A Christmas To Remember (Hero Hearts) Read online

  “I’m certain they do,” April said, fumbling, trying to correct the major wrong she’d made. “I apologize, Mr. Barber. I didn’t mean any harm in what I said–”

  He held up his hand to stop her. “I know you didn’t,” he said. Then he sighed. “You’re probably right, though. I should be more invested. My kids are more important, even though you wouldn’t think I actually believed that based on my schedule.”

  He looked up at her, and she could see some reservation in his gaze. Not only that, but hurt as well, deep down. Regret.

  “And it’s Clay,” he said.

  April blinked three times quickly as high spots of embarrassed color rising in her cheeks. “Excuse me?”

  “No need to be so formal with me,” he said. “My name is Clay.”

  “Oh,” she said, surprised by his action. “Well… Clay it is, then,” she said. She would normally outright refuse such informalities, but in this case she accepted his suggestion even though it was unprofessional to do so. She wasn’t sure why she did it, but she’d worry over about that later.

  “Is there anything else you need?” he asked, getting to his feet.

  “These are just some evaluations I put together,” April said, passing him some documents. “Nothing terribly deep, just something I’ve learned about your kids in the time I’ve known them. I do this for all my students.”

  Clay nodded as he took the papers from her. “Thank you, Miss Summers.”

  “April,” she said, and then nearly swallowed her tongue. “My name is April.”

  He regarded her for a moment, his blue eyes steady. “April. April Summers. That’s a pretty name.”

  She thought she might roll over and die right there. “Thank you,” she said.

  He sighed and started walking away from her desk. “Well, I apologize, but I best be leaving. I promised the kids I’d swing through that chicken restaurant they love so much on my way home and get supper. With milkshakes, of course. They do have the best milkshakes ever.” He looked up at her from beside the door and smiled. “Have a nice night, Miss Summers. April. And thanks for all this.”

  “Yeah,” she said, almost breathless. “You’re welcome.”

  She watched him leave the room with a tip of his head. She wondered if he was so used to wearing his state trooper’s hat that it was as if he never took it off.

  When he was gone, she let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. Sinking back into her chair, she stared at the now empty doorway.

  She couldn’t explain the tightness in her chest, or the shortness of breath. Why was she so nervous?

  She shook her head and tucked Ella and Eric’s files away back where they belonged. He wasn’t the sort of man that she would normally date anyways. He was too much of a workaholic, even at the expense of his children. That was just not something she could get behind.

  Not only that, but she knew that she could never date the father of one of her students. She didn’t know what the school’s policy on it, but she’d been told time and again during her schooling that those relationships were always frowned upon.

  She frowned, picking up her purse and heading toward the door. Why was she thinking about this, anyway? It wasn’t even as if he’d want to date her anyways.

  And it wasn’t even as if she’d want to date him, either.

  She turned off the lights and sighed, pushing those thoughts out of her mind.

  He was a nice man who also happened to be very attractive, but that was where it would end. It wouldn’t matter how many times she’d have to tell herself that.

  4

  There was a real struggle happening inside Clay’s mind. On one hand, he was furious and beyond annoyed that something could have interrupted his life so much, causing him to break a promise he’d made. It was going to have lasting consequences, and it wouldn’t matter if he stepped on the accelerator. He knew what he’d find at the end.

  The other part of him knew that he’d done what he had to do. Due to the unpredictable nature of his job, these situations were unavoidable. Police officers were always needed, and sometimes it was at the most inconvenient of times. He took pride in the work he did. He felt as if he made a real difference and knew he shouldn’t be so selfish when there were people out there who were going to be getting some very bad news any time now. This was one of those times when his job put him in heartbreaking situations.

  He sighed as he hit yet another red light. His fingers drummed on the steering wheel as he stared up at the streetlight overhead.

  Heavy rain hammered down on the car, glancing off the windshield and hood in fat droplets. The wipers were waving back and forth in a frantic pace, trying to keep a somewhat clear view for Clay to see through.

  The road was drenched, glossy like a mirror that reflected the streetlamps and glow of red and green from the changing traffic signals.

  Clay watched cars stream by, his leg jumping. He glanced over at his cell phone and clicked the screen on quickly. There were no new notifications.

  Why was it tonight of all nights that his sister decided to ignore her phone?

  The light turned green and Clay did his best not to shove the pedal to the floor with his heavy boot.

  It was busy for a Friday night during rush hour, which didn’t help his nerves at all. Every second he delayed pained him all that much more.

  He anxiously made a left turn into a nearly empty parking lot. Large lights shone down onto the blacktop, and he was grateful to see that there were still lights on inside the building.

  He quickly parked as close as he could to the front entrance, slammed his already soaked hat back onto his head, and ducked out of the car. He darted across the pavement and only slowed when he was underneath the large, steel overhang above the doors.

  He pressed the button on the intercom box beside the doors.

  “Hello?” came a voice on the other end.

  “Uh, hi, this is Sheriff Clay Barber. I’m here to pick up Eric and Ella Barber from Miss Summers’ second grade class?” Clay said, rainwater dripping from the front of his hat, his soaked shirt clinging to his shoulders and arms.

  There was no response for a second or two, and Clay was increasingly feeling like he should be nominated for Worst Dad of the Year award.

  “Come on in to the office and we’ll get you signed in and everything,” came the woman’s voice again.

  There was a loud sound of a buzzer and the front door was unlocked.

  He made his way to the office where he verified himself with his ID, picked up the visitor’s pass, and signed both of his kids out. He then proceeded down the hall to Miss Summers’ classroom.

  His stomach twisted into knots as he approached the cheery door. A wreath made of each student’s handprint decorated the front, and garland hung around the doorframe, wrapped in tiny, twinkling lights.

  He swallowed nervously before knocking on the door.

  It opened a second later, and he saw Miss Summers’ pretty face staring up at him with a mixture of joy and condescension.

  “Daddy!” came Ella’s voice. A second later her little arms were wrapped around him, her head pressed against his stomach as she squeezed.

  Eric wasn’t far behind her.

  Clay’s heart broke as they both turned their faces up to him.

  “Daddy, what took you so long?” Eric asked, his blue eyes narrowing as he put his hands on his hips.

  “Yeah, you promised you’d be here to pick us up from school today,” Ella said, frowning.

  Clay bent down and laid a hand on each of their shoulders. “I know. And I’m so very sorry I’m as late as I am. I hoped your Aunt Bonnie would have been here to pick you up, but we had a bit of a miscommunication. I got here as soon as I could.”

  Eric huffed, looking away. “You stayed late at work again, didn’t you?”

  The sourness in his tone made Clay’s heart feel like it was being passed through a cheese grater. “Yeah, buddy. It was work.”

 
Eric shook his little head.

  “Why don’t you both go get your backpacks,” Clay said. “And don’t forget to put your coats on. It’s raining buckets out there.”

  Eric and Ella both obediently turned and headed toward their cubbies along the wall, leaving Clay with April.

  “I’m really, really sorry,” Clay said as soon as the kids were out of earshot. “I meant to be here at three when they got out. But there was this terrible car accident out by the interstate because of the weather…” his voice trailed off. She didn’t need to know the heart wrenching things he’d seen just a little while ago. “I got called to it just as I was leaving the precinct to come down here. It was bad and they really needed extra help.”

  “It’s okay,” April said, her eyes flicking between Clay and the kids who were pulling their jackets on, talking about what they were hoping to have for dinner that night when they got home. “We were fine. We read a few stories, did some coloring. It was no trouble.”

  “But it was,” Clay said. “I know that you probably broke a dozen rules by staying here with them.”

  April averted her eyes. “Technically, I’m supposed to call Child Protective Services, but honestly I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. The principal agreed since this is a special circumstance.”

  Clay felt even worse. He rubbed his hands over his face. “I really am sorry. I texted my sister, asking her if she’d come and pick them up for me. I just assumed that she’d answer me like she always does.” He sighed loudly and looked at the floor. “I drove all the way out to her house to pick them up, but nobody was home. That was when I realized I’d gotten a call from the school, and now here I am, nearly two hours late picking my own kids up.”

  “Really, it’s okay,” April said. Her gaze softened as she looked up at him. “I can see that you are trying to be a good father, and that you really care. I know this isn’t something you meant to do. And even though it seems like I don’t, I get it about your job.”

  Clay took his hat off and ran his fingers through his hair. “No, I certainly did not mean to.”

  “It must be tough, being a single parent in situations like this,” April said, somewhat offhandedly. “Especially working the sort of job you do.”

  “I promise, Miss Summers, I won’t ever let this happen again,” he said. “You know, you should let me make this up to you. I’d be happy to take care of the ticket I gave you two weeks ago. I felt like a real jerk that day. I really should have been easier on you.”

  She smiled up at him appreciatively. “Well, I don’t think you need to apologize for doing your job. I should have been paying more attention anyway. There’s no hard feelings, don’t worry. Besides, I already paid it.”

  “I see,” Clay said. “Well, I guess I’ll have to call the school earlier next time to make sure the kids get on the bus to their aunt’s, or something. Oh, I don’t know.” He was so flustered that he was having a hard time thinking clearly. “I feel like such a fool. I must look like such a bad parent.”

  April shook her head. “No, I don’t think you’re a bad parent. But maybe to ensure this doesn’t happen again, why don’t we exchange cell phone numbers?”

  Clay looked over at her. “Are you sure? That’s not something you’d get in trouble for?”

  April shrugged and smiled at him. She turned around to her desk, pulled a pen with a sparkly green pom-pom on the end out of a colorful mug and scrawled a number down on a fluorescent sticky note. She pulled it off and handed it to him.

  He took it, feeling strangely lightheaded. He knew it wasn’t for anything other than for his kids, but even still, it had been a long time since a woman had given him her phone number.

  “Look, Clay, right? I know that you mean well. I can clearly see that you are torn up about being so late. The kids can see that too, I’m sure. So don’t beat yourself up over it, all right?”

  Clay looked down at her as if she had just given him the answers to everything he needed to hear. “You have a keen eye, Miss Summers.”

  She smiled, but then it fell. “I’m sorry you had to deal with something so terrible tonight.”

  His shoulders sagged, and he nodded. “Yeah, it makes me grateful that I have my kids and we get to go home and have a relaxing night of frozen pizza and Christmas movies.”

  She grinned. “That sounds like a lovely evening.”

  “What about you?” he asked. Eric and Ella were pulling their backpacks on and making their way back over to where he and April were standing. “What sort of fun does a young lady have planned for a rainy Friday night?”

  He half expected her to say she had a date. If he was honest, he’d admit to himself that he was fishing for information.

  She smiled down at the kids. “I’m going to go home, curl up with my cats, and watch a movie, I think.”

  Ella’s eyes nearly bulged. “Oh, you mean Whiskers and Casper?”

  April nodded. “They will be very happy when I get home. They love to snuggle up in a blanket with me at night.”

  Ella turned her big eyes to Clay. “Aww, Dad, can’t we get some kitties like Miss Summers?”

  Clay ruffled his daughter’s hair. “Maybe someday, kiddo.”

  He and April exchanged a smile over her head, and Clay was surprised when his heart skipped a beat.

  She really was pretty, wasn’t she?

  5

  It was early Saturday morning. April had slept in a little, risen, and sat out on her porch with a hot cup of coffee, having some quiet time all to herself. She spent a great deal of time reflecting on Clay Barber’s actions the night before. Where she had thought him careless and distant from his kids, she found herself proven wrong. The fearful expression she’d seen on his face when he walked through the door to her classroom had assuaged any and all preconceptions about him. And that left her feeling rather, well, she wasn’t quite sure how to feel.

  She realized she found him rather charming. She’d been told that southern men had this way about them that made them seem both rough around the edges on the outside but gentle on the inside. For a brief moment, April felt as if she’d seen that marshmallow-y interior.

  She was just sticking a load of laundry into the dryer when her phone went off in the kitchen. She padded across the carpet and lifted it off the counter, grabbing her coffee to sip as she clicked on her phone.

  It was from a number she didn’t recognize. She opened the text and raised an eyebrow when she saw who it was from.

  Good morning, Miss Summers. It’s Clay Barber. I hope I’m not bothering you on your day off.

  There was a rush of excitement as she read his name on her phone. She’d just given him her cell phone number the night before. She kept reading, somewhat eagerly.

  I know this is pretty out of the blue, but Eric and Ella are having their birthday party today. They’re turning eight. Anyway, I invited some of the kids from their class and their parents to come over to our house and have some pizza and play some games. The kids and I thought you might like to join the fun.

  Her heart fluttered. Go to their house? She honestly wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate or not. This wasn’t something she’d ever heard any of the other teachers doing. But it was her personal life, right? It was alright for her to go as a friend of theirs, and not have to be their teacher for the day. Besides, she was flattered that Clay had asked her to join in the first place.

  “That was very thoughtful,” she murmured to herself.

  It wasn’t a hard choice for her. She texted him back saying that she would be happy to stop by. He seemed pleased and texted her their address, as well as the time of the party.

  She spent a great deal of time that morning getting ready after that. She showered, spent too long styling her hair, and was meticulous with her makeup. She knew that she was not going on a date with the man. There would be parents of her students there, and she knew that Clay had just invited her to be nice. Even still, she couldn’t help but feel there was more to
it than that. She’d seen the way he had been smiling at her the night before.

  And she couldn’t deny the butterflies that filled her stomach every time she thought about him. Which lately had been quite often.

  She ran to the mall before heading over there to pick up some gifts for the kids. She picked up a new football for Eric with his favorite team’s logo on it, and a crystal making science kit for Ella who was fascinated when they’d made rock candy as a class.

  She felt somewhat guilty buying presents for those two, knowing that she would likely have to buy gifts for each student now. She sort of liked that idea, and knew that as a teacher of young kids, she was allowed to have more fun.

  She typed in the address that Clay had given her into the GPS and realized that their home wasn’t all that far from her apartment. She’d driven by their neighborhood every day on her way to the school.

  Her heart was fluttering as she pulled onto their street. It was easy to see which house was the Barber’s – there were a half a dozen cars parked in the driveway and out on the street.

  She saw his trooper car in front of the garage and her heart began to beat faster.

  You are being so silly right now, she told herself. He is just a father of two of your students, nothing more.

  The thought helped her to gather herself and step out of the car. When she rang the doorbell, it wasn’t long before it was pulled open. It was Clay who greeted her there with a big smile and his bright blue eyes.

  “Well, Miss Summers, come on in,” he said, stepping aside. “Glad you could make it.”

  “Of course,” April said, stepping through the doorway.

  He closed the door behind her, still smiling at her.

  She tried as hard as she could not to blush. “Oh, I brought these for the kids,” she said, holding up the two gift bags she’d had the clerk at the store wrap the gifts in for her.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” Clay said, taking the gifts from her outstretched hands. “But that was very kind of you and they’ll love it.”