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Looking over she saw her daughter laughing as well. Kylee couldn’t remember the last time Molly had laughed either.
The twinkle in Molly’s eyes was even brighter. Maybe it wasn’t mischief her daughter was up to. Maybe she was just happy? At this moment, basking in Ron’s light praise and silly humor, Kylee certainly felt happy herself.
Chapter Four
How could a person grow more beautiful?
Ron had heard Kylee called an understated beauty by adults when they were younger. He’d never understood the need for the qualifier. He’d always seen her as beautiful, from the first day they met in kindergarten.
Back then he’d shared his Cheetos snack pack with her. Every kid knew that a Cheetos snack pack w
as a prized snack in the school lunch box. Ron only shared with Kylee.
He’d been an awkward kid, unable to relate to anyone his own age. He’d always been great with kids though. It was inevitable that he ended up in his current position.
The only person his age that had understood him had been Kylee. Whereas Ron got kids and loved learning, Kylee got tests and loved learning. He’d always known they’d been made for each other. And now he had the chance to present his assessment to her.
“You look amazing, Kylee,” Ron said.
A deep blush colored Kylee’s cheek. He could always make her blush, but mostly from laughing. He needed to show her he was no longer her silly pal. He was a grown man who was willing and able to be a true partner to her.
“You’ve grown up so much, too,” she said. “Still wearing suits, I see.”
“The suit makes the man.”
Ron had always dressed for the part he wanted to play in life. That was the part of principal. And he’d finally achieved that lifelong dream. Now his other dream was standing before him. All he could think of doing was reaching out and grabbing her.
He swept his hand out in front of his torso, as though he were making a presentation. “Would you like to step into my office so we can talk?”
Kylee’s huge grin wobbled a bit. She turned back to her daughter, giving Molly what Ron knew was the what-have-you-done-to-embarrass-the- family-look. Ron would set Kylee straight on Molly’s behavior. He knew the kid was just acting out to find her place. Ron had every intention of convincing both Molly and Kylee that they’d found exactly where they belonged.
They walked past the phone receptionist, and the attendance receptionist, and his principal’s assistant. Each woman failed miserably at hiding their interest. Or so Ron thought. No one knew about his crush on Kylee. Well, except for his parents.
Once they got behind closed doors, Ron watched Kylee as she looked around his office. It both thrilled and scared him to view his office through her eyes. He wondered what she thought of his many accomplishments since they’d last talked. He knew what she had been doing. He’d kept in regular contact with her parents up until their deaths a year ago. The town had mourned their passing, even though they had moved to the south of the country.
“Wow, I didn’t know you earned your PhD.” Kylee said fingering the frame of his degree.
“My EdD, too. But it’s out being framed.”
She turned and her eyes went wide. “Two doctorates? Overachiever.”
Ron was usually bashful in the light of others’ praise. But his chest swelled with pride under Kylee’s perusal. He’d always rushed to show her the Good Job sticker he’d earned, or the string of A-pluses on his report card, or the handwritten notes on a particularly good essay.
“Dr. Kidd? Wow. I always knew you’d achieve your dreams.”
Ron motioned her into a seat. But instead of sitting in his chair, he sat beside her, in the same seat her daughter had occupied only an hour ago. Their knees bumped and Ron felt a crackle of electricity.
“And you?” he said. “Has the College Board swept you up yet? One of the elite to get perfect scores on their tests each time she took it. They must want you in-house to figure out how you did it.”
“No,” she looked down. “Not the College Board. I’m working at a small test prep company. They’re called Thrive to Learn Systems. They have a lot of innovative ideas.”
“Kylee that’s amazing. So, you’ll be in town for a while.”
She nodded. “We’re here to stay. Molly and me. Not…”
Well, that answered that question. Her ex was well and truly out of the picture. The road was clear for Ron.
“Ron, about Molly?”
