Page 4 of Rain or Shine
Lexy was still in school getting her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She’s already an RN and works at the hospital in the Cardiac Unit.
I get to my feet and take my son from her for a minute. “I’ll see you when I get home, buddy, love you.”
“Love you too, Daddy,” Dash says, throwing his arms around my neck, hugging me tightly.
I close my eyes, soaking in the warmth of him. He’s a good kid, and I know one day, far too soon, he won’t want his old man hugging him. I’ll take what I can get for as long as I can while he’s this age.
I hand him back to Lexy. “Drive safely and let me know when you get there.”
Lexy rolls her eyes. “You know I will.”
It’s the one thing I ask of her when she’s got Dash. I need to know he’s good at all times. Some might say I’m just being overprotective, but when you witness your ex trying to kill your son, you get the right to be overbearing.
The day I walked in on Megan in the bathroom, Dash not even a month old, under the water, motionless, still sits heavy on my chest. If I’d been even a minute later finding them, he wouldn’t be here. I hate my ex with a passion, but I love my boy more than anything in this world.
Instead of retaking my seat at the table with the guys, I make my way over to the tables groaning with food. Everything from beef brisket to deviled eggs line the tables. Anything you couldwant, they had set out. Everything looks good. I pile a plate up with more than enough to put myself in a food coma when someone bumps into me.
“Oops, I’m so sorry,” the sweetest voice I’ve ever heard says.
I glance in her direction to find it’s Mammon’s sister. “It’s alright.”
“I really didn’t mean to bump into you, I wasn’t thinking as I kept going down the line of food,” she rambles, pink tinging her cheeks.
I take in the plate she’s holding and cock a brow at how little of everything she has.
“Everything just looks so good, so a little of it all it is,” she explains without me having to ask.
“Want to join me at a table?” I offer before thinking better of it.
“Umm, sure,” she answers a bit hesitantly. “I’m Delaney, by the way.”
“Tyler.” We finish getting food on our plates, and I show her to an empty table. I hold a chair out for her and wait for her to sit before joining her.
“I hear you’re going to be working for the schools here,” I state between bites of the brisket.
“Word travels fast,” she says, that pink in her cheeks coming back. “I forget that small town gossip . . .”
“Gets around faster than a dog in heat?” I finish for her, making her laugh.
“I guess that’s a good way of putting it.” Delaney laughs and takes another bite of her food.
“Which school will you be working at?”
“The elementary school. I teach kindergarten.”
I nod, taking her in. She doesn’t seem like the kind of woman who would teach a bunch of rowdy kids. Then again, the older kids could probably chew her up and spit her out.
“My son’s going to be starting this year in kindergarten.” The very mention of it has my chest tightening with how fast time seems to have flown.
“Well, maybe he’ll be in my class. I love teaching the little ones. They’re fun at that age and always willing to learn with the right motivation.” The setting sun light seems to make her eyes brighter as she continues to speak of how much she loves teaching kids.
The more she talks, the more I want to take her somewhere private and get inside of her. It’s her voice that’s affecting me. That and the sweet scent of peaches surrounding her. I shouldn’t be thinking any of this, the woman could very well be my son’s teacher, only I can’t stop my train of thought.
Around us, the party becomes rowdier, and I could tell she’s starting to get uncomfortable.
“Want to head out? We could find somewhere else to keep talking?” I suggest before thinking better of it.
“I should probably head home,” she says before pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. The sight of her mouth, I have a sudden need to be the one biting her lip. “We could, um, go to my place.”
