Page 18 of Sunsets & Slow Dances

“Nice to meet you, Miss Lyons.”

“Oh, isn’t he just the sweetest?”

“I’m in that classroom right there if you ever need anything.” Leanne pointed to the door with the huge whale cutout on the front of it before standing up and explaining, “I teach kindergarten.”

“Oh.” I nodded as a bell rang out.

“It was good seeing you.” She placed her hand on my other forearm and then slid her nails down, raking them over the top of my hand. “I hope we can catch up soon.”

Isn’t that what we just did?I thought as I smiled and walked past her toward the office.

“I’ll tell Mark you said hi.” She wiggled her fingers at me.

I lifted my chin in acknowledgment as I opened the door and held it so Matty could walk in front of me. As we walked into the office, I was once again struck by just how small the school was. I felt like a giant walking in a dollhouse—well, not that extreme, but it did feel like the place had shrunk.

Above the dark oak counter of the front desk were the unmissable pink curly locks of Mrs. Marybeth Parker. Mrs. Parker had to be in her late sixties by now. She was the school secretary when I went to school and when my father did as well.

I’d spoken to her on the phone about getting Matty enrolled after I decided that I would be relocating here at least for the next six months and filled out all of the paperwork for his transfer.

“Callum Knight!” Mrs. Parker’s face lit up like the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center as she stood up and reached over thecounter to give me a bear hug. At just five foot, her arms barely fit around my neck even with me bending over.

I leaned into her embrace. The scent of soft baby powder, sharp disinfectant, and crisp citrus wafted through the air, bringing me back to a simpler time. I soaked up the feeling of nostalgia, absorbing it like a sponge.

When she released her hold, she placed her hands on my cheeks and beamed up at me. “I bet your mama is so happy that you’re back!”

“She is.” I nodded and then looked down at Matty.

Mrs. Parker peered over the countertop. “Oh, and this must be your son, Matthew.”

“Yes, it is. Matty, this is Mrs. Parker.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Parker.”

“You, too, Matty.”

The phone rang, and Mrs. Parker sat down in her chair.

“Go ahead and take a seat, and someone will show Matty to his class,” Mrs. Parker instructed before removing her clip-on earring to answer it. “Firefly Elementary. Yes. Okay.”

Before we had a chance to sit, I heard, “Callum Knight.”

I looked to my left and saw a man I didn’t recognize standing beside me. He wore bespoke dress pants and a button-down shirt. Italian leather shoes and a watch that cost more than most people’s monthly mortgage payments finished off his ensemble. His dark brown hair was styled to look like he’d just run his hand through it and left, but I knew that that haircut was a car payment at least. His olive skin, square jaw, green eyes, and perfectly symmetrical face did not read elementary school teacher. It just proved you shouldn’t judge a book by the cover, because his cover was saying elite, privileged asshole.

“Principal Lewis,” he introduced himself.

“Hi.” I shook his hand. “Callum Knight,” I introduced myself a second before realizing he’d already said it.

“I just wanted to be the first to welcome you and Matty,” he motioned down to Matty, “to Firefly Elementary. Why don’t I show you both around before takingyouto meet your teacher?”

“Sounds good.”

Matty reached up and took my hand as Principal Lewis led the way through the cafeteria, bathrooms, music room, and library. We were headed to Matty’s class when Principal Lewis got a phone call.

“I’m so sorry, I need to take this. It’s my wife, and she’s eight months pregnant.”

“No worries.”

Principal Lewis walked down the hall to take the call when I heard my name. I turned around and saw another familiar face standing in an empty classroom. I recognized this face immediately.

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