Page 75 of Wanting You

And maybe someday he would. Right now, it hurt just to look at her and know that he was the last person she wanted to see.

At least…he thought he was, but she seemed to be heading straight for him. Did this mean…?

“Hey,” she said a bit stiffly when she was close enough. “I just wanted to give you a heads-up about the firefighter assembly this afternoon.”

“O-kay…”

“Reid’s leading it and he might have mentioned wanting to…um…have a few words with you.”

It took a moment for that to make sense. “Ah. Got it.” Nodding, he did his best to put her mind at ease. “I’m sure he’s not going to start a fight with me in front of all the students, but I appreciate the warning.”

“I told him to just leave you alone, but…”

“But he’s going to be your brother-in-law and he’s protective of you. I’d do the same thing in his position.”

That seemed to give her pause. “Well, I think it’s ridiculous. This doesn’t have anything to do with anyone else, and if we’re fine, then they should all be.”

Sliding his hands into his pockets, he asked, “Are we? Fine, I mean?”

Chloe let out a shuddery breath that told him that maybe she wasn’t. It was wrong for that to give him hope, but…it did.

“I…I think so,” she said quietly. “This isn’t an ideal situation, but we’re both adults and we’re handling it, right?”

With no other choice, he nodded. “Right.” There was more he wanted to say, but the aide was lining up their students and now just wasn’t the time. “Thanks again for the heads-up. Reid’s a reasonable guy. I’m sure he’s going to just do what he feels he has to do. Although I really thought Ashlynn would have been the one to come at me first.”

She let out a mirthless laugh. “Yeah, she likes to throw around the threat of kicking people’s…you know…um…”

Now it was his turn to laugh because she was trying not to say anything offensive that little ears could overhear. “I know what you’re saying and I was already warned about that where she’s concerned.”

“You were? Really?”

“The day we were all at Levi and Jade’s. Reid and I had gone outside and were talking, and he mentioned it. Your sister is definitely a bit scary and intimidating, and I’m not gonna lie, I’ve looked over my shoulder a time or two since you and I…um…since we…”

“Broke up,” she said miserably, and again, the way she said it gave him a little hope.

How twisted am I that her misery looks positive?

Well, maybe not her misery, per se, but the fact that she seemed as miserable as he was. That was better, wasn’t it?

“Miss Donovan, my belly hurts,” one of her students whined pitifully. “I don’t feel good.”

“Oh, Kimmy…”

“Listen,” Tanner said, “why don’t you take her down to the nurse and I’ll take both our classes back? Your students can come into my room for a few minutes until you’re back.”

“I don’t know, Tanner…”

“You’ll only be a few minutes,” he reasoned. “It will be fine.”

“Miss Donovan…” Kimmy whined again.

“I’ll only be five minutes,” Chloe assured him before whisking the little girl off toward the nurse’s office.

“Okay, everyone!” he called out with a big smile. “Miss Donovan’s students, you’re all going to come with me and my students to our room. Miss Donovan will come and get you in a few minutes. Now let’s all walk quietly in a super straight line, okay?”

It was crazy how that worked, but he had forty kindergarteners following him without a peep.

Well, maybe one or two peeps, but nothing he couldn’t handle.

---