Page 1 of Lion’s Den

CHAPTER ONE

SEDONA HART FROZE in her tracks, listening intently. She looked around the gloomy hallway outside her kindergarten classroom but saw nothing moving. Why were schools bright, cheerful, and full of life during the daytime and ghost towns when students were gone?

She’d been thinking about the ghost-town feeling since she began teaching, and the only answer she could come up with was that students brought life and energy to the hallways. After hours, janitors and maintenance people did their work unseen in the shadowed halls.

When Sedona didn’t hear the noise again, she turned toward her classroom to grab her bag and go home. She froze. There it was again.

Time to act like an adult and check on the weird noise in the dark. She hoped a monster in the dark didn’t eat her because she did not want to go down in the Maple Valley Elementary School’s history as the teacher who was too stupid to live.

She set her water tumbler on the floor beside her classroom door, grabbed her courage with both hands, and crossed the hall to Mrs. Washburn’s room. As she neared the door, Sedona heard the same rustling noise.

A rat? She hoped not. Sedona wasn’t a fan of mice or rats. She squared her shoulders and felt along the wall to her right for the light switch. The instant she turned on the lights, the rustling noise stopped.

This time, though, she identified the culprit making the noise, and he wasn’t a rat. “Julio Ramirez, what are you doing here at this time of night?” Sedona walked deeper into the classroom.

“I had to come, Miss Hart. Emily left her backpack here, and she needs it to finish her homework for tomorrow.”

“Where’s your mom?”

“At work. Please don’t tell her. Emily and I will both be in trouble if you do.”

“How did you get here? You didn’t walk here, did you?” What a horrible thought. Julio was too young to walk by himself at night from their home to Maple Valley Elementary School.

“Eddie drove me here, but he wouldn’t come in.” The boy wrinkled his nose. “He’s on the phone with his girlfriend. Yuck!”

Sedona worked hard not to laugh. “I see. How did you get into the building? The doors are locked at five, and it’s almost ten o’clock.”

He shrugged. “The maintenance man let me in.”

Of course he did. “I imagine your brother will want to leave soon. Did you find Emily’s backpack?”

Julio nodded. “Finally. She and her dumb friends were too busy talking to remember their backpacks.”

“It’s kind of you to get it for her.”

“I didn’t mind, but don’t tell her that. She might forget her backpack all the time if you do.”

Sedona smiled. “It’s our secret, Julio. If you’re ready to go, I’ll walk you out as soon as I grab my bag.” And knowing her student, she added one more incentive for Julio to stick with her. “I’m glad you’re here. I was just noticing how the hallways are too quiet without students.”

“Are you scared?”

“Not scared, really. I’m uneasy without other people around.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Hart. I’ll protect you. Eddie taught me how to do that.”

“I appreciate that, buddy.”

“Do you have a date?”

Her head whipped toward Julio as they walked across the hall to their classroom. “No, I don’t. Why?” Too bad for her. Sedona wanted a certain sheriff’s deputy to ask her out, but he hadn’t yet. Of course, the deputy had been busy getting settled in Maple Valley and learning the roads of Morgan County, Tennessee.

One day maybe Cam Sims would ask her for a date rather than ask if she needed help with her enormous house. He’d already helped so much, not that anyone who walked through could tell the progress they’d made with help from friends. For all their efforts, the house looked the same as it had for years. Depressing.

“Just wondered. That’s all. You’re okay looking. I figured a guy would hang around you.”

Sedona laughed. “No such luck, Julio.”

He frowned. “Are you going to sleep when you get home? It’s not even my bedtime yet.”