It All Started With a Lima Bean (7 page)

Abby didn’t particularly enjoy Back to School night and was extremely nervous. After working all day, she didn’t want to stand in front of a bunch of judgmental parents who wondered how she was going to help their ‘gifted’ kindergartener get into Harvard one day. It was a requirement, so she would have to push through the evening. Leah walked into her class holding up an all too familiar cup of coffee, “Thank Heaven for 7 Eleven.” She winked while handing the liquid gold to Abby.

“Have I told you that you are my best friend, and I’ll love you forever?” Abby offered up her cheesiest smile.

“Yes, but I wish you would say it even when I’m not handing you a cup of coffee.” Leah had her hands on her hips pretending to be bothered. “So what do you want me to do?”

“Just be here for moral support. You know how I get.” Yes, her best friend did know how anxious she got speaking to a large group of adults.

“Oh Honey, I will be here for you. I may have to get all ghetto and beat any of the snotty moms who look at you the wrong way though. I’ll hand you my earrings if it goes that far.” This was a joke they said quite often, so they both started laughing.

“I love you for protecting me too, not just for your coffee delivery service.” Abby pulled Leah into a hug.

The evening went on without Leah having to show her kickboxing skills. The number of parents that showed up pleasantly surprised Abby, and they seemed friendly for the most part. However, she did have what she called a “helicopter mom” that hovered over her, trying to make sure Abby was paying enough attention to her
perfect
child. Abby hoped this parent wouldn’t feel the need to volunteer too much in the classroom.

“Oh my gosh!
Who
is
that
?” Leah’s eyes bulged out of her head.

Abby didn’t even have to look up to know whom she was referring to. “Um, that’s Madison’s father, Caleb.”

Her friend turned to look at her and saw it again. “Abby, you are turning red. Grace mentioned something at the farmers market the other day, and wait a minute; he was at the barbecue too, wasn’t he? Oh my goodness, my friend. You are totally crushing on your student’s dad and didn’t even tell me.” Leah pulled Abby by both forearms until she was standing face to face with her.

“I am not.” Half-heartedly, she slapped Leah’s shoulder then pulled away.

“You so are! I can’t say that I blame you. It looks like the DNA of David Boreanaz and Dean Cane was somehow combined, and Caleb was the end result.”

“Yes! I got the David Boreanaz right away, but obviously a little Dean Cane too with maybe a sprinkle of Michael Schoeffling, but only the ‘16 Candles’ years.” They loved playing the DNA combination game.

He chose that moment to head over to them, grinning from ear to ear. “Look at that smile. Give me something to fan myself with because I’m gonna pass out.” Leah mumbled, grabbing a piece of paper and waving it back and forth in front of her face.

“Leah, you’re being too obvious.” Abby grunted.

“Hi Abby, how is your evening going?”
Dang did he ever not look stunning?
Her heart skipped, and her hands got sweaty, along with all the other things she’d read that happened to girls when super gorgeous guys approached them. Wait, was that actually perspiration starting to drip down the back of her neck?

“Pretty good. How is your evening so far?” She managed to get out. Leah cleared her throat. “Oh sorry, Caleb this is my best friend, Leah. Leah this is Robert and Grace’s son-in-law Caleb.”

“Oh, Madison’s daddy. Very nice to meet you, Caleb.” Abby gave a look that said, ‘I can’t believe you just let him know that I was talking about him’. Leah smiled cunningly.

“It’s nice to meet you too. Well, I’m going to let you get back to greeting other parents. Have a great evening and I’ll see you on Thursday.” He waved while turning to walk back to his party.

“See you then.” She was actually batting her eyelashes at him as he walked away.
What the heck? You are making a fool of yourself again
she thought while noticing how well he wore his jeans.

“Thursday huh?” Breaking Abby’s focus on Caleb’s jean clad behind, Leah moved in front of her with her arms crossed, lips pursed, hip popped, and leg cocked.

“It’s nothing like that. He is chaperoning the zoo field trip. Besides, you know I have a strict no dating my student’s father policy.” Abby walked away, straightening papers.

“Abby, you have a strict no dating anybody policy.”

After giving her friend a dirty look, she said, “I have parents to talk to.”

“Well, hello Dr. Gorgeous.” Leah looked over Abby’s shoulder. Abby turned around and saw Blaine Zuckerman in scrubs with his family.

“Oh no you don’t.
That
is Peter’s brother.” Abby held her index finger up waving it back and forth.

“I didn’t say I was going to do anything. I’m just enjoying the view. Wow, he is extremely good looking too.”

“I know, but he’s also a part of my painful past. It’s been hard having his nephew in my class. Did I tell you that one of them is going on the field trip on Thursday? Are they trying to torture me?” Leah looked at her with wide eyes as if she were trying to speak through them.

“Who is trying to torture you, Abs?”
Crap
! Peter and his brother were the only ones that had ever called her that.

She turned and was face to chest with Blaine. “Nobody. Um, did you have any questions about Justin?”

“No, just thought I’d come up and say hi. I haven’t actually had a chance to talk to you since school started.”

Leah stepped up to them. “Hi, I’m Leah, Abby’s
best
friend.” She extended her hand. Abby gave her another dirty look.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Blaine. Abby and I uh, went to high school together.” She was thankful he didn’t mention the main reason they knew each other. “Well, I’ll see you later. It was nice meeting you Leah.” He walked toward his family. His twin sister, Tiffany had her hands on her hips, giving him a disapproving look.

Having the same look for Leah, Abby probed, “Why did you introduce yourself to him? I just told you who he was.”

“I know. It was getting awkward just watching you stand there with him.”

“I’m sorry. I’m a little on edge about the whole situation.”

“I know, but you have to deal with this Abby. You can’t keep tucking it in the closet and closing the door.”

Another parent walking up to her saved Abby. She knew this conversation wasn’t over, but she could postpone talking about it.

Because the zoo wasn’t a far drive, Abby arranged for approved parent drivers to take the kids instead of the added expense of a school bus. This was yet another reason why she loved working at a charter school. If she had been working for one through a traditional school district, then they would never be able to have parent drivers.

Parents, students, and teachers all met in the classroom for attendance, and then to assign kids to parent chaperones. Blaine approached, and she noted that he was the only member of his family that was chaperoning this time. “Hey Abs, do you want to ride with me?”

She scanned the room and met with Caleb’s eyes. “Um, actually, I was planning on riding with Caleb.”

Caleb smiled and walked a little closer, “Are we ready to go?” Abby nodded and was dumbfounded at what just happened. She put him on the spot and felt awful about it.

Blaine grimaced. “I guess I’ll see you there then Abs.” He grabbed his nephew and the two other boys he was driving, as well as the booster seats they needed.

They walked out to Caleb’s car with Madison and two other kids in tow. “Yay, Miss Abby, are you riding with us?”

“Yes. I guess I am Sweetie.” Three little girls giggled and clapped their hands.

Caleb opened the back and front passenger doors. She noted that he had already set the booster seats in his backseat. The little girls climbed in and buckled up. He waited while Abby got in the front seat, and then closed all of the doors.
What a gentleman
she thought before taking in the gorgeous interior of her dream car. It still had that new car smell, rich with leather.

After entering the car and turning it on, Caleb leaned toward Abby and whispered, “So are you going to tell me what that was about?”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to suck you into that. Blaine is my ex-boyfriend’s brother, and it’s just weird spending time with him. I saw you, and it just came out. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t.”

“I keep running into his family. I guess it’s just one of the hazards of living in the town that you were raised in.” He turned to look behind him as he backed out of the parking space.
Dang he was cute
. His facial skin looked so smooth, almost as if he’d never grown stubble on it before.

“He must have been a serious boyfriend for this to bother you so much.” He eyed her before putting the car into drive and looking out of the front windshield.

“I guess. He was my high school boyfriend, but we have some unpleasant blood between us, and it’s just awkward with his nephew in my class.”

“What does akwad mean?” They heard from the backseat and laughed.

Abby turned back to her student Melinda and said, “Awk-WARD means something that makes you uncomfortable.”

“Oh, okay. Sometimes my shoes are awkward.” The little girl turned and looked out of the window. This time Abby giggled.

After the short drive, Caleb announced, “We’re here little ladies.” He pulled into the parking lot and rushed to get out so he could open doors. Abby stepped out of the car when Blaine pulled in beside them, giving her a sexy smile.

“I have to go get the tickets. Meet me at the front?” She asked Caleb as she rushed off without an answer, trying to create more distance between her and Blaine.

Abby got up to the ticket booth, gave them the field trip information, and paid for the tickets. She walked over to the side gate and joined the other kindergarten teachers. Once parents walked up with their assigned kids, she handed them the tickets and checked their names off the list. Everyone was there except her not so favorite parent, ‘Helicopter Mom’. Of course, she would drive her son, and only her son, because she didn’t want any other children in her BMW. The school was technically responsible for him though, so Abby sat and waited an additional fifteen minutes in the sun until they got there.

Abby was not a sarcastic person but had to say something when Helicopter Mom walked up with a blended iced Mocha in her hand, and a Strawberries and Cream in her
gifted
son’s hand. “Wow, if I knew you were making a stop, I would have placed an order.” That got her a dirty look, but she didn’t care.

“Just in case I lose contact with you here, we need to go back to school after the zoo.”

“I was planning on leaving in a couple of hours so we can spend some time together today.” As though she wasn’t going to spend alone time with her child at the zoo.

“That’s fine, but I’ll need you to sign him out with me, or to go back to school to sign him out.”

“Why don’t you give me your cell number and I’ll call you when I need you to meet up with me?” H.M. had the nerve to say, and heck no. This was the last parent she was going to give her cell number to.

“I have a better idea. Why don’t you just sign this right now, and you will be free to go whenever you like.” Abby handed her the sign out form. She didn’t dislike too many people, but Abby could do without this woman.

“Fine.” She snatched the clipboard out of Abby’s hand, signed it next to her son’s name, and then shoved it back at her. Abby turned her back and walked into the entrance. She called one of the other teachers to see where they were, and met up with them at the penguin habitat.

Abby finally caught her breath when she leaned against the railing in front of the penguins so she could listen to the presentation the trainers were giving. She could feel someone standing close behind her. Too close. She heard an unwelcome whisper in her ear. “My brother was a fool for letting you go. You have grown into an incredible looking woman.”

Abby turned quickly to face Blaine. “What? Why did you say that?” She questioned with irritation in her tone.