Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie Page B

means you’re getting old. There’s a new teacher at my school. She asked me yesterday what it was
    like in the old days when I first started teaching.”
    “Did you deck her?”
    “No.” Lucy stuck out her chin. “But I may when I go back in to school tomorrow. I’ve gotten a lot
    meaner today.”
    Zack laughed. She looked so funny, neat and round with all that crazy dead black hair haloing her face,
    calmly announcing mat she was a lot meaner today. What a sweetheart.
    Dumb as a rock, but sweet.
    “You’re not going back to school tomorrow,” he told her. “You’re moving in with your sister until I
    figure out what’s going on.”
    Lucy frowned. “How long will that take? Especially if you’re going to figure it out by instinct. I don’t
    have that much sick leave. I don’t think anybody does.”
    She wasn’t that sweet. Zack glared at her, and she bunked.
    “Sorry,” Lucy said. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me today.”
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    “Forget sick leave,” Zack said. “How much dead leave do you have? I’m not kidding here. You could
    be in danger.”
    “I think—”
    “Don’t. Trust me on this one. I know what I’m doing. Somebody’s been trying to pick your locks.”
    “What?”
    Zack pointed his finger to the back door behind her. “There are scratches on your back-door lock, and
    there’s a piece of metal broken off inside this basement-door lock. Somebody’s been trying to get in
    here.”
    Lucy swallowed. “Bradley?”
    “Well, that would be my best guess. He may just be trying to get his golf clubs back. But then again...”
    He shrugged. “Somebody shot at you on the street today.”
    “At you,” Lucy said, but her voice held a lot less conviction.
    “Just stay with your sister for a while. She’s got room, right?”
    “Oh, she’s got room. But I’m not going. She can’t take the dogs, and I’m not leaving them.” Lucy stuck
    her chin in the air. “Besides, I don’t believe this.”
    Zack lost his temper and stomped up the back porch steps. He grabbed her arm and pulled her around
    to face the door as he pointed at the lock. “See those scratches?” His face was so close to hers they
    were almost nose-to-nose. “Those were made by a pointed metal tool. Somebody was trying to break
    in.”
    Lucy blinked at his closeness. “Well, they didn’t get in, did they? So I must be pretty safe.”
    “Only because they’re trying to be subtle for some reason. Sooner or later, they’re just going to smash a
    window and climb in. Lord knows why they haven’t already. I advise you to move to your sister’s.”
    “No,” Lucy said.
    Zack let go of her arm and closed his eyes and counted to ten. Then he looked down at her with all the
    patience he could muster.
    She looked up at him, wide-eyed and trusting.
    Oh, hell. If somebody did hit her, it’d be his fault for not taking care of her.
    He forced himself to speak calmly. “Look, just do me one favor. Stay inside tonight. I’ll call you when I
    find out more tomorrow, okay? And I’ll have the patrol car keep an eye on you. Just until we can get a
    handle on your Bradley and see what he’s up to.”
    Lucy opened her mouth to speak, and he overrode her again. “Just for tonight and tomorrow. That’s not
    much to ask. Please.”
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    “I’d have to leave, anyway,” Lucy said. “I’m a teacher. Even if I wasn’t going in to school tomorrow,
    I’d have to take in lesson plans.”
    Zack looked again into Lucy’s huge brown eyes and thought again about how much she needed a
    keeper.
    Not him, of course.
    Still...
    “I will take them in. Now, about this sick-leave thing. How long have you been teaching?”
    “Twelve years.”
    “And how many sick days have you taken?”
    “None.”
    “That’s what I figured. So how many do you have saved up?”
    “One hundred