Page 41 of Home Field Advantage
Taking Sage’s hand in hers, they reach the door. “Thank you again, Poppy. We’ll chat soon.”
“Anytime.” I smile, and they walk out.
After carefully stowing the papers away in a file folder, I look up to find Dallas where we left him at the table. He’s still standing there with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, staring at me with such intensity as if he has a million and one questions floating through his head.
I feel stuck behind my desk, uncertainty coursing through me. I want him to break the silence, to say even a simple thought that could dissolve the thick air between us. Another part of me desperately wishes for him to leave the room, to escape this feeling.
“So…” he says, looking to the ground before his feet move in my direction across the room. With each step, my nerves grow. He stops before me, forcing me to tilt my head up, and I’m met with the most piercing gaze. “You’re my daughter’s teacher.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re my neighbor.” He smiles as if the memory of this morning sparked something.
I swallow, fighting down the shiver so my voice doesn’t break. “Seems that way.”
“Interesting.”
Our eyes remain fixed on each other as if he wants to say more. Breaking the stare, I turn on my heel to avoid making thismore awkward than it has been. “Thanks again for coming in for this meeting. You have a very adorable daughter.”
“I’m glad I did.”
I straighten my spine, putting on my professional face in an attempt to show that he’s certainly not affecting me right now.
“I had something else I wanted to talk to you about,” he adds. My body freezes up, and I remain silent, waiting for him to say more. “You braided Sage’s hair.”
“I’m sorry. Her ponytail fell out when we were on the playground. She told me she prefers her hair in a braid, so I put one in for her before we returned to the classroom. I’m sorry,” I say again, trying to defend my reasoning.
Dallas laughs, and it vibrates through my body.
I raise an eyebrow and tilt my head in question.
“There’s absolutely nothing you need to be apologizing for, Poppy. I’m not mad.”
“You’re not?”
He shakes his head. “I wanted to say thank you. So, I guess it’s not a question, but more of a thanks.”
“I—Uh. Sure. Anytime.”
“She also mentioned something to me yesterday.” He takes one more step closer to me, his earthy wood scent engulfing all of my senses, knocking me off kilter, but I remain steady.
“Yeah?”
“She said you would bring her a puzzle for her one day.”
I swallow. “I did.”
“And now you know where we live.”
“I do.”
His eyes scan my face as if trying to memorize every detail. It’s unsettling, yet it ignites a fire in my gut with how he looks at me. I know I shouldn’t want more since he’s off-limits, but I can’t deny how he makes me feel things I’m not accustomed to.
We both stand there in silence, staring at each other for longer than necessary. The way his eyes stay laser-focused on mine tells me that there’s a whole lot more he wants to say, but isn’t.
“I’ll be seeing you around then, Miss Barlow.” He winks and walks away.
I don’t take my eyes off him as he leaves, closing the door behind him and leaving me alone in my classroom. I close my eyes and take a calming breath.
