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“Bye, Elijah,” she said, skipping over to us and pulling him into a hug.
“Bye!”
“You must be Melody,” Macon said, extending his hand. I took it, and it enveloped mine almost completely as we shook.
“I am,” I confirmed.
“Harper couldn’t stop talking about the two of you after orientation. I feel like I’m meeting a celebrity.” We both chuckled, but before I could respond, my skin pebbled and the hair on the back of my neck stood up as the same deep voice that had groaned my name sounded from behind me.
“Macon,” Gavin said as he stepped into my field of vision. They clutched their hands together in front of their chests and threw their opposite arms around each other’s shoulder.
“Gav,” Macon returned, slapping him on the back. “How was the first day of school?”
“Exhausting,” he replied, finally turning to acknowledge me. “Ms. Barrett,” he said coolly, the address so impersonal it caused an ache to settle in my chest. I swallowed back the unwelcome emotion and forced a smile. I’d thought about him every day since our brief encounter, wondering if it was a mistake not calling him. He seemed like a wonderful guy. I was starting to regret not giving him a chance to be more than a hookup.
“Mr. Phillips,” I said, my voice strained. “I’ll let you two catch up. It was nice meeting you,” I told Macon before grabbing Elijah’s hand and turning toward the parking lot. The kids exchanged goodbyes, and Eli twisted at the waist to wave. He wasn’t watching where he was going and caught the toe of his shoe on the sidewalk. His little body pitched forward, and the only thing keeping him from eating the pavement was the firm grip I had on his hand. I couldn’t keep him from scraping his knee, and tears instantly welled in his eyes. Crouching in front of him, I inspected the injury as he began to cry.
“It’s okay,” I soothed, brushing the hair from his face. “It’s just a little boo boo,” I assured him, trying not to make too big of a fuss over it. I had to temper my reaction or he would get even more worked up. That was something I’d learned the hard way over the years.
“It hurts,” he cried, and my eyes misted over. I hated seeing him in pain.
“Hey, little buddy, are you alright?” Gavin was suddenly at my side, kneeling next to us. Eli shook his head and buried his face in the crook of my neck. “I have some Spider Man Band-Aids in my office. I can patch you up real quick before you head home. Would that make you feel better?” Eli nodded, and Gavin and I stood. “Is that alright with you?” Gavin asked, looking to me for permission.
“Of course,” I assured him, wanting nothing more than to give Eli some relief.
We began to walk back toward the entrance, Eli hobbling on one leg as though the injured one was broken.
“Can you walk, buddy?” Gavin asked, noticing we weren’t right behind him. Eli shook his head as fresh tears filled his eyes and blood dripped down his leg. Noticing the red streak, Gavin pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and pressed it to the wound to stem the bleeding. To my surprise, he placed an arm behind Eli’s knees and under his arms and scooped him up. “I gotcha,” he said, carrying my son to the door. My heart melted at the care with which he handled my son. It was a glimpse into who he was; a caring man who was willing to go above and beyond for his students.
I followed Gavin down the now empty halls to his office. He placed Eli on the edge of his desk and propped his feet in a chair. Removing the cloth, he inspected the wound.
“It doesn’t look too bad. I think we can still save his leg,” he announced with faux seriousness, his eyes wide and expression exaggerated. Eli giggled, and I let out a pent-up breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
Searching through his desk drawers, he finally located the first aid kit and pulled it out. He cleaned up the scrape and applied a little antibiotic ointment and held up a handful of Band-Aids fanned out like a magician would a deck of cards.
“Which one do you want?” Eli pointed to the Spiderman Band-Aid, and Gavin plucked it from the stack. “Really? I thought for sure you’d pick Elsa.” Another giggle escaped Eli, and the sound brought a smile to my lips. Words couldn’t express how much I appreciated him putting my son at ease while taking care of his injury. It might have been minor, but to Eli, it was a big deal.
“There, good as new,” Gavin announced as soon as the bandage was in place. He helped Elijah down and tucked his supplies back into the drawer.
“Thank you. Again,” I said as my son slipped his hand into mine. “This is the second time you’ve come to my rescue.”
“No thanks needed. I’m just doing my job.” It was said cordially, but I felt the meaning behind it. It wasn’t anything special. I wasn’t special to him. And I got the message loud and clear.
Chapter 9
Gavin
I cracked open a beer and slid the nearly empty pie dish from its hiding spot. The last piece of Mom’s pecan pie was calling my name. I’d managed to hide it from Brynlee when they were over for my housewarming this past weekend. I was glad I did because I needed a little slice of comfort after the first day of school. Aside from my run in with Melody, everything went pretty smoothly, but running into her not once, but twice had soured my mood.
It was like I couldn’t escape her now. I’d gone more than two months without seeing her, but now she seemed to be there every time I turned around. And I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. I couldn’t tell her to stay away since her son went to my school. I couldn’t pull her into my arms and kiss those soft, pouty lips, and it was driving me crazy. The woman had me tied in knots, and I wouldn’t be able to escape her until the school year was over.
Thankfully, the rest of the week was uneventful. I caught glimpses of Melody during drop-off and pick-up but hadn’t spoken to her again. Unfortunately, Brynlee wouldn’t quit poking her nose in my business and kept bringing Melody up. Apparently, they’d had lunch together and Melody asked about me. Bryn already suspected something happened between us, and that just added fuel to the fire. From what I could tell, Melody had kept our tryst hush hush, and it was driving Brynlee nuts. Secrets rarely stayed hidden in our small town, but I didn’t kiss and tell.
It took me another week to find my footing in my new position. Each day, I stayed longer and longer after the final bell rang, and by the time the three-day weekend rolled around, I was ready for a break. Whatever else needed to be done could wait until Tuesday when we returned after the holiday.
When I arrived at Brynlee and Macon’s for their annual Labor Day cookout, my cousin was manning the smoker and the kids were taking turns on the Slip ‘N Slide. I searched the back yard for the familiar white, blonde hair and willowy figure I’d learned to pick out among the crowd. Melody stood out no matter where she was, and I was drawn to her. I had to stop myself from gravitating toward her when she arrived at the school every day. But she wasn’t here. My shoulders slumped in relief, and I let out a long breath. She must’ve decided not to come after all. Brynlee had me convinced she’d be here, but now I suspected she did that just to watch me squirm. And I’d given her exactly what she wanted, playing right into her hand.
I was finishing off a slice of homemade cheesecake when I felt it. The breeze kicked up, bringing with it the scent of wildflowers. I turned to look over my shoulder, my eyes skimming my surroundings and searching for the source of the electric charge in the air.
