Love Again

Grace had moved in with him when she saw the state he was in after Peggy's death.

"Do you like him?" Steve kept his voice even.

"Down boy, okay? It's just dinner, not a proposal." She clasped her little pursetightly in one hand. "What's your problem anyway? I don't need your approval, nor did I ever ask you to protect me. I can take care of myself."

He gently caught her arm before she could leave the room.

"Just be careful, okay? You are all I have. I don't want to see you hurt."

"I know, you can't protect me forever. Love is a risk worth taking." She pulled away and brushed past him. "You're going to be late for work." She jutted a thumb at the large clock on the wall.

He still had twenty minutes before he needed to be in his classroom, but he should leave.

He stopped with his hand on the door. "Grace," he called. "I love you."

"I know," she whispered. "I love you too."

Steve came back and kissed the top of his sister's head. "Have a good day."

He climbed into his truck and backed out of their driveway.

You can't protect me forever. It wasn't the first time she'd tossed those words at him.

* * * * *

CHAPTER 13

Diana cradled a cup of iced tea as she gazed out the window and tried to mentally prepare herself for the first day of school.

A buzzer sounded in the kitchen, which meant Laura was up preparing breakfast for her guests. Diana grabbed her canvas bag full of books and stepped out of her room. She should have one more bag, but she realized late last night that she had left the second bag in Steve's truck.

"Well, hi there," Laura scooted a stack of pancakes onto an empty platter. "Would you care for one? I made them myself. "

Diana set her bag of books on the counter. "You know, I actually have an extra couple of minutes."

She dumped warm maple syrup all over her plate. Laura sat with her and said, "Did you sleep well? You look tired."

Great. Did she have bags under her eyes? She'd been up so late last night fine̶ tuning her first class.

"I had a lot on my mind. My life has been a mess lately," Diana explained.

"You know, we're all in the middle of a mess. That's just life, girl. You just need a good man at your side, like my husband Percy," Laura patted Diana's arm. "He was my rock through some rough times in my life. One day, I might tell you my story."

Right. Because marrying her dad had made her mom's life so much easier. Especially when she discovered how many years and with how many women he had been cheating on her.

"Now, look at that, we're talking about good men and Steve turns up. He is one I'd keep my heart open to if I was you." Laura looking through the window.

"No, thanks." Diana smiled at the well-meaning woman.

Even still, she peeked out the window to watch Steve stroll across the yard.

He stepped through the back door into the kitchen. He had shaved since last night, and it made him even more attractive if that was possible.

"Morning, ladies."

Both women greeted him back.

"What are you doing here, Steve? Shouldn't you be at school?" Laura asked with a smile.

"I came looking for Diana."

"For me?" Diana's took in air at the wrong time and started to choke on her bite of

pancake.

He wore a boyish smile. "Need the Heimlich?"

"I'm okay." She gulped down the rest of her water as heat crawled up the back of her neck.

"You left your books in my truck. I thought you might need them."

"Oh, thanks." Real eloquent.

"Do you want a ride?"

"Um, sure." Diana slid off her stool and squeezed past Steve to place her dirty plate in the sink.

They waved to Laura, and then Diana followed Steve out to his truck. He wordlessly hoisted her bags into the truck's bed. An awkward silence filled the cabin on the drive to the school, no radio, no windows down, no talking.

Diana watched Steve out of the corner of her eye as he parked in the school's staff lot. She felt a connection with Steve after he opened up his heart to her. She might not see eye to eye with him about Equal Opportunity, but she had to admit, he was sweet trying to protect her. He didn't know her, but he wanted to make sure she was safe.

"That's not sweet, it's controlling. Steve is just another Scott in the making."

As they walked through the hallway students waved at Steve and a couple of boys exchanged high fives with him. A group of teens started to clap when he passed.

"Mr. McAllister, I have you for the third period. What are we going to do this year?"

"We'll talk about it in class." Steve laughed and stopped to joke with some of the students.

Diana kept walking. She should focus her attention on going over her lesson plan one last time and not on how good Steve McAllister looked clean-shaven, or how his students loved him.

Those thoughts were far too dangerous.

* * * * *

CHAPTER 14

"All right." Steve stepped away from the podium in front of his classroom. "I know that bell's going to ring and you all want to head home, but humor me for these last few minutes. I want you to write a paper about the ways science is part of our daily lives."

"Can you give us an example?" A boy yawned in the back row.

Steve set down the marker. "Sure. Those cell phones you're all texting on behind your lab tables as if you don't think I notice... that's science."

A couple of students looked up from their phones.

"Remember the set of lab safety rules we discussed. Before actually getting into scientific inquiry and designing experiments, you need to understand the importance of lab safety."

Steve stuffed papers into his bag and locked up his room. Normally he'd stay around for an hour after school in case a student wanted to talk, but no one would need help on the first day. Besides, tonight some of the volunteers at Equal Opportunity were meeting to clean up the building and get it ready to open its doors.

Steve tiptoed through the hall because he knew he'd have to walk past Georgina's office. He didn't want his shoes to squeak on the floor as he passed by her. Just after her twenty-seventh birthday, it seemed like Georgina's primal instinct to marry had overpowered her rational behavior. Somewhere along the line she'd decided that Steve was the man for her. The other teachers mocked him unmercifully about it.

He hated it all. Hated how embarrassed he got every time she hit on him, and he hated that she didn't pick up on any of his not too subtle hints to leave him alone.

His shoe caught on a rug between doorways and made a thumping flat tire sound. It was instantly followed by the click, click, click of high heels. Steve cursed under his breath.

"Hey there, handsome!" Georgina was wearing all red today. "Why didn't you stop in and say hi?" she gushed, her hand cupping his elbow. "Oh, no! Steve, you have a marker stain on your shirt. If you want I can wash it for you. I know just the thing to get out a stain like that." She rested both hands on his chest.

Just then, Diana and Amelia walked by. They both looked right at Georgina's hands resting on him. Steve pulled away from her. For some reason, Diana's opinion mattered to him.

He didn't want her thinking he was willing to lead Georgina on. "That's not necessary, thank you," he said louder than necessary.

"I'm just trying to help a clueless bachelor." Georgina leaned toward him, lips puckered.

"Widower." He took a deep breath. Be kind. "I have my sister Grace if I need help. Speaking of which, I have to head home."

He ducked out of her reach and kept his head down until he arrived at the parking lot. Steve sank into the driver's seat and rubbed his thumbs back and forth over the steering wheel.

Should he go back in and find Diana, offer her a ride home again?

"Just go home."

Life had become so predictable over the past two years, just work, avoid Georgina, have dinner with his sister and, manage Equal Opportunity to honor Peggy's memory. Suddenly Steve itched for a change.

* * * * *

CHAPTER 15

Diana hunkered into the seat between Georgina and Principal Livingston. Georgina narrowed her eyes at Diana and flared her nostrils as it took her every ounce of effort not to start screaming. Her red nails pounded against the table.

Georgina leaned closer and in a harsh whisper said, "Exactly what are you doing here?"

If Principal Livingston heard her, he didn't let on.

Diana gulped. "Only helping today with tryouts."

"You mean trying to steal another one of my jobs?"

"I didn't..."

Georgina grabbed her clipboard and rounded the table to face the girls waiting to try out. "There will be two fifteen-minute scrimmage matches and then we'll be done. Make sure your number is fixed to your back and that it matches the form you filled out. There will be three of us walking around taking notes and weighing in on who will make the team this year, so don't come crying to me if you don't make the list."

Diana looked at Principal Livingston, her eyebrows raised as if to say, 'see, I told you so'.

Georgina split the girls into teams and blew her whistle to signal the start of the first match. All three judges paced around the gym. Diana carried a pad of paper and scribbled notes, praying she made the right choices. Making the team had meant so much to her in high school and college.

At the end of tryouts, Diana handed her notes to the principal. "That's it, then."

He scanned her ranking of the girls and nodded. "Thank you for taking part in this on such short notice. I appreciate your input." Livingston tucked the papers away. "Do you need directions to get to Equal Opportunity tonight?"

She paused. "I didn't know you were going there tonight? Why didn't I hear anything?"

Livingston shoved his hands in his suit coat pockets. "Steve sent an email out about meeting tonight to clean the building since it's been locked for the summer. So I guess that means you're not on the mailing list yet."

Diana fisted her hands. She wanted to shake Steve for not telling her. He'd hear about this when she saw him later. Only earlier today she'd considered him such a nice guy, so much so that she'd warned herself not to be attracted to him.

What a joke!

He knew she wanted to be involved and hadn't said a word when he drove her to school that morning. The nerve of that man!

She pulled up the notes app on her phone and entered the time and directions to Equal Opportunity from Principal Livingston and assured him she could drive there herself.

'Irv the Pig' sat on a plastic chair with his legs propped up near the main entrance. Diana wasn't in the mood to deal with him right now. She wanted to go home, change and have an hour to unwind before heading to Portland. Her temper needed to dissipate before she arrived at Equal Opportunity.

She veered toward the doors that led back into the school hallways; she'd just take the long way out and avoid Irv altogether.

"Miss Snow!" A girl with a long black braid chased after her. When Diana stopped and turned back around, the girl puffed as she caught her breath. "I'm Karen. I'm in your second-period class."

"I remember you." Diana smiled. The girl had raised her hand to answer almost every question. She'd also aced the quiz on the books covered in the school's required summer reading program.

"I just wanted to tell you that I loved what you said about that Robert Frost poem. I've been thinking about it all day, and I think you've helped me choose what to do after graduation." Karen jumped up and down.

Diana's eyes went wide. "Really?" Teaching always amazed her. The impact she could have through words without even realizing it was happening made her want to rethink everything she said and did. Once a teacher, students watched her actions. She needed to remember that.

"Yeah, that thing about taking the less-traveled path, it finally helped me decide to be a doctor instead of becoming just a nurse." She lunged to hug Diana.

Diana laughed and hugged her back, welcoming the human contact. "I'm glad it was helpful."

"You're cool, Miss S." Karen flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I'm glad they picked you for the position."

"Me, too." Diana winked at her.

Karen hugged a textbook to her stomach. "Are you coming to the End of Summer Dance?"

"I haven't heard anything about the End of Summer Dance."

"It's a tradition here. At the end of the first month of class, the school holds the End of Summer Dance, and the teachers chaperone it. Tell me you'll be there. I don't like to do stuff like that, but if you go, I'll go."

"Well." Diana looped her hand on her bag strap. "How about I promise to think about it?"

"Okay, but if that's the case, then I promise to hound you about it every day until you say you're going." Karen walked backward down the hall so she was still facing Diana.

"Deal." Diana shook her head good-naturedly. Hopefully, Karen would forget to press her about the dance, and Diana wouldn't have to find an excuse to not go.

Georgina fell into step beside her. Where did she even come from?

"I see everyone just loves the new teacher. A word of advice? Don't let it go to your head." Georgina placed her hand on the door handle so Diana couldn't leave. "Just a hint, Diana. If you were trying to get anywhere with Steve, it's not going to happen. It would really be best if you kept your distance from him."

She didn't care about Steve, but Georgina didn't know that. This woman needed to realize that it wasn't okay to push other people around. Georgina had done just that to all the girls at volleyball tryouts, but she wasn't about to get away with treating Diana that way.

"What's that even supposed to mean? You can't go around threatening people. Who are you? The teacher's version of a bully?" Diana's hands popped to her hips making the straps on her bags dig into her shoulders. Georgina didn't answer her. She lifted her hand off the door handle and walked off down the hallway.

Diana would have loved to say something to get under Georgina's skin. In the truck after the teacher's institute, Steve seemed annoyed when Georgina flirted with him. Then again, Diana's record at judging men was not the greatest.

Either way, Georgina could have Steve because Diana sure didn't want him.

* * * * *

CHAPTER 16

The ride to Portland took a solid fifty-five minutes.

After passing the 'Welcome to Portland, city of two rivers' sign, Diana drove by empty lots, weaved around trash in the street, and gawked at the boarded-up homes, and warehouses. The conditions were far worse than the part of Denver where she had taught. She had read about the neighborhood where Equal Opportunity was located. Crime rates were 213% higher than the national average and violent crimes were 95% higher.

A crumbling concrete lot made up the area in front of Equal Opportunity. Weeds grew knee-high through the cracks near the sidewalk. Shouldn't someone cut those? A single light flickered on the front of the building and only illuminated half of the nonprofit's sign. Chills washed down Diana's back.

Maybe this had all been a mistake. Maybe Steve was right.

Mistake or not, she would go in. If only to prove Steve McAllister wrong and show one more man that he couldn't call the shots in her life.

Five other cars, including Steve's truck, filled the lot. Diana sucked in a deep breath and left her car. She checked the door handle to make certain her Ford was locked and then headed into the building.

The tight feeling in her lungs went away the second she stepped inside. Fresh paint in bright colors filled the first few rooms. There were tables and desks to work at, a room with five old computers, and another with science equipment.

Inside the building felt like a safe haven.

She followed the sound of voices to the back dining room where everyone huddled around a table over bowls of pasta. The room fell silent when she stepped through the doorway.

Steve's mouth hung open and his fork stopped midair.

"What are you doing here?" He looked like a bull about to start pawing the ground.

"I'm here to help." Diana shrugged.

Steve stood up and crossed to where she stood.

"I thought we talked about this." His voice held an insistent tone.

Principal Livingston motioned for everyone to bring their bowls to the large kitchen sink. "I think it's about time we start working. Dean and Brian, you've got the floors. Gene and Nancy, you have the bathrooms, and please also make a list of supplies that need to be restocked. I'll be in the office or the basement with Aaron. Sonny..." he pointed at a teenage boy wearing orange high-tops, "...you can wash up these dishes. But before we get started, I'd like to introduce Diana Snow. Diana is the new teacher I told you about at our last board meeting, and she's going to be a great asset to our team."

Livingston offered her an encouraging smile.

Everyone but Sonny and Steve dispersed to their assigned tasks. The teen boy whistled long and low. "You're hot. I wouldn't mind..."

Steve growled. "Be respectful."

Sonny stood a bit straighter. "Apologies. I mean, you're one pretty woman, Miss Snow."

Diana laughed. "Thanks. I think. You can just call me Diana."

Steve stayed rooted in the same spot. He worked his jaw back and forth like he wanted to say something, but fought the urge.

Sonny motioned to the deep, industrial sinks. Diana followed him.

"Between you and me, you still have a lot to learn about women." Diana smiled at the teenager. His forced charm, seasoned with street smarts, had a way of softening her heart.

"Maybe I can take a few lessons with you," Sonny said and laughed.

"Keep dreaming." Diana laughed too. "So, you volunteer here?"

"Kind of. More like, they can't shake me even if they want to." Sonny grinned.

At the end of the night, everyone gathered in the kitchen. Gene, an aging man who looked like he might have been the leader of a motorcycle gang at some point, cleared his throat.

"I wanted to thank everyone for their hard work tonight. It looks like we'll be shining for our opening next week. Unless anyone else has something to say, let's head out. We'll see you all next week."

Diana grabbed her purse and made it out the door. She just wanted to get back to the inn, take off her shoes and relax. It had been a long day.

Steve's truck was parked next to her car, but besides that everyone had already left. She clicked the button to unlock her car and then froze. Someone waited in the space between her car and Steve's truck, right outside her driver's door. A scream died on Diana's lips. She never could find her voice when scared.

"Are you really set on being a part of this?"

Steve. She should have known. A man's voice had never sounded so good. Her knees stopped wobbling.

She loosened the hold on her purse. "You know, you really shouldn't hide behind dark trucks and scare women."

He crossed his arms and leaned against her car. "At least you're admitting there's something to be afraid of."

Diana blew her bangs out of her eyes. "Yeah. Creepy science teachers who huddle by my car."

Steve's hands dropped to his sides. "I wasn't huddling."

He took a step closer to her.

"After actually seeing this place... do you still want to be involved?" He spoke so quietly, she had to lean even closer.

Did she? Diana bit her lip. "Yes, of course." If only to prove she could.

"But I don't understand..."

"I always wanted to be a teacher, but helping students like the ones that come here is my passion. I want to make a difference." Diana tried to keep the quiver out of her voice.

Steve shook his head.

"It's not safe here, Diana. Don't you see that? For instance, tonight, what if I hadn't stayed and made sure you got to your car safely?"