaines turned right again on 56 and so did one of the three cars between them. Layne followed.
And he followed him straight to The Brendel where Gaines turned right into the entrance and Layne had no choice but to turn right with him.
Jesus. He either lived at The Brendel or he was visiting someone there at ten at night.
Layne slid through the gate Gaines opened and Gaines took the first right while Layne went left, toward Rocky’s place. He parked in one of her spots, grabbed his smokes from the glove compartment, his small digital camera from the seat and got out of the car. He walked into the road, tucking the camera in his inside jacket pocket and looked toward where Gaines turned.