Page 13 of Wanting You

“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.

Chapter Three

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