Page 81 of Love Takes Home

“Yes.”

“And Linda’s going to sit with you during her planning period?”

“Yes.”

“And Quinn and Nicole—”

“Are going to meet me during their planning periods, yes.”

“And you’re eating lunch with one of the other teachers?”

“Yes. And there are these little people called students that will be in my class every other time of the day.”

He gives me the side-eye but doesn’t say anything. Smart man. I might strangle him.

“I’ll be there at exactly two-ten.”

“School doesn’t get out until two-twenty.”

“I know, and I’ll be waiting. When the students leave, so do you. If you aren’t out there at two-twenty, I’m coming in.”

“Aye, aye Captain.”

“That’s Major.”

“Were you really a major?”

“I was.” He smiles.

“That’s kind of amazing.”

“Really?”

“I mean, yeah. I’ve only met someone up to Sarge.”

“Well, that’s not quite true, but Sarge was way more than a Sarge.”

I ignore the first part, only replying to the second. “He’s like the group dad to you guys.”

“And Trish is the group mom to you girls.”

“Who do I know that was ranked higher?”

He laughs. “All of us. Tiny, Ranger, Daniel, all the ANON guys. We were all officers.”

I stare at him, honestly a little awestruck that I know that many men who reached ranks that high. I never would have imagined.

He smiles at me like he knows what I’m thinking before sobering up. “Keep your phone on you at all times.”

“I will.”

“And use the watch.”

I grimace at that.

“I’m serious.”

“Fine. I’ll keep the watch on. But you know I have to take it off when I play.”

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