Page 8

8

LAUREL

“I don’t wanna go…”

Laurel sighed and looked at Kendall dispassionately. This argument had been had so many times over the last year that it was getting really old, really fast. She had to give it to the girl – she was persistent.

“Why do I have to go to school when it's a bunch of garbage I’m not going to use,” Kendall huffed. “Besides, I don’t speak French, and we live in the French-speaking part of Canada. Have I mentioned how moronic that is? El-stupido-de-french-yo…”

“Okay, first off – that is not even remotely French.”

“It got my point across – didn’t it?”

“Yes, it did. You made your point on a very pointless argument that we’ve had repeatedly over the last year with the same firm answer that came from the court system – not me. You must be educated and enrolled in school for me to be your guardian. Every child has to go to school.”

“They speak French , Laurel, and I don’t!” Kendall hissed in a panic as she put the car in park, waving her hands frantically, her hazel eyes huge with fear – and Laurel finally understood. Her sister wasn’t scared of school; she was afraid because she didn’t speak French and would be an outcast.

“Sweetie, I think you’ll be surprised by the private school that Dustin selected… come inside.”

“So because Little Boy Blue picked the school, you’re all like ‘ ohhh it’s perfect, and you’ll love it, ’” Kendall mocked, her voice raw as Laurel got out of the car and walked to the passenger side – just in time for Kendall to lock the doors.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes – and I can do this all day,” Laurel said firmly. “You have to attend school, or the courts will take you from me.”

“Teach me at home.”

“You don’t listen to me at home. Why would I believe that you would start now?”

“I’ll listen! I’ll listen. Just don’t make me go in there and be the only person who has no clue what is going on,” Kendall begged as Laurel unlocked the car door with the remote and managed to open it before her sister could lock it once more.

“You aren’t even giving it a chance. I promise you will like this place.”

“You said that about tofu.”

“You eat tofu.”

“Because it’s put in front of me, and I don’t want to starve.”

“If you don’t like tofu, you should have said something.”

“I don’t like school , and that phrase isn’t getting me anywhere.”

The two glared at each other mutinously only to see the front door to the private school open about twenty feet from them. A woman poked her head out and smiled gently, waving them forward.

“Are you Kendall?” she asked in perfect English, causing Kendall’s mouth to drop open in surprise. “Mr. Lafreniére called and said you might be nervous.”

“Of course he did,” Kendall muttered hotly, not bothering to hide her dislike of Dustin and his interference. “He’s mucking up everything in my life.”

“Kendall!” Laurel hissed in shock at how venomous her sister was being toward the person she was now married to. Dustin was genuinely trying to help.

“Yes,” the woman continued, taking a step toward the car. “He also said you were probably too smart to go to school and that I would need to work hard at keeping you entertained,” and she smiled at them. “C’mon in. My name is Libby, and I’m one of the teachers in your class. Mrs. Laughlin is with the class in the computer lab.”

Kendall harrumphed and looked at the woman warily.

“It’s up to you,” Libby invited easily. “We’re doing programs right now, and this afternoon, we’re dissecting song lyrics.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes – and you get to pick the artist or the song.”

“So if I suggested Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’…”

“Nope. Someone already picked that song.”

“Say whaaaat?” Kendall gaped, shocked, and glanced at Laurel who shrugged, fighting back a smile. “You’re kidding.”

“No,” Libby smiled easily. “School only works if you want to pay attention, so we make it fun and relatable.”

“Finally,” Kendall sighed dramatically. “ Finally, someone who understands…”

“Shall we go inside?” Laurel asked gently, laying a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “I promise you will like this, and I spoke with Dustin about this school this morning before he left. He agreed that if you don’t like this one, then we’ll find another school for you to attend…” Kendall looked at her about to speak when Laurel held up her hand. “But you have to go to school. There is no debating that.”

“I guess we’ll go in,” Kendall muttered, walking forward and Libby smiled easily, nodding.

“This is a small, private school, and we want you to feel like you fit in – so you get to pick your locker. We’ll work on designing a schedule of classes for you and then select a few electives together. I promise that this will be nothing like you’ve ever attended before – because you will be the one to select what classes you take.”

“What?” Kendall gaped coming to a stop, and Laurel almost bumped into her.

“Yes,” Libby smiled encouragingly and waved them in. “You have to start with the basics, but each teacher is different. We have them broken down into auditory, visual, hands-on learning – and you get to choose. So long as you are making progress, we keep it as your choice. If you fall behind, then we look at your studies to see where and why you are struggling.”

“I don’t understand,” Kendall whispered, looking scared again.

“So, for example, I like to learn by doing ,” Libby smiled, nodding. “So in my classes, we are doing geometry… and to do so, we are first dissecting a cake into segments and looking at what a fourth, a quarter, a third looks like – and then we’ll be doing addition and subtraction,” Libby paused, meeting Laurel’s eyes – and Laurel immediately knew this was the right place for Kendall, feeling so grateful that Dustin had found something so creative for the little girl.

“Did you say… cake?” Kendall asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Libby chuckled. “It’s quite messy, and once we are done moving around our segments repeatedly and have crumbs everywhere – we make cake pops as a treat for learning and applying what we’ve done.”

“Okay – um – yeah. I want to take a geometry class like that.”

“Perfect, because I would love to have you be a part of my class,” Libby smiled. “I think maybe you are smarter than anyone realizes, and we should harness that gift together.”

“Oh, I like her,” Kendall chuckled, tossing a look at Laurel – who laughed and hugged her sister. “She’s smooth.”

“I see that,” Laurel grinned, smiling. “So, are you staying, and I’ll pick you up at three?”

“She had me at cake,” Kendall shrugged, taking Libby’s hand as the duo walked away, leaving her behind.

“I figured.”

L aurel pressed her fingers against her temples, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to block out the throbbing headache creeping in. The outlines for her next book blurred on the screen in front of her, the plot refusing to take shape the way she wanted. She sighed, shifting in her chair when the sudden ring of her phone made her jump.

She grabbed it, glancing at the name flashing across the screen. Dustin. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she answered.

“Hello?”

“How’d it go?” His voice, warm and familiar, settled something inside her that had been on edge all day.

Laurel exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Well, after a bit of wrestling,” she began, only to hear his knowing chuckle come through the line. The sound sent a ripple of warmth through her. She could picture the way his lips curved when he laughed, the way his eyes softened. Shaking her head, she smiled.

“They’re good, Dustin. That place is a find—an absolute gem. I don’t know how you managed to lock down a spot for her but thank you. From the bottom of my heart… thank you.”

“Of course,” he murmured, his voice quieter now. “She’s family.”

Laurel swallowed past the lump in her throat. Family. Such a simple word, yet one that carried so much weight. “I know,” she said softly, “but family isn’t always easy to handle.”

Dustin let out a short laugh, one tinged with something deeper. “But when it’s the only one you have, you find a way…”

“Amen to that, buddy,” she agreed, forcing herself to sound lighter, to push back the emotions creeping in. “What are you up to? I wasn’t expecting you to call. I thought you had practice.”

“I do—and I am. I’m actually sitting here in my gear and trying not to feel nervous.”

Laurel frowned, leaning forward in her chair. “Oh? Why are you nervous?”

“I’m not as good as I once was…” His voice dipped, barely more than a whisper.

Her heart clenched.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she scoffed, waving a hand despite knowing he couldn’t see her. “I’ve seen you play a million times, and you are scary in front of the goal.”

“Not anymore,” he admitted, and this time, there was no humor in his voice—just raw honesty.

She opened her mouth to argue, to remind him of the player she knew—the one who could send an entire stadium into a frenzy with a single block. But before she could, he cleared his throat.

“That’s actually why I’m calling,” he continued. “I’ve got exercise mats being delivered today around two. Can you just drag the box into the condo? I’ll find a place for it later.”

“Of course. Do you need me to set it up?”

“Nah, I’ll get it,” he replied, the easygoing tone slipping back into place. “Oh—and I’m bringing home the schedule tonight so we can post it. I’ve got some home games here, and I’ll have tickets for you. But I also wanted to share the other dates—when I’m away.”

“Sure.”

There was a brief pause, a hesitation in the air that made her grip the phone tighter.

“Um, Laurel, ah… well …”

She froze. That tone. That careful, almost nervous way he was saying her name. Her pulse quickened.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice softer now.

He let out a breath. “Do you want to go with me to a ‘meet the family’ sort of thing on Saturday? I have to attend, but they’re encouraging families to come too. If you don’t want to, or if you think Kendall would hate it, that’s okay.”

Her lips curled into a smile, warmth unfurling in her chest.

“I’d love to.”

“If Kendall comes, she has to keep her hatred of me contained,” he added, his voice laced with dry amusement but also something else—something cautious, uncertain. “I know she doesn’t like me, but…”

“Dustin, it’s not that.” Laurel shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her. “She’s going to be thirteen in a few months, and she doesn’t like anyone right now. I’m dreading the day she starts her period.”

“I’ll go live in a cardboard box when it happens,” he deadpanned.

A startled laugh burst from her lips, and he joined in, the shared humor easing some of the weight between them.

“It’s not that bad,” she said once the laughter subsided. “But I think she can keep it under control on Saturday. Besides, the more she’s around us and realizes that this is her new life, maybe we’ll all begin to mesh a little easier.”

“I hope so—because I really want you happy and not stuck in the middle of it, Laurel.” His voice had dropped again, softer now, almost vulnerable. “I’ve gotta go.”

She felt the conversation slipping away, the moment unraveling. “Dustin?” she blurted before he could hang up.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” she whispered. “For making me feel welcome. And for everything you’ve done for Kendall.”

“Of course,” he said without hesitation. “It means a lot to me to have you here.”

“Same,” she murmured, her chest tightening.

“I really have to go. Can we talk more tonight?”

“I’d like that.”

They said their goodbyes, and as she set her phone down, Laurel stared at her computer screen, the blank document waiting for her. But her mind was elsewhere, caught up in the warmth of his words, the steadiness of his presence.

And for the first time in a long time, she felt inspired as she began to type quickly, an idea forming in her mind. The words flowed as she pictured the characters in her book, the scenes unfurling, and found herself smiling with joy at the scenarios… only to jump as her alarm went off.

It was already time to get Kendall.

Clicking save, she grabbed her purse and hesitated. Dustin’s exercise mats hadn’t arrived yet, and she had to leave. Getting her shoes on, she jerked open the door and saw the box sitting there – and rolled her eyes.

No knock? Nothing?

She yanked it inside and darted toward the elevator to go pick up Kendall from school and take her shopping for a few things before meeting Dustin for dinner.

A few hours later, Laurel and Kendall were sitting in a booth at some small restaurant looking over the menu. Thankfully, there were photos on some of the items, and she could identify a few words from high school French years ago. Poisson was fish, poulet was chicken, boeuf was beef, and so on… but as she looked over the menu to crane her neck once more looking for Dustin’s impending arrival – the world seemed to slow to a crawl.

She met his blue eyes and saw his slight smile as he walked toward the table – toward her – with a purpose in his step. He was hungry – and not for her. Oh gosh, she wished that was the reason he was walking to the table because he missed her. He slid into the seat beside her at the round booth and nodded to Kendall before turning to her.

“Hey,” he said simply to her, and she was melting. The warmth in his gaze, the easy way he fit beside her, even the scent of his cologne was enough to turn her into a puddle of beurre – or butter.

Melted butter.

“Hey yourself,” Laurel replied back quietly, trying to keep things nonchalant only for her to flinch as Kendall kicked her lightly under the table before rolling her eyes pointedly. She glared at her sister, who ignored her, before turning back to Dustin. “How was practice?”

“It turned out okay,” he shrugged. “I took it easy, and Larsson actually listened to a few suggestions I had today. Salas scored on me, which was no surprise. Coeur scored twice and called me “Battleship” the rest of the afternoon, talking smack.”

“Why Battleship?”

“Cause he sank the puck easily,” Dustin chuckled easily, looking almost sheepish as he turned back to Laurel. “That started all sorts of comments about how I was taking it easy on him and Boucher since we came from the same team. Acton was really irate because I blocked him.”

“Oh?”

“Yup. He said he was going to make a coral reef out of ‘ Coeur’s beloved Battleship ’ if I kept letting Coeur get away with murder – which I wasn’t,” he stressed firmly before sighing. “I’m not worried about Acton. He’s always had an attitude and is struggling to fit in.”

“You should give him a big ol’ hug,” Kendall volunteered sweetly – to which Dustin made the same expression, fighting back a smile.

“No, because I like my smile.”

“I do, too,” Laurel blurted out and then hesitated. “No one wants you hurt.”

“I knew what you meant.”

“Uh, we all knew what you meant, sis. Let me tell you, you are transparent, dear sister… and Dump Truck? Your dating skills are subpar.”

“You’re twelve,” Dustin chimed in, frowning. “What do you know about dating skills?”

“I’ve watched movies and read her books.”

“That’s not dating.”

“You’re right. It’s sheer fantasy because no one acts or talks like that bunch of garbage,” Kendall paused as Laurel groaned, putting her head in her hand in defeat. “It’s good enough to keep me hooked and tell me what not to do when I’m dating – that and you two.”

Dustin and Laurel looked at each other.

“That right there,” Kendall said in disgust. “Y’all are a pair of dorks.”

“Gee. This is a fun family dinner,” he retorted dryly.

“Isn’t it, though?” her sister replied in the same dry tone, and thankfully, Dustin didn’t egg her on or answer this time. Instead, he turned to Laurel and nodded.

“How did the shopping go?”

“Oh, it went well. We picked up some jeans for Kendall and a few uniforms for school; all her supplies and your mats arrived at the house as I was leaving. It’s been a busy day.”

“How was school, Kendall?” Dustin asked politely. Laurel was watching his profile, drinking in his kind expression while at the same time bracing herself for what Kendall’s response would be to the man she obviously disliked and blamed for moving here.

“It was fine,” Kendall answered, not looking up. “Can I get a burger?”

“You can have whatever you want for dinner.”

“Cool.”

Dustin and Laurel shared a confused look as she widened her eyes and he shrugged, shaking his head, before looking at his menu once more. It was less than a minute later that she felt him touch her hand for a moment under the table before he pulled back.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“Where’s the waiter?” he asked distractedly, looking around as Laurel stared at him in surprise – and Kendall chuckled.

“Again – dorks.”

“Stop,” Laurel hissed at her sister, feeling embarrassed at Dustin’s obvious discomfort at them simply touching hands. Her confidence was eroding away at the idea that he really didn’t like her – at least not in the way that she yearned for him.

Craved.

As the waiter arrived at the table, he listened to them order and the small talk across the table. Nothing major, earthshattering, or hostile – just a simple chat between two people, and it was nice. If things were slowly changing between the three of them, maybe she could hold onto hope a little bit longer.