Page 18 (1/2)
"One week You have one week"
Chapter Eight
Hayden flopped back onto the cracked leather seat and signaled the bus driver to drive Quickly Before one of the three dozen kids behind her on the bus reoodbye to their parents Deborah, the other volunteer for today’s expedition, dropped into the seat across the aisle, looking equally shell-shocked Hayden had made this trip to a farhout the entire sued kids out of the polluted city for the day, giving them a chance to experience life outside of Manhattan Today marked their last trip of the season and she still hadn’t discovered a way to load the excited kids onto the bus without it turning into a three-ring circus Did that leader or a clown?
Her relieved exhale was lost a fro a sense of accomplishment She’d watched the children flourish over the su time around nature While Hayden preferred the city, she’d never once felt trapped by limited financial resources, as if she couldn’t leave Her family’s frequent vacations had made sure of that Yet she was painfully aware that she could have easily been one of these kids if it weren’t for her father As always, the reht to press down on her shoulders Only now it felt twice as heavy
She’d had a difficult ti her mother drop the Stuart bombshell on her, she’s been kept wide-awake by the possibility of an arranged e It certainly didn’t help matters that she suddenly wanted a man she despised, or should despise, rather Ti in bed, the ticking clock on her decision already speeding by in a blur Soht she had the crisis solved Her mother mentioned her father’s reluctance to use the money set aside in her name She would just have to convince him otherwise
Unfortunately, she’d promised herher back at square one Marrying Stuart One week left her little time to atte her ht with Brent refused to fade An ie of his intense expression as he drove into her swa his na for ht very likely never experience again No, she had to stop thinking in teras Stuart, she didn’t want to engage in a physical relationship with someone who couldn’t see past her lifestyle to the person underneath Having sex with so she represented
Regardless of her dao fiveabout hihts of the conversation with herof Brent would start to hurt for an entirely different reason A cycle she could really do without
The bus jerked and sputtered, shooting Hayden forward in her seat What the hell? Their driver ed Always a co? When the bus roan and coasted to a stop on the side of the West Side Highway Hayden sat glued to her seat for afor so a panicked glance at Deborah, she twisted around in her seat Traffic on the highas already backing up Horns honked Drivers snaked past shaking their heads For once all the kids were co disappointed expressions, no doubt thinking this unforeseen disasterthe city
Then all at once, those sad expressions focused on her Oh God, they were all counting on her and she’dthe froroup of fourth graders, that their leader was sorely lacking
"Shoot," Hayden muttered under her breath She rose and went to the driver "Do you kno to fix this thing?" He didn’t even have the grace to answer Siarette She took a deep breath and dug her cell phone out of her pocket Ten h to someone at roadside assistance "An hour?" She practically shouted into the receiver "I’ a lane on the West Side Highway Does iency?" The unhelpful voice on the other end went silent, obviously not finding amusement in her harried joke She heaved a breath "Okay…look, just forget it I’ll figure so else out"
"They say an hour," Deborah chi up, "but look at the traffic behind us It’ll take a tow truck two hours just to get through to us"
Super helpful, Deborah! A Nerf football flew past her and got lodged on the dashboard Restless energy becaure out so this problem She knehat she needed to do, but her reluctance to call Brent and give him the satisfaction made her dial his number extra slowly Before he even answered, she was already irritated with hi to need a bigger boat"