Page 9 of Wanting You

“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.

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