Page 42 of Wanting You

“Look, go home, get comfy, and remember to breathe. It’s all going to be okay. And if you start to get twitchy, text me and I’ll talk you through it, okay?”

It wasn’t ideal, but it was her only choice.

“Okay. Thanks. I love you.”

“Love you too. And good luck!”

At 6:59, Tanner pulled into Chloe’s driveway and let out a long breath. She only lived two blocks away from him. How crazy was that? And her craftsman bungalow looked a lot like his. Well, like a lot of houses in the area, but hers looked newly updated too.

Grabbing the bottle of wine and his curriculum binder, he felt oddly conflicted. Was this just a dinner between colleagues or…a date? He clearly remembered what she told him on the first day of school, but…what if she changed her mind? What if this was her way of letting him know she changed her mind?

He glanced down at himself and suddenly hated the jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers he opted for. Was he too casual? Did he have anything in his car to change into?

“And where would you change, genius?” he mumbled.

“Tanner?” Chloe was standing in the doorway watching him. “Do you need help with anything?”

Yeah, not freaking myself out…

“Nope! I have everything. Just making sure I had my keys!” Fortunately, he did, and as he walked up her front steps, he noticed she was dressed super casually too.

So…maybe not a date?

For crying out loud, enough!

“Hey,” she said softly as she stepped aside to let him in. “Thanks for coming over.”

Smiling, he stepped into the living room. “No problem. Apparently I only live two blocks away so it wasn’t hard to get here.” They both laughed and he followed her into the kitchen. “Dinner smells amazing!” And when they reached the kitchen, he saw she had the table set and there was a bowl of fresh guacamole and another with salsa beside a huge basket of tortilla chips. “Wow! This all looks delicious!”

“Thanks,” she said and he noticed that she blushed. “I’ll open the wine. Have a seat and help yourself.”

He sat, but he forced himself not to taste anything until she joined him. A minute later, she handed him a glass of wine and took her seat. Once she was settled, Tanner lifted his glass to her. “Here’s to some creative planning, good food, and an enjoyable evening. Cheers!”

Chloe tapped her glass to his. “Cheers.”

For a moment, he feared things were going to be awkward—mainly because Chloe seemed like she was going shy on him—but she surprised him by launching into a description of what she made and how long it would take for the main course to be served.

Helping himself to some of the guacamole and chips, he took a bite and moaned with pleasure. “Damn, Chloe. Even if the enchiladas burned and we couldn’t eat them, I could make a meal out of the chips, guac, and salsa! They’re delicious!”

She smiled. “Thank you. I was thinking about this meal all week. I like to make a big dinner on Friday nights so I can have the leftovers during the weekend. Although Billie sort of made me think that I should make stuff and bring it up to the hospital when I go to visit my mom. I never would have…” She stopped abruptly. “Sorry. No more Donovan family stuff tonight. It was too much while we were at the coffee shop, and I don’t want to subject you to any more of it.”

“I honestly didn’t mind. It was good to get an update on how your mom is doing, and listening to all the other stuff just makes me feel a little more connected to the town.”

“I heard you played poker with my brother and some of his friends last weekend,” she said as she made a small plate for herself.

Nodding, he explained how it all came about because he met Will at the pizza place and struck up a conversation. “Because of my skiing career, I’m just used to talking to everyone I meet and making friends.”

“Do you miss it? The competing?”

“Not really,” he admitted. “It stopped being fun, but I was happy that there were companies that still wanted me to endorse their products. It helped me make the transition from competitive athlete to…well, teaching.”

“They’re just so drastically different. Like…I still can’t figure out how you went from such a high-profile career to teaching in such a small town.”

He believed in being honest and hoped it didn’t make her think less of him. “Well…moving to a small town really wasn’t part of the plan. Most of the schools I applied to were all in big cities. Unfortunately, I waited too long to put applications out and by the time I did, most of the positions were filled. Plus, my goal was to teach fifth grade. When Principal Kincaid offered me the kindergarten teaching position, I didn’t jump at it.” Pausing, he took a sip of his wine. “But, I knew I needed a job and being that the town had a ski resort so close by, it seemed like a good fit.”

“What if a position became available for a fifth-grade class someplace else? Would you leave?”

Shaking his head, he told her, “I am committed to this year. Principal Kincaid believes that now that I’m here in the district, I’d be considered if a position for one of the older grades opened up. But for now, I’m happy where I am. I’ll admit, I never considered teaching kindergarten—because those teachers are the ones with the hardest jobs—but so far, I’m not hating it.”

---