Loving Liam (Cloverleaf #1) (9 page)

No more sleeping in
, he thought.
Back to the grind.

***

Rachel

Rachel spent most of the day trying to decide which outfit to wear for the first day of her new job. She had narrowed her choices down to two suits, one pants and the other a skirt ensemble. She wanted to make a good first impression while indicating that she meant business and wanted to be taken seriously. Only in her early thirties, she was fairly young to be a principal.

A little later in the day, Rachel decided to take a drive to get acquainted with the neighborhood and locate the school. When she arrived there in only minutes, she was surprised at how close it was to her new home. As soon as the weather was warmer, she planned on walking to work sometimes, something she’d never had the opportunity to do back home. Her condo was fifteen miles away from the last school she’d worked at, and she would spend nearly an hour each way on the congested freeway. Being stuck in traffic was a way of life for anyone who commuted in southern California.

After readying herself for bed and setting her alarm, Rachel lay in the darkness. Fear of the unknown, interacting with people who didn’t know her, and just the newness of all the responsibility she was about to be handed kept her from falling asleep. She tossed and turned, eyeing the alarm clock, then her cell phone as she struggled desperately to sleep. Finally, her brain had mercy on her and allowed her to fall into a restless slumber.

Chapter Seven

Liam

Liam grabbed his coffee and headed out the door. It was cold and the sky was still dark as he started his truck. He let it run awhile before making his five mile drive to work. As he drank his coffee and jammed out to a tune on the classic rock station, Liam was in a great mood, especially for a Monday. After pulling into the lot at the elementary school, he found his usual parking spot. Grabbing his backpack and coat, he then got out and headed to the large front doors of the school.

As he walked into the mail room next to the teachers’ lounge, the school secretary Karen, a lovely older woman who had worked there since Liam had attended as a child, gave him a giant smile.

“Good morning, Liam,” she said as she proceeded to place a memo in each of the teachers mailboxes.

Curious, Liam grabbed the papers from his box. “Morning, Karen. How was your winter break?” he asked as he casually shuffled through the small pile, not really reading any of it.

Karen stopped filing and turned toward him. “Pretty nice. All the grandkids came to visit us.”

“Oh, that’s great. I bet you enjoyed seeing them. Maggie and Melanie spent the entire time at Mom’s.” Liam smiled but quickly scowled in confusion as he looked down at the paper on top of his stack. “Hey, Karen, what’s this about?” He held up the memo she had just put in each box.

“Mr. Anderson says he wants to see everyone this morning during first recess.” Her face scrunched with annoyance as she added, “He didn’t tell me anything, which is a little odd.”

“I guess we’ll all find out together.” Liam waved at a teacher who was headed in their direction. “Well, I’m headed to class,” he said as he exited the room.

***

Rachel

Rachel’s eyes shot open.
Oh dear God! What time is it?
Noticing her alarm clock blinking 12:00, she sprang out of bed and grabbed her cellphone to see what hour it really was.
Oh no, it’s after seven.
I’m late!

She hopped into the shower, lathered her body, dried off, and dressed with a speed she didn’t know she possessed. She threw on her coat, grabbed her empty travel coffee mug and briefcase, and ran out the door. She prayed they had good coffee at the school because she was going to need it.

Rachel was thankful for how close the school was to her new home as she pulled into a spot next to the front doors.
Here we go
, she thought as the first bell of the day rang. She scurried through the enormous glass doors and made her way to a counter that was across from the entryway. Children of various sizes were hurrying to class, and their loud chatter bounced off the walls. Rachel smiled as a little girl waved and said good morning.

As she walked up to the counter, she noticed an older woman in the room beyond was filing paper into various mailboxes. “Good morning, I’m Rachel Montgomery. Mr. Anderson is expecting me,” she announced politely.

The woman turned her attention to Rachel and gave her a warm smile. “Hello. Sorry, didn’t hear you with all the kiddos coming in.”

“Oh that’s no problem.” Rachel nervously clutched her briefcase as she rocked slightly on her chunky heels. She was glad she’d opted for the pants suit when a cold draft swept against her legs as the last stragglers hurried through the door.

“Let me go get Mr. Anderson for you. Rachel, was it?” the secretary asked sweetly as she scooted past the counter and down a hallway.

“Yes, Rachel Montgomery. Thank you again.” Rachel scanned the interior of the school. It was an older brick building, and a large mural of Lewis and Clark’s expedition was painted on the wall beside the entrance. Wide, exposed wooden beams held up the ceiling, the floor was polished concrete, and tall windows allowed plenty of sunlight to seep through.

Moments later, a tall man with a full head of white hair came toward her.

“Good morning, Rachel. Such a pleasure to meet you in person. Welcome to Birch Valley Elementary.” His voice was deep and thunderous, and his presence demanded attention. Even though he was well into his seventies, he was intimidating. Her palms started to sweat as she gripped her briefcase tighter.

Rachel recalled her interview with this man. He’d seemed smaller when she’d spoke with him over their webcams. In person, he stood almost a foot taller than Rachel, even with her two-inch heels. He wore a light blue dress shirt and a tie that had a brilliant pattern of colors. His gray slacks were a shade lighter than her own dress pants.

“This is Karen Miller, our wonderful school secretary. There are not enough kind words for me to say about her. We have worked together for so many years, and she has been running the show that whole time.” He laughed, patting Karen’s shoulder warmly. “Karen, as you already know, this is Rachel Montgomery. Why don’t we go to my office and I can start going over everything with you.” He turned on his heel and led Rachel down the same hallway he had emerged from. “Karen, please join us.”

Looking confused, Karen glanced curiously at Rachel, who managed a tight-lipped smile.

Once they were inside the principal’s office, he sat behind a wide mahogany desk and clasped his large hands together. “Well, I’m so thrilled you finally made it up here.”

Rachel had sat down in one of the two leather chairs in front of the desk, and Karen sat down slowly next to her.

“Yes, I had a great time coming up. Birch Valley is incredibly beautiful, though the snow was a little unexpected.” Rachel swallowed the nervous lump in her throat, and her stomach twisted into queasy knots as she tried to calm her nerves.

Karen remained stiff, quiet, and observant, the exact opposite of how she’d behaved when Rachel first met her.

Mr. Anderson leaned forward. “Well, spring will be here before you know it. Now, on to business. Karen, I’ve hired Rachel to replace me as principal.” His tone was even and firm.

Karen’s face twisted in confusion and shock. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware you were leaving the school, sir.”

“Well, I went to the district right after Thanksgiving. I’ve been considering retirement for a long while, actually.”

“Wow, I’m surprised. This is the first I’ve heard of it.” Karen’s tone was sharp, almost defensive.

Mr. Anderson sighed, as if he’d known she would react this way. “We’ve worked together for a long time, Karen, and I knew you wouldn’t be thrilled about someone replacing me.” He nodded toward Rachel, who felt even more uncomfortable as she watched tears fill Karen’s eyes.

“No, I completely understand. I’m just a little taken aback that you didn’t tell me, or anyone else here.” Karen wiped a tear from her cheek.

“Now, now.” He extended his reach across the desk and enveloped Karen’s hand in his own.

“Perhaps I should give you two a moment,” Rachel suggested.

Karen shook her head. “That won’t be necessary, dear. I’m just a sentimental old lady.”

“Now, Rachel has gone through the interview process with the district, and we felt she would be a great match for our school,” Mr. Anderson continued. “She is from a charter school in California, where she was the vice principal, correct?” he asked, turning to her.

Rachel cleared her tight throat. “Yes, that’s correct. I’m very excited about this opportunity and feel I can bring a lot to the staff and students here.”

“Well, we’re delighted to have you, Rachel. I hope you will forgive my little emotional outburst a moment ago.” Karen’s tone had softened as she squeezed Rachel’s arm.

“That’s okay. Honestly, I’m excited to be here and to get to know all of you,” Rachel replied, feeling the sick nervousness lift.

“Well, excellent. I had Karen send out an announcement to all the staff today, instructing them we’ll be meeting up during first recess. I’ll introduce you to them at that time. In the meantime, I figure I’ll show you basically what kind of ship I run here, and then I plan on handing over the reins to you within a couple of days. I want you to get adjusted and get your feet wet here.”

“Perfect.” Rachel responded, anxious to fully take the post.

***

Liam

Liam stood in front of his chalkboard reading out the roll call. Students answered if they were present, and Liam smiled at each one as he recorded their attendance. Excited energy filled the room as the students were clearly eager to share their experiences over the holidays. Time passed quickly, and soon the loud first recess bell rang. Students suited up in heavy coats and snow pants, then lined up in a neat row, patiently waiting to be dismissed. Once Liam saw that they were all well equipped to go out to the chilly playground, he let them go and headed to the cafeteria for the meeting.

Several teachers were already seated at the lunch tables, looking worried. Others were busy chatting away about their break. Liam looked for an empty place near the front and saw Megan Patterson, another fourth grade teacher who had a classroom right next to his. She smiled as she patted the space next to her, and he reluctantly sat down.

“Hey Liam, any idea what this is about?” She flashed him a bright smile. Megan had joined the teaching staff at the start of the school year. Her soft, brown hair was cut into long layers that framed her heart-shaped face. Liam guessed she was near his age and knew she was single because she had mentioned it to him several times, as had her mother.

“I have no clue. I asked Karen earlier, and she didn’t know, either.” Liam tried to look forward, facing away from Megan and her tight, low-cut, lilac-colored sweater that left little to the imagination. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Megan adjust the silk scarf hanging loosely over her cleavage, attempting to bring his attention to it.

Mr. Anderson walked into the cafeteria, and the room went silent as he waved and nodded at several staff members. Karen followed him, her skirt swishing against her leggings-clad legs. Another woman trailed after them, a petite blonde in a dark gray pants suit. Her red blouse drew attention to the otherwise nondescript outfit that was nonetheless well fitted to her small frame. Her light makeup caused her striking blue eyes to stand out, and Liam stared when he noticed her slender, upturned nose. The Californian who had stolen his spot at Herrick’s was standing approximately ten feet away. His mind starting turning a mile a minute.
What is she doing here?

The principal welcomed the staff back to work and then joked about how much he’d enjoyed himself over the break—so much that he had found a replacement and was going to retire.

The staff let out a collective gasp. Liam had to admit he hadn’t seen that one coming, even though he expected the man to announce his retirement eventually. Granted, Mr. Anderson had been the principal when Liam and his siblings had gone to school there, but his leaving was the end of an era.

Mr. Anderson explained that he hadn’t told anyone about his plans because he didn’t want people to make a fuss. He also wanted to make sure he found the perfect replacement, and that was when he introduced the blonde woman.

“Hello, everyone, I’m Rachel Montgomery,” she announced in a strong voice and with a wide smile that showcased her perfect teeth.

“Well, isn’t she adorable?” Megan whispered to Liam. “A little young to be a principal, though, don’t you think?”

Liam ignored Megan. His attention was now completely focused on the Californian, who now had a name. Rachel Montgomery. Now that Liam looked at her, she did appear to be a bit young to be running the school. She was also cute, as Daniel had said. She stood before them gracefully as she explained where she had come from, what her qualifications were, and how she planned to work closely with the staff to maintain the longstanding reputation of the school.

As she addressed the group, Liam couldn’t stop looking at her. Rachel’s mesmerizing eyes twinkled in the bright lights of the cafeteria, and he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her smile.

Oh no
, he thought. Not only was this Californian his new boss, but he was totally checking her out.

***

Rachel

Rachel inhaled deeply as she started her impromptu speech. The staff’s astonished and blank stares fueled her nerves. They sat silently, questioning her ability, but realizing they had no choice but to work with her. Rachel was quite surprised by the ratio of staff to students.

Karen must have realized she felt a little unsteady because she patted Rachel’s shoulder gently when Rachel had finished speaking, reassuring her that the speech was well delivered.

Another bell rang, and the teachers looked to Mr. Anderson, who excused them and thanked everyone for their time. The staff exited the cafeteria, talking in whispers of concern and surprise. Rachel overheard some of their hurtful comments and tried to sympathize with how they all must be feeling, but it was hard not to take their words personally.

“Well, the cat’s out of the bag now,” Mr. Anderson bellowed when the room was empty, a huge grin on his meaty face.