Chapter 6: Mckenzie

Words : 2229 Updated : Sep 18th, 2025

They soon reached Pablo's office. Ian was about to call out when the door swung open and a balding yet imposing middle-aged man stepped out with Briana Lyson. The moment Briana saw Nixon Walker, her eyes warmed with a secret smile. Her gaze, bold and unashamed, dropped to the part of him that had brought her such pleasure. Briana dared look at him, but Nixon didn't dare look back. He kept his eyes on the balding man. "You must be Pablo Harlan Zorn, right?" At that, Harlan Zorn nodded. "I am. And you are...?" "Pablo, this is Mr. Walker," Ian said. "He's the young teacher who came here on a teaching support assignment." "Oh, Mr. Walker! Wonderful. Our school needs someone like you, and badly." Harlan strode forward, beaming, and shook Nixon's hand. "Hello, Pablo. I'm Nixon Walker. Just call me Nixon," Nixon said with a smile. As they shook hands, Nixon couldn't help thinking, Harlan Zorn, if you knew this hand had been all over your wife Briana Lyson's chest half an hour ago, would you still be so eager to shake it? When they let go, Harlan introduced Briana. "Mr. Walker, this is my wife, Briana Lyson. She's also the only doctor at our village clinic. Just call her Ms. Lyson. For any minor illnesses, she's the one to see." "All right. Hello, Ms. Lyson." Nixon greeted her politely. Briana simply nodded, demure and composed, every inch the gentle lady-not at all the woman she'd been in bed just a short while ago. Nixon thought, no wonder Finn Warth set his sights on Briana Lyson. This is the kind of woman men truly crave. A saint by day, a she-wolf at night. Perfect. "Ian, I have something to take care of, so I can't treat Mr. Walker to dinner today," Harlan said. "Here's what we'll do: help Mr. Walker get his bags to the dorm, then take him to the diner near the school and make sure he eats well. I'll reimburse you." Then he turned to Nixon. "Mr. Walker, I'm sorry. I have things to do today. We're just a small mountain village, so there isn't much to choose from. I hope that's okay." "That's very kind of you, Pablo, but I'm not picky," Nixon replied, waving it off. After a few more pleasantries, Harlan left with Briana. As they walked away, Briana glanced back at Nixon and, quite suddenly, ran her tongue over the corner of her lips. That sultry glimmer was a far cry from her earlier gentleness, and Nixon almost reacted on the spot. He barely managed to hold himself back. Briana Lyson was dangerously alluring, switching from soft grace to raw temptation without missing a beat. That evening, Ian treated Nixon to a big dinner. By "big dinner," it turned out to be half a roast chicken, a plate of mushrooms stir-fried with pork, and a dish of plain shredded potatoes. That was Nixon's suggestion. One look told him the school's budget was tight. He didn't want to spend much; he'd rather save the money to buy more supplies for the kids. Ian appreciated Nixon's thoughtfulness and spent the meal explaining the ins and outs of life in Cloude Village and at the school. Nixon nodded along, taking it all in. When he learned that the first-grade class had been without a teacher for over two weeks, Nixon started work the very next day. The children were thrilled to see the new teacher. Some even jumped up to clap. Looking at their threadbare clothes from the podium, Nixon felt a pang. These kids had it so much harder than children in the city. Then he noticed a little girl in the front row quietly studying him. She didn't cheer like the others. "What's your name, little one?" he asked, curious. "I'm Ophelia Reed," the girl piped up. "Yesterday my mom told me that now that the teacher is in the village, we'll have class again." Only then did Nixon remember. Ophelia Reed was Mckenzie Looske's daughter. Because the previous teacher hadn't taught well, Nixon assessed the children's basic skills in class and found their grasp was, frankly, poor. He had no choice but to start from the beginning. Before coming for teaching support, he went through specific training, so he settled into the rhythm quickly. At one point, Harlan Zorn stood outside the classroom to listen. After a while, it opened his eyes. He hadn't realized you could teach kids like this. Nixon used more modern methods, a big step up from the village's traditional approach. By the end of the day, his legs ached. He'd never taught straight through an entire day before. He figured he'd need a chair in the classroom so he could sit for a bit when he got tired. Toward dusk, he returned to the dorm and got ready to cook. The dorm was simple, but there was an electric rice cooker, so he could make his own meals. He was about to rinse the rice when a sound came from outside. Knock, knock, knock. Nixon froze. Who could it be? Could it be...? He swallowed hard. Could Briana Lyson have come looking for him? That didn't make sense, though. Since Harlan was around today, she'd be home tonight. Heart fluttering, he opened the door. The sight stunned him. It was Mckenzie Looske, the woman with those formidable curves. Mckenzie looked a little embarrassed. "Hello, Mr. Walker." "Mckenzie, just call me Nixon," he said, smiling. Truth be told, Mckenzie's allure was every bit as striking as Briana's. The two were neck and neck-one with a figure that defied belief, the other able to shift from saint to she-wolf in a heartbeat. "Mr. Walker, I... I wanted to invite you to my place for dinner," Mckenzie said, a little flustered. "Dinner?" Nixon blinked, curiosity piqued. Was she hinting at something? "Yes, dinner." Her cheeks flushed. "And I hoped you could help Ophelia with her homework. She was sick for a while and missed a lot." He understood at once. He'd checked Ophelia's fundamentals that day and found she was almost the weakest in class. So she'd been out sick. "No problem. Shall I go now?" "Mr. Walker, you mean you'll do it?" Mckenzie's face lit up. "Of course." Nixon nodded. "If you're inviting me over, the least I can do is help her catch up." Pleased, Mckenzie led him off. Her home was close to the school, and they reached it quickly. On the way, Nixon kept sneaking glances at her curvy figure, watching those gently jiggling curves more than once. When they reached Mckenzie's place, a thought struck him and he asked casually, "Is your husband home?" Mckenzie paused. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "My husband... passed away a few years ago." Nixon fell silent, then a jolt of excitement shot through him. A beauty like Mckenzie, and she was a widow. That meant... Inside Mckenzie's home, Ophelia Reed greeted him with delight. "Hello, Mr. Walker!" "Hello, Ophelia," Nixon smiled. "I've come to check on you and give you some extra help." Hearing he'd be tutoring her one-on-one, Ophelia grew even happier. Her small hand slipped into Nixon's and she tugged him inside. Unlike many city kids who got tired of school, children here cherished every chance to learn and brimmed with curiosity. Nixon was moved. He sat and explained the material to Ophelia, and she listened intently. When he finished, he had Ophelia write on her own to help it stick. He'd been sitting a long time, so he stood to stretch his legs and wandered toward the kitchen, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mckenzie cooking. At the kitchen doorway, Mckenzie happened to be coming out. She appeared so suddenly that Nixon jolted. His foot slipped, and he lurched straight toward her. He told himself he couldn't let her fall. He caught her by the shoulder and eased her back against the wall, his other hand bracing the doorframe as he crashed toward her. The next moment, his face buried in a soft, lightly perfumed swell.

Chapter 6: Mckenzie

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