Big Girls Don’t Cry (Dundee, Idaho #6)(48)
Author: Brenda Novak

Madge was a history teacher who always sat front and center during staff meetings. At this, she glanced at Reenie with her mouth open, as if she would deny it. Then she gave the principal a scathing look that said, Big mouth.

Why she’d respond in such a way, Reenie had no idea. But she was glad they were getting a new teacher. Lord knows they needed one. “Great,” she said with a careless shrug. “Who is it?”

She set her bag down and slipped into her usual seat next to Beth. But the ensuing silence felt more than a little stilted. And every pair of eyes remained riveted on her.

Guy cleared his throat. “Isaac Russell.”

He’d muttered the words, making them barely audible, but Reenie caught them all the same. “What?” she cried. “No!”

“Now, Reenie, wait a minute.” Guy’s tone was placating. “Isaac’s a professor at the University of Chicago. He has a doctorate, for crying out loud. We’re very lucky to have someone so qualified—”

“He’s overqualified,” she said.

“—who is willing to step in and help us out here.”

“But there are only two months left of school,” she argued. “We can muddle through without him for two measly months.”

“You said yourself that your hands are full. Everyone else feels just as stressed.”

“But I didn’t know—I was wrong!” she said. “I—I can take on another class.”

“What about your kids?”

“I’ll arrange for an hour of babysitting after school. It’s temporary. Surely there’s someone else in this room who can make arrangements, too.”

“I will,” Beth said, raising her hand like a student.

Guilt stole Reenie’s pleasure from this small victory. The last thing her friend needed was more work. Beth was a single mom, too, with four kids at home. But Reenie couldn’t think about that right now. She had to make sure she protected herself from her enemies. “That’s two,” she said brightly. “See? Anyone else?”

Suddenly, no one except Madge would meet her eyes.

“Reenie, having Isaac on staff will be better for the students,” the history teacher said, glowering at the others as though disgusted with their reluctance to take a stronger stand. “We need a science teacher. And Isaac’s perfect.”

“Looking,” someone else volunteered, which was followed by a consenting, appreciative laugh.

Reenie thought it might have been Deborah who’d added this irrelevant detail, but she didn’t look over to find out. So what if Isaac was handsome? She didn’t want him working at the same school. “But we don’t need him,” she insisted.

“He’s a biologist. Did you know that?” Madge said.

Isaac had told her he used to be a scientist. But he’d also said he was writing a novel. Obviously, he couldn’t be trusted. “This is high school,” she argued. “We’re not teaching college-level classes. No one needs a doctorate to work here.”

“I don’t even have a doctorate,” Guy said as if examining the situation from a whole new perspective.

“Maybe Isaac will think he should be principal,” Reenie said. She knew she was grasping at straws, but at this point, she was willing to try almost anything. “Maybe Dr. Russell will take it upon himself to tell the rest of us country bumpkins how to do our jobs.”

“Isaac’s only filling in temporarily,” Madge said. “He’s no threat to Guy or anyone else. Come on, people. He’s spent months and months in the jungles of Africa. Think of the knowledge he can share with our student body. He’s agreed to take on the academic decathlon team, too.”

The oohs and aahs resulting from the announcement of a new academic decathlon coach brought Reenie to her feet. “We have books about Africa. And—and I’ll take on the academic decathlon team.”

“Really?” Guy said as if making a mental note. “I told him I’d find him a good assistant.”

“No! Isaac already works at the feed store,” Reenie said. “They need him. Heaven knows he seems to be the only one available to help me whenever I go in there.”

Reenie hadn’t meant to shout—but knew she’d gotten a little carried away when everyone blinked at her in surprise. “Come on, people,” she said, lowering her voice. “We don’t want him here, okay? Please?”

“I agree with Reenie,” Beth said, her expression full of sympathy. “Who cares if Isaac Russell is some single hotshot with a doctorate? We don’t need him.”

“Single?” Reenie said, catching that word amidst all the others.

“I mean—”

“We know what you meant,” Madge said. “You were as excited about having Isaac on staff as anyone—before Reenie walked in.”

Beth suddenly looked deflated. “I said I didn’t think it’d be a good thing,” she murmured weakly.

“Was that before or after you swooned?” Madge crossed her arms over her enormous chest. “Anyway, I practically had to beg him to take the job. I’m not going back to him now to say that we’ve changed our minds.”

“He’s already accepted?” Reenie said.

“I’m afraid so,” Guy replied. His expression was apologetic, but she could tell he wasn’t going to budge. “We can’t rescind the offer, Reenie. But having him teach for two months won’t be any big deal. You’ll see.”

Guy had to be joking, right? No big deal? Once Isaac started working at the high school, she’d encounter him every day. Ina’s room was right next to hers. God, there was even an adjoining supply closet!

THE MINUTE Reenie walked into the feed store, Isaac could tell that something had changed. He guessed she must’ve heard that he’d be teaching at the high school, and obviously she wasn’t pleased. What else could it be? Over the past several months, her attitude toward him had gradually softened into something more polite than hostile. As recently as last week, she’d exchanged a few formal pleasantries with him when he’d rung up her purchases and loaded her hay.

Today, however, she stood in the corner with Isabella at her side, waiting resolutely for Earl to finish helping Ray White, the foreman from the Running Y Resort. Isaac tried to catch her eye to see if he could get what she needed. There wasn’t any reason for him to be twiddling his thumbs while a line formed for Earl. But she wouldn’t even look at him.