Chapter One

Ava

Nine and three.

That's exactly where my hands are positioned on the steering wheel as I drive home. It's dark, but not late. I left Gabe and Blair's wedding reception at eight, giving myself plenty of time to get home before the roads potentially get bad from the weather. Not that they will, but you never know. Weather in northwestern Wisconsin can change at the drop of a hat, so I'm always prepared for whatever life throws my way.

Except, I'm not prepared for my car to sputter and die, literally in the middle of the deserted roadway. I do everything I can to steer my Kia Seltos off the road, but I'm only able to get the front end to the shoulder before the vehicle stops moving completely. My rear end is still very much in the roadway, which makes me panic a little. Fortunately, Eldridge Road isn't incredibly busy, thanks to being on the opposite side of town from Bluff Preserves National Park, so hopefully I won't cause an accident with my haphazardly disabled vehicle.

Flipping on my emergency hazards, I retrieve my cell phone from the clutch purse sitting on the passenger seat. My hands are a little shaky as I tap in my code and pull up the messaging app. I could call instead of text the tow truck driver, but he's sitting at the wedding reception I just left, and with the music, I'm not sure he'll be able to hear the ringing.

Me: Hi, Marcus, this is Ava Rutledge. My car just broke down on Eldridge Road. It's not completely off the roadway either. I know you're at the reception, so is there someone I can call for help?

The bubbles appear almost instantly.

Marcus: On my way.

Me: I hate to pull you away from the celebration.

Marcus: It's fine. I wasn't staying much longer anyway. I'll head to the shop and grab the tow truck.

I fire off a quick thank you to Marcus, feeling awful he's having to leave Gabe and Blair's wedding reception to come bail me out of trouble, but I suppose that's what happens when you're the only repair shop and tow service in our area. Since my rear end isn't completely off the road, I don't want to leave it until morning. It could cause an accident for a passing vehicle, despite having the emergency hazards on.

I wrap my arms around myself, hating the fact I'm not wearing a winter coat. It just didn't go with the dress I wore to the wedding, but I'm desperately regretting that decision now. This sweater is warm but does not provide nearly enough comfort in a disabled car in the dead of winter. I make a mental note to stock up on emergency supplies for my trunk very soon.

A pair of headlights fill my rearview mirror and stop directly behind my car. My heart starts to beat hard as I reach over and press the lock button. Twice. I clutch my phone in my hand, ready to dial 911 when the person who stopped behind me opens their driver's door. I can't tell who it is or what kind of vehicle, thanks to the blinding lights in my mirrors. My heart pounds even harder as I feel the person approach my door and knock on the window. I lift my phone, ready to call for help.

That's when I catch a glimpse of a familiar face.

"Hey," he hollers, lifting his hand and giving me a friendly, nonconfrontational wave.

"Mr. Pierson?" I holler through the closed window, surprised to find the father of one of my fifth-grade students standing beside my disabled vehicle at this time of night.

He flashes me a warm, disarming smile that makes my heart flip in my chest. "Just Gavin, Miss Rutledge. To you, I'm just Gavin."

My mouth goes completely dry. "Uh…"

"Can I help?" he hollers through the window.

"No, I'm good," I reply, my teeth starting to chatter. "The tow truck is on its way."

"Come on, Miss Rutledge. You must be freezing. Let me take you home," he insists, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans as he bends over, trying to shield his face from the cold.

Reaching for the handle, I unlock the door and slowly push it open. "Maybe I should wait for Marcus," I say, mostly to myself than to him.

"If you want, fine, but I'd feel more comfortable if you'd wait in my truck." Gavin remains completely still, waiting until I make my decision. "It's toasty warm," he adds, and I'll be honest, that last statement outweighs all the reasons why I should stay in my car.

"Okay," I reply. The chill sweeping into my vehicle has me reaching for my purse and ready to exit.

"Here," Gavin says, offering me his hand while I'm climbing out. It's an incredibly gentlemanly thing to do, and I admit, I totally eat it up. Chivalry is not dead.

I try not to focus on how warm, yet rough his hand is as he leads me to the passenger seat of his truck. A shiver sweeps through my entire body, one he clearly notices. "Please let me take you home, Miss Rutledge. It'll take a little time for Marcus to get here and load up your vehicle. There's nothing you can do until morning."

I hesitate, running through my options and quickly realizing I don't have many. Yes, I could stay here, waiting for Marcus to do his thing, but that would mean he'd have to give me a ride home at some point too. "Okay," I finally reply, knowing this is for the best. "Thank you."

Everything else happens quickly. Gavin helps me into the passenger seat of his truck, the heater hitting me square in the face and feeling like that first drink of ice water on a hot summer day. It's the best sensation, and I find myself placing my hands in front of the vent to help warm them up.

Then, something else hits me. "Oh, my key." I dig into my purse for the fob, unclipping it from my ring of keys.

"I'll set it under the floor mat, so Marcus has it," he tells me, reaching for the small, black device. My fingertips brush his palm as he gently takes the fob from my hand. "Be right back," he adds, shutting the door and blanketing me in the warmth of the truck interior.

He goes to my Kia and places the key fob under the mat. He takes a look around, probably making sure I have everything I need, and shuts the door.

I pull out my cell phone once more and fire off another text to Marcus.

Me: Key fob is under the mat. Someone is giving me a ride home.

He replies back a few seconds later.

Marcus: Sounds good. I'll tow it back to the shop and take a look at it first thing in the morn.

Me: Thank you, Marcus, and again, I'm sorry to pull you away from the reception.

Marcus: All good, Ava.

The driver's door opens, and Gavin slips inside. I look through the windshield just in time to see snow flurries start to fall, making me even more grateful I'm not sitting in my broken-down vehicle right now.

"Thank you, again," I say as soon as the door is closed.

"It's no problem, Miss Rutledge," he replies with a warm, friendly smile.

I catch a whiff of his clean scent, whether it's soap or cologne, it tickles my nose and makes me want to inhale deeply. I don't, of course, because that would be weird, and while I've always been considered an odd duck, leaning in to smell someone would definitely elevate my weirdness level.

"Ava," I blurt out, my brain kinda spinning.

"What?"

"My name. You keep calling me Miss Rutledge. You can call me Ava," I tell him, feeling a blush creep up my neck that has nothing to do with the heat inside the car.

He flashes me another smile, one that makes my nipples tingle and my thighs clench. "Ava," he repeats, as if trying out the word, and I'll be gosh darned if it isn't the sexiest sound I've ever heard.

"Annabelle," I practically holler, wishing I could crawl into a hole. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell that. What I meant to ask is how she's enjoying her Christmas break. I know it's only been a day, but I'm sure she's enjoying the time away."

He throws his truck into drive and slowly pulls away from the side of the road, leaving my disabled car behind. "She has no complaints yet, but I'm sure once Christmas is over in two days, she'll be itching to return to school and her favorite teacher," he tells me, sending a wink my way.

"She's such a great student. One of the hardest working kids I've ever had in fifth grade," I tell him as we continue to drive along the dark roadway. I've been teaching for fourteen years already, so that's saying something.

"I have no idea where she gets it from. I wasn't that smart when I was in school," he replies with a chuckle. "You're up here in Strawberry Hill, right?" he asks, quickly switching conversation directions.

"Oh, yes. Second road, blue house on the right."

He taps his thumb on the steering wheel while he drives. "Annabelle loves being in your class. You're all she talks about," he informs me.

Thankfully, he's unable to see the blush on my cheeks as he keeps his eyes on the road. "I appreciate you saying that. She really is a wonderful student. She's on track to be our top reader, as well as top speller this year."

He laughs. "Doesn't surprise me. Do you know she asked for books for Christmas this year?"

Hearing that makes my heart sing. I was one of those students. You know, the nerdy ones who got all excited to go to the book fair and actually buy books? I was a regular at the library and always competed in summer reading challenges. I won four years in a row, competing as a child in the adult category.

"A girl after my own heart," I reply with a smile, placing my hand against my chest.

Gavin chuckles as he starts to slow as we approach the subdivision. He turns onto the second road, which winds around to the back of the small grouping of houses. We slowly make our way to the row of houses, mine being the second one on the right. He pulls into my driveway and stops in front of my attached garage.

Reaching to release my seat belt, I say, "Thank you so much for the ride."

"You're welcome."

The click of his seat belt lets me know he's unfastening his too and causes me to look his way. "What are you doing?"

He gives me a breathtaking grin. "Walking the lady to the door."

"That's not necessary," I insist.

"My mama would tan my hide if I didn't walk a lady to her front door at the end of the evening," he replies in the cutest Southern drawl, reaching up and pretending to tip his nonexistent cowboy hat.

I find myself smiling, despite the fact this wasn't a date. "It's not necessary, really. I'm only walking fifteen feet," I say, even though I know it'll fall on deaf ears. He's already opening his door and climbing out.

Gavin meets me at the passenger side and opens my door, extending his hand. My fingers glide against his as I take the offered hand and allow him to help me down. The black wrap dress I'm wearing molds to my skin, hitting just below my knees. With the help of Hallie, I paired it with a pair of mid-calf boots with little kitten heels that make me walk like I'm a newborn foal trying to stand for the first time. Flats are my normal shoes and the only thing I wear in the classroom, so why I let my friend talk me into something with heels is beyond me.

Walking up the sidewalk to my front door, I'm about to release his hand and thank him for the escort when my right foot slips on the freshly fallen snow. There's just enough on the ground to wet the sidewalk, causing it to get a little slippery. Add in the fact I usually wear boots in this type of weather and I'm an accident waiting to happen.

My leg starts to slip out from under me, but I'm kept from falling to the ground thanks to a strong arm wrapping around my waist. "Careful," he murmurs, his warm breath tickling my ear.

"Thank you," I reply, trying to right myself before shuffling the rest of the way to my front door. Of course, with every step I take, all I smell is him. Gavin. His clean, woodsy scent wraps around me like a warm blanket and comforts me.

When we're both firmly stationed on the small concrete stoop, the old overhang shielding us from the falling snow, he lets go of my hand. I slip my key into the lock, releasing both the knob and deadbolt locks. Turning to face him, I'm torn between inviting him in as a show of appreciation for the ride home and slamming the door in his face after blurting out another thanks because I'm awkward as hell.

"If you need a ride anywhere tomorrow, you're more than welcome to call me, Ava."

"Oh," I reply, my heart pounding in my chest. "Thank you for the offer. I'm sure you have better things to do than shuttle me around town."

He gives me a smile that makes his hazel eyes look more green than brown. "Actually, I'm certain you're wrong there. I'd be honored to take you wherever you need to go."

Is he flirting with me?

"I have a vehicle I can borrow, but I appreciate the offer."

"Well, it stands at any point this weekend."

I nod, knowing I don't have his number in my phone but not really sure if I should say that aloud. "Thank you. And thank you for stopping. I'm sure I would have been fine waiting for Marcus but do appreciate the fact I didn't have to sit there in the cold any longer than necessary."

He gives me a full-wattage smile. Even with his scruffy jaw, it makes his entire face light up. For the first time, I notice how incredibly sexy Gavin Pierson is. I feel bad I've never looked at him that way before, but he's always been my student's father. Yes, my student's attractive father, but that's it. Now, I can't help but realize how gorgeous he is.

He reaches out and brushes a strand of my hair off my cheek. "I'm glad I stumbled upon you, Ava."

My throat is thick as I swallow over the lump. "Me too, Mr. Pierson."

Again, he flashes me a grin that could melt the glaciers in Antarctica. "It's Gavin," he says with a wink.

"Gavin. Thank you." I turn toward the door, ready to end the weirdness that always seems to surround me. "Oh, I hope I didn't take you away from anything important tonight." I know he lives in town, over by the Methodist Church, which makes me wonder…

What was he doing out on Eldridge Road?

It's not incredibly late, but it's an odd time to be out and about, especially with the snow coming.

"You didn't," he assures me. "I, uh, like to go for drives. It helps me clear my mind to drive around, listening to music. It's how I think and process whatever's on my mind."

"I'm sorry I disturbed that," I state, feeling bad for messing up his quiet time.

He holds my gaze for several seconds before replying, "I'm not."

I tear my eyes away from his and turn toward my front door. "Thank you, again."

"You're very welcome."

Pushing open the door, I start to take a step inside my house when his voice makes me pause.

"You look beautiful tonight, Ava."

I glance over my shoulder and feel this… thing . My heart starts to pound, and my throat goes completely dry. I want to reach out and throw my arms around him, reveling in the feel of his wrapped around me.

And…I want to kiss him.

My student's father.

Which is a hard limit for me as a teacher. Even one in a small town, I have rules in place for a reason. Yet, I find myself wanting to throw those rules straight out the window for the first time in my life. No, not in my life. I did that a few times in college, and they always seemed to come back and bite me in the rear at some point.

That's why rules are so important. They provide structure and balance in my life and remind me to always do my best at keeping on the straight and narrow.

Getting involved with a student's dad would definitely not help me achieve that.

"Thank you," I whisper, knowing he can probably see the blush his comment caused.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he takes a step back, giving me plenty of space to enter my home. Just as I go to close the door, our eyes meet again, and I give him a polite wave goodbye. The corner of his mouth curls up, and as soon as the door is closed and locked behind me, I turn my attention to the peephole. I watch as Gavin smiles, looking down at the ground for a moment before turning and walking toward his truck.

And since I'm still standing here, watching, I see the moment he pauses and turns back to my door, as if he's about to run back up and knock. He doesn't, however. Instead, he climbs inside the cab of his truck and slowly backs out of my driveway.

Long after he's gone, I stand here, watching through that tiny hole. I'm just not sure if I'm grateful he didn't run back up to the door or saddened. I'm firmly standing between the two, wishing we could explore this attraction we both seem to have and knowing it's for the best we can't.

Sighing, I finally push away from the door and head toward my bedroom. It was a beautiful wedding celebration, and despite my vehicle breaking down, it turned out to be a not-so-bad ending too.

Gavin intrigues me, which is why I need to keep my distance.

Nothing good can come from getting involved with a man like him. He could only be classified as a gorgeous complication to my carefully constructed life.

One I don't need.

But that doesn't stop my mind from wondering.

Yeah, but what if…