offer? Are you living in a small town where your only viable options are your own ex-boyfriend or dating some asshole from Boise you met online?”
Grif went still, his amusement with his sister fading. “Kate’s dating some asshole from Boise?”
“Is that all you heard?”
No. He’d heard it all, every word. And an unaccustomed emotion was sitting on his chest now.
Guilt.
Because the truth was, Kate had been vulnerable that night, and he’d known it. She’d also been a little bit toasted. And looking for oblivion. He’d given her everything she’d wanted; he knew that. She’d thoroughly enjoyed herself. Her breathy little pants of “Oh yes, Griffin, oh my God, yes” were still headlining his fantasies at night.
But had he taken advantage of her? He didn’t like the thought that maybe he had. He didn’t like that at all.
But he also didn’t like the thought of her dating some dickwad she’d met online.
“Grif,” Holly said far more gently at his silence. “She’s not your type.”
“And you know my type?”
“Yes. Slutty.” She arched a brow, waiting for him to deny it.
“People change,” he said.
“Fine,” she allowed. “I’ll grant you that. Let me come at this another way. I know what’s not your type. Sweet, hard-working, dedicated, loyal second-grade teachers from Sunshine.”
A direct hit.
Seventeen
Kate was standing in front of her class trying to express the importance of being able to spell the states in the continental US when someone peeked into her room.
Holly.
She was wearing a vistor’s pass, which was no doubt thanks to Ryan. Holly and Adam had only taken a few days off. Brady, Adam’s helicopter pilot brother, had flown them to Coeur d’Alene for a lux stay at a resort hotel, but it was high season at Belle Haven and even though they’d hired on new vet Dr. Wyatt to help, business was booming, leaving a real honeymoon slated for early fall.
Holly had enjoyed her little trip if her glowing complexion was any indicator. She gave a finger wave to the class, who knew her from visits to the animal center.
Kate moved toward her. “Everyone say hi to Ms. Reid— Actually, she’s Mrs. Connelly now.”
“Hi, Mrs. Connelly,” the kids said in varying degrees of unison.
Holly beamed. “Hi, everyone. I just need to borrow Ms. Evans for a minute.”
Every seven- and eight-year-old in the class had lost their train of thought at the sight of her, hoping she had an animal with her. Which she didn’t. Unfortunately, Kate really needed to keep them on task because they were running behind today. She took the time to lean into Holly for a quick hug and baby rub on her still flat belly. “I’m so happy to see you,” she said, “but we’re on a super-tight schedule today.”
“Okay, but this is . . .” Holly lowered her voice. “Muy importante.”
“That means very important,” Tommy said out loud, translating for everyone.
“How do you even know that, freak?” Dustin asked.
Tommy shrugged and went back to his coloring.
“Dustin,” Kate said, making sure her temper didn’t show. “What happens when we call someone a name?”
He put down his crayon, stood up, and walked to the back of the room to the chair facing the wall. He plopped on it and sprawled out like he didn’t care that he’d been singled out.
Which Kate knew to be true.
What she didn’t know was why. Dustin knew the rules, knew the consequences. And they both knew something else, that if he didn’t pass today’s spelling test, he wouldn’t be allowed to play in his travel team’s tournament this weekend.
Why didn’t he care?
The answer to that wasn’t at all reassuring. She glanced at Tommy, who was ignoring the entire situation, and then shook her head at Holly.
She really didn’t have time for this now.
“It’ll only take a second,” Holly promised.
Kate sighed. There was no deterring Holly when she sank her teeth into something, though Kate couldn’t imagine what she was all worked up about. She’d just spent several days alone with Adam, one of the sexiest men on the entire planet. “Can this wait until recess?”
“No, I have to get to work.” Holly helped run her father’s ranching empire with the precision of a drill sergeant and the care of a den mother. She was good at her job, and doing it in a man’s world had made her tough. Few crossed Holly.
Kate loved her like a sister, but even she didn’t cross Holly. So she glanced back at the class. “Keep practicing,” she told them. “Don’t leave your seats.” She met Holly’s gaze. “So what’s up?”
“I was thinking you might tell me.”
Kate knew that tone, and she went still. She had no idea how, but Holly knew something had happened between her and Griffin. Luckily, she had no way of knowing what exactly—
“Rumor has it,” Holly said, “that you slept with my brother.”
Okay, scratch that. Holly knew everything. Kate took another glance over her shoulder at the kids. Of course not a single one of them was paying her the slightest bit of attention. Dammit. Where was a crisis when she needed one? Mikey had been pulling Nina’s hair all damn day, but was he doing it now? No, he was sitting in his seat like a perfect little angel, tongue between his teeth, brow furrowed in concentration, actually doing as she’d asked, practicing his spelling.
Even Dustin had settled down and was taking his time-out with surprising grace.
“How did this happen?” Holly asked.
Kate could give her the whole chemistry lesson or tell her the simple truth—it should have been just a harmless kiss, but as it turned out, there was no such thing as harmless as it pertained to Griffin. But she doubted his sister wanted to know that.
“Ms. Evans?” Scott called from the front row. “Can I give Bunny some more water? He looks thirsty.”
“I’m sorry,” Kate whispered to Holly. “I didn’t do it to hurt you.”
“Honey, this isn’t about me. It’s about you, and I’m worried. Grif’s only here for the week, or however long the fancy strikes him. You know that, right? Tell me you know that.”
“I know that.”
“He’s not your picket-fence guy.”
“I know that, too,” Kate said, even though the words sent a little stab of pain into her chest.
“And it’s not like I’m not happy you’re getting laid . . .”
“Ohmigod,” Kate said, feeling her face flush. “I can’t believe this is ‘muy importante.’”
“I had to make sure you were okay.”
Holly could have no idea how much that meant to Kate, but the fact was that Kate had never been better. She glanced down at the tug on her sweater. Scott. “Yes, you can give Bunny some water.”
The boy beamed and ran to the bunny cage on the counter that ran along the classroom windows.
Kate let out a breath and met Holly’s gaze. “So how did you find out?”
“Adam took one look at Grif and could tell he’d gotten lucky,” Holly said.
“He could’ve been with anyone,” Kate said. “How did you know it was me?”
Holly gave her a get-real look. “You’re the only one he’s bothered with since he got here.”
This gave Kate a little frisson of pleasure.
“And you need to look in the mirror once in a while,” Holly said. “A guy would be crazy not to want you.” She paused. “But also, I know because I talked to him.”
Kate’s heart stopped as she imagined how that conversation must have gone, what with Holly’s interfering ways and Griffin’s ability to be silent until the end of time. “You did?”
“Actually, I hit him.”
“You what?”
“Hey, it was my sisterly duty,” Holly said. “Don’t worry, I didn’t hurt him too badly.”
“You talked to Griffin,” Kate repeated, mortified.
“Well, as much as you can actually talk to Grif. He’s not exactly a conversationalist.”
Kate closed her eyes. This was true. Griffin wasn’t a big talker. But there were other ways to communicate, and he had those ways down.
“Ms. Evans?” Scott was back at her side. “Bunny’s got a problem.”
“What is it?”
“You know how he was a little fat? Well, he’s not so fat now. I think he’s hungry. Can I feed him?”
“Yes, but don’t touch him until I get there, okay?”
“’Kay.”
“And don’t lick!”
“’Kay.”
Holly looked shocked. “Lick?” she whispered.
“Long story,” Kate said. “Don’t ask.”
Holly shook her head. “Thank God I’m not a teacher.” She took Kate’s hand. “I love you,” she said. “You know that. And I want you to be happy. But I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I’m not. I won’t.”
“Kate—”
“I seduced him, Hol.” Kate closed her eyes and then opened them. “It was all me. I knew what I was doing. I just wanted the one night, that was it. It’s done. And we’re good.”
“It’s . . . done?”
“Yep.” Done. Well, except for that chemistry problem.
“And you’re okay?” Holly asked softly. “Really?”
“Really.” Except . . . she didn’t have any idea how to get over the memory of being with him. She hadn’t had any idea at all that their night would literally move heaven and earth for her, that her soul would be woken up, that her body could hum like that. She hadn’t known any of it, but even if she had, she’d still have done it.
Holly sighed and hugged her hard.
“I’m so happy you’re back,” Kate said.
“Even though I yelled at you in a whisper?”
“Even though.”
Holly squeezed her hand. “You know, if you’d asked me, he’s not who I’d have picked for you.”
Kate nodded. “I know.”
Holly stared at her for a long moment. “But I’d have been wrong. He thinks he’s an island. He’s certainly always been a rock. For me. My mom. Everyone.”
Kate nodded. She knew this, too. She’d seen this.
“But he’s never had anyone be his rock.” She smiled. “Be his rock, Kate.”
“Ms. Evans!”
Scott again. He was back at her side, cradling a lump of something in the front of his sweatshirt. “Scott, I told you not to touch.”
“Not touching. Carrying.” He revealed his precious cargo.
Three bunny babies.
“Bunny multiplied!” he said joyously.
Kate met Holly’s amused glance. “Really have to go now.”
* * *
By the end of the day, Dell had come by to check on the bunnies, and Kate had arranged homes for them when they were old enough to be separated from Bunny.
And she’d nearly recovered from the fact that people knew she’d slept with Griffin.
Nearly, but not quite
All she had left now were parent conferences. There had been four of them each day after school all week long. Today the first one was with Dustin’s parents.
Emily Anders was divorced from Trevan so the meeting was tense from the start. They sat at the art table. Trevan’s arms were crossed over his chest, his jaw tight, everything about him and his expensive suit saying, Pissed-off male.
Kate did her best to put them at ease. “Dustin’s doing extremely well in math and science.” She handed them Dustin’s progress report.
Trevan’s jaw bunched as he looked it over. “You’re aware that in order to play in his travel league, Dustin needs to maintain a certain grade level.”
“Yes.”
“So why did you give him a D in spelling?”
“That’s what he earned.”
Trevan gave her an intimidating stare that Kate refused to let get to her.
“This will take him out of tournament play until the next grading period,” he said.
“His homework and test scores are below grade average,” Kate said. “I’ve been offering to help after school, but you’ve turned that help down.”
Emily turned to her ex. “Is that true?”
Trevan ignored her and stared at Kate. “You know he has daily baseball practice for his travel league. It’s extensive and time-consuming.”
“Oh my God,” Emily said. “Are you kidding me? He’s eight. I’ve told you a million times, you’re putting too much pressure on him.”
Kate agreed. “School is important, too, Mr. Anders.”
“So is this,” he said, voice low, vibrating with temper now. “He has to do better.”
“Yes, he does,” Kate said. “Or he’s going to miss our next few field trips, one of which is tomorrow. He’s going home with some extra credit tonight. You could help—”
“Or you could help by taking some of this ridiculous pressure off,” Trevan said. “It’s second grade for crissake.”
“Second grade is important,” Kate said. “But my offer of tutoring is still open.”
“My tax dollars pay you to teach him in the amount of time you have,” Trevan said.
“You often taken him out early,” Kate reminded him. “And he misses valuable class time.”
Emily gasped. “Trevan, we agreed that you would no longer do that!”
Trevan’s face remained cool and blank, but pure temper sparked in his eyes. He’d slipped up, and he clearly blamed Kate for making that public.
Emily drew a deep breath, and ignoring her ex now, she spoke directly to Kate. “You’ve been very generous with your time. We’re grateful.” She rose and gave Trevan an expectant look.
Grim-faced, he rose, too. “Teaching is your job, Ms. Evans. Not the school play or Bingo Night or running through the park feeding all the bums. My job is parenting. You do your job and I’ll do mine.” And then he left the classroom without another word.
Kate let out a breath.
“I’d apologize for him,” Emily said into the silence, “but I no longer have to do that.”
Kate smiled and did her best to shrug it off. “I know it’s not easy to hear your child needs extra help.”