Chapter 2

School was going to start in a little over a week, and Chloe was totally ready to go. She still hadn’t heard back from Kimberly, but she was going to talk to Principal Kincaid later today when she went in to start setting up her classroom.

In the meantime, she was meeting Ashlynn for breakfast over at Books Beans.

She arrived early—because she was always prompt—and went inside to chat with Billie and Jade and see what kind of goodies were in the bakery case today.

“Hey, Chloe!” Billie called out as soon as she walked through the door. “I thought you were starting work on your classroom today.”

Moving over to the counter, she smiled. “I am, but Ash and I are having breakfast first. Do you have time to take a break and join us?”

“Um…maybe? I’ve got some stuff in the oven, but once it’s all out, I’ll try to come sit for a little while.” She pointed to today’s cakes and cookies. “What are you in the mood for today? A muffin? Pound cake? Scone?”

“Hmm…” Leaning in, she looked at everything and wished she could sample it all. “I think I’m going to go with a chocolate chip muffin please. And some tea.”

“You got it!”

The bell over the door jingled, and Chloe turned and saw Ashlynn coming in with a big smile. They hugged before her sister frowned at the bakery case. “Still no chocolate croissants? Seriously, I’ve been lobbying for them for like…a year! Come on, Bill!”

Their older sister gave her a stern look. “You are literally the only person in this entire town who has ever asked for chocolate croissants. Everyone else loves what’s on the menu. If you want one so bad, maybe you can figure out how to bake it yourself!” Then she spun away and stormed off to the kitchen.

“Wow, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” Ash murmured. “Jeez, I mean…it was just a suggestion.”

“You didn’t even say good morning or even hello to her. You just started complaining about croissants.”

“Because chocolate croissants are delicious! And if other people were given that option, they’d rave about them too! It’s like nobody listens to me!”

“Okay, let’s change the subject,” Chloe suggested before frowning. “Although now we need someone to finish our order. Billie was making mine…”

Just then, Jade stepped out of the kitchen, smiling at them both. “Hey! I’m guessing one of you pissed off the baker?” she teased.

“Um…”

But she waved them off. “It’s okay. She’s been a little tense today, and I’m not sure why.”

“So it really wasn’t my fault,” Ash reasoned.

“Well…”

“Can you please just order something?” Chloe prompted. “And don’t complain about what they don’t have.”

“Ugh…fine! Can I get a slice of the pound cake and a caramel Frappuccino?”

“You got it,” Jade said. “Why don’t you guys go and sit down and I’ll bring everything over?”

“Thanks!” Chloe said as they made their way to their favorite table in the romance section of the books part of the store. “I just finished a fantastic book last night. A holiday romance. Well…more like a family reunion holiday story with some romance thrown in.”

“You read a holiday romance in August?”

“There’s never a wrong time to read a holiday romance, Ash. Trust me. You should totally check it out. They’re a huge family and the father—who’s now a grandfather—plays matchmaker with everyone.” She sighed happily. “I’m telling you; it gave me all the feels. I can totally lend you my copy…”

“Sure! Bring it over with you when you come for dinner Friday night!”

“Done!”

Jade walked over with their food and placed the tray on the table. “Here you go!” Then she straightened. “So? Anything new and exciting going on?” She paused and glanced over her shoulder. “Anyone have any idea what’s got your sister in a mood?”

They both chuckled, but Ash answered first. “No clue. We’ve learned to just give her space and not ask too many questions.” Then she shrugged. “I guarantee she’ll join us in a few.”

The bell over the front door sounded again, and Jade excused herself to go help customers.

“Do you really think something’s wrong with Billie?” Chloe asked, breaking off a small piece of her muffin. “She doesn’t normally snap like that.”

“Are you serious? That’s the first sign that something’s wrong in her personal life. If you ask me, she needs to get a personal life. And a romantic life.” Stirring her drink, she added, “We may have to set up a dating profile for her and find her a man.”

But Chloe was already shaking her head. “No way. Absolutely not. We are not getting involved like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because dating is very personal! I know I wouldn’t want anyone doing something sneaky like that and then setting me up with some stranger I know nothing about.”

“I hate to break it to you, Chlo, but that’s what dating is usually like. You go out with someone you’ve never met before, that’s just the way it is.”

She hated when her sister used logic like that.

“Still, it should be Billie’s decision when she’s ready to go out with someone, not ours.”

With a dramatic groan, Ash relented. “Ugh, fine. I won’t set up a dating profile. Sheesh.”

“Thank you.”

“Okay, so what’s up with you? Are you setting up your classroom today?”

The smile was on her face instantly. “I am! And I’m so excited about it too! I’m going with a Pixar theme and using the characters from Inside Out! It’s going to be super cute and colorful!”

“I’m sure! And is the new kindergarten teacher going to do it too so both classes have a cohesive look or is she doing something different?”

“Honestly, I have no idea,” she replied as her smile faded. “I’ve reached out to her several times in the last week, and she never responded. I’m going to talk to Principal Kincaid when I get to the school. I really thought Kimberly and I hit it off, but now she’s ghosting me. I hope I didn’t offend her in some way.”

“Stop,” Ash said firmly. “You’re not capable of offending anyone. You’re like the nicest person on the planet. Maybe this Kimberly person is just super busy moving here or getting ready to start her new job.” Reaching across the table, she squeezed Chloe’s hand. “I’m sure it’s all going to be great and the two of you will be friends.”

“I hope so. I was kind of upset at the thought of there being another kindergarten teacher. Everything’s growing around here, so I realize we need more teachers and more classrooms, but…I was just really hitting my groove with everything and now things are changing.”

“Change can be a good thing. You know you’re an awesome teacher. Hell, you were Teacher of the Year for the last two years! All you need to do is keep being yourself and you’ll be fine. Trust me. This year is going to be amazing for you.”

If only she had that kind of confidence.

Not that she expected to always be Teacher of the Year, but with six new teachers coming in—and not knowing any of them—Chloe had no idea how things were going to go. And she really wished Kimberly would have called her back so at least she could have gone into the school today with a bit more…clarity.

“You’re frowning,” Ash said. “And you need to stop. You’re awesome and that’s all there is to it.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Are we cutting your hair before school starts? Want to do it Friday night before dinner? You can swing by the salon and then we’ll head to my place. What do you think?”

Chloe ran a hand over her hair and nodded. “I didn’t think it was ready for a trim, but I guess it can’t hurt.”

“And highlights? Can we please refresh your highlights too?” her sister asked excitedly. “I have a new color and technique I want to try that would look absolutely stunning on you!”

“If we do all that, we’ll never get to eat. Let’s just stick to the trim. I’ll swing by the salon at four. Will that work?”

“That’s perfect!” Before Ash could say anything else, her phone dinged with an incoming text and as soon as she swiped the screen, she frowned. “Dammit.”

“What’s wrong?”

“A delivery showed up early and I need to go.” She immediately began collecting her things. “I’m sorry to cut our breakfast short, but I’ll see you Friday and good luck today!” Waving, Ash turned and all but sprinted out the door.

Letting out a soft sigh, Chloe reached for her coffee and was about to take a sip when one of Jade’s customers came strolling over to scan the bookshelves in the romance section. Normally that wasn’t a big deal, but this was a guy and one she’d never seen around here before.

Although, with the way Sweetbriar was growing, that was happening a lot more often lately. There was a time when she swore she knew everyone’s name and where they lived. But now it was totally different, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

And this guy in particular was definitely not a bad thing, she thought and felt her cheeks heat.

Forcing herself to focus on her tea and nothing else, she silently reminded herself that it was rude to stare. But really, that was all she wanted to do.

He was tall and lean, but in an athletic way. The black t-shirt he was wearing showcased some impressive biceps and she found herself studying them as covertly as she could.

I could casually look up and maybe smile at him politely…

Shifting slightly in her seat, she smoothed her hand over her hair again and slowly looked up. As fate would have it, he turned his head at the same time and smiled, and Chloe’s heart felt like it skipped a beat.

Wow…

It had been a long time since any guy gave her that fluttery feeling in her belly—the kind that felt like a swarm of butterflies were taking flight there—and that’s how she felt right now. His dark hair, dark eyes, and a bit of scruff on his jaw had her staring more than was polite.

Don’t look like a weirdo…

And so, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she averted her gaze and once again focused on her tea. The next time she looked up, he was gone.

“Drats,” she whispered. Not that she would have been brave enough to strike up a conversation with a handsome stranger, but it might have been nice if he had said hello or even commented on a book to her.

“Where’d Ash go?” Billie asked as she joined her.

“Oh, some delivery arrived early at the salon and she had to go and meet them.” Smiling, she asked, “Everything okay with you? You seemed a bit tense earlier.”

But Billie waved her off. “I got an invitation to a friend’s wedding and I’m on the fence about going. It’s nothing.” She took a sip of the coffee she’d brought over with her. “Do you have everything you need for your classroom this year?”

It was obvious she wanted to change the subject, so Chloe obliged. “I do. My car is completely loaded and I should have it all done by the end of the day today. I’m probably going to go in and tweak things throughout the week. I’ll have to do a quick inventory on some of the basic supplies, but once I send home our classroom wish list with the students, we’ll definitely have everything we need.”

Nodding, Billie gave her a small smile. “I’m so proud of you. You really found your calling and you’re out there doing such a great job.”

Chloe felt herself blushing again. “I love what I do and I’m glad it’s appreciated. It would be awful if I loved the job and was actually terrible at it.” She laughed softly. “I’m a little nervous about all the new teachers coming in. Maybe they’ll all be the ones who are really doing a great job and I only looked like I was doing a good job because…”

“I’m going to stop you right there. You’re doing a great job, Chloe. Don’t think about the other teachers and what they’re doing. You just keep doing your thing and everything will be just fine.”

“Billie?” Jade called out. “One of the ovens is beeping!”

“Good luck today!” Billie said as she quickly got to her feet and made her way to the kitchen, leaving Chloe alone again.

“I think that’s my cue to head over to the school,” she murmured before popping the last of her muffin into her mouth. After clearing off her table, she grabbed her purse and tea and headed out to her car. The drive to the school was short and it made her smile to see so many cars in the parking lot. Apparently she wasn’t the only one getting her classroom ready.

Pulling her collapsible wagon from the trunk, she opened it and began piling all her supplies into it. She’d worked it out at home so it would only take one trip from the car, but it was definitely overflowing, and that didn’t even count the giant duffel bag she had slung over her shoulder and her purse. All the struggling would be worth it when she had it all in her classroom.

After awkwardly making her way through the front door, she pulled her wagon up to the front office and left it there so she could step inside and hopefully speak to Principal Kincaid.

“Hey, Susan!” she said cheerily when she spotted the front office administrator. “How was your summer?”

“Very peaceful,” Susan replied. “Unlike how today is going.” Then she chuckled. “How about you? Did you have a good summer?”

“I did. A little boring, but it was good.” She glanced around. “Is Principal Kincaid in?”

“He is, but he’s in the office with one of the new teachers. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Her shoulders sagged. “Maybe? I had been talking to the new kindergarten teacher, Kimberly Fairmont, but she hasn’t responded to me in more than a week. I’m curious if maybe I did something that offended her, or…?”

But Susan smiled as she shook her head. “I’m sorry, I should have reached out to you. Ms. Fairmont had a family emergency and opted to take a teaching position close to her parents.”

“Oh, so…is there someone replacing her?”

“That’s who Principal Kincaid is in with right now. We couldn’t find anyone who specifically wanted to teach kindergarten, so technically he’s a substitute…” Then she paused to think about it for a moment. “Like a long-term substitute? Maybe? Either way, Tanner Westyn will be teaching the other kindergarten class for the time being.”

That didn’t sound good. It was going to be a bit difficult to make it feel like a team if this Tanner person wasn’t truly committed to the position, which is what she said to Susan.

“I wouldn’t worry about it, Chloe. He’s a certified early education teacher and he seems genuinely excited to be here. He relocated from upstate New York so clearly he’s taking the job seriously.”

“Maybe…”

“Why don’t you head down to your classroom and I’ll make sure Principal Kincaid brings Mr. Westyn down to meet you first?”

“Thanks, Susan. That sounds good!” And even though she was smiling, all sorts of crazy scenarios began to play in her head. What if she didn’t like this guy? What if he didn’t like her? What if he just took this job to get his foot in the door and expected her to do all the work? Or worse, what if he was a terrible teacher who ended up quitting, leaving her with twice as many students?

As she pulled her wagon full of supplies to her classroom, one other crazy thought came to mind.

What if he’s awesome and completely outshines me?

By that time, she was at her classroom and forced herself to push all those negative thoughts aside and focus on her task at hand.

Making her classroom fun, inspiring, and welcoming.

First, she set up her decorative border on her main corkboard, and then moved on to the border that would go around the entire room. She’d made it herself and it was a labor of love; the further she went around the room with it, the bigger her smile grew.

“Knock, knock!” Principal Kincaid happily called out, and Chloe turned to face him and instantly froze.

The handsome guy from the coffee shop was standing right beside him.

So far, Tanner was mildly impressed with everything he was discovering in Sweetbriar Ridge. He’d moved two days after accepting the position and was renting a craftsman bungalow that was newly renovated. What the town lacked in things like restaurants and some basic conveniences, it more than made up for in charm.

And Summit Ridge was seriously impressive.

Not only was the resort building beautiful and the property amazing, their pro shop carried the line of skis and snow gear he endorsed. The manager had gushed over him and begged him to sign a bunch of items that they could display and then asked if he’d come back at the opening of ski season and do a promotional event with them. Of course he’d said yes and put the date on his calendar. Now all he had to do was wait for it to snow.

Today he was getting the tour of the elementary school and Principal Kincaid was probably the most personable and sincerely nicest guy he’d ever met. After filling out paperwork and simply talking to get to know each other, they were heading to the classroom he’d be using.

“Before we get to your room, I’d like to introduce you to the other kindergarten teacher.”

“Donaldson, right?” Tanner asked, trying to remember the name. “She was Teacher of the Year…twice?”

“It’s Donovan,” the principal gently corrected. “Chloe Donovan, and yes, she is a two-time winner of Teacher of the Year here in Sweetbriar. Parents and students adore her. She actually went to school here, so obviously you can tell she’s a native to the area. If there’s anything you need to know about the town or the school, Chloe is the perfect person to ask.”

Tanner nodded as they walked, but he was already envisioning some sort of snooty know-it-all with a bit of an overinflated ego because she grew up here—not that it was anything to brag about. It was the smallest town he’d ever seen and there might be something wrong with her if she never left. So…maybe not snooty, perhaps she was mousy and quiet and never left because she was too afraid to try. Pfft…he was someone who enjoyed taking risks and beating odds. In his mind, he was already determined to be the next Teacher of the Year and prove you didn’t have to be born here to be the best.

Actually, he was more determined than ever to make it through the entire year of teaching kindergarten just to achieve that goal.

“Knock, knock!” Principal Kincaid called out when they reached the classroom at the end of a short hallway. He was smiling and, if anything, looked almost giddy that they were here to talk to this Donovan woman.

Whatever.

Stepping around his new boss, Tanner stepped into the room and looked around. Was she even in here? “Um…”

“Principal Kincaid! Hi!”

That’s when Tanner spotted her on a small stepladder in the corner of the room. She was petite and a little nondescript, in his opinion—almost like she blended into her surroundings. But when she climbed down and walked toward them, he had a moment where he thought he’d seen her before. Of course it was possible that they’d passed each other on the street, but…

“Chloe! The room is already coming to life!” the principal exclaimed. “And look at that border! You did that yourself, didn’t you?”

She blushed as she nodded and Tanner took a moment to look a little closer at said border and had to admit that she definitely had some artistic talent. So did he. And if this was the level she was bringing, he knew he could match it.

Hell, I can surpass it…

“Chloe Donovan, I’d like to introduce you to Tanner Westyn. Tanner’s going to be teaching our new kindergarten class!”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Tanner quickly said, holding out his hand to her. He gave her an amiable smile and watched as she just stared at him for a long moment. “Um…?”

“Oh, sorry,” she blurted out before shaking his hand. “It’s nice to meet you too.” Then she turned her attention back to Principal Kincaid. “I heard that Kimberly Fairmont took another teaching position. We had been talking to each other online and making plans for our classrooms until a few weeks ago. Ultimately, we were going to try to keep a common theme between the two so the students had a sense of familiarity when we got together for different projects.”

“That sounds wonderful!” Kincaid gushed, and Tanner had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m sure you and Tanner can find some time to get together and talk about all that. We realize he hasn’t had as much planning time, so any help you can give him would be greatly appreciated.”

Chloe looked over at him and smiled. “I’m more than happy to help you with your room. I made extras of most of my decorations in case Kimberly had wanted to use them. You’re more than welcome to…”

“Thanks,” he interrupted. “But I have some ideas of my own that I’d like to implement. I’m sure what you’re going to do in here will be awesome, but I’d really like to put my own stamp on my classroom.”

You could have heard a pin drop in the room, but Tanner wasn’t the least bit deterred, so he continued.

“I appreciate the offer, but this is going to be my first classroom and I’ve been working on my own themes.”

Her smile faded slightly. “I completely understand, Mr. Westyn. And if you have any questions about the curriculum or the best way to organize your room…”

“Thanks,” he said firmly but with a smile before facing the principal. “Am I in the room next door?”

To his credit, Principal Kincaid looked mildly uncomfortable, but kept whatever opinions he had to himself before nodding. “Yes. Why don’t we go on over and check it out?” Then he looked over at Chloe. “We’re going to have a faculty meeting on Thursday, Chloe. I’m sure you got the email. But I was wondering if maybe you could pick up some refreshments from Books Beans?”

“I can definitely do that,” she assured him. “I’ll get a wonderful variety so that…”

“You know what?” Tanner interjected. “Why don’t you let me pick up the refreshments? As the new guy, maybe it will help break the ice a bit. You know, show a bit of goodwill toward my new coworkers!”

“Um…”

“My sister-in-law owns Books Beans, and my sister is the baker there,” Chloe told him, her tone going a bit frosty. “I’ve been bringing the refreshments from there since it opened, so…”

He shrugged. “Doesn’t mean it has to all be on you. I can just as easily go in and pick some muffins and cookies up. I’m just trying to be part of the team.”

Now she was looking at him with open hostility.

“Tanner, we appreciate the offer,” Principal Kincaid gently said. “But maybe you can bring refreshments another time.”

“Or maybe I can pick up something from somewhere else? Or perhaps bake something from scratch at home?” he suggested. “Either way, I’ve got this covered.” He smiled at Chloe before taking a step toward the door. “And my room is…?”

“Chloe, why don’t you stop by my office before you leave today?” the principal asked quietly, but Tanner still heard. Undoubtedly, they were going to discuss her stepping aside on this one and letting the new guy have a shot at winning some favor with everyone.

When they stepped out of her classroom and went to the room before it, Tanner was…

Horrified.

The room was rather grim and plain and bare.

Slowly, he walked around and took it all in, trying to hide his disdain. “There’s nothing here,” he said after several minutes.

“Our teachers tend to stock the room to get the year started and then send home wish lists to the parents for the rest of the necessities.”

“I get that, but…” Again, he glanced around. “There is seriously nothing here. No books, no posters, just…nothing.”

Chloe’s room had a reading nook that was overflowing with books. There was a colorful carpet on the floor and her cubbies were painted in bright colors. This room looked like it could have been a supply closet except all the supplies were missing.

“I understand that this is the first year that you’re having a second kindergarten classroom, but maybe Chloe can share some of those supplies. I mean…if the district supplied them to her…”

“Oh, the district didn’t supply 99% of what’s in Chloe’s room. The rest is all hers. There are some boxes in our storage room that you can go through and take whatever you’d like, and obviously we’ll be supplying everything you’ll need curriculum-wise, but the rest is really up to you, Tanner. I thought you understood that.”

Raking a hand through his hair, he seriously began to doubt his ability to pull this off. He had five days to decorate, stock, and plan. With the move and everything happening so quickly, he just assumed there’d be more for him to work with.

And he’d gone and turned down Chloe Donovan’s offer for help.

Nice work, genius…

Yeah, sometimes his ego got the better of him.

Like now.

“Okay,” he said after letting out a long breath. “Why don’t you show me what’s available and I’ll take it from there?”

Several hours and several dozen dusty boxes later, Tanner stood in the doorway to his classroom and was only slightly less horrified. Things were coming together, but the room lacked that bright, cheery tone he knew was important. There was no way he could paint the entire room, even if that was allowed, and he was feeling overwhelmed at all the things he needed to get just to cover the essentials. There was still the curriculum to look over and lesson plans to make.

So maybe he should take Chloe up on her offer and sit down with her and get a little…guidance. He didn’t need help—at least not in the traditional sense—but he certainly needed a little something to make everything come together.

Turning off the classroom light, he walked next door to Chloe’s room and stood in wide-eyed fascination. Now that he’d spent some time in his own room, he realized just how bright and clean her room was. Everywhere you looked, there was something that would make a young child smile. Her reading corner had books that were neatly organized, she already had cubbies labeled with her students’ names, and it looked like an entire class could walk in here right now and start learning.

His hands ran through his hair again and he realized he had messed up.

“Grovel,” he murmured. “Grovel if you have to so you can hopefully get whatever extras she has to offer.”

Walking out of the room, he made a beeline to the main office in hopes of catching her there. Susan wasn’t at her desk and no one was around, but he definitely heard voices coming from the principal’s office.

“I understand what you’re saying, Steven,” he heard Chloe saying. “But I just don’t see myself working with someone like that. He was rude and condescending. I’ll be professional, but I’m going to focus on my room and my students.” Then she paused. “Unless a student really needs me because I won’t let them suffer because their teacher is an arrogant egomaniac.”

Okay, wow…that was a little harsh.

“I’ll admit he was a little…um…abrasive,” Principal Kincaid said diplomatically. “But he’s new here, to both the school and the town, and we need to extend a little grace. We haven’t had any applicants for the position, so really, he’s all we have.”

And double wow because that stung!

“You know I’m going to always put the students and the needs of this school first,” Chloe said. “But I’m not going to be walked all over by someone who is desperately seeking approval. There are a lot of new teachers here this year, and none of them have behaved like he did.”

“Did you meet the new art teacher, Dana Perry?”

“I did! And she was such a delight! She loved the artwork I did for my room!”

“It really was impressive, Chloe,” he told her. “Such a fun and inviting atmosphere!”

“The unit where we work on emotions will really make the room come to life,” she explained. “It sort of inspired me.”

“You could teach a class on creating an environment that encourages learning. In fact, maybe at next year’s teaching retreat, you could!”

There’s a teaching retreat?

“We can talk about it more in the spring,” she told him. “But I hope we can make things work now with this whole…current situation. You know I never complain…”

“I know, I know, Chloe, and believe me, I’m going to talk to Tanner and explain how things work here at Sweetbriar Elementary. You don’t have to worry. I’ve got it under control.”

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.”

Tanner glanced around and knew he had to hide, otherwise they’d know he’d been eavesdropping on their conversation. If he went out the door, they’d hear it and there was no place to hide in the hallway, but it was that or crawl under Susan’s desk.

And yeah, he glanced at it for longer than he should have before quietly sneaking out the door and sprinting down the hall and counting to ten. Then he’d casually stroll toward the office like he hadn’t been there since his meeting earlier.

Brilliant!

At the door of his classroom, he stopped and took a moment to glare at how awful the room looked, and then turned and slowly walked toward the office. When he turned the corner, he spotted Chloe walking out while still chatting with Principal Kincaid. They both paused when they spotted him, and he saw the apprehension on the principal’s face and thinly veiled annoyance on Chloe’s.

“Tanner!” Principal Kincaid said after a moment. “How’s the room coming along?”

“I believe I’m making progress,” he said carefully before focusing on Chloe. “I may have been a little quick to turn down your generous offer. Would it be possible to perhaps get some of the extra decorations you prepared?”

The look on her face said she wanted to turn him down and that she didn’t like him—her face was incredibly expressive—but he saw her glance at their boss and knew she would be nothing but gracious.

“Of course,” she said begrudgingly. “I had already packed it all up and put it in my car, but if you’d like to follow me out, I’ll get it for you.” Then she turned and walked out the front door without another word.

Tanner was about to follow when Principal Kincaid stopped him.

“A word of advice, Tanner,” he said sternly. “We’re a tight-knit community and everyone that works here treats one another like family.” Placing a hand on Tanner’s shoulder, he continued. “No one expects you to come in here and do it all yourself. So if anyone offers you help or advice, take it. And lastly, don’t try so hard. You’re going to make great friends here if you take the time to sit back and observe.”

“Thanks. I appreciate the advice. I didn’t mean to step on anyone’s toes.”

“No worries. Now go and get those supplies from Chloe and let me know if there’s anything else we can help you with.”

With a nod, Tanner went to walk away, but stopped and shook the principal’s hand first. He found Chloe out in the parking lot by her Honda sedan with the trunk open. Jogging over, he made sure to smile.

“Hey! Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said and was relieved when she actually smiled back at him. She didn’t respond right away and that just had him staring at her for longer than was probably polite. “I know we just met today, but…I feel like I’ve seen you around town.”

She ducked her head slightly and combed a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Um…it was at Books Beans this morning,” she said shyly. “I was in there having coffee with my sister and you were checking out the books.”

It took a moment and then it hit him. She had been sitting alone while he was scanning the books in the romance section—not that he read those books, but he was just taking in everything the shop offered.

“Oh, right!” Then he slid his hands into his pockets and leaned closer. “I don’t really read romance; I was just seeing what kinds of books they carried there. You know, like…all the different genres and all that.”

“It’s a great shop, and Jade makes sure she carries an eclectic selection of titles. Did you happen to get any coffee or baked goods?”

“Just coffee. I don’t really eat a lot of sweets,” he told her.

And it was true. All his years as an athlete made him adapt to a strict and healthy diet. Even though his competitive years were behind him, he still favored eating that way. Especially as a spokesperson for athletic wear and equipment.

“Well, if you ever decide you want to try some cake, I would highly recommend the glazed lemon pound cake. It’s my grandmother’s recipe, and it’s legendary around here.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Then there really didn’t seem to be anything else to say. He had the decorating supplies and even though the principal’s words were still fresh in his mind, Tanner wanted to head home and come up with more ideas on his own. If by Friday he was still floundering, he’d reach out, but for now, he was set.

Taking a step back, he said, “Thanks again for all of this.” He held up the bag of supplies she’d given him. “I appreciate it and, again, I apologize if I appeared ungrateful earlier. I look forward to working with you.”

She smiled—and this time he could tell it was genuine because it completely transformed her face. She had dark brown hair with honeyed highlights that the sun just seemed to emphasize, dimples when she smiled, and the biggest blue eyes he’d ever seen.

If she wasn’t his direct competition, he’d consider asking her out, but…she was. Tanner was all about making a name for himself no matter what the playing field. And that included teaching kindergarten.