5. Cassie

CHAPTER 5

CASSIE

I feel like hell,and I know I look it too.

I tossed and turned most of the night, replaying in my mind the moment Baker walked into the Whiskey Whistler until he walked out of my bedroom. One thing I discovered was that the attraction I felt wasn’t just one-sided. He was definitely more vocal about it and didn’t act as if he was going to back down. But who knows, in the light of day, he could completely change his mind. Plus, I have so many questions. One being, did he know who I was the whole time?

But I can’t worry about it now.

No, now I need to worry about getting into my class and avoiding Mrs. Daniels. With my head down, I walk briskly into the building. I have to walk right past the office, and I normally wave and say hello to the school secretary, but today I’m looking straight ahead, hoping to avoid everyone.

I get two steps past the door to the office and my shoulders start to release from their tensed position when I hear my name being bellowed. “Miss Waters. Can I see you please?”

I tremble as panic hits me. I want to run in the opposite direction, but I know I’m just putting off the inevitable. I hold my papers and folders closer to my chest, shake my head so my hair falls over my forehead, paste a smile to my face, and then walk into the office. “Hi, Mrs. Turner.” I nod at the secretary, and she gives me a sympathetic look. Shoot, they know. I knew they would find out, but who would have thought they would know at seven o’clock the very next morning? I walk into Mrs. Daniels’ office. “You wanted to see me?”

Her eyes go straight to my forehead. I know she can’t see it. Not only is my hair covering it but I piled on the makeup this morning. The swelling is completely gone, and the bruise is hidden underneath layers of concealer. Mrs. Daniels isn’t fooled, though. She comes around her desk and stops in front of me. “Do you have something you need to tell me about last night?”

I open my mouth but don’t get a word out because she immediately starts talking again. “Miss Waters, do I need to remind you that we have a code of conduct here? We don’t just ignore it when we hear about our teachers running around in bars, drinking and getting into brawls.”

I remind myself that I want to keep this job. There are three schools in this town, elementary, middle, and high, and if I get fired from one, I won’t be able to work at any. And I really don’t want to go to Jasper to work at a school there. “Mrs. Daniels, I’m well aware of the code of conduct, and that’s why yes, I met a friend last night, but I did not drink, and I definitely did not get into a brawl.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “I heard otherwise.”

I let out a breath and start to explain. “There were two men that started to fight. I was just trying to stop them, and that’s it.”

She’s staring at me as if she can literally see right through me. I don’t know if she’s waiting on me to change my story or what so I pace my breathing and keep looking right back at her.

She tilts her chin up at me. “You do know that we will find out the truth.”

I nod even though I don’t know if that’s true or not. One thing about Whiskey Run is that the gossip mill sometimes runs amuck, and she may only hear embellished truths. “I understand. Can I get to class now? I need to get some planning done.”

She purses her lips together. “Fine. But I promise you that I will be looking deeper into this, and if I find out that—”

I move my folders to one arm and hold my free hand up. “I understand.”

She gives me a firm nod and waves her hand as if she’s dismissing me.

I turn on my heel and walk out. I make it to my class without any further incident, but the little talk with Mrs. Daniels lies heavily on my shoulders all day.

I go through the motions, and there are only a few instances throughout the day where it’s obvious other teachers must have heard about the previous night. They of course got a good laugh about it, but for me, it’s impossible to find the humor in it all.

It’s now the end of the day, and my friend that teaches next door steps into my classroom. “You okay?”

Charlotte has been a great friend to me and has really shown me the ropes around here. I sigh and shrug my shoulders. “Well, I still have a job, if that means anything. I mean, if I’m fired, they haven’t told me yet.”

“You’re not going to be fired.”

She barely gets the statement out when the intercom in my room buzzes. “Miss Waters?”

I hold my breath. “Yes.”

“Mrs. Daniels would like to see you please.”

I fall into my chair and rest my head on my desk. Dammit. “Okay,” I mutter.

“Excuse me?” the secretary says.

I lift my head off the desk, and in my most pleasant voice, I tell her, “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

I slowly stand up, and Charlotte meets me in the middle of my classroom and hugs me tightly. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. Even if you get a reprimand.”

She holds her hands up when I open my mouth. “And I know you didn’t do anything to get reprimanded; I’m just saying that they’re not going to fire you. There’s no one to fill your spot right now.”

I roll my eyes. “Well, that makes me feel better. They’re not going to fire me because they’re waiting for someone to fill my position. Thanks for that.”

Charlotte laughs and shakes her head. “You’re worried for nothing. It’s going to be okay. Do you want me to go with you?”

I shake my head. “No. There’s no sense for Mrs. Daniels to tie you to me in any way. She still likes you.”

Charlotte pulls her bag up her shoulder. “Are you sure? I parked out back, but I can take the long way around and walk with you.”

I shake my head. “No, it’s okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She pats me on the back, and we go in separate directions. I make the long trek down the hallway toward the offices. When I get to the front office, I stop suddenly when I hear Mrs. Daniels laughing from her office. What the…? I don’t think I’ve ever heard her laugh. I go to the open door and am about to knock when I spot Baker standing inside, smiling and looking as charming as ever. He’s in uniform again, and he looks even more handsome than I remember.

It’s then that Mrs. Daniels spots me. The whole walk here I prepared myself for a tirade, and I was ready to defend my actions from last night. But I don’t get a chance to.

Mrs. Daniels comes toward me with her arms wide open. I tense up because I’m not sure what’s about to happen, and she wraps her arms around me as she laughs and hugs me. “Cassie,” she admonishes as she pulls back and looks at me. “Why didn’t you tell me that you are friends with Baker? He told me he was there last night and you were completely innocent.”

I meet Baker’s eyes, and he’s looking at me with a satisfied smile on his face. I’m completely stunned by the turn of events. Baker walks over to me and puts his hand around my waist, effectively pulling me away from Mrs. Daniels. “Mrs. Daniels—I mean Krista—it was so good to see you again.”

She blushes. Stone cold Mrs. Daniels is blushing. “Oh my, you too. And how sweet are you to come in today to talk about the carnival. All the kids love your dunking booth.”

I look at him in shock. “You do a dunking booth for the school carnival?”

He looks almost sheepish. “Yeah, I think it’s good for the police to be seen around the school and to have a good rapport with the kids. I had to skip it last year because I was undercover, but I’m looking forward to picking it up again.”

My heart starts to race in my chest. Can this man be any more perfect?

Baker nudges me toward the door. “Well, we’re going to head out of here. I know you’ve had a busy day, so we’ll let you get to it. Thanks again for meeting with me, Krista.”

I wave over my shoulder. “Good night, Mrs. Daniels.”

She calls back in a giggly tone, “Night, Baker. Have a good night, Miss Waters. I’ll see you in the morning.”

I almost trip over my own feet on my way out of the office. We get down the hall before I can form a sentence. “What just happened back there? What did you do to her?”