Page 59 of Taming His Teacher

I lift a shoulder. “I guess I thought if you wanted me to know you’d tell me.”

His knuckles whiten on the steering wheel, and there’s a tiny shake of his head. “You make me want to pull over to the side of the road and…”

“And what?”

“Never you mind.” He stares at the drive ahead and turns onto a town road. “I had a talk with Headmaster Wilson this morning.”

“About me?” The self-absorbed words spring from me before I can help them, but the corner of his mouth curls up in a smirk.

“No. Why, was I supposed to ask his permission to date you?”

“Of course not.” Although if he were to ask anyone permission for anything, it would be Uncle Rett. “Then what?”

His smile gets bigger and he shifts in the seat. “He offered me a permanent faculty position. I’d take over John Phelps’s class load and his coaching roles, too.”

I feel like fireworks are going off in my chest. Shep is a great teacher and maybe even a better coach. I would’ve been shocked if the school hadn’t wanted him to stay but it’s wonderful to have confirmation. Though I’d rather throw myself into his arms for a congratulatory hug, he’s driving so I settle for an overly enthusiastic round of applause before something occurs to me. “And did you— Are you—”

“Going to accept? Of course I am.” He says it like it’s obvious. Like there’s no question in his mind that this is the future he wants: being at Hawthorn and by some exceedingly egotistical overreach on my part, being with me. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier. Then his expression grows a little sheepish. “Actually, I already did. Without even reading the offer. I need to work on my negotiating skills.”

He’s embarrassed but I’m thrilled. He didn’t even need to think about it. “Congratulations. I’m not surprised, but I’m so happy for you. And for us.”

I scold myself. This isn’t about me, it’s about him and I couldn’t be prouder. But he doesn’t seem to mind my selfish delight, flashing me the most brilliant smile I’ve ever seen on his face. It makes me melt.

“Me too, lamb.”

He turns back to the road and his grin fades. Not that I’d expect him to throw a ticker-tape parade or anything—he’s never been that guy—but I thought he’d let himself enjoy it for a little longer. Unless… “Was there something else?”

He swallows, his jaw tightening convulsively. “Yeah. He wanted to talk to me about Caleb.”

“What about Caleb?”

He tells me about their conversation and I wonder for the millionth time exactly how bad Shep’s childhood was. “So what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to ask my parents. I promised Caleb he could come up during spring break if he got his grades up and he did, so I’ll be driving down to get him in a few weeks. There’s no way in hell they’re going to say yes.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, lamb. But I appreciate the offer. I do.” He reaches over and squeezes my knee before pulling out onto the highway.

In the end, Shep takes me to Portsmouth and we walk around the seaside town, holding hands and stealing kisses between ducking into shops to warm up and look at pretty things I see in windows in this place where no one knows us. He asks me about how I grew up when I wasn’t on the Hill.

“My dad hated it here. It bred this insatiable wanderlust in him, so he pretty much arranged his life to be skipping around as much as possible. His attraction to all things transitory resulted in a brief marriage to my mom, who pretty much took off once I was born. I don’t remember her at all. He never talked about her. I give him a lot of credit for raising me, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, but it made him angry that I craved this life instead of the one he’d built for us. When Will and I got married, because of the baby—”

I stop in my tracks. Shep was a student when that was going down. While there was epic amounts of gossip about it, I’m not sure he knows the truth.

“You know I married Will because…” My stomach churns.Because I got pregnant from having ill-advised sex with someone I didn’t love, and then refused to get rid of the result.

“I know, Erin. I knew. Not at first. Which is why I was such a fucking asshole to you. But then I did. I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need for you to be sorry. I was pretty mad at myself. Anyway, my dad pretty much stopped speaking to me after that. I think he figured I’d come to my senses in a few years, go to grad school, maybe get my MBA and leave. Instead I literally wedded myself to the Hill.”

My throat is getting tight, thinking of the terse, barely congratulatory email I’d gotten three weeks after I left him a voice mail telling him I’d gotten married. And the eager phone call after I’d let him know about the miscarriage. He’d been so excited, thinking I’d change my mind and leave. Then there was the stern disappointment when I told him I’d be staying right where I was.You can’t give up on something when it doesn’t go your way.Except that’s what he’s done his whole life, what he’s done with me as well. I don’t remember the last time I heard from him.

“It doesn’t matter. Rett and Tilly are pretty much my family.”

Shep’s arm snakes around my waist over the puffy down of my parka. He pulls me close so my mittened hands are resting on his chest. When he tugs at one of the braided ties hanging from the earflap of my hat, I look at him. “I can be your family, too. No matter what you want.”

The tears come to my eyes in a flood and I try so, so hard to blink them back. Despite my best efforts, a few stream down my cheeks and he takes off a glove and wipes them away with his warm, broad thumb. Then, then he kisses me, his mouth hot and easy on mine, not demanding, but giving, offering.I can be your family. I can be yours.

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