Page 26 of Bad Teacher

Violet’s heart shrunk to the size of a pearl. Tears prickled behind her eyelids, but she blinked, refusing to show weakness. Not right now. She’d thought for so many nights she’d never get to hold her daughter close. She swallowed the bitter thought, and ran her finger down Amanda’s nose. “Honey, I’ll always come back. I love you.”

Amanda hugged her tight, then sighed into her hair. “Me too.”

The doorbell rang, and before Violet could move, Amanda withdrew from her embrace and dashed to the entrance. She marched behind her, and when she walked past the foyer, she saw Theo and Marcelle. They each held a reusable bag filled with groceries from a local organic market.

“Hi, Ms. Violet.” Marcelle lifted her free hand in greeting. “We wanted to thank you for tutoring me, so we came to prepare dinner for your family.”

“How sweet.” She smiled to Marcelle, but her smile died when she looked at Theo. “Come in.” She gestured, and Marcelle entered. “What a low blow to use a kid to say you’re sorry,” she whispered to him as he walked past her.

“In my defense, she’d suggested we do this before, but I suggested today for purely selfish reasons,” he said, then stopped and glanced at her. “I’m sorry.” His honesty melted any resentment she harbored. After all, didn’t he have a point? Whether she’d liked his pointing out or not, he’d been right. But that was a conversation for another time.

She tapped his shoulder. “The food better be worth it.”

He glanced around to make sure no one saw them, then kissed her cheek. “I’ll make it worth it.”

For the next few hours, he lived up to his promise. He prepared a wonderful chicken cooked with a rich thick sauce, paired with sautéed veggies and rice with a hint of cinnamon, a common dish in Vonevell. Even the kids enjoyed the food. Marcelle interacted a lot of with Amanda and Trevor, and she seemed a lot more comfortable and less bitter than the first time she’d met her. Maybe she’ll change if she finds out I’m sleeping with her dad.

Violet slapped her lips. No, Marcelle would never find out—wasn’t fair.

Then why did he come over? It was nice, but why would he get the kids all engaged? She bit her inner cheek. Perhaps I’m overthinking.

“Thanks for dinner,” Amanda said to Theo.

“You’re welcome,” he said, ruffling her hair.

Amanda, along with the other kids, went to the playroom and Violet watched them go. Violet could hear their voices when Amanda talked about turning on her Wii videogame for them to play.

“Aren’t you worried about all this?” she asked Theo, using her fingers to circle the space between them. “Including the kids, I mean.”

“No, it was just a nice gesture, Violet. No one got hurt.”

Not yet. She looked at him, wishing things were so simple. Of course Theo didn’t add the complexity to the situation that she did because he didn’t share her feelings. Yes, feelings. She cared about him. Her stomach plummeted. How could she deny it? Their chemistry was palpable, sure, but his love of his daughter, his kindness also drew her in.

“Are you sure we can’t meet this weekend?” he asked, yanking her from her musings.

She blinked. “Sorry. Yes, I’m sure. I’m busy this weekend and the upcoming week.” She’d offered to have the kids when it would have been Damian’s turn, so Damian and Brit had more time to get things organized for the wedding. They’d thanked her, but deep down she’d done it because she loved having the opportunity to spend more time with them.

“How about next weekend?”

She folded her arms. “That’s when I’ll be going to Vegas for Brit and Damian’s wedding.”

He bridged the gap between them, and asked in a low voice, “What if I go too?”

Surprise flew through her, and for a moment, her mouth fell open. Sure, after Brit’s suggestion, she’d fantasized a little about him going with her. But she’d never come closing to hinting, let alone asking him. “What?”

He cocked his head to one side. Damn the man, he was so close to her she smelled his intoxicating, spicy manly scent. “As a friend.”

She perched her hands at her waist. Did he really mean it? “My children are going, so I won’t be able to sleep with you if that’s what you’re hoping for,” she said, to ensure he knew what he was volunteering to do. A part of her clung to the hope he wanted to support her, to be there for her. At the same time, she feared his generosity. What if she fell for him harder and stronger only to get her heart broken later? Her shoulders dropped a notch.

He flashed her a smile that weakened her at the knees. “That would be a plus, but look—Marcelle asked me to have a sleepover at her friend’s. I can let her go next weekend so I get to travel.”

“Yes, but didn’t you hear when I said—”

He touched her elbow, and she went quiet. Her gaze darted to his hand making invisible circles on her least sexy part. The circular motion soothed her, and the silly touch had the power of squashing any concerns.

“Yes. I’d still want to go. Plus, I’ll have a room on my own if you can ever find a break and need some stress relief. Bottom line is, I’ll be there and I’ll be your plus-one.”

She drew in a breath. Plus one. Hopefully his idea wouldn’t add more trouble. “Okay. Fine. You’ll be my plus one.”

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