She had figured on telling him at the end of the school year when the next term assignments were given out. It was now the beginning of May. In the Arizona school where she’d taught before, teachers didn’t find out until the last week before summer, vacation what they would be teaching in the fall. She was just finishing up her second year at Stevenson and was still getting used to how things were done here.

She had thought she’d been able to camouflage her swelling body with loose clothes, but she had been getting some long, curious looks. First the eyebrows went up when someone’s eyes dropped to her midsection. Then the gaze lifted to see if her face had gotten rounder. Then the examination dropped below her belly to her legs to determine if she had put on weight everywhere. After all of this, which took about a second and a half, the person pretended she hadn’t noticed a thing. So far everyone who was perceptive enough to give her the ritual once-over hadn’t said anything.

Everyone, that is, except Elizabeth McCutcheon. Earlier today, she had asked Kelly point-blank if she was going to have a baby. Kelly had said yes. Mrs. McCutcheon hadn’t let it drop there. She said she hadn’t heard that Kelly had gotten married. Kelly told her she hadn’t. Even in this small town, the majority of people wouldn’t have pushed the issue, but Mrs. McCutcheon happened to be the president of the district’s Parent Advisory Committee.

Hence Kelly’s summons to Mr. Bloomhurst after school.

She took a deep breath and knocked.

“Come in,” a voice called out.

She opened the door and walked inside.

Cliff Bloomhurst glanced up from the paperwork on his desk. “Hi, Kelly.”

“Mr. Bloomhurst.”

He smiled, looking at her over the half glasses he needed only for reading and now had balanced on the tip of his nose. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to the elbow, and his red-and-blue-striped tie was loosened just enough to release the button at his neck. His thinning brown hair was peppered with gray and there was genuine warmth in his light blue eyes. She liked him a lot. He was a nice man.

“Come on in. And shut the door, please.” His voice was a sort of down-home drawl that normally put her completely at ease. But not today.

Kelly did as he asked, then perched on the edge of one of the green plastic chairs in front of his desk. Nervously she rested her elbows on the metal armrests and laced her fingers together.

“I know what this is about,” she said. “Let’s cut to the chase. I’m going to have a baby.”

“So I heard.”

“I planned to tell you soon. The baby is due at the end of July or the beginning of August. I will be here on the first day of school in September.”

“I wish I didn’t have to ask, but…are you planning to marry the baby’s father?”

“No.”

Even if Doug Hammond had proposed instead of telling her not to expect any support, she wouldn’t tie herself to a man who was so underhanded and untrust-worthy. She was sorry she hadn’t seen sooner what a jerk Doug was. After that conversation, she hadn’t expected to hear from him again. But in the last couple weeks, he had left messages on her answering machine. She hadn’t returned them and hoped he would get the hint that she wanted him out of her life forever. She couldn’t stand the sight of the man, but she would never be sorry about the baby she now carried.

Mr. Bloomhurst looked genuinely sympathetic. “Then my hands are tied, Kelly. Liz McCutcheon went to the school board after she spoke to you today. They called me with a decision. You won’t be back in September.”

Kelly’s heart sank. “I don’t understand.”

“You’re a fine teacher. No one knows that or appreciates the job you do more than me. But the school board won’t permit a pregnant, unmarried teacher in the classroom. They’re concerned about the example it sets for the students.”

“But this is the nineties, Mr. Bloomhurst.”

He nodded grimly. “I know. But this is Newhall, California, Small Town, U.S.A. It’s a nice place to live. But that can be a double-edged sword.”

“I won’t be pregnant in September.”

“Are you planning to keep the child?”

“Of course!” Kelly was shocked that he would even ask. It would never occur to her to give away her child.

“You won’t be married, either, and you’ll still have a child out of wedlock. I did my best to change their minds, but they were adamant.”

Kelly was numb. She knew that was a good thing. She didn’t want to go hysterical in front of this man. “I suppose there’s nothing I can do?”

He shook his head. “If you had tenure, you could probably fight the ruling.”

She stood up and gripped the back of the chair so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Do you want me. to finish out the last four weeks?”

“I’d appreciate it”

“But I’m still pregnant. What about Mrs. McCutcheon?”

“I’ll handle Liz.” He looked down for a moment, then back up at her. “I know this is hypocritical, but I’d like to keep the news quiet and have you finish up. with your classes until the end of the year. It would be disruptive to the students to bring in a substitute now.”

She nodded. “I wouldn’t do anything to hurt the kids. Some of them need these grades for college.”

“I appreciate that, Kelly.” He folded his hands and looked at her a little uncomfortably. “May I ask you a personal question? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“I have nothing to hide.”

“There’s a rumor…” He cleared his throat. “Is Mike the baby’s father?”

“No!” Mike Cameron? The idea shocked her. Then she almost laughed out loud. She’d known Mike since she was a kid. Once she’d had a crush on him, but she’d gotten over that years ago. “We’re good friends, nothing more. I rent his guest house—” Aha, that was probably why someone, probably Mrs. Busybody McCutcheon, had jumped to some wild conclusions.

“I’m sorry. I had to ask. It was a stupid question. If he was the father we wouldn’t be having this discussion.” Mr. Bloomhurst took off his glasses. He stood up and held out his hand. “If there’s anything I can ever do, just let me know.”

“I will,” Kelly said, putting her fingers in his palm. She knew he truly meant what he said, but she couldn’t help being angry and upset As nice as he was, he was still a man. As much as she needed one right now, a. he was already married, and b. she had sworn off men…maybe forever.

Kelly drove into Mike’s driveway, past his large Spanish-style home, then braked in front of the smaller guest house. She leaned to the left and pulled the lever to pop the trunk on her four-door car before getting out to remove the empty cardboard boxes. As she moved purposefully up the curved, brick walkway to her front porch, she tried to shake the fear she was feeling about finding a new job and a place to live.

After unlocking the heavy oak door, she clicked on the front porch light and tossed the boxes inside, then retrieved the rest from the car. When she was finished, she slung her purse on the parsons bench just beside the door of her two-bedroom apartment. With the flick of a switch on the wall, brass lamps illuminated the interior of her comfortable living room with the floral sofa and matching love seat. Oak tables sat on either end of the sofa with a coffee table in front. Her lowheeled shoes sank in the thick hunter green carpet. All the emotions she had been fending off all day gathered into a lump in her throat. How she was going to miss this place.

She recalled when Mike had insisted that her mother pick out the color of the rug, just before they’d moved in. Ill as she was, Margaret Walker had perked up visibly at the excitement of redecorating. Kelly would always be grateful for Mike’s kindness to her mother.

That’s why she had to protect him now.

It was evening, after seven. She hadn’t eaten, but she wasn’t hungry. She had spent the time since leaving Mr. Bloomhurst making decisions about what to do. The first one was to move.