Page 14 of Secret Love

“I better get out of here; otherwise I’m gonna buy every cute thing in this store. Next thing we know, he’ll be wearing a fur coat and boots.”

“I don’t think he’d put up with that,” he says, chuckling. “All right, let’s get you out of here.”

The kitten has slept peacefully the whole time. I have no idea what to expect with a cat, but here we go. We head home and I give the little guy a bit of formula. He guzzles it down and then eats a few bites of food. When I crawl into bed that night, I put him into his bed next to mine, but he starts meowing…loudly. Eventually, I bring him into bed with me, and he cuddles right up, falling sound asleep.

By the time I start drifting off, I think about how long ago it feels since I ran into Henley at the grocery store this morning. That feels like another lifetime ago.

I’m frustrated to be thinking about him and his too-handsome face, but it’s not the first time he’s crossed my mind today. In a small town like this, and having his daughter in my class, it won’t be the last time either.

CHAPTER FIVE

NOWHERE TO HIDE

HENLEY

The next few days go by in a flash. Bree won’t be back in town until Sunday, so the girls are with me for the rest of the week. Bree lives just around the corner from me, so I see the girls every day, but one of our agreements when we divorced was that we’d have them consistently in one home so they could stay on a routine. Not that it’s bad when parents have to do something different, but for our girls, they’ve always thrived on consistency.We never wanted them to have to go back and forth from one house to the other all the time, so they’ve stayed in the home they’ve lived in most of their lives, and I just make sure I’m still with them as much as possible. It’s what works for us. I pick them up from school and have dinner with them most nights, at least during the offseason, and I take them to their after-school activities and games. Cassidy and Audrey are in dance and Gracie is in softball.

Saturdays are usually packed. We’ve already been to softball practice this morning, and now we’re on our way to dance class for the girls’ lessons.

“The new sub, Miss Seymour, is so great,” Cassidy says.

I turn to her in surprise.

“Really? What do you like about her?” I try to sound interested, but nottoointerested. I’m dying to know everything she has to tell me about Miss Seymour. I wonder if she said anything to Cassidy about our interaction.

“She met me after class yesterday and gave me a chance to read my report to her one-on-one, which was awesome.”

“Why didn’t you read it in class like everyone else?” I ask.

“I was too nervous.”

“Nervous? You? Since when?”

“I hate reading in front of people. You know that,” she says.

It’s true Cassidy has never loved reading like her mom or Audrey. Now that I think about it, even Gracie likes reading more than Cassidy.

“You’re a fine reader. You shouldn’t be shy to read in front of your friends. What did Miss Seymour say? Did that finish everything up with your project? Are you good now? Will Mrs. Carboni be happy when she comes back?”

“What’s with all the questions, Dad?” She laughs. “Oh, wait. I haven’t told you…” She turns to me, excitement radiating off ofher. “Guess what?” she says, her eyes bright. “I don’t think Mrs. Carboni is coming back!”

“What happened with Mrs. Carboni?

“I heard that I wasn’t the only one she said horrible things to and that she gotfired.”

“No way. She hasn’t even been there that long.”

“I know. I’m hoping they’ll keep Miss Seymour. Mrs. Carboni wassoboring. The class goes by so fast with Miss Seymour! And I love the way she dresses. She always looks so cool, and she’s super nice and pretty.”

Damn right, she is,I think to myself.

We park in front of Wiggles & Whimsy and everyone piles out. When we walk into the studio, a class is just ending. I get the girls checked in the way I always do, but I’m caught off guard when I hear a melodic voice saying, “Okay, girls, that’s it for today.”

I turn and see Tru Seymour in a fucking leotard.

God help me.

She looked exquisite in her suit and heels, but in a leotard and a see-through skirt, she’s fucking sinful. She’s completely covered, but the effect it has on me, she may as well be naked. She’s not wearing glasses today, so her eyes stand out even more. The moment she spots me, her eyes turn cold. She pauses for a second then resumes, telling the girls to have a good week. They thank her for the class and Chelsea Appleton goes up and hugs her leg.

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