Page 12 of Rain or Shine
Chapter Five
Delaney
The universe is out to make a mockery of my life. I swear that’s exactly what it’s doing. It’s simply a running joke for my fate to keep being cursed the way it is.
I mean, what else explains the fact that not only is Tyler . . . Tyler Henderson . . . the father of one of my students, but he’s the one I had the one-night stand with that has left me pregnant. Not to mention he’s been the center of every fantasy I’ve had in the weeks since that night.
God, what have I done to deserve this?
I want to run and scream. Throw my hands in the air and wave them around like a loon.To storm out of there without looking back. To jump Tyler and ride him all over again. The thoughts are endless and completely erratic.
Instead of doing any of those things, most of them being completely inappropriate as it is, I shove the thoughts away and focus on the here and now.I don’t bother focusing on the man, but rather his son, as I speak directly to Dash.
Dash.
A sweet little boy who melts my heart with his excitement about school starting for him. Though I’m sure his dad will ask for him to be switched out of my class before next week, when school officially starts on Monday. I hope not, because I do think his boy is the cutest.
Answering all of Dash’s questions about baseball, I straighten and ask one of my own, “Would you like to see where you’ll be sitting?”
“Yes,” he shouts, jumping up and down, the biggest smile I’ve seen yet on any of my students as he does so.
I stretch out my hand for him to take, which he quickly does, and guide him over to his table, where he’ll sit with three other students. “See, it has your name already there and ready for you.” I lift the packet I put under each name and hand it to Tyler. It’s not easy to meet his gaze, but I manage to do just that. “I’ve put together a packet for all of my parents. Thisholds all the paperwork that needs to be signed and sent back on the first day, along with a few extra things for the students to have at home. I like to give each of my students something to take home to use if they decide to. It’s your choice to use it, however, we’ll be using them in the classroom as well. The main thing in there is a task chart for him to mark off things as he finishes them, it’s something he’ll be doing here. I find it helps my students stay task-oriented.”
I take a breath and show Dash the rest of the classroom. “Here at school, you get to mark off each of your assignments when you complete them . . .” I list all the things labeled down for him. “Then, at the end of the week, you will be rewarded with something from the prize tote.” I point to the one that sits on the shelf close to my desk, filled with all sorts of random finds, from Pokémon cards to princess odds and ends. All of the prizes have been donated by my brother and a few of his club brothers.
I give myself a silent pat on the back for not hyperventilating as I go over the rest of the information Tyler needs and answer his questions. By the time they leave, my hands are sweating and shaky.
Leaning against the edge of my desk, I take a moment to send a silent prayer that I managed to make it through the meeting without blabbing to Tyler about my secret. A part of me feels awful for not having told him just yet, but it’s not like it was a good time to do it. I’d have to be heartless to bring it up at his son’s open house. Right now is supposed to be about Dash. It’s important.
Besides, I haven’t even made up my mind if I should even tell him. It’s not like we’re together. I hadn’t even seen him since that night. Plus, I still need to go to the doctor to confirm the truth of it all.
Not that the morning sickness hasn’t already started to kick in. This morning I spent a good fifteen minutes hovering over the toilet. The only thing to settle my stomach had been a pack of garlic herb crackers and Sprite Zero.
Signing, I shake the thought away. Now isn’t the time to think about any of this. I need to figure out how I’m going to handle having Tyler’s son in my class.
I don’t know how much I’ll be able to avoid the man and keep this all a secret if I decide not to tell him. Will Tyler be bringing Dash to school daily? Let him ride the bus? Be active with school events? Go on field trips? There would be no way for me to hide the truth from him for long if he were.
My mind whirls around the different scenarios of telling him as I clean up. They were the last of my students for open house, and honestly, I’m glad for it. I wouldn’t have to freak out in front of other parents as I allow myself to overthink everything regarding the man.
I didn’t know how I was going to manage it all going forward, but for now, it was going to have to wait.
But the way he looked when he stepped into my classroom . . .
God, he looked good, way hotter than I wanted to remember. The way that T-shirt clung to him under the open flannel shirt he wore . . . yep, hello libido, I definitely noticed the way it molded to his body. Not to mention the dust-covered jeans and boots. He was simply walking, talking sex on a stick. He could be on the cover of a poster for ranches all over.
Sighing, I gather my things, turn the lights off in my classroom, and make my way out of the building. Thankfully, I had a whole week before I had to be back in here for the first day of school. My plans for the class are ready to roll out, and all the packets are put together.
Other than going to the doctor in two days, I intend to enjoy the days left of summer while I still can.
“And there’s your baby,” the doctor says, pointing at the screen, showing me the little blot that will grow into an infant over the course of months to come. “Hmm, this is interesting.”
“What’s interesting?” I ask, my heart racing, panic is starting to seep in.
“Well, it looks like you will be having twins.” She points at another part of the screen. “This little one was trying to hide a bit. Both look to be doing well in there.” She goes on to explain what to expect with my pregnancy of having twins as I stare at the screen.
Twins.
Not just one, but two lives are growing inside me.
