Page 10 of Just a Heartbeat Away

“The last person in your position wasn’t exactly...organized.”

“I noticed,” Via said dryly. She bit her lip for a second. That hadn’t been the most professional thing to say, but the woman had left her about two hundred disorderly files, some of which were on students who didn’t even attend the school anymore.

Cat laughed. “Well, that’s public school for you. You’ve got the people who join up to make a difference—” she tipped her beer toward Sadie “—and you’ve got the people who join up in order to do the least amount of work possible while still getting the health insurance.” She tipped her beer back, as if into the past, to indicate the person who’d had Via’s job before her.

“How’s your class this year?” Sadie leaned around Via to ask Cat.

Cat dropped her head back and made the sound of angels singing in a chorus. “A-ma-zing. It helps that there’s only twenty-two of them. Last year I had twenty-eight,” she told Via as an aside. “But they’re also just a really good group.”

“I’m so jealous that you have Joy and Matty. Those two are the best. I almost considered moving up with that class, just so I could have them another year.”

Via’s ears perked up. “Matty Dorner?”

“Yup,” Cat answered. “And Joy Choi is his best friend. They’re the cutest. Utterly inseparable and so sweet with each other.” She placed a hand over her heart and rolled her eyes backward. “I love them.”

“I had Matty in pre-K. He’s such a great kid. So creative and smart. Always making little presents for everybody.”

Suddenly, Via was very aware of Sadie’s and Cat’s eyes on her like laser beams. She tried not to shift uncomfortably.

“So then,” Sadie replied, “you’re familiar with the fabulous Mr. Dorner.”

“Oh sure. I had Matty for a year, so we knew each other a bit.” A very little bit. Via had watched him go from disheveled, barely aware, grief-stricken dad to vaguely aware, semi-put-together, grief-stricken dad. She couldn’t exactly wax poetic on the man. Via studied the giddy energy coming off the two women.

“So, what’s his deal?” Cat asked, leaning closer, her elbow on the table and her temple leaning on one fist.

Oh.The pieces clicked into place. They were interested in Mr. Dorner gossip. She looked back and forth between Cat and Sadie. The flush in both of their cheeks and their wide eyes. Yet another piece clicked into place. They were attracted to him.

Huh.

He wasn’t Via’s type at all, so she hadn’t particularly noticed. She liked tall and lean. Dark hair and dark eyes. Like Evan. She was attracted to pretty men. And Sebastian was definitely...not pretty. His features were blunt and wide, almost plain, except for those light gray eyes. Even with his short, trimmed hair, he looked vaguely mountain mannish.

She looked back at the flushed faces of her colleagues. Well. To each their own.

“I don’t know much about him, really. Just that he’s a good dad.” She’d seen plenty of proof of that, especially toward the end of the year when he’d started to get his act together. She couldn’t imagine how hard that must have been after losing his wife. She’d gotten the impression that he’d been learning fatherhood from scratch. And he’d done well, in her opinion. Better than a lot of dads she’d had in the class. Of course, Via didn’t say a word of that out loud to Sadie and Cat.

“Does he date?” Cat asked, leaning forward a little more.

“Cat!” Sadie laughed. “What do you care? You’ve been married for a decade.”

“Morbid curiosity. And no curiosity-killed-the-cat jokes.” She pointed between them. “Just because I can’t buy doesn’t mean I can’t window-shop.”

“I honestly have no idea if he dates or not. I didn’t know him very well back then, and I’ve only run into him a time or two since.”

“Damn.” Sadie leaned back. “I really want some deets on that guy. I could never crack the egg when Matty was in my class.”

“And what do you care?” Cat leaned over and asked. “You’re engaged yourself.”

Via caught sight of a pretty engagement ring on Sadie’s hand that she hadn’t noticed before.

“I might be engaged, but I’m not dead. A Thor look-alike has universal appeal.”

Via laughed along with the women. Maybe this job wasn’t going to bequiteas professional as she’d thought. And honestly, she didn’t mind one bit.

CHAPTER FOUR

SEBASTIANTRUDGEDUPthe stairs of his front porch, swinging his house keys on one finger and sighing deeply. He’d done it. He’d gone on a date, and he’d kissed a woman who wasn’t his wife.

It had been...fine. Emma was pretty and smart, and it wasn’t her fault if Seb’s rhythm had been off the entire night. Majorly off. Like, laughing-at-everything-she-said-because-he-couldn’t-tell-what-was-a-joke kind of off.Honestly, he’d been pretty surprised when she’d kissed him outside the subway entrance. He would have preferred to take her all the way home, but in New York City dating language, getting on the train with someone was the same as inviting yourself upstairs for a cup of coffee. He’d tried to get a cab for her, but she’d insisted she was a big girl who could ride the train at 9:00 at night.

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