Blame it on the Stars (The Blame Game) (2 page)

Frank nodded
. “David, and he has a sister named Dana. Their father and I went to school together. You couldn’t find a nicer guy. Unfortunately, he and his wife are going through a break-up, so he’s going to be single parenting it for a while. Cut the kids some slack, if you can. It has to be hard on them, too.”

Catlin and Jetta
nodded silently, as Frank went on, “A couple things I wanted to remind you of, tomorrow is “Back-to-School” night. Parents will come and run through the same schedule their kids have during the day, classes will be ten minutes each.”

Jetta rolled her eyes and looked at Catlin
. “What a drag. I hate these things.”

Catlin
didn’t mind meeting the parents, but Jetta had been teaching longer. Maybe one day she’d feel the same way.

Frank said
, “Like it or not, be prepared. Oh, and one more thing. The football season opener is Friday night. Guess which club gets first chance at running the concession stand?”

“
No!” Catlin hollered, and they laughed. “Don’t do this to me! I can’t stand football.”

Frank tapped her on the head with
the rolled up paper he was carrying. “Then you won’t have to watch any of it. Just supervise the selling of concessions, and make a few bucks for your yearbook. You’re always whining about not having enough money.”

Catlin pouted
. “I beg your pardon. I don’t
whine.”

Jetta and
Frank were shaking their heads and laughing. Jetta spoke up, “You whine
a lot
. Admit it. But if you’re nice I might stop by the concession stand and help you. We were going to the game anyway.”

Catlin
downed her drink. “Thank you, honey. I’ll take all the help I can get.”

Frank left them to their planning time, and they filled the hour with a little
work and a lot of laughter.

The next evening
, Catlin prepared for “Back-to-School” night by writing her name on the blackboard, as parents started coming in. Her first hour yearbook class was small, and she greeted the few parents who were there, most of whom she knew. Just as the bell rang and she started her talk, a tall, dark haired man in a blue suit slipped in. He was strikingly handsome, with thick, closely cropped hair and eyes that seared into her. Catlin tried to continue speaking without becoming flustered.

He sat in the back and watched her with an amused smile on his face
.

F
inally Catlin gave up on her prepared speech. “I know most of you are familiar with me and what we do in yearbook. Call me anytime you have a question or want to talk. Unless there are any questions now, please feel free to head to your next class.”

No one had any questions, and Catlin made small talk with the parents as they filtered out.
Finally, the blue suit was the only parent left. Catlin made eye contact with him, and smiled. His eyes were blue-gray, and she thought she could just sink into them. “Hello,” she said softly.

He
maintained eye contact as he sauntered to the front of the room and extended his hand. “Miss McCall. I’m Steve Naughton.”

She shook his hand quickly, then pulled back, embarrassed, because he never took his eyes off her.
“Hello,” was all she could say for the second time.

He finally gave her a break, looking at the desk in the front row, and leaning back on it.
“Dana was very happy to get on the yearbook staff.”

“
She seems like a nice girl.” Catlin tried to regain her composure. “I have her for sophomore English, too.”

“
Oh good, then I’ll get to see you again later.”

Catlin
felt the heat of a blush creep up her neck to her face.

H
e went on, “I must admit, when I went to school here, my English teacher’s name was Sister Mary Alphonse. She wore a long black habit. She was four-foot-nothin’ and carried one mean ruler.”

They laughed, and Catlin said
, “
You
went to school here?”

“
I did.” He nodded. “I believe that was a little before your time.”

“
Maybe just a little,” she agreed. “I’ll have to look you up on the senior picture wall.”

“
Go way back, to the black and white section. You’ll find me there.”

“
That’s not so far back, in this school. We barely have any color in the yearbook at all. You wouldn’t believe the expenses of publishing.”

“
I might. I dabble in the business, myself. And I majored in journalism.”

“
Oh?” She was surprised “Well, you don’t look like a teacher. What other job might a journalism major find here in Marshall? Newspaper reporter, maybe?”

“
Close.” He glanced down. “Newspaper publisher. We print The Marshall Gazette and about ten others throughout the state.”

Catlin slapped her palm to her forehead
. “Naughton Publishing. I should have remembered.” She shook her head. “Dabble in the business, he says.” The bell rang and she looked at the clock on the wall. “Well, Mr. Naughton, if you have Dana’s schedule there, you might want to see what she has second hour.”

He looked at the paper in his hands, than back at Catlin.
“Dana seems to have pulled a study hall second hour.” He looked around the empty classroom. “What about you?”

“
This is my planning period.”

He settled back on to the desk and smiled at her.
“I guess that scores me another ten minutes.”

She blushed again
, anxious to change the subject. “What about your son’s classes? How are you managing that?”

“
I’ve already spoken with all of Dave’s teachers. They understand why I’m not attending his classes tonight.” He shrugged. “Dave’s a good student, and Dana’s my little girl…you know.”

“
Yeah.” She thought he was awfully sweet, besides being hot as hell.

He smiled again.
“So how long have you been teaching here, Miss McCall?”

“
Four years.”

“
And do you like it?”

“
I do. I love this town and I think this is a wonderful school.”

“
Are you from here?”

“
No. I’m from a town so small you wouldn’t even know it.”

“
Try me.”

Something about this man was so attractive to her, not just his good looks, but his easy manner.

“I’m from Kincaid, Kansas. Have you heard of it?”

He slapped his thigh
. “You’re kidding! I know Kincaid. I publish the local paper, the Palmer Press.”

She nodded
. “I should have remembered. We used to subscribe to that paper. I can see the Naughton crest on the masthead.”

He started to reply when Jetta came flying around the corner.
“Hey Catlin, I guess there’s a new father here who is one good-looking hunk of—” She spotted him and trailed off. “Oh, well, shit.”

He smiled and looked down
again.

Catlin made a face at Jetta.
“Mr. Naughton, I’d like you to meet Jetta Craft. She’s your kids’ math teacher. I promise you, she doesn’t talk like a construction worker with the students.”

He extended his hand to Jetta.
“A pleasure, Miss Craft.”

Jetta
stared at him. “Mrs.”

He nodded
. “
Mrs
. Craft. But please,” he turned back to Catlin “call me Steve.”

“
Okay,
Steve,
” she emphasized. “I think it’s time to check that schedule again. Third hour will be starting shortly.”

He looked
at the paper. “Geometry. I presume you’ll be able to show me where that is?”

“
Why, sure.” Jetta headed to the door.

Steve turned to look at Catlin
. “I’ll be back.” He smiled one last time.

“
I’ll be here.”

With Steve gone, Catlin regained her composure and sailed through the rest of her classes.
When he returned seventh hour, she felt surer of herself, and didn’t let him intimidate her. He still sat in the back and stared at her the whole time, but she tried not to notice. The final bell rang, and Catlin thanked the parents for being there. Again, Steve was the last to approach her.

“
I bet you’re glad that’s over,” he commented.

“
It’s not so bad. I like seeing the parents. But it has been a long day.”

He stretched his arms and agreed with her.
“Tomorrow’s Friday. T.G.I.F.”

“
Friday,” Catlin repeated, and scrunched up her face “Football. Yikes.”

Steve
’s face brightened. “Are you going to the game? I love football.”

Catlin muttered
, “Well, I guess nobody’s perfect.”

He laughed
. “Excuse me?”

She looked him straight in the eye
. “I hate football. I think it’s the stupidest game ever invented. And the only reason I’m going is to supervise the concession stand.”

Steve laughed loudly.
“Well, you told me. Okay then, I guess I’ll have to come to the concession stand to see you.”

“
Dana will be working, too.”

“
That’s right. I believe she did mention something about that.”

“
And I hear your son likes football. David, isn’t it?”

“
Yes.” Steve nodded. “Haven’t you met him?”

“
No.” Catlin picked up her purse and jacket. “He doesn’t have an English class this semester. Well, I believe I’m through here for tonight.”

“
I’ll walk you out.” He flipped off the lights behind her as they went into the hallway. Jetta was headed their way, but when she spotted them, she turned around and went toward the door herself.

Catlin laughed.
“Goodnight Jetta. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Jetta waved over her shoulder but didn
’t turn around as she called, “‘Night.”

Steve opened the door for Catlin and they stepped outside.
She glanced up at the night sky, full of stars. “I’ve never seen anyone get to Jetta the way you did, tonight. She’s usually cool as a cucumber.”

He
grinned. “It’s fun to tease a beautiful woman.” He gazed into her eyes. “You’re all so easy to fluster.”

She stopped when she got to her car, and then it was Steve
’s turn to be flustered. “This is
your
car?” He ran a hand over the sleek black Jaguar. “I guess they pay English teachers better now than in Sister Mary Alphonse’s day!”

She
grinned. “This is my one extravagance. Otherwise I live pretty simply.”

Steve held out his hand.
“Keys?”

Catlin clutched the keys to her chest.
“You’re not going to drive it.”

“
No, I was going to unlock it and open the door for you.”

She dangled the keys in front of him.
“I suppose that would be okay.”

He unlocked the door and held it open for her.
“So, I’ll see you at the concession stand tomorrow night?”

“
Look me up. I’ll make you a deal on a hot dog.” Catlin drove off, leaving Steve laughing in the parking lot.

Chapter Two

Friday night, Catlin arrived at the stadium early to help with the concession stand set-up. Clint Stewart and several other members of the yearbook were already there, unpacking boxes. “Looks like you don’t need me.” She glanced around at what they had already done.

“
Hey Miss M.! You’re here. We were taking bets on whether or not you’d show up.” Clint handed her a red cowboy hat, symbolic of the St. Joseph’s Cowboys. “Here, I got this for you. It’ll look good with your hair down loose like that.”

“
Oh, thank you.” She put it on her head, and tightened the string under her chin. Clint grabbed a cooler and went to get some ice.

“
The hat looks good with that sweater.” Someone came up behind Catlin and nuzzled her neck. She jumped and turned to face Jim Craft, with Jetta standing next to him.

“
Oh rats!” Catlin exclaimed “Did you have to bring her with you?” She nodded toward Jetta, who grinned.

Jim looked over
the front of Catlin’s form-fitting red and white striped sweater and continued, “But then, that sweater doesn’t need any help looking good!”

Jetta
punched him lightly in the arm. “Pop your eyeballs back in your head.”

He
hugged his wife. “I’m married, I’m not dead.”

T
hey all laughed, and finished setting up the concession stand.

The pre-game rush
kept them hopping and it was the middle of the first quarter before Catlin noticed Dana wiping off counters. “Hi Dana, glad you could make it.”

“Hi.” The girl smiled shyly.

Jetta jumped in. “Well hello, Miss Naughton. Where’s your lovely father this evening?”

Catlin shoved Jetta, but Dana perked up.
“He’s watching the game. I can go get him if you want.”

“
No!” Catlin insisted.

A
t the same time Jetta said loudly, “That would be great! I’d love to see him.”

“
I’ll be right back!” Dana laughed and ran off.

Catlin turned to Jetta.
“I’m going to get you. I’m going to get a knife and cut off every lock of that fuzzy fried hair of yours.”

Jetta
backed away, laughing. “Why? You know you wanted to see him. You know you think he’s hot. Wait ‘till you see him, Jimmy.”

Jim shook his head and
grabbed a soda. “I don’t know. I think
very few guys
are hot.”

Catlin and Jetta straightened up quickly when
Dana brought Steve around the corner.

Steve
raised his eyebrows. “Did I miss something?”

“
Not a thing.” Jetta bumped Catlin with her hip, and stepped forward. “Steve, I’d like you to meet my husband Jim Craft. Jimmy, this is Steve Naughton, Dana’s father.”

“
Hello.” Jim extended his hand, and they shook amusedly.

Jetta continued
, “And you remember
Miss McCall
...”

Catlin bumped Jetta with her hip, and they both almost fell down.

Steve looked at Jim seriously and said, “I’ve been watching the game. I didn’t realize there was a show going on in here.”

“
It’s a repeat,” Jim told him. “You can usually catch it once or twice a day.” He looked at Catlin. “Hey, I agree with Jetta. It’s pretty
hot
in here. Why don’t you go get some air and watch some of the game? Just be back by half-time.”

Catlin started to protest, but Steve touched her arm.
“That sounds like a great idea. Shall we go get some air?”

She smiled weakly, and let Steve lead her up the ramp to the open air stadium.
They walked up to the railing and leaned on it. “Your friends seem nice.”

“
They are the best. I’m so lucky to have them. Just don’t tell them I said so!” She looked around the stadium. “I can’t believe all these people are here to watch football! Yecchh!”

He laughed
. “I’ll tell you what, just to keep up appearances, you pretend to watch football, but stare off into space. I’ll pretend to watch football, and stare at you.”

She
grinned. “You do have that staring thing down pretty good.”

“
I told you last night, I love to fluster a beautiful woman.”

She looked down.
“We were talking about Jetta.”

Steve touched her chin and brought her face up to look at him.
“
I
was talking about you. Your friend is a looker, all right. But Catlin McCall, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

She was speechless.
All she could do was smile, and shiver in the cool night air.

“
Are you cold? Would you like my sweater?” Steve touched the sweater he had tied around his neck.

“
It is a little chilly,” Catlin acknowledged. “It was so warm when I got here, I forgot to bring my jacket.”

He removed the sweater and opened it up for her.
“It’s a pullover. Sorry.”

“
That’s okay.” She took off the cowboy hat, so he could help her put on the sweater.

As he pulled it down over her torso, he murmured
, “Not really sorry.”

She straightened the sweater and
gazed up at him. “Excuse me?”

Steve
shook his head and put the cowboy hat back on Catlin’s head. “Better?”

“
Yes.” She snuggled into the cashmere. It was warm and it smelled like Steve’s after shave. Heavenly, she decided, but kept that thought to herself.

H
e took her hand. “Catlin, would you consider having dinner with me sometime?”

A neon light in her brain flashed
bad idea
, but she ignored it. “Possibly.”

“
Great! When?”

“
When will I consider it?” she asked coyly.

“
No.” He touched one of the long curls lying on her shoulder. “When will you have dinner with me?”

“
Oh. Well, first I have a question for you.”

“
And I have an answer for you. Shoot.”

Catlin was getting ready to ask Steve about his being married, when Frank Turner walked up.

“Good evening, all! Isn’t this game great?”

“
Uh, yeah.” Steve dropped her hand and checked the scoreboard to see what the score was. “Oh, it is great! We’re ahead by twenty-one points.”

Frank
shot him a look. “You weren’t paying attention to the game, were you?”

Steve looked at Catlin.
“I must admit, I got sidetracked.”

Frank turned to
her. “So how are you this evening, Miss McCall?”

“
I am well,” she replied, “very well.”

The principal
laughed. “Good. Well, you’ve almost made it to half-time, it’s downhill from here.” He turned to Steve “Football is not her favorite sport.”

Just as Steve
answered, “So I hear,” Catlin squealed,

“
Half-time! I’ve got to get back to the concession stand! Jetta’s going to kill me!” She started to jog off, but turned back to Steve “See me later for the sweater?”

He nodded
. “Go, go. I know where to find you.”

“
Thanks!” She crinkled her eyes at him, and jogged back to the concession stand.

When the third quarter of the game ended, the concession stand closed. Most of the workers were out watching the game, so Catlin and Dana cleaned up. Catlin was pleased to see that Dana was a hard worker.

“
So, Miss McCall,” Dana began. “What do you think of my father?”

“
He’s very nice,” Catlin said simply.

“
You look good in his sweater,” Dana teased.

“
It was cold out there,” was all Catlin could say.

“
I think he
likes
you,” Dana kept after her.

J
im and Jetta returned from watching the game, and changed the subject, much to Catlin’s relief. “We tried to lose it, but we hung on and won by three,” Jim reported.

“
Oh good,” Catlin wanted to keep the subject changed, even if she didn’t care who won the game. “I think we got everything cleaned up here.”

“
Great!” Jim enlisted the help of some yearbook kids and their friends to carry the concession supplies out to his truck. “I’ll drop this stuff by the school on Monday, okay?”

“
Works for me. You got the cash box, right?”

“
Got it. Goodnight Cat.”

“
Have a great weekend,” Jetta called as they walked off.

“
You too, thanks so much for your help!” She looked around and noticed Dana had disappeared. She wondered about Steve, but decided she was too tired to wait much longer. She bent down for her purse, and when she stood up, Steve was there.

“
Hello.”

“
Oh, well, hi. I about gave up on you. I’m tired and ready to go home.”

“
Sorry.” He touched the long shoulder curl again. “I had to touch base with Dave and Dana before I left.”

“
Where did Dana get to? One minute she was here, the next she was gone.”

“
Dave and his friends were going out for pizza and she’s going with them. Which leaves me all alone, and lonely.”

They started walking to
ward the parking lot. Catlin yawned. “Well, like I said, I’m tired and I smell like hot dogs and popcorn. I’m going home.”

“
Okay, okay. I catch your drift. I’m still waiting on an answer to my question, though.”

They got to her car, and she pulled out her keys. Steve reached for them
. “I know, I’m not going to drive.”

Grinning, she
handed over the keys. He clutched them in his hand and repeated, “Answer? Question? Dinner?”

Catlin took a deep breath
. “Well, you know, I think I’d like that very much. But I have a question, too, remember?” She ran one finger up the back of his hand, and lightly rubbed his wedding ring.

He nodded
. “I was delicately skating past that.”

She laughed
. “So you’re a mind reader now. Okay then, what’s my question?”

Steve rubbed his hands over his face, and then looked at Catlin.
“How about.... am I still married?”

“
Ooh, you are a mind reader.” Catlin brushed an imagined piece of lint off her sleeve. “I’m going to have to censor my thoughts from here on out.”

“
No, no, no!” He laughed, and then turned serious. “I guess the answer to your question is, yes. Barbara and I are still married. But when we moved here, she moved to New York.”

“
So what happens if she shows up on your doorstep tomorrow and says, ‘I made a mistake, I want to be here with you’? That’s part two to my question.”

Steve looked down and shook his head.
“I don’t know. I
can
tell you that we had major problems before we moved our separate ways. I’m not calling her, trying to work things out. I can also tell you, I was not looking for a relationship when I went to my children’s Back-to-School night. But, as my father is fond of saying, every day comes with its own surprises.”

She
mulled over what he’d said.

“
Catlin.” He touched her chin. “It’s just dinner. I’m not asking for a commitment.”

“
Just dinner,” she repeated.

H
e nodded.

She inhaled and released the breath.
“Something tells me this is probably not the best idea.”

He looked up at the night sky before focusing back on her.
“We’ll blame it on the stars, then. Because when I see you in this light, it seems like the best idea I ever had.”

Her heart melted.
How am I supposed to resist that?
She tried to remain grounded. The school didn’t have a policy about teachers dating parents.
Probably because no one has ever tried it.
They certainly had polices on everything else. Up until a few years ago, most of the teachers were nuns. Nuns wouldn’t have had dating issues.
I hope not, anyway!
She gazed at him again.
Just dinner
. Somehow, with this man, she suspected it could be so much more. “All right,” she finally said. “When?”

“
I guess tonight is out?”