Page 10 of Back in the Saddle

The blood pulsing through me was slow, like a rhythmic, sensual beat, leaving wanting in its wake.

A small whimper escaped my throat and at first I didn’t understand that the sound had come from me. The sound had come from me as I kissed a stranger.

I stepped away; our lips were the last parts of our body to disengage. It was like they knew other lips would never feel as good as this. My eyes opened to him, staring wide-eyed at me. And my lips that had kissed the hell out of him lifted into a smile.

I tooka ragged breath and lifted my fingertips to my mouth. I snuck a look at Ciaron, who stared ahead, not even acknowledging my presence. It seemed I was the only one lost in the past.

“We’ll wait in the lounge,” Isabelle said. As she and Callum walked away, they spoke to each other, continuously glancing back at us and nodding.

“Ciaron, it’s so nice to see you again,” a lady with long blonde hair said with a wide smile as she stood up. I was surprised she didn’t round the desk to embrace him in her enthusiasm.

“You too, Carla.”

Her gaze flitted to me. Her bright blue eyes were curious.

Ciaron took a half step away from me. “This is Taylor m—Isabelle and Callum’s mum.”

My stomach knotted. Carla wouldn’t have noticed his little stumble. I tried to hide the hurt by sticking my hand out. I needed to get used to it. That’s all I was to Ciaron now—the mother of his children.

“Taylor, this is Carla, Isabelle’s homeroom teacher.”

I nodded as we sat and twisted the Claddagh ring I’d never taken off since my time with him in Ireland.

She’d said it was nice to see him again. When had they seen each other? This was the first parent-teacher interview of the year.

“You must be so proud of Isabelle,” Carla said in an uplifted voice.

Ugh…young, bright and cheerful. Everything I wasn’t.

I nodded again. I was always proud of Isabelle. But it seemed there was a particular reason I should be in this case. I tried to wrack my brain for what had happened so far this year and came up empty.

“She has worked so hard this semester to improve her grades. Some of it had to do with choosing the right friends and some to do with the extra work she’s been doing at home.”

I nodded and smiled. It was the best thing I could do to hide my ignorance. I remembered Ciaron’s words:I’m fighting to save this family. Was this what he’d meant?

Ciaron smiled at Carla. “I think it had something to do with your influence too.” Then he glanced at me. “We are both very proud of the effort Isabelle has put in.”

Carla beamed at Ciaron and continued looking at him as she spoke. I wanted to poke her eyes out with one of her pens. “Ciaron has been a Godsend. Isabelle is lucky to have such an invested dad.” She faced me. “We’ve been working closely together all year.”

Have they just? Is that why he corrected himself before he called me his wife? When he said we are both proud of Isabelle, did he mean him and me or him and Carla?

I couldn’t form words. So, it was another nod from me. I forced myself to concentrate on the remainder of the meeting and the next and the next. Before we went back to the kids, I pulled Ciaron into an alcove along the hallway.

He had some things to answer for.

5

Ciaron

In the privacy of an alcove, Taylor crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at me. “How long has this been going on?”

I stopped myself from letting out a huff. She’d been in a mood since we’d spoken to Carla. I’d told her about Isabelle on numerous occasions. It’s not my fault she’d paid no attention. “All year.”

“Do the kids know?”

I frowned. “Well, it’s no secret.”

She took a step back. Her breathing was ragged. “They know about you and Carla?”

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