Page 42 of Sporty Girls Don't Fall For Loners

“Yeah? Maybe I inherited the cooking touch from whoever he got it from.”

“You’re a girl of many talents, Miss Hastings.”

“I always meant to ask,” I say as I cut an onion. “Why did you decide to be a teacher at a high school? I mean, the thought of going back there after I graduate?” I shiver in disgust.

Aunt Ally laughs. “That’s what I thought, too. Especially because a lot of the kids I went to school with were jerks and I couldn’t imagine teaching students like them. But I love sharing my love of books with people, and who better than high school kids? I love seeing their eyes light up when they realize the book is much more exciting than they thought. And I love when the story resonates with them because they see parallels to real life and what they’re going through.”

“I love when you open our eyes to something we’ve never thought about before,” I tell her.

“I love that, too. Especially when our Musketeer babies, who think they know everything there is to know about a book, learn something new. It brings me such satisfaction.”

I hold up my hands. “Okay, fine. We Musketeer babies don’t know everything there is to know about books. Not like the queen of books, Ally Hastings.”

“I’m always learning, too,” she says.

“You’re lucky you’re doing something you love.”

“It wasn’t easy in the beginning, and honestly? Sometimes it’s still hard for me. You know how shy I am. I get bad anxiety often, especially at the start of a new school year. I never know what kind of kids will end up in my class. But I let the magic of the books guide me, and you know what?”

“What?”

“Books never disappoint.”

I smile. “True.”

“What are you and your friends reading for book club?”

“A pirate adventure.”

“Ooh, those are so fun. The romance in those books can be so swoon-worthy.”

“This book doesn’t have romance, though.”

She looks at me like I just ripped the book in half. “No romance?”

I laugh. “You know I’m not the biggest fan of romance.”

“It’s obvious we’re not blood relatives,” she jokes.

That makes me laugh again. “I mean, sure the book could be better if there was romance, but it’s amazing just the way it is.”

“Well, as long as it’s a good book.” She puts the chicken and the vegetables in the oven, “This will be ready in an hour and a half.” She wraps her arms around me. “Thanks so much for helping me, Zoey. I love spending time with you.”

I hug her back. “Thanks. Me, too.”

I go up to my room to get a head start on the next book we’ll be reading for book club. Per Mia’s request, it’s a contemporary romance. Not my favorite genre, obviously, but I’m open to reading all kinds of books. I love that my friends and I enjoy different kinds of books because we have great discussions.

But when I get comfortable on my bed, I realize that my hands are a little sticky from cooking. I don’t want to get any of the dirt on the book, so I get up and make my way to the bathroom. Only to freeze in place when I see Kade leave his room. Because he’s not wearing a shirt.

For reasons I can’t comprehend, I release a silent gasp and jump back into my room. Then I peek out the open door. Kade—wearing only dark blue jeans—strolls down the hallway and toward the bathroom, an intense expression on his face. He looks…maybe ticked off? Kind of how he appeared when he first came to Edenbury. Which is odd because he seemed softer the last few days.

Even though I tell them not to, my eyes keep flitting to his chest. Yeah, his bare chest. I’ve never seen a naked chest so close up before. It’s so burly and his abs are…wow, abs. I never thought I would even notice abs on a guy, but…sheesh.

He suddenly turns around and looks at me. Then he tears his eyes away and shuts the bathroom door.

I stumble into my room, my mind racing with thoughts and my heart speeding up. Grabbing onto my desk, I tell myself to calm down. So I just saw a naked chest. It’s no big deal. Guys go shirtless all the time, especially at pools and at the beach. There’s nothing special about Kade Sanders’s chest. And I’m not the kind of girl who goes weak at the knees at the sight of a good-looking guy who strolls around the house without a shirt.

But as I return to my bed and try to focus on my book…why can’t I get him and his bare chest out of my head?

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