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“She’s the new bartender at The Breakwater,” Rory explains. “Dean’s been staring at her all week.”

“I have not.”

Logan snorts. “Sure.”

“And now she’s Aspen’s teacher?” Mom asks.

“Apparently.”

Rory grins. “Well, this just got interesting.”

“There’s nothing interesting about it,” I tell her. “She’s my daughter’s teacher. Asking her out would be inappropriate.”

“I don’t remember anyone saying you were going to ask her out,” Logan replies, his mouth pulling into a smirk.

Fuck.

“What does asking someone out mean?” Aspen asks, picking up a green bean with her fingers.

“It means Daddy might want to become better friends with Miss Morgan,” Rory explains.

Aspen’s eyes light up. “You should! Miss Morgan is new, so she probably needs more friends.”

I stare at my daughter.

Blair is already part of Aspen’s world—exactly the situation I’ve spent three years avoiding.

Great.

Even my six-year-old is conspiring against me.

Fourteen

Blair

There should be a rule against discovering that your student’s father is the man you’ve been fantasizing about for the past week.

I spent most of last night replaying parent-teacher night in my head. Dean sitting across from me. Aspen between us. The way his entire face changed when I told him she’d painted him as her safe person.

And, because my brain hates me, the way he said Miss Morgan before he left.

The next morning, I set out the instruments I brought for music class and attempt to focus on anything other than Aspen’s father.

It doesn’t work.

The bell rings, and within minutes, the classroom fills with excited voices. Once everyone is settled, I feel a gentle tug on my sweater.

I turn to find Aspen standing beside me with Beachy tucked beneath her arm.

“Hi, Miss Morgan!” She lifts one of Beachy’s claws and waves it at me.

“Good morning, Aspen.” I wave back at him. “How are you today?”

“Good. My daddy says you’re really nice.” She grins up at me. “We talked about you at dinner last night.”

They talked about me?

“That was nice of him.” I keep my voice casual, despite the sudden warmth spreading through my chest. “I think he’s pretty cool too.”