Maizy the Bear Charmer(Diving Creek Ranch 16)(55)

The woman gave her a frosty smile and then turned her gaze on him. “Lovely, dear, and who is your…friend?” she asked as she pointedly stared at the tattoos covering his arms before she flicked a brief glimpse up to his face.

Maizy turned to give him an apologetic look, gestured at the woman who was now staring at Maizy’s T-shirt, and said, “Beverly Dumphrey, meet Spencer Ketchum.”

“I’m pleased to meet you, Mrs. Dumphrey.”

Mrs. Dumphrey kept her hands on her shopping cart handle as though she was afraid shaking hands with him might give her some sort of disease. “Mr. Ketchum, a pleasure to meet you. I’m always interested in the sorts of people the single teachers of our most impressionable children are keeping company with. I wish you both a lovely evening.”

Maizy smiled at her and returned the sentiment as the woman rolled her cart toward the front. When he turned back to Maizy she was pale as a ghost and was absentmindedly putting both containers of ice cream back in the freezer case. He took the container of Blue Bell from her and dropped it in the cart.

Maizy looked down the aisle at the woman and turned away from her just as the woman looked back at both of them with a pointed stare before turning the corner. He stroked Maizy’s upper arms which had grown cold and said, “Baby, who was that?”

Maizy bit her lower lip and whispered, “A member of the school board. She’s a long-time teacher and notoriously rigid in her thinking.”

“She said she keeps up with who her single teachers ‘keep company with’? She made it sound like you’re a school marm in the 1800s.”

“I think she’d probably like to go back to some of those standards.”

“Now I can see for myself why you’re concerned. I’m sorry I didn’t handle the shopping earlier. A dessert isn’t worth all of this.”

By the time they made it to the cashier stands, Mrs. Dumphrey and her flinty stare was gone, but a line had formed. Spencer saw Tabitha Lester turn the corner toward the front and pulled the keys to Heath’s truck out of his pocket. “Here you go, baby. Why don’t you go start the truck and I’ll be along after I get this paid for.”

She caught sight of Tabitha and nodded hurriedly and headed for the door.

When he got to the truck several minutes later, it was to find Maizy sitting in the passenger seat fiddling with her phone. He unloaded everything and then got in. “Are you all right?”

“Mrs. Dumphrey caught up to me in the parking lot. I couldn’t very well climb in the truck and slam the door in her face, even though that’s what I wanted to do.”

“What did she say?” he asked, already having a feeling he knew.

“Hurtful things that weren’t true. I asked her if I was entitled to a life away from school. She said yes, as long as what I was doing didn’t ‘constitute’ immoral or indecent behavior.” She turned to him and he could see the pain in her eyes. “I messed things up good, didn’t I? She probably wouldn’t have seen me if I’d stayed in the truck like you asked. I’m sorry she spoke down to you.”

“Didn’t bother me. What bothers me is seeing her hold her power over you like that. She shouldn’t be allowed to treat you that way. What did she say?”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. It wasn’t true.” She released her seat belt and scooted over to him and he hugged her. He felt bad for her and for messing things up. None of this would’ve happened if he’d gone to the grocery store first.

Cody knew the minute they walked in the door that something was wrong. He and Heath both looked concerned as Maizy explained what had happened. Maizy seemed to go on autopilot, setting out the ingredients to make the crust and the filling as she talked. Heath caught Spencer’s eye and then looked at her, showing his nonverbal concern for her.

“Maybe I was expecting a miracle. It’s asking too much that they would accept my private choice as just that. I think I was naively hoping that all the pieces would somehow fall into place, and that it would work out for us.”

Spencer leaned against the counter and listened to her, his own concern growing as she kept talking.

“If Mrs. Dumphrey gets it into her head to mention this to the board then I’ll be scrutinized by all of them. It’ll be what they’re all thinking about anytime they see me. I know that sounds paranoid but you don’t know what she’s like at the board meetings. I went to one when I was going through my interview process. She’s controlling and manipulative, and very opinionated. What she says carries a lot of weight because she’s taught for so many years. Many of us had her as a teacher growing up and she’s meaner now.”