Kindergarten Baby: A Novel Page 21

  Their next opportunity to physically connect arrived when they were seated in a dark movie theater, watching previews. That’s when he took her hand in his, brought it to his lips, and planted tender kisses on her palm.

  His kisses left Lindsey surprised and a little confused. Just the week before, after their visit to the Sonora Desert Museum, he had kissed her for the first time, and she’d felt nothing‌—‌no, worse than nothing. They’d been standing just inside the doorway saying their goodbyes, and he’d brushed a gentle kiss across her forehead, then kissed the tip of her nose, and finally found her lips. She was ready. She wanted his mouth on hers. But it was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. It was like…‌like…‌kissing cardboard. This light touch on her palm was completely different. What had changed? Last week it had been cardboard, and this week tiny, hopeful tingles of heat sparked all through her body.

  After the movie ended and the house lights went up, Martin walked her to her car, just as he’d done on their two previous dates. But tonight her car wouldn’t start. He lifted the hood and stared at the engine as Lindsey turned the ignition key over and over. No luck. He hooked up the jumper cables in her trunk to the battery in his rental car. Nothing.

  “Well, I suppose I’ll have to drive you home.”

  She shrugged. “I guess you will,” she agreed, not knowing what else to do. “It’s not far. Just a couple of miles.”

  Other than Lindsey’s directions, letting him know where to turn, they drove in silence. She couldn’t stop wondering what he was thinking.

  “Here we are,” she said, getting ready to open the car door and jump out.

  He held up a hand. “Hang on there. Don’t think for a minute that I’ll let you open that door when you’re in a car with me, and then let you walk yourself to the front door of your home this late at night. That’s my job, and you’d better let me do it,” he said, and though he sounded as if he were teasing, she had a feeling he meant it.

  She blushed. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s been so long since anyone did those things for me. Yes, please open my door…” She hesitated. “Uh, make that doors. I would love that.”

  “Doors? Plural?”

  “Uh-huh. Both doors: the car door and my front door. And agree to come in for a drink before you head back to your hotel,” she said, letting her guard down. After all, what could happen with Wendell and Malcolm there as her ever-present‌—‌though sometimes annoying‌—‌chaperones?

  “I should warn you,” she said, “that a one hundred and sixty pound mastiff is right behind that door, waiting to greet us.”

  Martin frowned. “Does he bite?”

  “Only if I tell him to,” Lindsey said with a grin, knowing Wendell probably would never hurt a fly. “Mastiffs are very protective of their castles and their women, you know.”

  “I see,” Martin replied. His eyes opened wide when she opened the door. Wendell stood in the middle of it, wagging his tail madly. “Whoa,” he said. “He is big. I hope he likes me.” He looked around appreciatively. “Your home is very attractive. I don’t often compliment architecture and designs, but you’ve done a good job decorating this small space. It feels cozy but not cramped, light and airy, but not too girly.”

  “Thank you,” she said, feeling somewhat proud. After all, he was an expert on these things. She placed two wine glasses and a bottle of merlot on the coffee table, and Martin poured. “Would you like a tour?”

  “Absolutely.”

  She grinned. “It won’t take very long. Bring your wine.”

  Lindsey led him through the kitchen and out to the backyard where her winter garden was winding down and her spring plants were just beginning to sprout. Even though it was too dark for him to take in the full effect of her garden, she could tell he was impressed. She turned on the lights in the downstairs bathroom, guest bedroom, and makeshift home office to offer a quick peek. Nothing too special there. She hadn’t gotten around to adding the “Lindsey touch” to those rooms yet. She was excited to show off the master bedroom and bath, because she’d spent a fair amount of time, effort, and money creating a modern, eclectic, yet southwestern space. She was thankful she’d given the area a thorough scrub and polish after her slumber party with Laura. That might have been difficult to explain.

  When they stepped into the room, Martin took Lindsey’s wine glass from her and placed it on the nightstand along with his. He took both of her hands and kissed them just before he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close enough that their bodies touched from top to bottom. With his fingers he pushed her hair back from her face and held it all in a ponytail behind her head exposing the usually hidden part of her neck. Then he bent down and placed a kiss there. Heading just a bit lower, and after a subtle movement of fabric, he kissed her shoulder.

  Oh my God, thought Lindsey. What am I doing? She’d only known him for a few weeks, and his first and only kiss on her lips had been nothing. Nothing! No flames, no flutters. But now…‌was she simply just horny? Or was it something more? It had been over seven months since Anthony had left her, and it’d been slightly longer than that since the last time she’d had sex. Now that was all she could think about.

  Martin held her face, gazed straight into her eyes with a faraway look, then kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her eyelids, and nibbled at her ears, distracting her from any additional thoughts. She quivered at the sweetness of his kisses, knowing she was lonely and horny, and knowing right then and there that she would give in. Martin knew it, too.

  He lifted her easily, his strong arms curling around her as if she were weightless, and gently eased her onto the king-sized bed and began helping her out of her clothes, though he left her pretty blue silk bra and panties in place. Lindsey was relieved she wasn’t wearing the plain, unmatching cotton underwear she usually had on. She sat up and helped unbutton his shirt, but he took charge of his pants. For one brief moment Lindsey silently giggled, thinking this adds a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘Cowboy up!’ In spite of his size‌—‌everything about Martin was large‌—‌his manner and technique were both arousing and soothing.

  Their lovemaking was good. Nothing out of the ordinary, but good, nice. Nothing he did made Lindsey uncomfortable, and she appreciated that. Only one aspect of his lovemaking was new to her: he wore a condom. She appreciated that, too, but made a mental note to purchase some lubricant in case there was a next time. Afterward, her body melted against his, and‌—‌for now, at least‌—‌she felt safe and at peace. She drifted off to sleep in the strong arms of a good man.

  When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see that it was nine o’clock in the morning, and Martin was gone. He’d left a note on the pillow.

  Dearest Lindsey,

  Thank you for a great evening. You are an incredible woman in every way.

  I’m taking care of your car. Hope you don’t mind. It will be in your driveway by the time you need to drive to work Monday morning. Enjoy your Sunday at home.

  I will call you the next time I’m scheduled to be in Tucson. I have only one favor to ask. Do you think you might be able to call me “Marty” now?

  - Marty

  Lindsey was well aware of her limited experience with men, but even so, she knew Martin wasn’t a typical date. It wasn’t that he was complex‌—‌he wasn’t‌—‌but he was different somehow. She spent the better part of Sunday trying to figure him out. He was good looking, he seemed intelligent, he had a very good career that included creativity‌—‌a definite plus in her mind‌—‌he helped his mother and brother, and he treated Lindsey as if she were special. She liked all of that. On paper he was perfect. She’d been comfortable with him in bed, though it had been their first time. That surprised her, even shocked her. But there had been no flames, no heat. Her heart didn’t skip any beats.

  “Maybe true love takes longer to blossom.” she mused. After all, what did she have as a comparison? Her husband, who had run off and left her for a stripper? Emmett, who had
used her, lied to her, and stolen money from her? Besides, she and Emmett had never made love. Maybe she wouldn’t have felt anything with him, either. She’d give this relationship more time. Martin was so…‌nice.

  He was also true to his word. Her car was in the driveway when she looked out her window early Monday morning.

  “What a good man,” she repeated, smiling to herself as she loaded her book bags, purse, snacks for the students, and some props for their desert performance into the back seat. The car was so clean and shiny it practically glowed. It had not only been repaired, it had been washed, waxed, and vacuumed‌—‌the works. Then she saw a little something extra. On the passenger seat sat a box supporting a beautiful arrangement of red roses. The card read: Please set these on your desk at school and think of me. Marty.

  “Oh, my,” she said out loud. “I could get used to this.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  As they did every morning, the children gathered around Lindsey on the rug, ready to talk. Everyone was present‌—‌with the exception of Bobby.

  “Has anyone seen Bobby this morning?” Lindsey asked.

  Most of the small heads shook, but two children said they thought they’d seen him right before the “going in” bell had rung. Lindsey pressed the intercom switch to speak with the office manager.

  “Hi, Ms. Sally. This is Ms. Lindsey. Bobby did not come in, and several students are pretty sure they saw him on the playground. Can you have a monitor look around for him?”

  “Will do, Ms. Lindsey. Oh, while we’re talking, a giant-sized package arrived for you just a couple of minutes ago. Would you like someone to bring it down?”

  Just as Lindsey began to ask Sally to hold it for her till lunch, the children‌—‌who had heard the whole conversation‌—‌chimed in with their enthusiastic responses.

  “Yeah! A package for a giant. Cool!” said Armando excitedly.

  “We want the package! We want the package!” chanted several students.

  “It could go with our fairy tale,” exclaimed Connie.

  Harley’s head turned from Connie to Lindsey. “Our fairy tale this week is about a giant?”

  “Maybe, Harley. Could it be, Ms. Lindsey?” questioned Emma.

  Lindsey sighed, smiling. “Okay. Bring it down whenever it is convenient to do so, Ms. Sally. Somehow we will turn the large box into a teachable moment.”

  Within ten minutes, Mary the monitor had dragged the box into the classroom. She also brought the news that Bobby was nowhere to be found. That was odd.

  “Do you know if the office called his home?”

  “Yes, Sally tried every phone number we had for his family. None of them were working.”

  Lindsey’s gut told her something was very wrong. But it wasn’t as if she could call Child Protective Services based on a funny feeling. Putting those worries on hold, she turned her attention to the other twenty-five students now gathered around the box and guessing its contents.

  Marvin supplied the first guess. “I bet it’s a flat screen TV.”

  “No,” Emma decided. “It’s too light.”

  Harley’s eyes lit up. “Maybe it’s filled with new crayons for everybody.”

  “No,” said Emma, narrowing her eyes skeptically. “It’s too quiet.”

  “I think it’s a pillow and a blanket so Emma can go take a nap,” Joseph said with a smirk.

  That brought giggles. Emma turned toward him and put her hands on her hips, and Lindsey held her breath, waiting. “You know, Joseph, I think you might be half right.”

  With relief, Lindsey clapped her hands and called the troops to order. “Back to the rug everyone. It’s time to introduce our fairy tale of the week. Then we will open the box.” She had reservations about opening an unknown, unexpected package in front of the children, but she couldn’t wait to see what was inside. She decided to try and take a peek before it was unveiled for the students to see.

  The children were well versed in this procedure by now and eagerly participated in a discussion concerning the cover of the book.

  “What do you notice about the cover?” Lindsey asked. This was always the open-ended first question.

  “I see some bears and a little house,” stated Harley beginning the conversation.

  “A burglar is sneakin’ in the door, and the stupid bears don’t even see her,” mumbled Willy, sounding as if his mouth was full of marbles. It wasn’t marbles, though. His words were blocked by a wad of gum large enough to choke him.

  “Willy, please wrap that gum in a paper towel and throw it in the trash can under the sink. Marvin, would you please go with him?” asked Lindsey, knowing Willy was more apt to follow directions when there was a witness.

  As she’d hoped, Willy followed the directions. Of course, he also added several steps to the process with which Marvin, willingly, participated. But when something lunged at them from the spot under the sink where the trash can should have been, they both screamed. Lindsey was by their sides in seconds, and the rest of the class followed.

  “Bobby!” Lindsey cried. “What were you doing in there? Are you all right?”

  The little boy wouldn’t answer‌—‌at least not with words. Staying on hands and knees, he grunted and growled, then crawled around the back of the room. The children watched, making hushed comments or just staring with shock.

  “Is that really Bobby?” wondered Connie.

  “What’s he doing?” Armando asked.

  Willy crossed his arms. “What a dumb-ass!” he declared.

  “Shut up, Willy,” shouted Joseph, seeming to notice there was a real problem going on.

  Harley edged toward Lindsey and pressed against her side. “What’s wrong with Bobby?” he asked quietly.

  Lindsey called Laura, asking her to stop by as soon as possible to help with Bobby. As she and the rest of the children went back to the rug area to wrap up the book cover introduction, he seemed to settle down a little. But something had definitely changed; he was different today. She decided to give him some space, but she’d also keep a constant eye on him.

  “Ms. Lindsey! Ms. Lindsey!” several of the children cried, bringing her back to the moment. “The box. You said we could open it after the fairy tale!”

  “Thanks for reminding me,” she lied sweetly. She’d actually hoped they would forget. No such luck.

  They dragged the box to the rug area, and the students sat in a big circle around it‌—‌everyone except Bobby. He hung back at the opposite end of the classroom, but his eyes kept moving in the box’s direction. Good. Maybe his curiosity would take his mind off whatever was bothering him.

  As soon as Lindsey opened one end of the box, she knew‌—‌with some relief‌—‌exactly what it was. She tugged at the object while four students pulled the box away.

  “It’s huge!”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a bed for a dog, silly.”

  “A giant dog!”

  She beamed at them in turn. “You are all correct. It is a dog bed. A very large‌—‌yes, even giant‌—‌dog bed. My dog Wendell will fit perfectly in this bed!” she said. “Turn to the person next to you and have a discussion about your dog or other pet, or a pet you’d like to have.” They did as they were told, giving her a few seconds to read the attached card.

  Dear Lindsey,

  I hope Wendell enjoys the bed. I thought he could use a little extra comfort while he recuperates from his injuries.

  As ever, Marty

  A lump rose in her throat. Such a considerate man, she thought. He took care of everything. Wendell’s old bed was indeed on its last legs, and this new, memory foam bed was better quality than the bed she slept in herself. Martin was such a ‘take-charge’ kind of man, and she liked that about him. What’s next? she wondered.

  “What’s the matter, Ms. Lindsey? You look sad,” Joseph said.

  “Actually,” she said softly, “I am very, very happy.”

  She asked all the kindergarteners to
get their Art Journals from their cubbies then find a seat. She guided them through drawing the giant dog bed and asked each one to draw something or someone in their dog bed. Even Bobby joined in this activity. In fact, he seemed to be highly engaged, even though he could not sit still. He wiggled and jiggled, but he kept on working. Lindsey smiled, observing him. Miraculously, his terrible, horrible, very bad day had taken a positive turn. So when Bobby asked if he could lie down on the dog bed when math time arrived, she let him.

  Twenty minutes passed, and Bobby still hadn’t gotten out of the dog bed. Upon closer examination, she saw that he was asleep. He looked very peaceful‌—‌until he began to thrash around in his sleep, clawing at the air and making growling noises. She woke him and insisted that he get out of the bed and sit in a chair. Within seconds, he was back to his typical grumpy, angry, troubled self.

  Laura popped in during lunch break, and Lindsey was quick to ask where she’d been when she had needed her.

  “In the middle of testing. Can’t stop in the middle, you know that. What’s up?”

  Lindsey ran through the events of the morning as Laura sat wide-eyed, listening intently.

  “Your new boyfriend bought Wendell a bed? Wow. He sounds like a keeper. And I suppose that’s it over there?” she asked, standing to get a closer look. “What’s the red stuff on it?”

  “Red stuff?” she frowned, following Laura. “There’s nothing red on it. It’s solid tan to match Wendell’s fur.”

  “Well, there is now. And I think it might be blood. Did one of your darlings have a bloody nose today? Crusty boogers, maybe?”

  Lindsey felt a little ill when she remembered back to the sleeping child. Blood? “No, but Bobby slept in it.”

  “I’m not even going to ask you how you let that happen. Did you see his journal work? What did he draw? Did he write anything?”

  “I haven’t had a chance to look yet. We just finished math and the kids went to lunch.”