by Megan Kelly
The office door opened and he rose, turning to meet the new teacher, who stumbled to a halt, hand on the doorknob, eyes wide and apricot hair secured in a ponytail.
His breath caught in his chest as his heart thudded. Hell of a way to find out his lover’s last name.
Chapter Three
Ginger gasped, feeling the blood drain from her face. Scott stood in Mr. Bushfield’s office, apparently the father of her new midterm arrival. Her flesh felt like ice, but she couldn’t blame the early January weather.
“This is Scott Matthews,” Bushfield said. “He’s brought in his daughter Shelby, who, as you know, is enrolled in your class.”
Scott held out his hand.
He wants to shake hands? Ginger pressed her lips together to suppress the hysterical bubble waiting to erupt. Shake hands, after what they’d done together? After the ecstasy that hand had brought her?
Or maybe that feeling of connection had all been on her part. Maybe he’d lied to her about being married. He hadn’t mentioned having a child. Had everything between them been an act? Ginger wanted to rush out, sick to her stomach.
She forced herself to focus and placed her hand in his, trying to behave as though he were any other father. Warmth zinged up her arm, raising more goose bumps. “Hello.”
He nodded. “Ginger.”
“You know each other?” Bushfield asked.
She snatched her hand from Scott’s but couldn’t tear away her gaze. His hazel eyes held none of the passion she remembered. She couldn’t read his expression at all, as though he were a stranger. And really, wasn’t he? “We met a few weeks ago.”
“At a party.” Scott’s gaze trailed over her as though he’d never seen her before.
Of course she looked different, she thought crossly. She couldn’t wear a slinky cocktail dress to school. Besides the kids ruining it before half an hour passed, she’d never be able to rise from the floor, where she spent much of her time. If Scott didn’t like her black slacks and snowman sweatshirt, too bad.
“This is my daughter Shelby.” His soft Southern accent had nearly vanished in the past weeks. Except for a slowness to his words, he sounded as hard and flat as a native Midwesterner.
Ginger peered around him as he pushed the girl forward. Dark brown eyes dominated Shelby’s pale skin. Her nearly black hair had been pulled back with purple butterfly barrettes on each side of her head. She may have inherited her darker coloring and delicate features from her mother, but the scowl on her face was pure Scott.
“Hello, Shelby. I’m happy to have you in my class.” She smiled, wishing the girl had a different father. One who didn’t make Ginger’s skin tingle. One who didn’t make her stomach clench with excitement.
One who didn’t know of her extracurricular activities.
“Would you like to see your new classroom?” Ginger offered. “The other children should be arriving in a few minutes.” She glanced at Scott. “You’re welcome to come, too. It sometimes helps for a parent to be able to visualize his child’s environment.”
She hid her grimace, fearing she sounded as condescending as Bushfield. She led them down the hall, overly conscious of Scott and his sullen daughter. Was the universe out to get her?
She strove for composure, but her mind had become a glaring white screen bordered by fuzzy screams she tried to ignore. Just as she tried to ignore Scott’s presence at her elbow. How long before she could look up Shelby’s guardian information and discover whether the night of passion she couldn’t forget, the night that had changed her way of thinking about herself, was actually a night of adultery?
She pointed to the right where she heard children singing. Hopefully the playground monitors would work off some of the children’s excitement about being back at school. The first day after Christmas break could be stressful. “There’s the gym. The students are inside today because the weather’s bad. Most mornings you can play outside. You’ll also wait for the bus after school in the gym.”
Neither Scott nor Shelby answered.
She could imagine the questions in his mind but wished she knew his thoughts. The woman he’d enjoyed a one-night stand with was his daughter’s new teacher. Amazing bad luck.
She passed the third grade rooms and neared hers, glad the discerning eye of Cindy Grady wasn’t on her at the moment. The woman stalked her every movement, waiting for a slipup. Cindy’s sister had lost her teaching job at the beginning of the year. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who Cindy had in mind for Ginger’s replacement, as soon as she could get her dismissed.
Maybe it was unreasonable to wonder why Scott hadn’t mentioned having a kid. To be fair, she hadn’t mentioned being a teacher, either. They’d met too near Christmas, a time she tried to avoid all thoughts of children, even those just under her care during work hours. Adding in her bad news from the adoption agency that day, she’d been less likely to discuss children than usual.
The man she’d slept with after the Christmas party had been sweet and gentle and considerate. She couldn’t believe he’d faked the loneliness she’d seen in the ballroom. Yet here he was with a child. Where was the girl’s mother? He deserved the benefit of the doubt until he had a chance to explain.
“Here we are.” She waved Shelby in.
The girl studied the room, not budging from the doorway. Ginger walked past them, trying to see the room as Scott might. Colorful walls, enough visuals to stimulate without overwhelming the children, and the basic white boards, with a number line, and both a print and cursive alphabet chart over them. Pull-down maps anchored each board.
“This will be your desk.” Ginger tapped a finger on a desk in the second row. She’d put Shelby by two of her nicest girls. One was outgoing and would instantly declare herself Shelby’s best friend; the other was quieter but just as sweet. Judging by Shelby’s reticence so far, Ginger guessed the soft-spoken Maria would be more to her liking.
Ginger glanced at Scott, who stood in the hall behind his daughter. “We have a reading corner for spare time, a library.” She pointed as she named the areas. “A writing area with huge sheets of paper donated by a certain local computer firm…”
He smiled faintly.
Tough crowd. Still, she didn’t teach incorrigible seven-year-olds because she was a pushover. “And a math center with fairly decent computers. Do you use a computer at home, Shelby?”
“My real school has a computer lab where we go to every week.”
Ginger suppressed a grin. Despite the intended slight, or perhaps because of it, this girl appealed to her. Not giving an inch and putting her new teacher in her place.
Scott set his hand on her shoulder. “This is your real school, Shel.”
Although she nodded, the girl’s mouth firmed. She’d take some winning over. Maybe the more gregarious Jean would be closer to Shelby in attitude than Maria, after all. “Your records haven’t arrived from your previous school yet. Do you have a favorite subject?”
Shelby’s teeth glinted in an angelic smile. “I liked computer lab a lot.”
Ginger bit back another grin at Shelby’s polite rebellion. By year’s end, this girl would either delight her or be her biggest headache. Glancing at Scott, Ginger decided to withhold her guess at which. His influence would be vital.
Ginger couldn’t tell what Scott thought of her classroom and hated that his opinion mattered. She’d put too much of her heart in here over the past five years to view the room impartially. Hoping for an insight, she gestured the two of them in. “You’re welcome to explore, Shelby.”
The girl hunched her shoulders as though she didn’t plan to remove her backpack or her coat. She had no intention of staying. Just then, Scott nudged her and they both entered the room. Ginger quietly exhaled her relief.
“Nice room,” Scott said.
She smiled with pride.
“I’ll be able to visualize you in this environment, Shelby, while I’m at work.” He turned a frosty eye to Ginger. “That’ll help.”
/>
Ginger narrowed her gaze as he mocked her with her own words, but she kept her calm for his daughter’s sake. Not that Shelby had spared a glance for her teacher, except for the fierce scowl in the principal’s office. Why had the girl taken an instant dislike to her? Had she picked up the vibes between her teacher and her father? Hard to believe, especially when Scott had treated her like a near stranger, other than his mention of them meeting at a party. Had that set the girl against her?
“The girls around you are Jean and Maria.” Ginger pointed out their desks. “Harry sits in front of you and his twin brother, Ron, sits behind you.”
“Ron and Harry?” Scott asked. “Like from the Harry Potter books?”
Ginger nodded and turned to Shelby. “They don’t like to be teased about their names.”
Shelby stared at her with her dark, depthless eyes. “Why do you think I would tease them?”
Scott stepped up beside his daughter. “Shelby doesn’t make fun of other children.”
Great. Alienate the student and her father. “I’m glad to hear that. I’m sure you’ll get along nicely then.” Ginger turned her smile on Scott. “I didn’t mean to imply she would be unfriendly.”
Just because you are.
His jaw clenched, proving her message got through.
“I’ll show you your locker so you can put your coat away.” Ginger took them into the hall and indicated the girl’s locker. Shelby shrugged out of her backpack, and Scott hung her coat on a hook.
He winked at Shelby. “Now I can visualize your coat in its environment.”
Shelby grinned, displaying a missing tooth on the bottom row. The girl may not understand all the undercurrents, but she recognized her father had scored a hit.
Ginger had dealt with all kinds of parents through her five years teaching second grade, but she’d never had a relationship with a father interfere with her emotions before. Not that relationship would be the right word for what she’d shared with the insufferable man currently taunting her. It had been one night of passion. It might have been easier if they had dated and broken up. At least then she’d know his mind.
“May I speak to you privately, Mr. Matthews?”
“Why, of course, Ms. Winchester.”
Ginger barely stopped herself from glaring, knowing Shelby watched them intently. “Shelby, go ahead and put your things in your desk.”
Her student looked to her father first for his nod of approval, then dragged her feet into the classroom.
Ginger squared off with him as soon as the girl left their earshot. “One question and I only need a yes or no. Are you married?”
“No.” His surprised expression was answer enough, but the spoken denial made her sag with relief.
“Okay, then. Thank you.” She took a breath; it felt like the first she’d taken since recognizing him in the principal’s office. “Scott, no matter what went on between us, we need to be able to speak civilly to one another for your daughter’s sake.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you taught second grade?”
She retreated a step, taken aback by his question. Up to this point, he’d behaved as though he disliked her. Miffed, she shot back, “Why didn’t you tell me you had a daughter?”
He glanced away. “Two.”
It took her a moment. “You have two daughters?”
“The other is in preschool at the Wee Care. My boss’s mother owns it, but you probably know that. I took her this morning. The three of us moved up after Christmas. That’s why I’ve been too busy to call.”
Ginger absorbed the news. Two daughters, no wife. “It’s a good preschool. I noticed Shelby will be taking the bus there after school.”
“Unfortunately.” He hunched his shoulders. “I don’t like leaving them for so long, but at least I can take them both to their schools in the mornings. I’ve already talked to Dylan about flexing my hours so I can start work later.”
Ginger wanted to give him a hug of reassurance, wondering if he’d just gotten custody. The first adjustments after a divorce were hard enough without kids. Would the girls be shuttled to Georgia to visit their mother for holidays and summer vacations? Poor things. Maybe she could cut Shelby some slack.
“I’m serious about us getting along better,” she said. “Especially in front of Shelby.”
“I agree.” He shoved his hands in the front pockets of his pants and rocked back on his heels. “I have to get to work right now, but maybe we should get together later to discuss this.”
His offer sounded like a date, although get together gave his suggestion a casual air. Their relationship so far had been intense and intimate, if short-lived. Tempted, she steeled her resolve. She could not get involved with this man, especially now his daughter was in her class. The principal had delivered a lengthy oration—the only kind of talk he knew how to give—just that morning regarding the school district’s cracking down on any hint of impropriety. She couldn’t afford for the adoption agency to hear of a scandal, either. “What do we need to discuss?”
Scott blinked, some of the starch knocked out of him. “Our…”
She raised her eyebrows. “Night of passion?”
“For starters.”
“Starters? That’s all we have between us. Except now there’s Shelby.”
“So that’s it?”
The bell rang and clattering children charged down the hall. “I have to go now,” Ginger said. “If you want to discuss Shelby’s progress in my class, you know where to find me.” She snapped her fingers. “Wait, I know. You could always call me.”
Turning on her heel, she marched into her classroom.
THE NEXT DAY, SCOTT WAITED in the school lobby to have a surprise lunch with Shelby. He’d spent the morning at the Wee Care Preschool and Day Care with Serena, making sure she eased into her new surroundings. Dylan was a heck of a guy to give him an extra day off. Scott owed the man big-time, especially as his wife, Tara, had helped ease Rena into the routine. Rena had taken pride in showing her school to him, not having attended preschool or day care back home.
He sighed, then pasted on a smile as the children from Shelby’s classroom walked down the hall toward him. He spied his daughter looking at the floor as she walked, and his chest ached. Poor kid. Being older, the adjustment would be harder for her than for Serena. New school, new friends, new life.
Ginger followed the children out of the room, locking the door behind her. Scott knew when she spotted him by the way her foot stuttered, her shoulders straightened and her lips firmed. She couldn’t fool him. He knew how soft those lips could be, especially pressed against his body.
Swallowing, he set down the carry-out food tray just as Shelby launched herself into his arms.
“Dad! What are you doing here?” Her smile lit his day.
Her classmates continued on, throwing questioning glances their way. “I’m having lunch with you.” He looked up at Ginger. “I checked in at the office and they said to wait here.”
Her eyes pierced him before her expression turned bland. “That’s fine, and what a nice treat for you, Shelby.”
Shelby nodded and clung to his hand.
“Why don’t you show your father the way to the cafeteria.” Ginger walked toward the stairs.
Scott grunted, not caring to be dismissed in such an offhand manner. As though he were just another parent. “Well, peanut, how’s about you and I have some food?”
He picked up the cardboard drink tray and bags, one child’s chicken pieces meal and his own more substantial fish fillet and fries. They couldn’t do takeout too often, for health and financial reasons, but he wanted today to be special.
“What about the lunch you packed me?” she asked.
“Save it for tomorrow.”
“Wow.” Shelby hugged his waist. “We go down here, and I’ll show you my table.” Her brow wrinkled. “We’ll have to find a chair for you.”
“You have an assigned table?” He hadn’t realized that nor had the offi
ce mentioned it when he’d called to find out the procedure.
“It’s okay. I’ll make Harry or Ron move.”
“Shelby.” He frowned at her as they descended. “Y’all can’t kick either of those boys out of their seats.”
She gave a shrug he’d seen his wife use. Samantha had always meant “we’ll see” by it, and she usually got her way. He hadn’t realized Shelby had picked up that particular gesture, although he’d noted other gestures of Sam’s both girls had assumed. He shook his head, knowing Shelby didn’t mean to be heartless.
“It’ll be okay,” he said. “If there aren’t enough seats, you can sit on my lap.”
“Daaad.” She rolled her eyes.
That gesture he knew all too well meant You’re such a moron.
As it turned out, a cafeteria monitor found him a chair while the children made envious noises to Shelby over her meal. He thanked the woman, talking for a moment to discover she volunteered at the school twice a week for lunchtime. Scott couldn’t do that as the school lunch period stretched over two hours, but it put the idea of volunteering in his head. The principal had snagged him the day before to serve on a committee, but he wanted to spend time with Shelby. Maybe something in the classroom. He could flex the time he took lunch to match Shelby’s schedule.
Of course, volunteering in the classroom meant seeing Ginger. He doubted Ms. Winchester would welcome him with open arms.
Which led his thoughts to when she had. He cleared his throat. Not the appropriate time or place for those images.
Shelby threw out the first names of the other children by way of introduction.
“What’s a programmer do?” the boy to his left asked. Harry, Scott thought, the blond with extra large front teeth. Poor kid. Harry’s twin still sported baby teeth, but Scott figured Ron would have the same appearance with his adult incisors. Wouldn’t be a problem once the boys grew into them. He hoped the other kids didn’t tease them in the meantime.
