Page 112 of Hot for the Jerk

“Why is it more dangerous for me togoto school than return home?”Marco challenged, taking his cereal over to the dining room table.Raina was already cutting up some oranges and a banana for him.

“It just gives us more time in the day to make sure there are no other threats,” she replied, bringing him his fruit.“Just like last time, if you don’t see me at pick up, then it’s safe for you to take the bus.Can we agree on this, please?”

With a deep sigh, Marco nodded.“Fine.”

My phone buzzed on the counter.It was a message from Clint.

Terminal has been temporarily fixed.Limited sailings are now running.

“Clint says the terminal has been temporarily fixed and they’re running a reduced sailing schedule,” I said, finishing my coffee.“That means we can go get your car and my cube truck.”

Raina merely nodded, unease in her features.

“I’m gonna run and a have a shower, but I’ll go with you to drop off Marco.Okay?”

She just nodded again, her gaze back on her closed laptop.

I ran upstairs and quickly showered, washing away the sweat of my workout, and dressing in my signature dark wash jeans and dark-gray Henley.Pouring more coffee into Yeti to-go mugs for both Raina and me, we were out the door twenty minutes later.

“You coming to wait for the bus with us?”Jake asked, as all of my nieces and nephews exited their houses at the same time as us, with their fathers, who always walked them to the bus stop.

Marco pouted.“No.I’m not allowed.”

“Why not?”Griffin asked, kicking a rock into the bushes.

Marco just shook his head and opened up the back door of my truck.“Ask them.”Then he climbed in and closed the door.

Curious eyes glanced at me.

“After all the weird things that have been happening, Raina would just feel safer dropping Marco off at the school herself.But he’ll probably get to take the bus home with your guys,” I said.“Have a great day at school.”

“Thanks, Uncle Jagger,” several of them said, before skipping to catch up with their fathers who were almost at the gate.

I nodded at my brothers as I passed them and drove through the gate they’d already opened for me, then made sure I didn’t run over any smaller humans as I slowly took the laneway to the main road.

Raina pivoted in her seat to face her kid.“I know you don’t like this, bud.Neither do I.But please humor me for a little longer.Just until we know it’s safe.”

I glanced at Marco in the rearview mirror as he sighed and nodded, resigning himself to the fact that this was for the best, even if it wasn’t what he wanted.

We arrived at the school earlier than the bus, since the bus had loads of pickups along the way, and Raina went in to speak with Principal Pickford and Marco’s teacher to update them on what was happening.

My family had a very tenuous relationship with Principal Otto Pickford.However, it wasn’t just our unanimous opinion that the man was not a good fit for the school or island.Most parents we spoke to didn’t care for the man.His wife had generational land.So they moved here, and since Otto—a preacher’s son and teacher down in the South—saw an opening for a principal here, he jumped at it.For ten years, he kept pushing to bring the church deeper into the school, and the parents and a lot of the younger, more progressive teachers, pushed back, saying it was unnecessary.So far, he hadn’t won, but the pious, misogynist tried every year.

It was probably better that I stayed in the truck.Just the presence of a McEvoy adult in the school was sure to ruffle Otto’s bible thumping feathers.

The school bus was just pulling onto the property when Raina came back out of the school, and she did not look happy.Climbing into the passenger side of my truck, she growled and aggressively buckled her belt.

“What happened?You look … pissed?Disappointed?”

“I’mpissappointed!”she blurted out, crossing her arms tight across her chest.“Drive.”

“Yes, ma’am.”I turned on the ignition and my truck crawled out of the parking lot, but not before I was able to spot my nieces and nephews and give them a wave and a honk of my horn, much to their delight.

We got back onto the road and I picked up speed.“What happened?”

“What do you think happened?”

“I’m gonna guess Pickford was zero help, and if anything, accused you of bringing a problem to his school doorstep that otherwise should have stayed at home?”

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