Page 27 of Reckless Desire

“Granny is coming to pick you up. I have three meetings today and I don’t know when I’ll finish.”

“What about that ice cream? I’m not going anywhere if there is nothing to look forward to.” She stops again, tugging at my arm.

I pull her forward. At least we’re at the school already. We ascend the stairs, painfully slow.

“Granny will take you for the ice cream, and knowing the two of you there might be cake or some other poison included.”

She giggles. “Will Granny stay the night?”

“She will, because I’m meeting Uncle Ash later.” I drag her behind me, hoping no one assumes I’m kidnapping the kid. She really is resisting. I hope the little girls here aren’t auditioning forMean Girls2.0.

“Aren’t you with him at work all day?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“That’s mean. Oh, no!” She stops, her eyes wide open.

“What happened? I was just joking, Caro. I like Ash just fine. Let’s go.” The silence emanating from the school confirms our lateness. The last thing Caro needs is to be noticed this way. How did I miss my alarm?

“I forgot to make a copy of the magazine for Ash,” Caro whimpers.

“You’ll make him one after school.” She started it to record her memories, her version of a journal. The magazine is important to her. “Come on. We need to find your class.”

“Or we can come tomorrow?” Her large eyes shimmer with hope.

“Oh, you’re coming tomorrow, but you’re also staying today.”

She trudges through the polished floors. Laughter sounds from behind a door. That’s good. Kids are laughing here. Hopefully Caro will too.

We make our way to her class and I squat down. “Remember, you’re a very smart and kind girl. And if you feel overwhelmed, think of the ice cream.”

I knock on the door and open it. Many pairs of girls’ eyes turn to look at me. And one more pair. Emerald-green eyes I’ve worked hard to forget.

Several things happen at the same time.

I swallow a swear word, trying to ignore the pull at my chest.

Sydney drops a binder she was holding and papers go flying.

A couple of girls scramble to collect them.

It all takes the longest second of my life before I realize the small punching sensation on my leg is Caro’s fist.

I look down and meet her face. Her eyes are wide and her lips are pursed. So much for helping her transition seamlessly.

“Our alarm didn’t go off,” I say. “Caroline is late, but I take full responsibility.”

I want to say nice to see you or why didn’t you call, but thank God some of the blood flow returns to my brain and I act semi-normal. I kiss Caro’s head and she grabs my hand.

Luckily, Sydney recovers and smiles. Fuck, I forgot how sexy her smile was. Mostly because she isn’t aware of it. It’s not staged sexiness. It’s just her.

“Nice to meet you, Caroline. We’re so happy you made it. Come on in and we’ll find you a seat.” She offers her hand to Caro who reluctantly steps forward, but immediately seeks my encouragement or permission to bolt, her eyes pleading.

I nod and beckon her forward with my head and stumble back into the hallway.

What are the odds?

ChapterTen

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