A Maverick And A Half

Chapter Three

In order to terminate the awkward meeting with the fifth-grade teacher, Anderson had told her that he had to be getting back to his ranch. But instead of doing that, he decided to stick around until Jake finished playing basketball. When he thought about it, staying in the vicinity of the school made a lot more sense than driving to the ranch and then back again.

Leaving the building, Anderson got into the cab of his truck and drove around to the back entrance of the school. He told himself it was closer to where Jake would get out once basketball practice was over but to be quite honest, he wanted to be sure that Marina Laramie didn’t accidentally look out the window and see him parked out in front. It would just complicate everything.

He had no idea why he put so much thought into this, but he did. For some reason, the woman made him uneasy. Avoiding her seemed the best way to go.

The moment he pulled up the brake and turned off the engine, he began to get fidgety. Accustomed to working hard from the moment he opened his eyes in the morning until he fell into bed at night, just sitting in the truck waiting had him growing progressively more restless with every passing moment.

Anderson was not a man who did “nothing” well.

He was contemplating getting out of his truck and walking around the school grounds until practice was over when the cell phone he’d thrown in the glove compartment of his vehicle—an old flip phone model—rang.

At first, Anderson didn’t even hear it.

His cell phone hardly ever rang, so it caught him off guard. It took him a moment to connect the faint sound to its source of origin.

He flipped the phone open and fairly barked, “Hello?”

The annoyed greeting would have been enough to scare a great many people away. Paige Dalton Traub was not one of those people. Younger than Anderson by five years, she was every bit as feisty as her brothers. She had to be. Having grown up with three bossy brothers and two equally bossy sisters, it took a great deal for her feathers to get even slightly ruffled. It took even more for her to become even mildly intimidated, and certainly never by a sibling.

Paige recognized her brother’s less than dulcet tones immediately.

Rather than return his less than warm greeting, Paige went straight to the heart of the matter. “So, how did it go, big brother?”

Anderson had no idea what his younger sister was talking about. She might as well have been talking gibberish. Most women, in his limited experience, did.

“How did what go?” he countered, irritated.

Paige laughed shortly. “Ah, there’s that disposition of a wet hornet that I know and love,” she noted sarcastically. “You might recall that initially, you called me, and I assumed that the reason you called had something to do with Marina and your son. Am I right?” she wanted to know.

“Yes,” he conceded grudgingly through clenched teeth.

“Well, I’m here now so spill it. Do you know why Marina wanted to see you, and is everything okay?”

Instead of answering her directly, Anderson approached her question from a different angle. “You told me about his teacher having a kid of her own, but you never mentioned that the woman was touchy-feely.”

“She touched you?” Paige asked, clearly taken aback. She and the fifth-grade teacher had gotten to know one another over the last year or so and while Marina was friendly enough and everyone liked the woman, she wasn’t the type to touch a student’s parent.

“No,” he bit off, annoyed that his sister wasn’t following his train of thought. “But she wanted me to get all touchy-feely with Jake.” As he spoke, his mouth curved downward into a distasteful frown. “She seems to think that Jake’s too quiet.”

“I should have that problem,” Paige commented with a laugh. “I only wish that at least some of my students would be quiet like Jake.” After a slight hesitation she asked, “So how did she suggest you do it?” When he didn’t say anything, she prodded him a little. “How did she suggest you get closer to Jake?”

He frowned so hard he thought she could literally hear it in his voice as he said, “She asked me for permission to turn Jake into a mother’s helper. Isn’t that just crazy?” he wanted to know, assuming that his sister would have the same sort of reaction to the other woman’s idea that he did.

Paige took him totally by surprise when she replied, “Actually, Anderson, I think that might not be such a bad idea.”

It took him a second to collect himself and recover. “What? Is this some kind of a woman thing?” he asked, stunned.

“Only in the sense that women are more intuitive than men,” Paige replied brightly, no doubt knowing that her remark would get to him. “But seriously,” she continued, the humor fading from her voice, “I think that maybe Jake might be a little too isolated. I’ve been keeping an eye on him at school and I don’t see him interacting with the other kids during recess.”

Anderson wondered how long she’d been holding off saying anything to him. Apparently today was the day to tackle the subject.

“He’s a sweet kid,” she continued, “but he needs to acquire some people skills, Anderson. To that end, I think it might do him some good to take care of another person instead of just being aware of his own small sphere.”

“Well, it’s not like he’s going to go backpacking on some survivalist’s journey, fending for himself and that baby,” Anderson retorted. He felt disappointed. He’d expected Paige to be on his side, not playing for the opposition. “Jake would be taking care of that baby under this Ms. Laramie’s supervision the whole time—at the very least. You can’t tell me that she won’t be watching Jake like a hawk the entire time.”

“Not necessarily. I think that the whole point would be to give Jake the assignment, exercise a little supervision and then step back to see how he does.”

Anderson banked down the urge to laugh at his sister’s naivety. “Would you step back if this was you we were talking about and the baby you were leaving with someone was Carter?”

Again Paige didn’t answer him the way he thought she would. “If I trusted them to look after my son and felt that I had made myself perfectly clear in my instructions, then sure.”

He didn’t believe it for a minute. “Well, I’m not as naive as either you or your Ms. Laramie,” he informed his sister. “You don’t just hand over babies to other babies and expect everything to go off without a hitch.”

Paige wanted to move on to the topic that really had her interest, but she knew that she needed to get her ordinarily calm brother back to that state before she could go on. Ever since Jake had moved out here, it was as if she didn’t even recognize her oldest brother. Anderson had become a different person. A completely uptight, unsettled, different person who seemed to be perpetually afraid of making the wrong move.

“Jake isn’t a baby, Anderson. He’s halfway to becoming a man—”

Anderson quickly cut her off. “Not for another ten years.”

He didn’t believe that, did he? “A lot sooner than that,” Paige contradicted. “You might as well get used to the idea. Anyway, I didn’t call you to discuss Jake’s so-called fragile masculinity—or yours,” she added. “I called to find out something else.”

“What?” he all but snarled. He didn’t feel that he could take on another problem right now.

For the second time since she’d called, his sister caught him off guard when she asked, “What did you think of her?”

“Her?” Confusion all but throbbed in his voice. What was Paige talking about?

“Marina Laramie,” Paige said patiently.

Why was his sister asking him something like that? “I guess that she’s an all right teacher,” Anderson finally conceded, thinking that was what he was being asked.

“No.” Paige tried again. “What did you think of her?”

“Think of her?” Anderson echoed, at this point thoroughly confused by Paige’s tone as well as her question.

Paige sighed. Men could be so thick, she thought. “This isn’t brain surgery, Anderson. Or a trick question,” she added in case that was going to be his next guess. “It’s really a very simple question,” she stressed.

“It’s not a simple question,” Anderson contradicted. “It’s a prying, complex question. What did I think of her?” he repeated, then before she could make any sort of a remark or reply, he continued by asking her a question of his own. “In terms of what? A first-time teacher? A woman who sounds like she has trouble understanding and relating to boys?”

“As a person,” Paige interjected, finally getting a chance to get a word in edgewise. “What do you think of Marina Laramie as a person?”

“Why?” Anderson asked suspiciously. It had taken a while before the red flags had gone up for him, but they were flapping madly in the wind now. “Just what is it that you’re trying to cook up in that scheming little head of yours?” he wanted to know.

“I’m not ‘cooking up’ anything,” Paige protested. “I wasn’t the one who asked you down to the school for a conference, Marina was. I just thought that...well, now that you’ve seen her and since you were single and she was single...”

Okay, this had gone far enough, Anderson thought. He needed to stop his sister before she really got carried away.

“One and one don’t always make two, Paige,” he ground out.

In her opinion, one and one always made two. “You never know until you try,” Paige stressed.

“Oh, I know, all right. Trust me, I know,” he told her in no uncertain terms. “Besides, I’m not looking for anything—or anyone.”

She already knew that and she thought it was a terrible waste for her oldest brother to be alone like this. “But if you stumble across it right out there in your path—” Paige began.

“I don’t plan to do any stumbling, either,” Anderson informed her tersely.

As far as he was concerned, one mistake was more than enough for him. Not that he’d actually had any ideas about a possible relationship blossoming between Lexie and him twelve years ago. It had been just one of those classic things, an enjoyable fling that lasted the span of one night, no longer. And, after dealing with the woman, he realized just how fortunate he was not to have wanted any sort of a relationship with Jake’s mother. They didn’t have very much in common.

Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t the kind of guy who did well when it came to relationships. Hardworking and blessed with common sense, Anderson knew his shortcomings and he wasn’t looking to get involved with anyone.

Even so, it was obvious to him that his sister had other ideas. He needed to set her straight once and for all.

“Look, kid, I realize that you think that since you have this great thing going with Sutter everyone should be married, but it’s just not like that for some of us. I’m glad you found somebody to love you, someone who lights up your world, but that isn’t my destiny and I’m okay with that.”

But apparently Paige was not about to accept defeat for her brother so easily.

“Just because it didn’t work out for you and Lexie—her loss, by the way—” she interjected.

Anderson laughed softly. This was the Paige he was more familiar with. The sister who was fiercely loyal to the members of her family and immediately took offense on their behalf.

“Thank you. You’re my sister and you have to say that.”

“No, I don’t,” Paige contradicted. “And stop interrupting. What I’m trying to say is that just because it didn’t work out for Lexie and you doesn’t mean that it won’t work out for you with someone else.”

She just wouldn’t let this go, would she? Ordinarily, he might just let this go for now, but it was far too important to let her think she’d won, even by default.

“It won’t because I’m not looking for it to work out—with anybody,” he underscored. “Look, Paige, I know you mean well, but really, let it go. I’m happy just the way I am.”

Paige dug in. “A year ago, you thought you were happy just the way you were, then you found out about Jake and suddenly you wanted him to be a permanent part of your life. You still do,” she pointed out, remembering how dejected Anderson had been when Lexie had denied him custody or even visitation rights.

“Don’t try to confuse me with your logic, Paige.” He was only half kidding.

“It’s not ‘my’ logic,” his sister pointed out. “It’s just logic.”

Anderson blew out an impatient breath. There was just no arguing with his sister once she got going like this. He didn’t want to say something to her that he would wind up regretting, but he didn’t want her thinking that she was going to emerge the victor in this argument, either.

And then the cavalry arrived in the form of a lanky eleven-year-old boy. Spotting him, Jake was striding toward his truck.

“Sorry, Paige, I’d love to talk some more, but Jake just turned up. Basketball practice must be over. Time to take him home and put him to work,” Anderson announced cheerfully. “We’ll talk later,” he promised, terminating the call before she could say another word.

Or you’ll talk later and I’ll have to listen, he silently added, tossing the cell phone back into the glove compartment.

Leaning over, Anderson opened the passenger door for his son.

“Hi, how was it?” he asked Jake cheerfully. Then, just in case that sounded a little too vague to his son, Anderson clarified the focus of his question. “How was basketball practice?”

Jake slid into the passenger seat and dutifully buckled up his seat belt.

“It was okay.” The reply was completely devoid of any enthusiasm.

Starting up the truck, Anderson pulled out of his parking spot, his eyes trained on the rearview mirror until he put the transmission into Drive.

“Did you play a game?” he asked in the same cheerful voice.

Settling into his seat, Jake kept his eyes forward. “Yes.”

He was not exactly a conversationalist himself, but for the sake of trying to draw his son out, he gave it his best shot.

“And then what?”

“We stopped,” Jake said matter-of-factly. Then, as the word just hung alone in the air, he explained, “It was time to go home.”

This was not going well. “Do you like playing basketball?” Anderson prodded.

His thin shoulders carelessly rose and fell in response as he continued looking out of the front windshield. “It’s okay.”

That was not exactly a ringing endorsement of the sport. Maybe he’d pressured the boy into playing something he had no desire to participate in.

“Would you rather have me sign you up for something else? Baseball maybe, or football?” Anderson suggested, glancing at Jake’s face for a response.

That was the extent of the after school sports activities that were available and he wasn’t really sure about the baseball part. The actual baseball season, he was only vaguely aware, was over and he wasn’t sure if anyone was available to coach boys in the off-season. He’d never been one to enroll in any of those sports himself when he was a kid. All he’d ever been interested in were things that had to do with ranching.

“You know, it’s not a bad idea to try to broaden yourself a little bit,” Anderson told his son. He hadn’t been critical yet, but maybe a small bit of pressure wasn’t a bad idea. “Sitting in your room all day playing video games isn’t healthy.”

“I don’t play all day,” Jake answered, finally turning toward him. “I go to school.”

It wasn’t a smart-aleck answer, but it didn’t exactly leave room for a warm exchange. Determined to get through to Jake, he tried another approach.

“You need to socialize, Jake. To get to know people. You need to make some friends.”

“Why?” Jake wanted to know. He wasn’t being belligerent; he was just asking a question.

It was a question Anderson wasn’t prepared for and he had no answer ready, so he fell back to an old tried-and-true response parents had used since time began. “You just do.”

“Oh.” Jake went back to looking out the windshield, watching the desolate scenery go by.

Maybe, Anderson thought as silence descended within the vehicle’s cab, that teacher he’d seen today did have a point.

And then again, he thought rebelliously in the next breath, maybe not.

Chapter Four

“Something bothering you, Jake?”

Ever since his meeting last week with the redheaded teacher, Anderson had been more attuned to Jake’s silence. All during dinner tonight his son had been even quieter than usual, but for the duration of their trip into town the boy hadn’t said a single word. Anderson was taking Jake with him to the town meeting that was being held tonight and they were almost there.

Granted, his son had looked less than happy about having to make this trip when he’d initially suggested it, but he would have thought that the boy would have said something by now. Kids his age talked, if only to complain.

But Jake didn’t.

Jake was really a hard kid to figure out, Anderson thought wearily.

A heartfelt, mighty sigh preceded Jake’s reply when he finally spoke. “I was just about to get to the next level.”

“The next level of what?” Anderson asked, puzzled.

He had no idea what his son was talking about. He and Jake shared a house and they shared bloodlines, but at times it was as if they were from two entirely different worlds. Trips to and from school might hear a word or two exchanged and mealtimes were hardly a hotbed of verbal exchange, either, if it was just the two of them at the table instead of occasionally one of his siblings.

But even so, something was usually said, some nominal conversation that lasted a couple of minutes. But not this time. Jake hadn’t said a word from the time that he had stepped out of his room for the trip to town.

That was right after Jake had looked at him, clearly confused as to why he was going to this meeting and what he was going to do once he got there.

“I thought it might be a good idea for you to see how people in a small town get things done,” Anderson had told his son.

But that was only part of the reason he was taking Jake with him. He was also trying to get the boy to feel more involved in what was going on. He was hoping that if his son felt more a part of Rust Creek Falls, he’d open up a little more.

Jake hadn’t protested going to the meeting the way a lot of boys his age might have. For that matter, he hadn’t dragged his heels, or thrown a tantrum, or mouthed off. Instead, offering no resistance, Jake had just silently come along—but the boy definitely hadn’t looked happy about it.

But then, Jake wasn’t exactly the definition of a happy-go-lucky kid to begin with.

Still, the silence had really gotten under Anderson’s skin and when his son hadn’t uttered a single word the whole half hour trip to the town hall, he’d finally decided to initiate some sort of a conversation. The only trouble was, once Jake had answered him, he didn’t understand Jake’s response.

“The next level in ‘Mighty Warriors,’” Jake explained quietly.

“‘Mighty Warriors,’” Anderson repeated slowly, as if tasting the words as he uttered them.

What he was really doing was stalling until he could remember exactly what “Mighty Warriors” was. He really was trying to take an interest in his son’s life, but what Jake was into represented a whole new world to Anderson. A new world he was attempting to navigate without a road map or a guide.

“That’s the video game I was playing when you said we had to go to this meeting.”

Anderson was turning his truck into the first available space located in the large parking lot behind the town hall. Pulling up the hand brake, he turned off the engine and shifted in his seat to face his son.

“Oh. Well, you’re a bright guy. You can always pick up where you left off when you play again,” Anderson said with complete conviction.

Jake’s expression gave away nothing, but even so Anderson got the feeling that maybe it wasn’t all that easy to play this game his son was so obsessed with when Jake answered, “It’s okay, Dad.”

Thinking it safer to change the subject than wade through one that he knew absolutely nothing about, Anderson came around the hood of his truck and joined his son. In a gesture of camaraderie, he put his arm around Jake’s thin shoulders before he began to walk toward the building.

Jake looked around as they came around to the front of the building. Since it was evening in September, a bevy of streetlights were on, illuminating the front entrance.

“It looks like there’s going to be a lot of people here,” Jake observed.

Anderson couldn’t help wondering if that was a good thing or a bad thing in Jake’s eyes. There was still so much he didn’t know about this introverted boy he had fathered.

“Everyone who’s interested,” Anderson agreed. Which, he silently admitted, probably wouldn’t have been him if this meeting had been held six months ago. He would have felt it was sufficient to have one of his siblings attend it and then report back on the highlights.

But now he was a family man—or at least he had a family to concern himself with—and that meant that he had to take an active interest in what was going on in town. Especially when it might affect Jake, just as the subject for this meeting promised to do.

He thought back to the wedding celebration that had been held last July Fourth with its unfortunate incidence of spiked punch. Apparently, possibly because of the wedding and definitely because of the punch, love had been in the air that night. Because of that, a large number of babies had consequently joined the population of Rust Creek Falls. Babies who would eventually grow up into children—children who needed to be educated.

Presently, Rust Creek Falls Elementary was too small a facility to adequately accommodate all these added children. The focus of the meeting tonight was to determine whether the town council should give the okay to just build onto the existing school—or if it was wiser to build a second school altogether.

Although Jake hadn’t been part of that baby boom, he was here now and, with any luck, would remain that way. The boy was definitely going to be affected by what would be decided at the meeting.

“Everyone?” Jake repeated, still looking around. His head was turning from side to side as if he was a searchlight that had come to life.

Anderson thought he detected a hopeful note in his son’s voice. What was that all about? Was Jake looking around, hoping to see one of his classmates? A girl, maybe? If so, it was a good sign.

“Pretty much,” Anderson answered.

Jake spared him a look that could only be interpreted as hopeful. “Like Ms. Laramie?”

The second his son asked whether or not the woman would be attending, Anderson suddenly spotted the teacher in question approximately fifteen feet away from him, standing near the front entrance of the building—and talking to Paige.

Paige, from what he could tell, seemed to be alone. That meant that his brother-in-law was home with Carter, their two-year-old. Anderson wanted to catch up to Paige to talk about a few things, but not if it meant having to talk to Jake’s teacher, too.

Since he and Marina Laramie had that less than productive meeting at the school the other week, he hadn’t seen the woman or exchanged any words with her, either. But that didn’t mean she’d been completely out of his mind.

As a matter of fact, the exact opposite seemed to be true. For some reason, Marina Laramie kept popping up in his head at completely unbidden times and Anderson didn’t even remotely like the fact that she did. It made him feel as if he had no control over his own thoughts.

How else could he view having that woman’s face suddenly appear in his head while he was in the middle of thinking of something entirely different from an interfering, feisty redhead who thought she knew how to raise his son better than he did?

Never mind that she probably did and that maybe she was even right in her estimation that Jake needed to get involved in something outside of himself. The bottom line was that Jake was his kid, not hers, and he would raise the boy any way that he saw fit.