“Thank goodness.” Ronan let out a sigh of relief.
“Wait, you’re happy Everly was worried?” If they weren’t on a bus loaded with kindergarteners and parents, he’d give Ronan a smack.
Ronan snorted. “Down, boy. I was worried she had a vision about today or was talking to the spirit of a long-dead bus driver who liked to take field trips for kicks in the afterlife. I can deal with snot-nosed brats, but I’m pretty useless when it comes to spirits.”
Ten felt all the anger drain from his body. “I’m sorry I bit your head off. I’m a bit worried myself.”
“About the spirit of the bus driver?” Ronan cackled.
“No, there aren’t any ghosts on the bus. I just want the show to go well.” The only ghosts he was counting on seeing today were Bertha Craig and Erin O’Mara. He knew both of the grandmothers would be there to watch the kids sing. He was certain they’d help calm Everly and himself down if things started to go sideways.
“Two things,” Ronan said softly. “These are kids we’re talking about, not the Three Tenors. The entire point of today is for the kids to step out of their comfort zone and meet new people. This is supposed to be a fun day.”
“You’re right,” Ten agreed easily. Leave it to Ronan to hit the nail on the head. “What’s the second thing?”
“That you’re in for the ride of your life tonight, cowboy.” Ronan waggled his eyebrows. “Yippee Ki-Yay, motherf—”
Ten slapped a hand over Ronan’s mouth. The absolute last thing he needed was for one of the kids to overhear his husband quoting Bruce Willis fromDie Hard. If Rachel thought Ruth hearing “asshole” was bad, wait until she heard “motherfucker.” Ten snorted. It might be worth seeing the look on her face.
“How about we warm up our voices by singing ‘The Wheels on the Bus’?” Miss Becca asked from the front seat.
The kids cheered while the adults groaned.
“Anything but this song,” Fitzgibbon grumbled.
“How about one hundred bottles of pop on the wall?” Ten asked.
Fitz shook his head. “I was wrong. Anything butthatsong!”
“I don’t understand what you’re bellyaching about. This is the first time I’ve ever ridden on a school bus. I’m gonna sing with the kids.” Jude moved up to the empty seat behind Wolf and Kenny P. When the song started, Jude sang with his entire heart.
Ronan had his phone out and was filming the sing-along. He walked down the aisle of the bus, shooting video of the kids laughing and singing.
Ten relaxed back into his seat and opened his gift wide. The rest of the day was smooth sailing without a ghost in sight. He also saw Ronan’s prediction about tonight coming true. It was time to dust off his Stetson for a night ride.
Yippee Ki-Yay, indeed.
5
Ronan
An hour later, the bus pulled into the school parking lot of Salem Elementary, which was just over the state line in New Hampshire. The principals of both schools had wanted to emphasize the towns’ bond as sister cities and had devised the exchange concert as a way to celebrate it.
The school wasn’t much bigger than the one back home. It was brick-faced and two stories tall. To the left of the building was a playground with monkey bars and an elaborate fun house with three slides. Ronan bet he, Fitz, and Jude could knock one together in an afternoon for the kids’ school.
Getting the kids off the bus was organized chaos. Ten was checking the kindergarteners off his list as they tumbled out around him. Each of his parent chaperones was trying to wrangle them into line while Miss Becca told them they needed to be quiet and behave, or there would be consequences when they got back to school.
Ronan rolled his eyes. Half the fun of going on a field trip was not having the same strict rules as there were in the classroom.
Miss Becca marched the kids into the lobby like good little soldiers. Ten and Cope were at the front of the line, while he, Fitz, and Jude were at the back, acting as security for the group.
“I feel like the kiddie secret service,” Fitz laughed and took off his mirrored aviator sunglasses.
“Who better to protect the kids than three detectives?” Jude asked. “Hell, we’re much better than the mothers of the religious right.” He angled his chin at Rachel and the other mothers before waving to the woman.
A large cheer went up from the cafeteria. Ronan assumed the kids had just been introduced. He watched as they walked single file into the room. Everly was waving to everyone like she was running for public office. Aurora followed her lead.
The lunchroom was similar to the one in Massachusetts. A small stage was at the front of the room. It sat about two feet off the floor. The picnic bench lunch tables were folded into an inverted vee and were shoved off to the side near the floor-to-ceiling windows, leaving the entire floor empty. The New Hampshire kids sat, crisscross applesauce, in neat rows. Ronan and the other chaperones lined the back wall. His stomach danced with nerves for Everly, Aurora, and Wolf.
