Chapter 26

26

ROAN

I must have messed up with Alaina. It had been days since I helped her move. It seemed we had an amazing day together but I hadn't heard a peep from her since. No texts, no calls, nothing. She wasn't replying to my texts.

Maybe she expected a fancy dinner instead of a casual day in the park. I had a feeling I knew what it was. She invited me in and I shut her down. I really had to pick up Rafe, but had she believed me?

I seemed to be turning her down every single time there was a moment between us. No wonder she didn't want to call me back. She assumed I didn't want her. Hell, she probably thought I wasn't all that attracted to her.

That couldn't have been further from the truth. I wanted her more than I wanted any other woman. Unfortunately, things were complicated. I didn't know how to be a good boyfriend. My past had proven I wasn't good at it. I chose not to do it again. It was just too much of a hassle.

But I realized that Alaina was different. She made me want to try again, to be better. I couldn't let my fear and past mistakes dictate my future with her. I needed to make things right. Although I wasn't sure what that looked like or how I was going to make it happen.

I glanced in the rearview mirror, checking on Rafe who was working on one of his sudoku puzzles. We were on our way to a parent meeting at Rafe's school. This was me staying involved. I needed to be present in Rafe's life.

"Dad, did you know Florida has the biggest theme parks? And beaches! And Ms. C said we might even visit a robotics lab. It's going to be amazing!"

I was confused for a second. "Florida?

"Yeah, the trip," he said.

Oh shit. "Sounds like a blast, buddy."

I had casually told Rafe I'd just pay for the whole trip, but I hadn't considered the logistics. If the meeting was about fundraising for Florida, it meant the school didn't have the funds yet. He never mentioned the convention again. I assumed it was just something they were talking about and it wasn't actually going to happen. No one told me about the trip. I didn't get asked for the money.

Rafe was bubbling with excitement at the thought of visiting theme parks and a robotics lab. If this meeting wasn't about the trip, I needed to talk to Alaina about the mention of a trip to Florida. Was it all in Rafe's head or was this actually a possibility?

As we walked into the school, I straightened my tie and smoothed down my shirt. I was looking forward to seeing Alaina.

She was standing just inside the entrance, talking to a few other parents. She looked stunning as always, her smile illuminating the hallway. I felt a rush of nerves and anticipation as I approached her. Rafe waved at her and bounced ahead to join his friends. The other parents walked away, leaving Alaina and me alone.

"Hey," I said, trying to sound casual yet hopeful.

"Hey," Alaina replied, her eyes meeting mine for a fleeting moment before she looked away.

"I, uh, haven't heard from you in a while," I ventured, my heart pounding.

"Yeah, I've been busy," she said with a hint of coolness in her tone.

Before we could say anything more, a young boy ran up to her with his parents. Alaina smiled and pointed down the hall. "The meeting is in there," she said.

I walked to the school auditorium filled with parents and teachers. When Alaina walked in, she made it a point not to look at me. I realized she was nice to me in the hall because she had to be, but now that she could easily ignore me, that was exactly what she was going to do. I spotted Rafe with a few of the other kids laughing and having a good time in general. At least he was having a nice time.

I took a seat near the back, silently observing. Alaina was talking with some of the other teachers. I was staring at her, doing all I could to try and get her to look my way. I knew she saw me, but she refused to make eye contact. That didn't bode well for me.

The principal started the meeting by talking about the opportunity to go to Florida. She was painting a pretty exciting picture, which I had a feeling was part of the plan. She was trying to get the parents as excited as the kids were so we would all open our wallets.

"We're going to hold an auction, and we need parents to contribute experiences or baskets to auction off," Trudy went on. "Every bit helps."

I was only half-listening. My focus was on Alaina, who was standing next to the principal and doing her level best not to look at me. It was kind of pissing me off. I didn't like the snub. I wasn't used to it. Maybe I was an asshole, but usually when I showed a woman some attention, it was returned. It was very enthusiastically returned. But Alaina was acting like I didn't exist. Like she would prefer I not talk to her.

Alaina finally spoke. "Hello, everyone, I'm Ms. Callaway, if we haven't met yet. This opportunity is a really big deal. I can tell you the children are very excited to go. I'd like to tell you about some of the STEM projects the students are working on with the hopes of getting them in the competition. One project is a solar-powered car that the kids are designing from scratch. Another group is working on a robot that can assist elderly people with everyday tasks." Her eyes swept over the parents, her voice confident and passionate. It was clear she believed in the potential of her students.

She was so focused, so alive when talking about her students and their achievements. This was why Rafe loved her class so much. She made learning fun. She knew how to talk to the kids and get them excited about what I thought was some pretty dry stuff.

One of the parents raised their hand. "Will there be a cost associated with the trip?" they asked.

Alaina hesitated for a split second, her gaze flickering toward me briefly before she responded. "Yes, there will be a cost involved. We are looking into fundraising options and sponsorships to help offset some of the expenses for the students. The auction that was mentioned is our main fundraising focus. We think that will get us pretty close to what we need. We are trying to raise as much as we can to lessen the burden on individual families."

The parent nodded thoughtfully.

"We encourage all parents to participate in the fundraising efforts to make this trip a reality for our students," Trudy chimed in. "It's an invaluable opportunity for them to engage in hands-on learning experiences and competitions."

I looked around the room, reading the expressions on the faces of the other parents. I could see for some, even a hundred dollars would be a financial hardship.

Alaina started speaking again. She was passionate and convincing, but still, she wouldn't look at me. Other parents began to voice their questions and concerns about the logistics of the trip and the financial implications. Alaina handled each query with confidence, her unwavering commitment to the students' educational opportunities shining through her every word.

Parents began volunteering their services—a nail salon, haircuts, a chiropractic session. All useful, but I knew that kind of thing would take forever to raise the necessary funds. Honestly, it was a little late to be trying to raise funds for a trip that was supposed to happen within a couple of months. This was the kind of thing that should have been planned months in advance.

As the meeting wrapped up, I stood and moved to the back of the room. I was hoping to talk to Alaina. Maybe I was banging my head against the wall, but I really wanted to talk to her. If she wasn't going to take my calls or return my messages, this was the way I had to do it. The trick was to not make a scene.

A large group of parents swarmed her and the other teachers. It looked like I was going to be waiting a while to get my chance to talk to her.

I made my way to the refreshment table that had been overrun by the kids. I managed to snag a cookie and a bottle of water. While I was doing my best to blend in and look totally casual and not like a man stalking a woman, I overheard a guy say something about Alaina. I moved a little closer and realized it was the asshole from the first meeting.

Kyle Klein. The guy made my skin crawl. I couldn't imagine the woman that ever allowed him to knock her up. I understood why he was divorced.

He was talking to another dad. "You know what would really bring in the money? Auctioning off a night with Ms. C. I'd mortgage my house for that. That's one delectable little treat. She's all quirky and silly in the classroom, but I bet she's a wildcat in bed."

The other man looked uncomfortable, but not enough to tell Kyle to shut the fuck up. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Kyle was a disgusting pig, talking about Alaina in such a lewd and disrespectful manner. Anger boiled inside me. I clenched my fists, trying to restrain myself from marching over and punching him in the face. It took everything in me to stay put and not lose my shit.

My blood was pounding in my ears as I tried to come up with a plan on how to deal with this situation. Alaina didn't deserve this kind of talk, especially behind her back. I did the only thing I could think of to end this bullshit.

I marched straight to the front where Alaina and some teachers were talking. My anger fueled my determination. This wasn't just about the money—it was about respect.

"How much do you need for the trip?" I asked, my voice louder than intended. The room quieted down as people started looking our way. "Total cost for all of the kids without some nickel and dime auction efforts."

Alaina's face turned red. She looked embarrassed and angry at the same time. Now, it was my turn to ignore her. I had already promised Rafe I would cover the expenses. It was like buying a cup of coffee for me.

Trudy gave me a number that would make smaller men faint. Alaina's face went from bright red to ghostly white. I pulled out the checkbook from inside my pocket jacket. "Anyone got a pen?"

One of the teachers handed me one. "You can go ahead and keep that."

"Thank you."

I scribbled the amount, tore the check from the book, and gave it to Trudy. "There, the trip is covered," I said, holding Alaina's gaze. Her eyes widened in shock.

Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and walked out of the auditorium with all eyes on me. My mind was a swirl of emotions—anger, frustration, and a deep desire to protect Alaina.

Rafe was playing with his friends, chasing each other around when I made it outside. "Rafe! Time to go!"

"Da-ad," he groaned. "We just started a game."

"Rafe, let's go."

I was frustrated and pissed, and I was doing my best not to take my frustration out on him. There was no point doing something nice like paying for his trip if I was going to be a shithead to him. It wasn't his fault I had messed things up with a good woman.

I wanted to get home, get Rafe squared away, pour myself a drink, and get my shit together.