Nate got to work.
Ally turned and met Ethan’s eyes.
“Sorry,” he mouthed.
“It’s okay,” she whispered.
They both watched as Nate drew fast and furious. It was a dragon and pretty damn good for a first grader.
“Wonderful,” Ally said. “You’re really good at drawing. Be sure to color it all in. I can’t wait to see your great work.”
Nate flushed at the compliment and industriously continued, adding jagged flames.
Ally turned and spoke to the next kid, encouraging them gently. Ethan just stood there, his heart thumping hard, the blood rushing through his veins, everything in him focused on this amazing woman who reached out to the class troublemaker and turned it around—bam! Just like that. No yelling, no berating, no making the kid stand in the corner. Just gentle encouragement. How would his life have been different if he’d had a teacher like her?
He swallowed down a lump of raw emotion, his gaze locked on this incredible woman like no other. And all he wanted was to be close to her. He wanted her in his life more than he wanted his next breath.
She walked toward him and he forced his hands to his sides, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms.
“Thanks so much for stopping by,” she said.
“No problem,” he forced out over the lump in his throat that just wouldn’t go away.
She turned. “Class, Sergeant Case needs to get back to work. Can you say goodbye?”
“Bye, Sergeant Case,” the class dutifully droned.
“Bye, everyone.” But he didn’t want to leave.
Ally smiled up at him, filling his vision with beauty. “I really appreciate you taking the time to visit. Hope you have a great rest of the day.”
“You too,” he replied gruffly.
She resumed walking up and down the aisles, checking on the kids, and he took the hint and left.
He stopped outside the classroom door and took one last look at Ally; then he gave himself a mental shake for being such a sap and strode out of the building.
7
Ally nearly vibrated with excitement on Friday night as she entered the posh hotel in New York City with her friends to meet up with their movie star friend Claire Jordan. Claire had arranged a limo for them, as usual when they met up, but instead of a Happy Endings Book Club meeting, tonight they’d have their sologamy ceremony. She was quiet as she approached the private executive lounge with her friends, her mind fully focused on what lie ahead. When Ally had shared her sologamy ceremony idea with her friends and invited them all to witness her marrying herself, she’d originally planned a nice dinner at her apartment. But once Claire understood the empowerment message behind it, she declared she planned to marry herself too! As she put it, honoring themselves could only strengthen the bonds of marriage. After that, everyone got on board. It was the most incredible thing. Claire had told them to pack for a slumber party in her huge penthouse suite to extend the celebration.
They stopped at the door of the lounge, where Claire’s bodyguard, Frank, a massive Hawaiian man with a shaved head and a don’t-fuck-with-me expression, stood guard.
“Hi, Frank!” Ally said cheerfully. The man never smiled, but Ally knew he was good to Claire, keeping her safe while being respectful of her privacy.
“Ally,” Frank responded and opened the door. “Ladies.”
She stepped inside and gasped. “Oh, Claire!”
The normally sedate lounge, done in muted grays with white sofas and chairs, had been transformed into a wedding wonderland. She stepped through a wedding arch draped in sheer gauze with fragrant white, pink, and red roses. White votive candles glowed on every surface—the small black end tables, the longer black table now prominently placed in the center of the room, and on the sleek black bar top. White and pale pink flower arrangements stood at the center of each table, and classical music played in the background, piped through speakers in the ceiling.
Claire beamed, her arms outstretched. “You like?” Her usually blond shoulder-length hair was dyed brown for her part as Mia inFierce Loving, making her hazel eyes look more brown than green. Her outfit was elegant and sophisticated—a V-neck black and white striped top with white crystals studded along the V, tailored black pants, and black open-toed heels that were definitely designer. Her closet was designer heaven.
“I love it!” Ally exclaimed, dropping her duffel and sleeping bag and rushing forward to hug Claire.
Claire gave her a squeeze and pulled back to look at her. “I missed you, lady! I was so bummed I had to miss last week’s meeting. I love your dress!”
It was Ally’s version of a modern wedding gown—an off-the-shoulder white eyelet dress that ended mid-thigh with white ballet flats complete with satin straps that wound around her ankles. She’d skipped the veil.
