Wild Love (Rose Hill, #1)(66)
“Mr. Grant…” The principal is sputtering now, clearly taken aback by Ford’s lack of horror. “We surely can’t have students speaking that way to teachers in the classroom.”
“Then you surely should not be trusting chauvinist pieces of shit to enlighten the minds of impressionable children.”
I cut in. “May I ask what preceded Cora’s comment? That might help, you know, shine some light on the situation. Because while I agree that she certainly can’t speak that way to a teacher—and we will talk to her—I’d love to get some context why you think she might have said it.”
Mr. Davidson nods along, clearly more appreciative of my approach than Ford’s. “In the report, it simply says they were having a conversation about current events and discussing different magazine articles.”
I cross my legs and hook my hands around my knee as I tilt my head. “And?”
“She insulted her teacher.”
“Some people deserve to be insulted. Sounds to me like this man might be one of them,” Ford bites out.
I can feel him vibrating beside me. I reach over and place a palm on his thigh to calm him.
As any good cop wife would.
“So, you have a report detailing the ins and outs of what Cora did, written only from the perspective of the person she allegedly wronged?”
“He’s a professional.”
I just smile now. The situation hits too close to home on the heels of my last job. The way things are so easily swept under the rug to protect the person in power.
Then I use my most sugary voice. “Yes, well, as you know, sometimes the details get lost in translation with professionals.”
Ford cuts in again. “He told the class, after reading an article about a famous young woman who froze in front of a camera and couldn’t speak, that women just aren’t cut out to handle pressure the way men are.”
My jaw drops and I flop back in my seat, giving up on being good cop. Is bad cop, bad cop a strategy?
“Wow, this guy really does sound like a chauvinist piece of shit.”
Ford’s head whips my way, and now it’s his turn to chuckle.
“We… I’ll have to look into that.” The principal pulls his glasses off in a tired manner and scrubs his hand over his face. “I was going to speak to you about a suspension, but?—”
“Take a hike, Principal Davidson,” Ford all but growls.
The man sighs and flops back in his chair. He’s tired. Overworked, underpaid. Probably sick to death of everyone’s shit. I give Ford a little squeeze, my hand still on his thigh.
“How about she switches classes?” I offer.
“We’re short-staffed.”
I scrunch my nose.
“There’s what? One month of school left?” Ford asks and the principal nods. “How about we take the curriculum home with us? We’ll teach Cora what’s left. She can study in the library or here in the office during that period. And she’ll take the final exam when the time comes.”
Principal Davidson hems and haws about it being unconventional but eventually agrees—as if he had a choice once Ford made up his mind.
Once the meeting ends, Ford takes my hand and we step outside. “You think Cora will be okay doing the rest on her own?”
Ford scoffs. “She’s not on her own. And she’s really fucking smart. I know she’ll be just fine. But if I could buy a public school just to fire that chauvinist piece of shit I would.”
Then he walks me through the office like he really does own the place.
And when we get out into the hallway, he’s still holding my hand.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
FORD
“You sure you’re okay to go to school today?”
Cora looks at me from the passenger seat, the brick building visible through the window. She went the day after the whole current events debacle, but she seems awfully quiet today. Even what’s become a regular morning call with her mom didn’t perk her up like it usually does.
“Yeah.”
“You just call me or Rosie if something goes wrong. You know we’ll drop it all to be there for you.”
“I know.” She fiddles with her fingers in her lap.
“You can come hang out at the office if you need a day off.”
“No, I should go.”
“I’ve seen your grades, kid. If you need a mental health day, you can take one.”
She nods, nibbling at her lip. Usually she’d have a snarky, funny comeback, but she seems subdued today. “You’ve got bowling tonight? I get movies with Rosie?”
Good god. You’ve got bowling tonight is a sentence I never thought I’d hear.
“Yup. And we can go visit your mom this weekend. We’ll take a trip into the city.”
“Yeah. I’d like that. And I should probably mow the lawn while we’re there.”
I give her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “You don’t need to do that. There’s a company taking care of the house.”
Her brows lift. “There is?”
I nod.
“We can’t afford that. You should call them off. It’s okay if the grass gets a little long.”
“Cora.” I take both her shoulders and turn her toward me. “I know you had to pick up a lot of loose ends for a while there. But now, you just need to be twelve. Go to school. Give me dirty looks. Hang out with your friends.”