Page 23 of Awakening the Sheriff

“They’re both doing well.” I launched into my prepared spiel, only needing to glance at my notes once. The benefit of teaching in a small school was that I didn’t have as many students, which made it easier to remember all of them.

Fir said goodbye with another firm handshake. “Have you found a local doctor yet?”

“I haven’t had time to look yet, to be honest.”

“Well, my practice would be happy to take you in as new patients. No obligation, of course, but you’re more than welcome.”

He had a family practice here. I’d forgotten about that. “Thank you. The boys both need their physical, so I’m sure we’ll be by soon.”

“Looking forward to it.”

I barely had time to sip some water before the next parents arrived. The evening was going well, better than expected, but I had saved the best for last. Or rather, he’d done that himself. Auden had booked the last appointment of the evening, and when he walked into the room, his long legs eating up the ground, my heart did a little stutter. Why did he have to be so damn sexy? It wasn’t fair. And he wasn’t even wearing his uniform, just a pair of well-fitting jeans, tantalizing thin in all the right places, and a simple white Henley that hugged every inch of those big muscles.

“Hi, Auden.” My voice was nothing more than a squeak, and Auden looked at me funny.

“Everything okay?”

I cleared my throat. “Yes. Something got stuck in my throat.”

“Oh, okay. You had me worried there for a second.”

“If I need you to Heimlich me, I’ll let you know.”

He grinned. “Please do. I’m a certified first responder.”

I bet he was, and where did I sign up for some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation?Jeepers, Keaton, get yourself together.I was behaving like a lovesick teenager. “Anyway, thanks for coming. Both of your girls are an absolute delight to have in class. They’re well-behaved, smart, and actively participate.”

He leaned back in his chair. “Wow, that’s good to hear. You sure we’re talking about the same girls? Dani, I believe, but Violet? She can be moody as can be.”

I shook my head. “Not in my class, she’s not.”

“That’s a welcome surprise. Don’t get me wrong. I love her to pieces, but teenage girls should come with an instruction manual. Half the time, I have no clue what goes on in her head.”

“I’m afraid that’s not limited to teenage girls. Milton and Byron are mysteries to me as well, Byron especially. Every time I think I have him figured out, he’s changed again, grown out of whatever phase I’ve just mastered.”

“Sounds familiar.”

I had to focus on his daughters and not let myself get distracted. He was here as a parent, not my friend. If we’d even made it to that stage yet. “Violet wrote a fantastic essay aboutTaming the Shrew. You should ask her if you can read it. It was insightful and funny at the same time. She got an A+ for it.”

Auden’s eyes lit up. “That’s wonderful. I’ll make sure to check with her.”

“And Dani did a great report on empowerment in the Percy Jackson books. It impressed me.”

His smile couldn’t stretch any wider, and it was awesome to see him as a proud dad.

“Do you always do the parent-teacher conferences?” I asked.

“Oh, it depends on the timing. Tricia does them more often because my schedule can be unpredictable, so whenever I have a quiet night, I attend. And I figured it would be nice to schedule yours last so we wouldn’t be so pressed for time. I had fun last week, building LEGOs with you.”

“Despite my lack of skills?”

He grinned. “Despite that. I told you it’s all about the journey, not the final result. I hope you had a good time too.”

Did he even doubt that? “I did. Thanks again for having me.”

“Have you made any more friends here yet?”

The “more” seemed to imply he considered us friends, or was I reading too much into a casual remark? I shouldn’t get my hopes up, but it was hard not to. “It’s not as easy as I had expected in a small town.”

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