Chapter Six

Tanner

How could I have been such a fool?

Okay, so to be fair to myself, I wasn't expecting to run into that beautiful woman a second time… and certainly not at Nash's school.

But, honestly. How could I have forgotten to ask her name? Again.

It would have been on her classroom door, too. They always put the teachers' names on the doors and I should have realized that and looked for it. Except she was blocking my view and I couldn't see… not without asking her to move, or picking her up and shifting her to one side.

Neither of those were options.

At least, not with Nash standing right beside me.

I had a chance on the way out, but Miss Montgomery was there, right by the door to the Kindergarten, and she stopped me, wanting to know how things had been going with Nash over the summer.

I couldn't really ask her to wait while I found out the name of the new Kindergarten teacher. Aside from the fact that it would have been rude and made her question my sanity, I've always been grateful to Miss Montgomery.

She kept a close eye on Nash for me while Sabrina and I were splitting up, reporting back if there were any problems I needed to address, and keeping me informed if he seemed to be upset or not concentrating at school for any reason, so I could follow it up with him.

"Is he more settled?" she asked as she steered me toward the front door, away from the Kindergarten, spoiling any chance I had of finding out that woman's name.

"He was, until his mother moved her boyfriend into her house."

She raised her eyebrows then, and I wondered if I should have mentioned Dean's arrival in Nash's life. The thing is, I think it's important to keep the school informed of what's happening. Sabrina doesn't always agree, but to my mind, we can't expect them to help if they don't know what's going on.

"Her boyfriend?" she said, with an air of disapproval. Like many people in the town, Miss Montgomery can be a little old-fashioned, and I wondered if she disapproved of Sabrina and Dean living together without being married. It was possible. Or it could have been that was she looking down her nose at me because she hadn't heard this piece of news from Sabrina herself. I couldn't be sure. Within seconds, her expression changed. She resumed a more sympathetic air, her face softening and a smile returning to her lips. "We'll keep an eye on him," she said.

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

She looked at me over the top of her half-moon glasses as she opened the door and held it that way, waiting for me to leave.

I did, and wandered out to my car, where I've been sitting ever since, my mind full of the divine kindergarten teacher.

When I bumped into her yesterday, I felt a connection between us. I thought it might be love, and this morning, having seen her again, I know for sure. She's captured my heart. I'm aware of how ludicrous that sounds on such a brief acquaintance. If what we have can even be called an acquaintance. I mean, how can you be acquainted with someone when you don't even know their name? It's not possible, is it? So how can I be in love with her?

I have no idea.

And yet, I know I am.

I guess my one solace is that at least I know where she works now. Although I'm relieved she won't be teaching Nash. I'm fairly sure there are rules about teachers dating their students' parents, so at least we won't have to worry about that.

I shake my head and let it rest on the steering wheel, then bang it just lightly, trying to knock some sense into myself.

I'm getting way ahead of myself, worrying about rules. I mean… what am I thinking?

Other than how sexy she looked in her tight pants and even tighter blouse, I'm thinking about how lovely she looked this morning with her hair tied back like it was. It was really feminine and made me want to run my fingers through it, while kissing her.

But how is that supposed to happen?

We've had two very brief conversations. That's all.

No, it's not.

We've had two very brief conversations, and in between them, I've spent practically every waking second thinking about her. I want to know everything there is to know about her, from where she grew up, to what she likes to eat… from how she takes her coffee, to which side of the bed she likes to sleep on.

Except before I can do any of that, I need to know her name.

And that means I need to see her again… preferably outside of the school.

How does that happen these days? Do people still go out for dinner? Or is it better to ask her to have a drink with me? I'm a lot older than she is, and while I don't see that as any kind of barrier, she might. There's a chance she'll want to do things I hate, and vice versa, but I guess there's only one way to find out, and that's to ask.

That said, it's been so long, I can't remember how.

Do you walk up to a woman and invite her out, or is there a different etiquette to dating these days?

God knows.

It feels like such a minefield, but I think it's one worth crossing.

I start the engine and drive back to the bookstore, the journey taking only a few minutes. If I'd been taking Nash to school from my place, I wouldn't have bothered to drive at all, but as I picked him up from his mother's, I had the car, and we didn't have time to take it home first. Like he said, his things weren't ready, and while I was prepared to tell him that he could have done that himself, the fact is, Sabrina ought to have seen to it… or at least helped.

I'm sure she had better things to do, though. Probably with Dean.

Either that or work got in the way.

I park the car and get out, anger getting the better of my longing for the Kindergarten teacher, and I make my way inside, down the narrow hall, by-passing the door on the left that leads up to my apartment, and the one on the right, both of which are marked ‘Private', going in through the one at the end, which opens into the rear of the shop.

I stop, surprised by how busy it is. There must be twenty or thirty people in here, and I smile, because it's good for business.

"I'm sorry," I whisper to Katie, joining her behind the cash desk, which is on the left-hand side of the shop, by the front door.

"That's okay," she replies, taking a couple of romance books from a young woman. "You're here now."

I know for a fact that Katie's in her early sixties, but she doesn't look it. Maybe it helps that there's not a strand of gray to be seen on her blonde head. Or maybe it's just her sunny disposition. Whatever it is, she's a breath of fresh air, adorned today in a pale blue dress, with a darker blue cardigan over the top.

I daren't tell her I've just spent the last ten minutes daydreaming, and could have been here a lot sooner if I'd tried.

"What do you need me to do?" I ask, glancing around the shop. Both side walls are filled with racks, and there are three more in the middle, running from front to back. We've also got a few tables for special displays, and four large high-backed armchairs, where people occasionally sit while they choose what to buy. Over the years, I've heard this place called ‘charming' and ‘homely', and I'm happy with both of those descriptions.

"Fix us both a coffee," she says, and I offer her a fake salute.

"Your wish is my command."

She chuckles, putting the books into a branded paper bag for the woman, who's paid by credit card while we've been talking, and I make my way back out into the lobby. I open the door marked ‘Private', which doesn't lead to my apartment, but opens onto a small kitchen and break room, with my office beyond.

Katie likes her coffee to be at least seventy percent milk, so I fix hers first, frothing the milk just how she likes it, and then I make my own, which I take black. Our cups are white with the name of the bookstore printed on them, and once the drinks are ready, I carry them through to the store, putting them behind the cash desk, where Katie's still standing, although she's not serving anyone at the moment.

"You can tell it's the first day of school," she whispers, glancing around, and I nod my head. She's not wrong. Everyone in Main Street will see an uptick in trade over the next few days. Moms will go to the beauty salon, spend time shopping, or go for coffee with friends, knowing they can do so without being interrupted by their kids. It's like they need to let their hair down, having been tied to motherhood all summer… and I'm not complaining. It's a great time of year to be in business. Especially my business, where we also benefit from the children returning to school. We'll have another rush at the weekend, when they'll come in with their parents, looking to buy at least a few of the books they've been told to read. We used to sell out quickly and have to order titles in, and while they never took very long, it was frustrating when we didn't have everything on the shelves. Now, thanks to Katie having been a teacher, we're able to find out in advance what the kids will be looking for each year, and can order books in advance. It saves so much hassle and I guarantee it'll make us the most popular store in town for several weeks to come.

It's lunchtime already, and the morning has been relentless.

"How are we gonna survive until Friday?" Katie says, coming back behind the cash desk. She's been re-stacking the shelves in the Historical Literature section, which seems to have taken a hit this morning.

"I don't know. I feel like I'll be lucky to survive until the end of the day."

She smiles, rolling her eyes, and steps up to serve an older woman, who's holding an armful of books.

Thinking about the fact that it's still only Tuesday makes me kinda miserable.

I might want to get to know the Kindergarten teacher, but the problem is I need to ask her on a date first… and the more immediate issue is, when am I likely to get the chance?

Today was a fluke.

I don't usually take Nash to school at all, and I only collect him on Fridays. That's days away yet. Do I really want to wait that long to see her again?

Not if I can help it.

"How was Sabrina?" Katie says, interrupting my train of thought. It's the first chance we've had to talk since I got back here this morning.

"Disorganized," I reply, shaking my head. "She was still fixing Nash's lunch and hadn't packed his schoolbag by the time I got there, so he wasn't ready to leave."

"Had she at least given him breakfast?"

"Yes. I asked, just to be sure."

"I'll bet she appreciated that," she says, with a glint in her eyes.

"Not a lot."

"What was her excuse this time?" Katie asks.

"I didn't bother inquiring. I doubt she'd have told me the truth, anyway."

She looks up at me. "Is something wrong?"

"Only that she's moved her boyfriend in. I found that out last night when I took Nash back there, and I was so mad about it, I practically demolished a poor woman on the sidewalk."

"I don't know which part of that statement to be most shocked by," she says.

Neither do I. The last part wasn't meant to be said out loud. "The worst thing is, Sabrina didn't tell me about Dean," I say, trying to keep her focused on anything but my secret passion for the new Kindergarten teacher.

"I thought her boyfriend was called Jarod," she says, frowning.

"That was the last one."

"Goodness. And this guy is definitely living there?"

"Yes. He told me so himself, and even Sabrina had to admit it, eventually."

Katie folds her arms across her chest. She's removed her cardigan and is staring up at me, her steely blue eyes gazing into mine. "I see, although I'm not sure what any of that has to do with you demolishing a woman on the sidewalk."

Damn… so much for focus.

"I didn't demolish her. I practically demolished her."

"There's a difference, is there?"

"Yes."

"Okay. But the question still stands. Is there a connection?"

"Only that I was so busy thinking about Sabrina and what she'd done, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"I see. And was the poor woman okay?"

"She was fine," I say, and she smiles. "What's so amusing?"

"You are. I never knew a boy to be so transparent as you."

"I'm not a boy anymore, in case you haven't noticed."

"Maybe not, but I can still see right through you, Tanner Pope." She shakes her head. "Tell me about her."

I admit defeat, and checking there's no-one around who can hear us, I lean against the wall behind the cash desk and let out a sigh.

"She's perfect."

"Really? What's her name?"

I feel myself blush and wish I'd fobbed her off. "I—I don't know," I mumble as quietly as I can.

"You don't know?"

I'd forgotten how good Mrs. Foster was at hearing a pin drop at the back of the classroom. "No," I say, shaking my head and raising my voice again. "I forgot to ask, and today when I saw her at the school, I somehow forgot again."

"You saw her at the school?"

"Yes. She's the new Kindergarten teacher."

She nods, smiling. "In that case, all is not lost."

I shrug my shoulders, pushing myself off of the wall. "I get that it means I know where she works, but I won't have to collect Nash from school until Friday… which is an age away."

"My," she says, letting out a deep sigh. "You have got it bad."

"Yeah, I have."

She rests her hand on my arm. "So bad, you can't see the obvious answer that's staring you in the face."

"What obvious answer?" I look down at her, waiting, my pulse beating loudly in my ears.

"It might not be your usual routine to collect Nash from school on a Tuesday afternoon, but who says you can't break with tradition?"

"You mean…"

"I mean, your ex wife seems to be busy at the moment," she says. "So busy, she asked you to take Nash to school this morning. I doubt she'd object if you offered to pick him up for her this afternoon… do you?"

I can't help smiling.

"Has anyone ever told you how devious you are?"

"I used to teach English to unruly teenagers. Devious is my middle name."

She chuckles and ducks behind me, heading for the back of the shop and the door to the rear lobby.

I watch her go, shaking my head, and although I'm not sure I like the idea of contriving another meeting with the Kindergarten teacher in quite such a duplicitous manner, what's a man to do?

Besides, Katie doesn't seem to see a problem with it, so why should I?

I pull out my phone and, rather than calling Sabrina and risk her asking too many questions, I send a text message.

— Would it help if I collected Nash from school this afternoon? I can bring him back to your place, or keep him with me until you're ready to collect him.

Knowing Sabrina, she'll be in a meeting, or up to her eyes in paint charts and fabric samples, so I put my phone away and serve a couple of customers, surprised when it beeps within ten minutes.

— That all depends on whether you're gonna pick a fight with me about Dean living here.

I can't help sighing. My motives may be selfish, but I'm doing Sabrina a favor – or offering to – and she still can't just say ‘yes', or ‘no', without making something out of it.

Sure, I'm not happy about the situation with Dean. I still think she should have told me what was going on, rather than leaving him to do it, but why does she have to make it sound like it's my fault we're where we are now?

— I thought you were busy today. I'm trying to be helpful.

Okay, so that's not strictly true. I'm trying to help myself, too. But the point is, I'm sick of Sabrina's attitude.

I half expect her to come back and tell me not to bother. It would be typical of her. She's clearly got a lot of work on at the moment, but I swear she'd cut off her own nose if she could spite me.

I stare at my phone, jumping out of my skin when it beeps, and I read her message.

— Okay. Thank you.

— You didn't say if you want me to bring him back to your place or keep him here with me.

— Bring him home.

I guess a second ‘thank you' would have been too much to hope for, and I don't bother replying. I put my phone away and lean against the cash desk, wondering what I'll say to the Kindergarten teacher… always assuming I'll get to see her.

What if I don't?

What if she's not there for some reason?

All this will have been for nothing.

No. That's not true. I'll get to spend some time with Nash, and that's always worth putting myself out for.

"How did it go?" Katie says, making me jump.

"How did what go?"

"You've obviously been texting Sabrina. So… what did she say?"

I smile down at her. "I can't keep anything from you, can I?"

"No. Now stop prevaricating and tell me what's going on."

"She agreed."

"So, you're collecting Nash from school?" she says, a smile touching at her lips.

"I am. Although I wonder how much it hurt Sabrina to have to thank me." Katie laughs, but I shake my head and she tilts hers, her laughter dying on her lips. "Should I be doing this?" I ask.

"Of course you should. You're owed a little fun… a little happiness."

"Maybe. But should I be using Nash to achieve it?"

She frowns and steps closer. "You're not using Nash," she says. "He'll be thrilled to see you. Especially since it's the first day of the semester. He'll have so much to tell you."

I smile, unable to help myself. "Yeah. He said he'd probably call me tonight."

"In which case, you'll have saved him the trouble. Don't underestimate that boy's love for you."

I feel my cheeks heat under her compliment and step back. "Th—Thanks, Katie," I say, stumbling over my words, and turn to find a man waiting to be served. He's holding out a book about Ancient Egypt and I take it from him with a smile.

"You can't afford to be late," Katie says, checking her watch and ushering me around the cash desk.

"Will you be okay for a while? Once I've collected Nash, I've gotta take him back to Sabrina's place."

"I'll be fine."

She shoos me away, and I depart with mixed emotions. I still feel a little guilty over the way I'm going about things, and for involving Nash in my pursuit of the Kindergarten teacher. I'm also more nervous than I've ever been in my life. My stomach is churning and my legs feel like they'll barely take my weight. I seriously need to man up, or I'll make a fool of myself.

With that in mind, I glance up and down Main Street, sucking in a few deep breaths and trying to calm my nerves.

It doesn't work, but I don't have time to hang around wondering what to do about it.

Instead, I cross the street and walk down Mulberry Lane, entering the school gate, along with several other parents. Among them are Laurel and Brady, and rather than standing on my own waiting for the children to come out, I join them.

"Don't you have any crimes to solve?" I say to Brady, who smiles at me, shaking his head.

"It's been a quiet day, which in my line of work is not a bad thing."

"I guess not."

He puts his arm around Laurel. "Besides, I promised Addy I'd be here this afternoon."

"And we dads can't break our promises, can we?" I say, and his smile widens.

"Thanks for that."

"For what?" I ask, confused by his remark.

"For calling me Addy's dad."

I shrug my shoulders. "Well… I heard a rumor the two of you had moved in together. I guess I assumed…"

"You assumed correctly," he says, smiling down at Laurel. "The adoption papers haven't come through yet, but hopefully, it won't be much longer now."

Laurel looks up at him, her eyes filled with adoration. "And to clarify the rumor, Brady moved into my place a while back," she says.

"Yeah." He turns slightly, tilting his head toward her. "But that's not permanent."

"It's not?" I say and they look at me.

"No," Brady replies. "We're both selling our houses, so we can buy a place of our own." He shakes his head, letting out a sigh. "To be honest, it's been kinda stressful."

"Have you been getting hassle from the locals?" I ask.

"Because we got together so soon after Mitch's death, you mean?" he says and I nod my head, although I notice Laurel flinch, just slightly.

"Yeah. I know what people can be like around here. When Sabrina and I got divorced, they were quick to judge."

"We've had a little of that," he says. "But it's been nothing more than a few sideways glances, and the odd comment I've overheard or been told about."

"What kind of comment?" I ask.

"Just people saying we should have waited. Not that it's got a damn thing to do with anyone else, other than us and Addy."

"Exactly."

He pulls Laurel close to him and she nestles against his chest, looking very much at home there. "Most of the stress has come from selling two houses at the same time," he says. "While also looking for another one, and going through the adoption process with Addy, getting her ready to start school, and trying to plan our wedding."

"Seriously? You're doing all that at the same time?"

"Yeah," he says, smiling. "Although at least we've found the house we wanna buy now. That's something."

"When are you moving?" I ask.

"The beginning of next month… providing nothing goes wrong."

"And when's the wedding?"

"Not soon enough," he says, and we all chuckle.

"It's the first Saturday of December," Laurel explains with a smile. "Once we've moved, I'll send out the invitations, and hopefully be able to sit down with Peony and plan things properly."

"It doesn't have to be planned," Brady says as the school bell rings. "Just so long as you're Mrs. Hanson by the end of the day, I'll be a happy man."

He tilts his head and kisses Laurel's cheek, the smile on her face making me wonder if she had any clue that her late husband and my ex-wife had a long-term affair with each other. It was before she married Mitch. In fact, I think she was still away at college when it happened, so it's not something she needs to know, and I'm not gonna be the one to tell her. Mitch is dead and Laurel has moved on. She's happy, and Katie's right, it's high time I found some of that happiness for myself.

We all turn as the school doors open and some of the older children rush out. They don't have to be met by their parents, and they make straight for the gates, while the younger ones file out with their teachers, some parents stepping forward and others hanging back, so their kids can come to them.

I spot Nash straight away. He's a little taller than most of his peers, and although he doesn't notice me, I'm not worried. He's not expecting to see me here. Besides, he's busy talking to the little girl who's walking beside him. She's very cute, with dark curly hair, held back from her face with a bright red Alice band, and she's staring up at Nash as he speaks.

"We'd better go speak with Addy's teacher," Brady says, breaking into my thoughts and I turn, spotting the Kindergarten teacher, standing over to one side of the schoolyard. She looks just as beautiful as she did this morning, although I can't fail to notice the splash of red paint on her black pants, or that her hair is slightly less tidy. It makes me want to unclip it completely and run my fingers through it, while I gaze into her eyes and kiss her…

"She's got someone with her," Laurel says, and I jump, remembering where I am.

"I know, but I need to get back to work, and in any case, no-one needs Anita Knox in their life," Brady says, making me chuckle. He's not wrong. I still remember her when she was called Anita Yates, and was in the same year as me at school, and she hasn't changed at all. She's five foot two when she's not wearing any heels, which she usually is, and since she turned seventeen, her idea of dress sense has been to show off her voluptuous figure to its best effect. I've always preferred to keep her at arm's length, but from what I hear, she's just as much trouble now as she was then. At school, it was all about scoring points and looking down her nose at people. Now, she still does plenty of that, but with a greater sense of entitlement. It need come as no surprise that she and Sabrina got along like a house on fire. In fact, it was Anita Knox who Sabrina went to stay with when we split up, and I have no doubt she exaggerated my role in that disaster. I'm almost certainly the villain of the piece, so it's no wonder that Anita has barely bothered to give me the time of day since then.

Thank God for small mercies.

Brady takes Laurel's hand, giving her a tug, and I watch them walk over, reflecting that I could have asked them the name of the woman who's teaching their daughter. Still, it's too late now, and I have to smile as Brady puts his six foot five frame in the way of Anita Knox, giving her little choice other than to back down. The relief on the Kindergarten teacher's face is enough to make me chuckle, and although I keep half an eye on Nash, I can't help watching the woman of my dreams, wondering if I'm brave enough to turn fantasy into reality.