watch, she hoisted her purse higher on her shoulder and changed the subject. âIâve got to run, Edith. It sets a very bad example when the teachers are tardy. Call me if you have any problems with Maddie.â
âIâve got the nebulizer routine down if we need it. Donât worry.â
A shadow of distress tightened Kateâs features. âItâs hard not to.â
âYou know what Mac would have said.â
âYes.â The whisper of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. ââDonât look for trouble.ââ She leaned over and hugged the gray-haired woman, who was more like family than mere neighbor or friend. âIâm sorry Iâve had to call on you so often this school year. I canât remember ever being asked to sub this much. But the extra moneyâs been a godsend.â
Edith waved the comment aside. âI donât mind in the least. Maddieâs a charmer. And speaking of charmersâthe lieutenant fits that definition in my book.â
Once Edith sank her teeth into a topic, she was as hard to shake loose as the islandâs notorious deer ticks, Kate reflected.âLike I said, heâs not as bad as I first thought.â She reached for the doorknob.
âHe doesnât think youâre too bad, either, despite your show of temper.â
Kate swung back. âHe talked about me?â
âOnly after I happened to mention we were neighbors.â
Edithâs innocent expression didnât fool Kate. There was no happen to about it. When the Lighthouse Lane matron was on a mission, she could be as single-minded as a Nantucket whaler of old in hot pursuit of his quarry. Kate clutched her purse strap as her pulse accelerated. âYou didnât tell him what I said about him, did you?â
âOf course not.â Edith sniffed and gave her an indignant look. âThat was between the two of us. I merely mentioned Iâd known you for years and that you were a wonderful personâand a hard worker. He said heâd been impressed by your determination and complimented the Lucy Sue. Called her a fine boat, and said youâd taken great care of her.â
âWhat else did you two talk about?â
âNothing.â The corners of Edithâs mouth turned down in disgust. âHis cell phone rang just as the conversation was getting interesting. Some emergency at the station.â
Expelling a relieved breath, Kate once more hitched her purse into position. âIâll be back around three-thirty.â
âBye, Mommy.â Maddie waved and took another huge bite of cinnamon toast.
Smiling, Kate moved beside her daughter to place a quick peck on her cheek. âBe good for Mrs. Shaw, okay?â
âOkay.â
âSee you later, Edith.â With a wave, Kate let herself out.
For the next five minutes, as she navigated the maze of narrow streets that led to the school, Kate considered Edithâs chance encounter with the lieutenant. Thank goodness his cell phone had interrupted their conversation, or Edith wouldhave told the commander her neighborâs life story. The embellished version, Kate suspected.
As it was, Edith had only managed to get in a brief complimentary remark. To which the lieutenant has responded that heâd admired Kateâs determination.
Determination. That was a generous way to describe her approach in their first two altercations, she supposed, considering hostility and rudeness might be more accurate. She should be grateful for his diplomacy.
Yet she found herself wishing heâd been able to find some other quality to admire. Intelligence, strength, vivaciousness, competenceâ¦it would have been nice if heâd noticed one of those attributes.
Shaking her head, Kate chided herself for her silly waste of brain power. The lieutenant had wiped her record clean. That was the important thing. It shouldnât matter what he thought about