Page 53 of Shelter for Morgan

She'd only been a teacher for a short time, but she knew what it looked like when students were just trying to look like they were paying attention.

Morgan looked at the clock, watching for the end of the twenty-minute period.

She took a minute at her desk to send a message to the front office that they should expect Palmer to arrive as a guest and send him on through.

She didn't have to worry about someone trying to stop him. The whole front office staff had heard about the hot firefighter and would only be too happy to sign him in and show him to her classroom.

RHETT

He arrived ten minutes before her class ended and stopped at the door beside the front office worker who'd insisted on walking him in.

"I've heard that her students are really making progress," she told him in a whisper. "When the other teacher was shot on campus, some of her students struggled with the substitutes we brought in."

He nodded. Listening in to the discussion that they were having on Classical Republicanism. He barely had a memory of the topic being taught when he was in school, but he could tell that the students were interested in the discussion.

"Would you look at that," the office worker sighed, "not a single one of them with their phones out."

Someone must have heard her because a few heads turned in his direction and then the others did as well.

He lifted his hand. "Hey."

A few of the girls in the class giggled and Morgan's cheeks pinked up. "Class, I'd like to introduce you to one of the best first responders in San Antonio. Firefighter and EMT, Palmer Butler."

The class applauded. Most of them anyway.

A student with his arm in a sling barely lifted his gaze toward the front of the room.

Rhett walked to Morgan's side and stopped. He had a feeling that he'd just figured out why Morgan had called him in to her class.

"Hey, class." He waved with his free hand and a bunch of the students waved back.

"Can someone tell the class what a first responder is or does?"

There were a few answers. Some funny, some not-so-much and then a student knew what she was saying.

Morgan thanked her for answering. "Good job, Maribel. Great answer."

"But is it the right answer."

Rhett had a feeling he knew who that boy was. "Are you Tomas?"

The boy sat up in his chair and pointed his thumbs at his chest. "Did you hear that? I'm famous."

They spent the last few minutes of Morgan's class answering questions about his job and how they help people.

Morgan shared a few looks with him and looked over at the boy sitting alongside the wall.

Rhett had also looked at the teen and noticed that he was taking more of an interest during the question and answer period than he had before it had started.

As soon as the bell sounded, the students jumped, surprised.

Most of them started for the door as Morgan called out their homework to them so they'd remember it.

Rhett had already started moving when the teen boy finally stood up from his chair.

And Rhett caught him when he stumbled over his own feet.

"Benji?" Morgan was suddenly at his side. "Oh my god, is he okay?"

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