Page 28 of Her Professor

“It’s not like that Pastor John. Yes, I was a student when we met, he was my teacher for one class my first semester there, but he was just a friend then,” she lied keeping to their plot.

“She’s right, it wasn’t until she started working for Dean Turner that we began to associate at all and this last semester we realized that our feelings went beyond that of friendship.”

“I don’t know, how old are you, son?”

“Oh Dad, who cares? You’re eight years older than Mom is and I’ve never heard either of you or anyone else complain about it. I for one have never seen Mads so happy so I approve, but if you start acting like Tony and hurt her…”

“That will never happen,” Devon assured her. “I had the misfortune to meet Tony once when he came out and cornered Maddy on campus and that is not how I treat women.”

“You never said he came out to see you,” Becky said staring at her. “Mads, what happened?”

“He was being a jerk, sorry Pastor John but it’s the truth. I didn’t say anything about it because I just wanted to put him behind me and move on. The only reason Dev said anything now is because he’s likely to start something seeing Devon again.”

“He met Devon?” Pastor John inquired.

“Sort of, Tony…” she hesitated not wanting to relive that day.

“When I walked past, he had thrown her up against the wall and was about to smack her. I stepped in. I don’t allow anyone to be violent towards women and especially not one I knew in the slightest,” Devon explained for her.

“Devon was being polite and helped me to his car to drive me to my dorm, so I didn’t have to worry about Tony trying to come back after me, so it’s very likely…”

“That he’ll claim what he’s been claiming about you for years,” Becky said hugging her. “No one believes him.”

“I’m afraid I’m a bit lost here,” John stated, glancing around the group. “What has Tony been saying?”

“A lot of lies regarding Maddy and her personal life, I won’t even begin to recap the ones Maddy’s told me but if he starts in I can’t promise that I won’t end it,” Devon said and she smiled to herself, loving how protective he was, especially since she hadn’t been back here that often the last few years.

“Dev, please…”

“I’m not going to let him hurt you Maddy,” he said turning towards her and cupping her face with his palm. “I’d never let anyone hurt you baby.”

He kissed her very gently then pushed her hair from her face before looking back towards John and Becky, the latter was smiling with silent laughter while the older man’s face relaxed and he nodded.

“It seems like you’ve found a good man out there in California, wish you hadn’t since we like having you home, but I look forward to seeing you at church on Sunday. Devon, be good to her she’s special to all of us.”

“She’s incredibly special to me sir,” Devon told him as they shook hands again. “It was nice to meet you Becky, Maddy’s told me a lot about you.”

“That makes one of us,” Becky laughed. “I’ll see you both tomorrow night, same place as always Mads…come hungry.”

“What place?” Devon asked as they hit the rental desk to get the car.

“Oh, the first night the majority of us are back we always go out to dinner at this drive-in. During the summer they take down the glass windows and the people pull right up to the wall to order. During the winter it’s cold as witches’ tits but the food more than makes up for it,” she stated, with a smirk at the way his eyes lit up when she mentioned tits.

“You gonna keep me warm?” he asked pulling her up against him.

“Don’t I always?” she replied as they strolled hand in hand out of the building and to the car. The drive didn’t take too long but it gave her plenty of time to worry about her parents’ reaction to Devon. She just hoped they saw what she did and loved him too.

∞∞∞

“Okay Mads…tell us about the hunk,” Ginny stated, as they pulled her aside the next evening.

“Like how old is he?” Grace, Ginny’s twin sister, asked.

“Thirty-two…come on he’s not that old,” she said rolling her eyes at their expressions.

“My question is how did your parents react to him?” Becky inquired grinning up at her. “I thought Dad was going to keel over in the airport when he saw him but on the ride home he said that I should find someone like Devon for myself because he’s obviously a gentleman.”

Madison somehow managed to keep her composure and not burst out laughing but the amusement twinkled in her eyes, and she had to glance away. Her gaze met Devon’s and she couldn’t stop the flames that flickered into it but his returned the same look and she knew she wasn’t alone.

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