Page 65 of The Run Home
My head dropped. I was fucking this up already. “I know. Sorry. It’s a habit to start conversations that way.” I brought my head back up and leaned as close as I felt safe doing when the woman across from me looked like she probably had weapons strapped to her in places I couldn’t see. “I already bought Shae an engagement ring. I plan to wait until I can ask her and she won’t punch me in the face. I’m hoping she’ll love me back eventually, but nonviolence is my first goal.”
Lydia’s lips wobbled like she was trying desperately not to laugh.
“Because I love her, Lydia. I think I always have, I just didn’t understand what I was feeling. My focus was on baseball and it didn’t leave room to explore anything else.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m her best friend.”
I nodded. “I know.”
Her finger came up and I braced for pain. Her voice dropped to a whisper, the kind that promises gory violence right before a jump scare in a horror movie. “I’m watching you, Boon Wolfe. The minute you fuck up, I’mma swoop in and deal with you and you will not like it.”
“Understood. I won’t fuck up. I promise.”
Lydia dropped her finger. “You will. But that’s okay, because I’m pretty sure Shae loves you already and she’ll give you a second chance. I’ll get the pleasure of messing up that pretty face, you’ll crawl back to Shae, and she’ll train you right. It’s a win-win-win.” She shot me a wink and sauntered across the room, done with me.
I watched her go, feeling like I was in some mobster movie. I’d just been threatened by the boss and I wasn’t sure if I was scared or turned on.
“Oh, hey, Lydia?” I asked, taking my life in my own hands. It would be worth it. I was pretty sure. She stopped and looked at me over her shoulder. “Can I ask a favor from you?”
Her eyes narrowed like I was getting on her last nerve. But for Shae, I’d do anything. I walked over and laid out my plan, highlighting what I needed from Lydia. By the time the bell rang for class, I thought Lydia and I might just get along in the future.
If she didn’t kill me first.
Shae let out a whimper when we got home that night, kicking off her ballet flats and plopping down in the massage chair. I put the frozen casserole Mom had given me into the oven, set the heat and timer, and then came over to sit on the floor at her feet. The massage chair could do a lot for Shae, but it didn’t massage her tired feet and it couldn’t give her orgasms. That was where I came in.
I took each foot in my hands and dug around until she was moaning and I was stupidly hard beneath my workout shorts. I was starting to resemble the name of this stupid town with all the orgasm denial I was imposing on myself. It was stupid, but ultimately, I just wanted to take care of her and the baby. My own selfish desires could wait.
“Today got me thinking,” Shae said quietly, startling me. I didn’t realize she’d opened her eyes.
“Yeah? What about?”
Shae shifted, sitting up a bit in the chair. “About when I should tell Principal Joseph. Our fellow teachers. I mean, I’m going to pop any day now. I’ll be seventeen weeks on Friday. I feel like I should front-run the situation.”
I nodded. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“I’ll email Principal Joseph for a formal meeting, then.” She pulled her phone out of her back pocket like she intended to do it right this second.
“I’d like to be there,” I added quickly.
Shae’s fingers paused. She lifted her head, looking confused.
Damn. When would this woman get it through her head that I was here for every small thing and the big ones too? I’d just have to keep showing up.
“I won’t let that man intimidate you into something that’s not in your best interest. I’ve looked up employment laws for pregnant women and they’re terrible! Like, reprehensible.”
Shae’s eyes went wide behind her glasses. “You’ve looked up labor laws?”
I nodded, letting go of her feet. “There’s no federal law stating employershaveto give you twelve weeks off. But the labor unions here have negotiated fourteen weeks for teachers. Do you want to go back to work in the fall?”
Shae took a few minutes to think it through. She finally nodded. “Yes, I think I do. It’ll be hard at first, but teachers’ hours can work well with being a parent.”
I took her hand in mine. “Okay. We’ll make it work. I’ll probably quit teaching and just coach. That way I can be home with our son while you teach.”
Shae’s eyes went wide again. “You’d do that?”
I shrugged. “Of course. I’m not teaching for the money. It was just something to do with my time so I didn’t go stir-crazy. I mean, I have enough saved for retirement; you don’t have to work at all if you don’t want to.”
“I want to,” she said quickly.
