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She nods. “Okay, Miss Cavanaugh.”
“Thank you.” I stand again and check on the rest of the kids.
Once the kids are finished with their allotted eating time, we all head outside so they can burn off some of their energy before class starts back up. I can leave after lunch, but I offer to stay and supervise outdoors since Violet is also one of the monitors, figuring we can chat and catch up while watching the kids.
She finds me a few minutes after we arrive outside.
“Hey, how did it go?” she asks.
“It was good. Everyone behaved.”
“I’m sure this is easy for you, you’re used to it, but I was petrified the first day when the teacher left me with that many kids. A few I can handle, but twenty plus…” Her eyes widen.
I laugh. “I’m sure you did fine. Where is Theo?”
Violet points toward the basketball court where he’s trying to dribble the ball with a few of his friends.
“He must like having you in the classroom, I bet.”
She nods. “Yeah, he does. Hannah helps out on school trips when she can, but she can never commit to helping all the time because of her work schedule. I think he likes knowing someone will be here every day with him.”
“Makes sense. How are things with Hannah now that you and Brady are engaged?”
Hannah is Theo’s mom and Brady’s ex. They tried to make it work after she got pregnant after a one-night stand, but from what I understand, they figured out quickly that they were better off as friends.
“She’s been great. Nothing but supportive, and I think she understands I’m not trying to replace her or anything, but that I want Theo to know I’m here for him if he needs me.”
I bump her with my shoulder. “You’re a lucky woman.”
“I am.” She fingers the large engagement ring on her left hand. “Speaking of lucky… have you gotten lucky since I last saw you?”
My cheeks heat. “Why do you ask?”
She leans back a bit and eyes me up and down. “You seem more… relaxed, maybe more… satisfied?”
I bring my hands to my face. “God, am I that obvious?”
She chuckles. “Not to everyone. Is it Chase?” Violet waits with bated breath.
I nod.
“Ah!” she cries out, causing a few of the kids to look in our direction. “I knew you guys were into each other.”
I whip my head around and look at her. “How did you know?”
“Well first, he willingly showed up at your house of his own accord. And second, he may have admitted to Brady that he had a thing for you.”
I hate the warm, squishy feeling in my belly like we’re thirteen and these are our first crushes. It feels a lot like hope, but I have to remember that Chase and I haven’t even had a conversation about what our sleeping together means long term. I don’t have any idea if he wants a girlfriend or how that could even work with my home being on the other side of the country. Not to mention the hurdle that is my brother.
“What did he say exactly?” I’m digging, but I can’t help it. I want to hear what Chase said about me.
“I didn’t get any specifics from Brady, but I guess he caught Chase looking at you a bunch of times at the team dinner after the game and called him out on it. He didn’t deny it.”
I’m surprised, honestly. Chase is such a private person that I figured he would have just denied it. Suddenly, it dawns on me that if Brady noticed…
“And my brother?”
Violet waves off my concern. “Brady wouldn’t say anything, and as far as I know, Miles hasn’t said that he suspects something.”
