Page 29 of An Unexpected Turn
“And my son’s guidance counselor at school.”
Kristina’s jaw went slack. “Well, damn. Maybe dating isn’t so easy for you after all.”
“We’re not dating, Kris.”
“You’ve said. Not datingyet. I support whatever you do, big brother.” She exhaled a long sigh. “Just make sure you know what you’re in for.”
My gaze followed Peyton and her friend as they slid into seats at a table by the bar. I could make out her profile and the graceful slope of her neck. Watching her from afar wasn’t going to cut it much longer.
Iwasn’tsure what I was in for, despite what my sister warned me, but the real danger of it all was that I was starting not to care.
FOURTEEN
PEYTON
“Wow,” Claudia said when we settled at our table.
I picked up my menu, ignoring her wide, dark eyes in my periphery.
“It’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” She pushed my menu down. “Since you’ve moved up here, all we talk about is your school, furniture, and other boring crap that wasn’t worth our time whenthatwas going on.”
“Nothing is going on, Claud.”
Her brows shot up to her hairline.
“I call such bullshit. He tracked you all the way to the table, and he’s still looking back now. I felt like I was interrupting something between the two of you, and I was only standing there.”
“It really looks that ... obvious?” I dropped the menu and rubbed my eyes. Whenever Jake and I were in the same space, the attraction pulsed so hard between us it was stifling. Keeping it to myself was excruciating, but if Claudia noticed it in less than ten minutes, that meant others did too.
“Yes, it does. So, what’s the problem that you wouldn’t bring it up? Even to me?”
“What’s the problem? Claudia, he’s my uncle’s best friend. It was one thing to crush on him when I was younger. But now? Too much is at stake.” I shook my head and took a big gulp of water.
“Your uncle was always cool. A lot calmer than your mom.”
I managed a real laugh for the first time in what felt like days.
“He is, but this may be his breaking point.”
“Okay, for argument’s sake, maybe your uncle will freak out.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “I feel like there’s another layer to your hesitation.”
“I’m his son’s guidance counselor. How’s that for a layer?”
“Hmm,” was all she said.
“What? You don’t think that’s a big deal?”
She chewed on her bottom lip as she studied me.
“Yes and no. I think you’re amazing at what you do, but you’re not his son’s teacher. Yes, you’re there to help him, and I know you have seminars with students and individual meetings, but dating his father doesn’t give him an unfair advantage. You can’t fail him or anything. Maybe it has the potential to be awkward, but I’d bet no one would care.”
“This is a small town. Everyone cares and knows everything. I can’t go back there again.”
“Back where, Pey? You can’t be comparing this to you and Travis. That was completely different.”
“I’m building my reputation here, and another scandal is not what I need. I can hear all the whispering already. The brand-new guidance counselor at the local high school starts a torrid affair with the father of one of her students, who also happens to be her uncle’s best friend, that uncle being the chief of police.”
