Maizy the Bear Charmer(Diving Creek Ranch 16)(10)

“Tell me about it. Rat bastards, every last one of them.”

The bitterness in Jan’s voice made Maizy’s heart hurt for her. Jan had closed off after her husband had suddenly left town. No amount of talking seemed to help her out of her bitter state and Maizy wasn’t sure she could blame her. She couldn’t even serve him with divorce papers until he resurfaced.

“I’m sure not all of them are that bad, Jan. There are good guys out there.”

Jan shrugged and said, “Thanks for the coffee. We can talk some more later.” Jan waved and ducked back into her classroom.

Maizy had been working for the last two weeks, so the classroom was completely ready. The quiet time she had that morning was reserved for centering herself and getting mentally prepared. As expected, that didn’t happen. Teachers came in and out of her classroom, asking if she had a blank copy of the student information form, or if she had an extra bottle of hand sanitizer, or if she would let them cry on her shoulder for two minutes before the kids started arriving for another year.

She didn’t mind. It kept her focused on the school day and less tempted to daydream about the three very large, very hot men who had evidently been searching for her for months and wanted to date her. I can’t go out with them! I teach kindergarten!

“Knock-knock!”

She grinned at the familiar voice and rose from her desk chair as her nephew came running in.

“Aunt Maizy! Aunt Maizy!” her nephew shouted as he wrapped his arms around her legs.

“Hey, Pugsly!” she cheered as she squatted down to eye level. “You ready?”

“You betcha!” He gave her a vigorous nod. “And I remember what we talked about. I call you Aunt Maizy and Maizy-Monster when the other kids aren’t around.”

“And I call you Pugsly when the other kids and teachers aren’t around.”

“Right!”

Lucy said, “I reminded him on the way here that it was important for him to call you Miss Owen. And…umm…” Lucy grinned as she looked at Lucy’s outfit while PJ ran to the story circle and looked at the books. “Miss Owen, are we clad in a bit of racy attire that’s not found in the dress code?”

Maizy burst into laughter and said, “You hush. It was your idea.”

“You must really like it. I love the heels, by the way.”

“It feels great on.” Chaz popped into her mind. “And I needed…” She’d needed something to bolster her self-confidence. In the next instant, any hurt feelings over Chaz’s rejection were quickly displaced by the memory of three handsome faces. Three!

Lucy’s interest increased as she zeroed in on Maizy’s hot cheeks. “Judging by that blush, you’ve already had an interesting morning.”

“You could say that again,” she said as she went to her desk and grabbed Lucy’s coffee and breakfast taco. “Here you go. They’re both probably lukewarm by now.”

“That’s okay,” Lucy said as she took a sip. “It’s just fine. What happened?”

“Well, it was odd…” Her gaze was drawn by motion at the door and she smiled when she spied Ruby Porter peeking in the door. She had her thumb stuck between her teeth and a death grip on a large stuffed bunny.

Lucy winked at her and went to PJ, knelt down, and whispered to him while he stood there looking dejected. He didn’t want Lucy to leave.

She’d seen it a thousand times before. Kids didn’t always part easily from their parents on the first day, or the second day, or sometimes even the first week. But by the end of the first couple of weeks, most of them had adjusted and didn’t even need their parents walking them into the school anymore.

PJ’s lips trembled as Lucy spoke to him and a flush came to Lucy’s cheeks as she wrapped her arms around the boy. He nodded and she squeezed him harder.

Maizy tiptoed over to Ruby and her parents and greeted them. Ruby’s eyes were a little red-rimmed like she’d already cried once that morning.

“Is this your bunny, Ruby?” Maizy asked, stroking the fluffy bunny’s ear.

Mrs. Porter had already texted her that morning to let her know that Ruby was having a hard time parting from the stuffed bunny. Maizy smiled at her mother and then looked at Ruby.

“What’s your bunny’s name?”

“Buns,” Ruby said in a shaky voice and then sniffled, holding tighter to Buns.

“He makes you feel safe?”

Ruby nodded as she nibbled on her thumb and Maizy gently tugged her hand to remove it from her mouth and Ruby complied.

“Could he stay with us today and help me at my desk? He can have his own chair and everything. At naptime you can lay down with him.”