“Is Blake okay?” Fear swept through him and he clutched the railing.
“Yes, he is. But you’ll need to come get him.”
“Why is that?”
“He’s been suspended.”
His mouth dropped open, and he swung the phone away from his ear and stared at it for a moment. He must have heard wrong. He shoved the phone back to his ear. “What did you say?”
“He’s been suspended. We’ll discuss it when you come in.”
“I’m two hours out to sea.” He now glared at the water stretched before him.
“Ah… that’s unfortunate.”
Jesse’s mind raced. “Let me see if I can send his mother.”
“We just have you listed as the legal contact on his enrollment form.”
“Well… it’s complicated.”
“I’m afraid we can’t let someone else pick him up without permission.”
“I’m giving you my permission,” he said in exasperation.
“Written permission.”
“Fine. Give me your email and I’ll send it to you.”
“I guess that will work,” Mrs. Grimshaw said grudgingly, not very thrilled that he’d suggested an end-run around her rules.
He wanted to reach through the phone and strangle her. Small town. He knew she’d heard the talk and knew that Heather was Blake’s mother. And he’d heard gossip about how this new principal they’d hired a few years ago was a stickler for details. Unbending. He just hadn’t ever thought he’d actually be dealing with her.
He grabbed a pen from his pocket and wrote her email address on his hand. “Heather will be there as soon as I can find her.”
“Call me back if you can’t locate her. Then… well, I guess he’ll just have to sit here in my office until you can get him.”
She hung up on him with a click before he could ask again what had happened. He raced to the bridge, grabbed a piece of paper, and wrote out his permission for Heather to pick up Blake. He signed it, took a picture of it, and sent it to Mrs. Grimshaw. Then he clicked on Heather’s number.
It rang once.
Twice.
Come on, Heather, I need you. Blake needs you.
“Hello?”
“Heather. Thank goodness. I’m out on The Destiny. I need you to go to the school and get Blake.”
“Is he hurt?” Panic rose in her voice.
“No. No, it’s not that. Mrs. Grimshaw called, and she said he’s beensuspended.” Even saying that sounded ridiculous to him.
“Suspended? Blake? No. What for?” The shock in her voice matched exactly how he felt.
“At this point, I have no idea. But I’m two hours out to sea and can’t get him. Will you?”
“Of course.” She paused. “But will they let me?”
