Page 93 of Sharing Shane

The beard quirked again. “Sorry I distracted you.”

“It was worth the mildew,” she told him soberly.

“Good to know. What work?”

She blinked. “Huh?”

“You said you brought home some work.” He finished tying his boots and stood. “I just realized I don’t know what you do.”

“Oh. I’m a speech pathologist. Or I will be, when I finish my CF.”

He yanked on his boots, then stood. “CF?”

“Clinical fellowship,” she explained. “I have to work for a while under supervision before they let me off the leash.”

“Ah. Speech pathology, huh? That anything like speech therapy?”

“Exactly like that.”

“You work with kids?”

“Yeah. I used to be a teacher,” she explained, stretching as she watched him check his pockets for keys, phone, and pocket watch. “Why do you carry a pocket watch?”

“Because wearing a wristwatch when you’re working with power tools is a terrible idea. Plus, it was my grandfather’s.”

“Aw.” Her heart, already soft, went mushy. “That’s sweet.”

“And it’s sexy as hell,” he added with a wink.

She giggled. “It kind of is.”

“I know. Why used to be?”

She was still vibrating from that wink. “Huh?”

“You said you used to be a teacher,” he prompted. “Why used to be?”

“Oh. I loved teaching, but I felt more like a classroom manager than an educator. I wanted to spend more individual time with students. I feel like I have more of an impact this way.”

“That’s nice.”

“It is.” She dragged at her hair, grimacing when her fingers got caught in the snarls. “Ugh, I need a shower.”

He leaned down. “I’d offer to wash your back, but I need to get going.”

She pouted. “Aw.”

He chuckled and kissed her, a brief peck on the lips that nonetheless sent her heart racing. “Want to get together later this week?”

She blinked. “Like, a date?”

That got her a full smile. “Yeah. Like a date.”

“I’d like that.”

“Great. When?”

“Um.” She frowned, mentally flipping through her calendar. “I have late nights at work on Tuesdays and Fridays right now. We’re open later so parents who work can still bring their kids in for therapy. I don’t usually leave the office until after eight, sometimes later.”

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