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Maize shrugs, then shoos me away.
I walk into the main area and grab a to-go cup for my coffee. As I’m adding cream and sugar, I feel someone standing close. Glancing over my shoulder, I immediately see Grayson hovering.
“You’re lookin’ real lovely this mornin’,” he says with a gruff tone.
I shake my head and put the lid on my cup. Then I turn and meet his chestnut brown eyes. Something swirls inside me, but I ignore it.
“Suck a dick.” I take a sip of my coffee and walk past him.
“I’d prefer you suck mine,” he throws back.
I turn to face him. “I doubt I’d be able to find it.”
He lifts his brows, brings his hands to the top button of his jeans, and acts like he’s gonna whip it out and show me.
I clear my throat. “Go ahead. Prove yourself.”
Grayson chuckles. “Nah. Wouldn’t be able to keep you off me if you got a good look at the family jewels.”
“I’ve seen them, remember? Or have ya already forgotten how good I am at tying Palomar knots?” I blink a few times, waiting for his response.
Grayson quickly removes the space between us and leans in to whisper in my ear. “You may think this is over, but it’s far from it. Whatever’s going on between us has just started.”
I take a few steps back and glare at him for getting into my personal space. “Fuck off.”
Riley and Diesel walk in laughing about something, and I take the opportunity to make my escape. As my dad finishes up with one of the B&B guests, I go up to the counter. “Hey, Dad!”
“Hey honey, headin’ to work?”
“Yep. Don’t forget Lacey’s coming over tonight.”
“Oh yeah. Thanks for the reminder. Also, don’t worry about us gettin’ in y’all’s way. I’m sure your mom and I will be in bed early. Didn’t get much sleep last night.” He waggles his brows.
“Eww, spare me please. Don’t say things like that before I’ve had a full cup of coffee.”
Dad laughs. “Anyway, have a good day!”
“You too,” I tell him before leaving.
When I pass the dinner tables, Grayson lifts his head and looks at me. Our eyes meet, and I make sure to give him a dirty look. Being an asshole toward him in the mornings has easily become a part of my routine too.
I arrive at school just as a few of my students are being dropped off by their parents. I quickly chug the rest of my coffee, needing it to start working sooner rather than later.
“Miss Bishop!” Jackie says, wrapping her small arms around me the best she can.
“Hey, sweetie! Happy Friday!”
“Yes!” She fist pumps in the air, then skips away, yelling, “Summer break is coming!”
As I’m watching her, I hear my name being called. I turn and see my cousin Elle, then move toward her.
“Hey, Elle, how’s everything goin’?”
She looks down at her baby bump and laughs. Elle and her husband run the only veterinary clinic in a fifty-mile radius. She found out she was pregnant not too long ago and is due sometime in September. “As good as it can, I guess. As long as I get my mornin’ pastries from the B&B, everything’s just fine. Skip a day, and the baby gets hangry.”
I snort. “I feel that deep in my bones, and I can’t even blame it on a pregnancy. Oh, where’s Olivia?”
Olivia is Elle’s stepdaughter and was my student last year.
“Just dropped her off. She’s already inside.”
“That little stinker! She didn’t even say hi to me. Apparently, I’m chopped liver now that she’s no longer in my class.” I pretend to pout.
“You know she loves you, probably didn’t even see you,” she offers.
Cars are lined up in front of the parent drop-off area, and Elle looks in the rearview mirror. “I should probably get going before these crazy moms start honkin’.”
“Probably right,” I tell her, then we say our goodbyes.
Walking inside the school, I avoid the energetic bodies in the hallway on the way to my classroom. I open the door, knowing my students will rush in as soon as the bell rings. I’m just hoping most of them didn’t eat sugar for breakfast, but I quickly realize I wasn’t so lucky.
They’re bouncing off the walls, chitchatting, but as soon as I turn on Frozen 2, it all stops. Well, until the songs begin, then it becomes a sing-along, which I don’t mind. For the rest of the day, I keep them busy with coloring sheets, games, and movies. I love how much fun they’re having. Seeing my kids smile and having a good time is everything to me. Considering there are only three more days left, it’s useless trying to do anything else.
At lunchtime, Lacey and I sit at a table where we can watch our students but still have some privacy.
