Page 19 of All I Want for Christmas

She nodded weakly as he headed down the steps. She was still leaning dreamily against the door when she heard his car start and drive away.

For a moment, she would have sworn the air rang with the distant music of sleigh bells.

Chapter 6

The end of October meant parent-teacher conferences, and a much-anticipated holiday for students. It also meant a headache for Mac. He had to juggle the twins from his sister to Kim to Mrs. Hollis, fitting in a trip to order materials and an electrical inspection.

When he turned his truck into the educational complex, he was jumpy with nerves. Lord knew what he was about to be told about his children, how they behaved when they were out of his sight and his control. He worried that he hadn’t made enough time to help them with their schoolwork and somehow missed a parental step in preparing them for the social, educational and emotional demands of first grade.

Because of his failure, his boys would become antisocial, illiterate neurotics.

He knew he was being ridiculous, but he couldn’t stop his fears from playing over and over like an endless loop in his brain.

“Mac!” The car horn and the sound of his name had him turning and focusing, finally, on his sister’s car. She leaned out the window, shaking her head at him. “Where were you? I called you three times.”

“Bailing my kids out of jail,” he muttered, and changed course to walk to her car. “I’ve got a conference in a minute.”

“I know. I’ve just come from a meeting at the high school. Remember, we compared schedules.”

“Right. I shouldn’t be late.”

“You don’t get demerits. My meeting was about raising funds for new chorus uniforms. Those kids have been wearing the same old choir robes for twelve years. We’re hoping to raise enough to put them in something a little snazzier.”

“Fine, I’ll give you a donation, but I shouldn’t be late.” Already he was imagining the young, fresh-faced first grade teacher marking him tardy, just another item on a growing list of negatives about Taylor males.

“I just wanted to say that Nell seemed upset about something.”

“What?”

“Upset,” Mira repeated, pleased that she finally had his full attention. “She came up with a couple of nice ideas for fund-raisers, but she was obviously distracted.” Mira lifted a brow, eyeing her brother slyly. “You haven’t done anything to annoy her, have you?”

“No.” Mac caught himself before he shifted guiltily from foot to foot. “Why should I?”

“Couldn’t say. But since you’ve been seeing her—”

“We went to the movies.”

“And for pizza,” Mira added. “A couple of Kim’s friends spotted you.”

The curse of small towns, Mac thought, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “So?”

“So nothing. Good for you. I like her a lot. Kim’s crazy about her. I suppose I’m feeling a bit protective. She was definitely upset, Mac, and trying not to show it. Maybe she’d talk to you about it.”

“I’m not going to go poking around in her personal life.”

“The way I see it, you’re part of her personal life. See you later.” She pulled off without giving him a chance for a parting shot.

Muttering to himself, Mac marched up to the elementary school. When he marched out twenty minutes later, he was in a much lighter mood. His children had not been declared social misfits with homicidal tendencies after all. In fact, their teacher had praised them.

Of course, he’d known all along.

Maybe Zeke forgot the rules now and then and talked to his neighbor. And maybe Zack was a little shy about raising his hand when he knew an answer. But they were settling in.

With the weight of first grade off his shoulders, Mac headed out. Impulse had him swinging toward the high school. He knew his conference had been one of the last of the day. He wasn’t sure how teachers’ meetings worked at the high school, but the lot was nearly empty. He spotted Nell’s car, however, and decided it wouldn’t hurt just to drop in.

It wasn’t until he was inside that he realized he didn’t have a clue as to where to find her.

Mac poked his head into the auditorium, but it was empty. Since he’d come that far, he backtracked to the main office and caught one of the secretaries as she was leaving for the day. Following her directions, he turned down a corridor, headed up a ramp and turned right.

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