broke. “You just stall and don’t close Woodward down yet. Will you do that for me?”
Allison nodded and said gently, “But it’s not going to do any good. You’ll have to face reality soon, Kendra.”
“No, I won’t. Because that reality hurts too much for too many people, We’ll just have to change the reality.” She turned and almost ran into Lynch at the door. “Did you hear that?” Her voice was shaking. “They’re shutting it down and it will probably be permanently if they can’t get the damn money.”
“I heard,” he said gently as he drew her out of the office. He dabbed at the tears running down her cheeks. “I know it hurts. I probably have enough cash to keep the place going for a little while until you think of something permanent.”
“Allison thinks I won’t be able to do that,” she said jerkily.
“Then Allison doesn’t know you.” He kissed her cheek. “Just calm down and let the pain go away and then it will come to you.” He nudged her toward his Lamborghini in the driveway. “Come on, we’ll go for a drive.”
“You might have to give up this Lamborghini if I take you up on that offer to fund the school for a while,” she said unevenly as he closed her passenger door.
“That would hurt very much, but I’d survive. But please start thinking hard and fast to save me.”
She wiped her eyes. “It was a splendid offer, but we really need steady funding in the billionaire category.”
“Ah, rejected again. Then just lean back and close your eyes and dream of billionaires…”
* * *
It was only twenty minutes later that Kendra sat up straight in the seat and said, “You can take me back to the academy now. I’ve got to apologize to Allison for falling apart on her. I was just hoping so much that everything would go well for the kids that I convinced myself it was going to happen.” She added passionately, “And it will happen, but I shouldn’t have gotten so emotional about it with Allison.”
“I like you emotional.” He reached out and covered her hand with his own. “I just don’t like you hurting. So I’d appreciate it if you’d find a way to save the day without you going through the trauma.”
“Allison said I can’t save the day, that I’m too idealistic, and I don’t think about donors or charities the way most people do.”
“She’s right, you don’t think of anything the way most people do. Every one of your senses is more alive and you see and hear everything more sharply and intensely, and it translates to those emotions that you’re going to apologize to Allison for having. But that’s not bad. It would be nice if we could all see and experience everything the way you do.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve always said that anyone can do what I do if they’d just concentrate and pay attention. But they have to make the effort, I can’t lead them down the path, dammit.” They were driving back through the gates of Woodward Academy, and she gestured to the magnificent scenery surrounding them. “And who wouldn’t want to do it, to see everything, to feel everything with every ounce of the senses God gave them. Just look at what—” She broke off as she saw another TV van parked in front of the administration office. “Another vulture zeroing in on Allison,” she said bitterly. “I shouldn’t have run out and left her to—” She stopped and inhaled sharply. “Vulture.”
“What?” Lynch asked.
“That’s all wrong.” She gestured to the administration building “Park. Get me inside. I have to talk to Allison.”
His eyes were on her face, and he suddenly smiled. “I believe you do.” The next moment he’d drawn up in front of the building, jumped out, and was shouldering the reporters aside to get her to the front door.
Allison unlocked and threw open the door as soon as they reached it. “You should have waited until the TV trucks left.”
“No, I shouldn’t,” Kendra said. “I should never have left.” She was pulling the blinds down to allow them a modicum of privacy. “There’s too much to do.”
“What are you talking about?”
Lynch dropped down in a chair. “Yes, what are you talking about, Kendra?”
“Vultures,” Kendra said. “I’ve never liked the media because they always got in my way and seemed to go for the most sensational stories no matter how ugly they are. Oh, I know they’re only doing their jobs and trying to