The Courtship of Katie McGuire

Excerpt:
Justin had the mom picked out. Miss McGuire. She met all the qualifications he'd set out. She was pretty. She had happy eyes. And when she smiled, her whole face smiled. Most of all, she felt right. He'd known it when she gave him a hug this morning.

Miss McGuire was gonna be his new mom. Only she didn't know it yet. Neither did his dad. All he had to do was convince them that they needed each other.

Now all he needed to do was figure out how to get her and his dad together. He worried over it for the rest of the morning, so much so that Miss McGuire had to remind him to finish his seat work before lunchtime.

That gave him the idea. He chewed on his lip, going over his plan for getting them together. It was good, he decided. Real good.

He crossed his fingers for luck and took out his scissors.

"Miss McGuire, Justin Chase cut my doll's braids." Emilie Taylor's wail cut through the clamor of voices.

Kate turned to look as Emilie held out her doll's blonde braids. Kate knew the doll was Emilie's favorite, one she had brought for show and tell that day. Still, she had a hard time believing Justin was responsible.

"Justin, did you cut Emilie's doll's braids?"

Justin, holding a pair of scissors in one small grubby hand, looked down at the floor. "I guess so."

"You guess?" she asked in her best no-nonsense teacher's voice. Her gaze softened as she took in the blond hair and dusting of freckles across his nose. "I have to send a note home."

"I know, Miss McGwire."

A smile slipped past her annoyance at the mispronunciation of her name. Two missing front teeth caused him to lisp occasionally--a common occurrence in a class of first-graders.

Her smile dissolved as she took in his cheerful expression. He didn't seem particularly upset over the prospect of having a note sent home.

"I'm going to ask your parents to call me," she said, hoping to make him realize how serious this was.

"It's just my dad and me. My mom's not with us anymore."

"How long has she been gone?"

"Four years."

Her heart bled at the quiver in his voice. Poor little tyke. He'd been barely more than a baby when he lost his mother. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"My grandma says Dad needs a new wife. She says he's in his prime and a man in his prime oughtn't to be alone. What does 'in his prime' mean, Miss McGwire?"

Out of her depth now, Kate became brisk. "I'm sure I don't know. Right now, we need to decide what to do about Emilie's doll."

"Well," Justin said, clearly thinking it over. "I could glue the braids back on."

"I think that's a very good idea. We can do it during recess time."

"You mean I gotta miss recess?"

"That's exactly what I mean." Along with my break, she added silently.

The rest of the day passed without further incident. Justin managed to glue the braids back on. A wry smile touched her lips as she wrote a brief note explaining to

Emilie's mother what happened to the doll. Good thing that Mrs. Taylor was a veteran of six children. She'd probably pass it off with her usual good-nature. Kate's smile vanished as she wrote a second note.

"Please give this to your father," Kate said as Justin stuffed his papers inside his backpack.

"'Kay, Miss McGwire." He tugged at her sleeve. "Miss McGwire?"

"Yes, Justin?"

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, honey. I'm not mad. Maybe a little disappointed but not mad."

"I'm glad," he said, a grin stretching across his face. "'Cause I like you a lot."

She was struck by the sweetness of his smile and reached out to tousle his blond hair. "I like you, too."

"A lot?"

"A whole lot," she said, a smile sneaking out despite her resolve to look firm.

"I'm glad you're my teacher."

"Me, too," she whispered.

* * * *

Dave Chase was running late. Seemed like he spent most of his life running these days. Running from home to Justin's school to work to his parents' home to pick up

Justin and back to home again.

He wasn't complaining. He had a wonderful son, a job he loved…most of the time, great parents. Sometimes, though, he felt like something was missing.

A smile tugged at his lips. He knew what his mother would say. He needed a wife. She'd been telling him that for the last year or so. His smile died as he thought of Marie. It'd been four years since she had left them. Four years of trying to be both mother and father, trying to keep a business going, trying to let go of the bitterness he felt whenever he thought of his ex-wife.

"Dad, guess what? Grandma let me help make cookies."

Dave swung Justin up in his arms and gave him a smacking kiss. "Chocolate chip?"

"Is there any other kind," Sally Chase said, wiping her hands on her apron.

"Nope," Dave and Justin said at the same time.

"Sit down and I'll get you a couple. Maybe you can get your dad to pry his nose out of the paper."

Dave grinned at his father. "How're you doing, Dad?"

Hal Chase looked up from the newspaper. "Not bad. Your mother's got a bee in her bonnet about us communicating more. Says I don't talk to her enough." He rolled his eyes in feigned exasperation before turning his attention back to the paper.

Hiding a smile, Dave picked up the sports section. His parents had been having the same argument for years, one, he suspected, they both enjoyed.

His mother placed a plate of cookies in front of him. He ate two and reached for a third, earning him a slap on the hand.

"Two's plenty for a man your age," she scolded. "You don't want to have a cholesterol problem like some people we know, do you?" She directed a knowing look at his father who snorted in response. "That's why you need a wife. Someone to make you take care of yourself. Goodness knows, I've tried, but it's not the same as having a wife."

Dave glanced at Justin. The last thing he wanted was his son getting the wrong idea. "Mom, lay off, will you?"

"I just want you to be happy."

"I know. When the time's right, I'll find someone. Until then, leave it alone. Please," he added in an attempt to soften the order.

"You'd know best," she said in the tone of one who clearly believed just the opposite.

Dave exchanged a long suffering look with his father. His father gave a sly wink before going over to kiss his wife's cheek. Despite their differences--or maybe because of them--Dave sometimes wondered, Hal and Sally Chase enjoyed a happy marriage that was going on its thirty-fifth year.

His mother handed Dave a note from Justin's teacher. The amusement faded from his eyes as he scanned it. He worried over it during the ride home, wondering what he was supposed to say to Justin.

Having a note sent home that his son was in trouble at school wasn't exactly the end of the world, but neither was it something to cause him to cheer.

Dave had always thought he had a good relationship with his son, but tonight he wasn't so sure. Justin refused to explain why he'd cut off the doll's hair. In fact, he refused to say much of anything except to ask if Dave was going to meet with his teacher.

"I have to."

"Gr—I'm sorry, Dad."

Dave gave him a sharp look. Justin didn't appear very upset about the prospect. In fact, if Dave didn't know better, he'd say Justin looked pleased. The next moment he decided he must be mistaken. What little kid wanted his father to meet with his teacher?