Miranda, on the other hand, never thought of him as a brother—she’d been too in love with him for that—but to her, he had always been more than family.
She was nearly certain that Colleen didn’t know any of Decker’s history. Anyone could see that she was clearly confused about Decker’s place within the family. Decker’s past was his story to tell. The fact that he hadn’t confided in Colleen meant that she wasn’t solidly ingrained into Decker’s life yet.
Miranda had overheard Decker talking with Griffin about how the relationship with Colleen was casual and nothing serious on either end, but that didn’t give her the right to jump in and try to make Decker hers.
She wasn’t petty, and she wasn’t a bitch, but she was thinking like one, and she didn’t like herself at the moment.
It wasn’t like she could ever have Decker anyway.
Or could she?
“Aunt Miranda! Why are you sad?” Cliff, Meghan’s son, asked. God, why had Meghan allowed her husband to name the poor child Cliff? He was teased over his name, but he lived through it with his head high.
Miranda smiled then knelt down in front of him. She hadn’t heard him come up, but her little buddy was the perfect medicine for a hurting heart.
“Hey, Cliff. I’m not sad. Just lost in my own world. Can I have a hug?” She held out her arms, and he jumped on her. She let out an oof and hugged him hard. “You smell like chocolate. Did Grandma or Grandpa sneak you something?” She tickled him when he shook his head until he fell on the ground laughing.
“Mercy. Mercy!”
“Tell me!” Miranda laughed and kept tickling.
“Chocolate is yummy,” he whispered through his giggles.
“I know. Now I want some,” Miranda whispered and kissed him on the forehead. She let out another oof as Sasha, Meghan’s daughter, jumped on her back. At three years old, she was a tiny little ball of energy compared to her six-year-old brother’s tornado of even more energy.
God, she loved these two kids. She couldn’t wait for Austin and Sierra to start making babies so she’d have more nieces and nephews to spoil. She’d fallen for Austin’s son, Leif, at first sight and wanted the boy to have siblings soon. She had a feeling with the way Austin and Sierra were talking, that might not be too much of a wait. She’d once thought she’d have Alex and Jessica’s children to romp around with, but after all these years, she wasn’t sure that was happening. Jessica wasn’t one of the nicest people around, and as much as Alex would be a great father, Miranda was worried about the woman as a mother.
Damn. When did she become so judgmental? Time to put a stop to that.
She shifted Sasha off her back and tickled her, too. The children laughed under her attacks, and she smiled at the two. They could make anyone’s day brighter, and she was glad for it.
“I see the minions have found you,” Meghan said from above. Miranda looked up and got a foot to the chin in the process. “Cliff! Watch your feet, honey. Are you okay, Miranda?”
Miranda rubbed her jaw, her eyes stinging. “Yep. He didn’t hit hard.” Thank God, since she wasn’t sure she had time to get her teeth replaced. Or the money for that matter. “I just got distracted.” She put her hands on her waist as she sat up. “Okay, crew. I think you’ve learned your lesson.”
“Lesson?” Sasha asked and batted her eyes at her. Oh yeah, this girl was going to be a heartbreaker. Adorable.
“I’m your favorite aunt. Remember that.”
“I heard that!” Maya called from her side but didn’t come over.
The kids giggled and smiled at her.
Meghan grinned. “See? Favorite. No matter what Maya says.” Cliff and Sasha got up, kissed her on the cheek, and then ran off to play with Leif. The next generation of Montgomerys was out in full force, screaming and playing like they had all the time in the world.
“There’s my M&Ms,” her dad said from her side. She looked over and smiled at her dad, trying to ignore the fact that Decker was standing right next to him.
Her parents had named each of the boys in the family without thinking of cute nicknames. Though Alex and Austin started with the same letter, none of the others did. They’d named the three girls though, Meghan, Maya, and Miranda Montgomery. M&Ms. In light of everything that had happened in the past months, Miranda wouldn’t change that for anything. She liked having that special connection to not only her sisters but her parents at well. It made her feel oddly special in a sea of Montgomerys.
Miranda stood up quickly and hugged her father, holding back tears. Damn it. She was stronger than this, and breaking down at the sight of her father so weak wouldn’t help. Decker loomed by her father’s side, his face a mask. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but she damn well knew she had to be made of stronger stuff than this.
“Hey, Daddy,” she whispered then hugged him softly. He didn’t hug back as hard as he used to, and she bit her lip.
Decker pulled her to his side like he’d always done, his arm around her shoulders. She sucked in a breath and forced herself to relax. He’d always been good at reading her moods and making sure she was taken care of, but that meant only that he cared for her like a brother…not anything else. Nothing had changed, and if she remained as she was, nothing would ever change.
That, though, was something she’d have to think harder on later. Right now, she needed to focus on the present, not a future of what-ifs.
Meghan hugged Harry then started talking about Cliff and Sasha. Miranda listened with half an ear, her attention on Decker. He’d left her standing there to get a chair for Dad but carried two in his other hand.
She would not look at his sexy forearms as he held those chairs.
Would. Not.
Maybe just a peek.
No, get a hold of yourself, Miranda.
Miranda sat in one of the chairs. Meghan waved off the other one then went off to be with her kids. Decker sat on the other side of Dad in the empty chair. It should have been awkward, sitting so near the man she loved and couldn’t have, but it wasn’t, not really.
These people were her family, and always would be, no matter what.
“Decker? I need to head home. I have an early day.”
Miranda smiled at Colleen. See? She could be the bigger person.
Oh, she wanted to push the other woman away and throw herself at Decker, but that didn’t mean she would do that.
Decker took out his phone and checked the time, frowning. “Okay. Let’s say goodbye to Austin and Sierra, and then we can head out.”
Colleen sighed, but Decker didn’t seem to notice. It was getting harder and harder to pretend to like this woman, although it wasn’t as if Miranda was doing a good job of it anyway.
“We’re going to head out.” The announcement wasn’t really necessary. He turned to Harry, “Be sure to let me know how you’re doing and if you need me to help out around the house.”
“You know I will,” he answered as he held out a hand. Decker gave him a man hug instead and stood up again.
Miranda stood awkwardly for a moment then held out her arms. She always hugged Decker. Today wouldn’t be any different. Decker gave really good hugs, too. He didn’t just gently pat you on the back and call it a day. He really gave his all to those in his circle. With anyone else, he kept his distance.
Colleen took one of his arms in hers, smiling sweetly up at him. Seriously? Decker blinked, looking between them. Well, shit. There was no good way to get out of this and not look like an idiot, or at least as petty as Colleen. Miranda let one arm drop then patted his free shoulder. Had he always been this well-built?
Yes. Yes, he had.
“Good to see you. Bye now.” See? Bigger. Person.
“Okay then, pipsqueak.”
Gah. How she hated that name.
She was an adult, damn it.
Not that he saw that.
Not that anyone saw that. She was the Montgomery little sister. The baby. There was no changing her birth order, but it wou
ld be nice if others treated her like the adult she was. Sitting here pouting about it, on the other hand, wasn’t the most mature behavior.
Instead, she smiled at the couple. “It’s Miranda, not pipsqueak. Haven’t been pip in years. Night, all.”
Her father’s hand slid into hers, and she relaxed some. “You’re my little girl, hon. You don’t get to change that.”
Miranda turned away from Decker and Colleen and looked down at her father. “You can call me that if you’d like. You’ve earned the privilege.” She saw the light in his eyes brighten at her words, and she knew she meant what she said with all her heart. She’d be her daddy’s girl—as long as she had a dad.
Cancer sucked.
She felt more than saw Decker and Colleen leave, and she finally relaxed all the way. Every time Decker was near, her body went into overdrive, calling out to him like some siren. A siren couldn’t lure a man apparently, but whatever. Of course, when she was near Colleen, she tended to turn into some uptight bitch, and she needed to stop that. It wasn’t the other woman’s fault Decker had chosen her—even if Decker said it was casual.
She visited with her brothers and sisters for another hour or so, and then knew she had to head home. She had an early day the next morning, and she couldn’t look like she’d spent the whole night partying. It might only be a little after seven, but it was still a school night.
She grinned. A school night. Her whole life had been about school one way or another it seemed. Now that she was a high school math teacher, it would remain that way until her old age. She loved everything about it, especially the challenge of students who didn’t want to be there. If she could find just the right catalyst, she knew she could change their minds. She might not reach them all, but if she reached just one, that was what mattered.
On her way out of her parents’ backyard, she said her goodbyes, hugged her father again, and then headed home. She lived only ten minutes or so away from their house, but it was far enough that she felt like she was on her own. That was the point. She loved Golden, Colorado. Like Arvada and Westminster, where some of her family lived, it was a western suburb. It pressed right up against the mountains rather than the plains in the east. There were breweries and quarries all around her, and her apartment had a small forested park surrounding it.
It helped that Decker lived in a house a mile away.
Not that she chose the suburb because of him. She’d chosen Golden because that’s where the job opening at the school was. It was hard as hell for people in the state to find jobs to begin with. It was a lucky coincidence that Decker lived so close.
And now she felt like a stalker.
Enough of that.
She pulled into her parking lot and made her way into her apartment. She loved her place. Even though it was a small one-bedroom—all she could afford on her meager salary—it was hers. She’d decorated it with comfy furniture, bright colors, and since the kitchen had a breakfast bar, instead of a small dining table, she had her desk where she could work. She didn’t need much more.
She was perfectly fine as she was. She had her small apartment, a job she actually liked, friends and family who loved her, and students who liked her. At least most of them did.
What she was missing was a man in her life. She didn’t need one to live—she wasn’t that far gone—but she was romantic enough to know she needed…companionship.
She snorted.
And sex. Sex helped. She liked sex. She just hadn’t had it in so long it was getting annoying. Yes, she should go to bed, use her trusty nightstand friend so she could relax, and dream about a bearded, tattooed man she couldn’t have.
At least not yet.
“Enjoying your second week of school?” Jack, her co-worker, stood beside her in the teacher’s lounge.
Miranda turned, coffee in hand, and nodded. “Actually, yes, I am. It’s only the second week of my first year on my own, but I’m not disillusioned yet.”
“The epiphany comes for everyone, honey,” Mrs. Perkins, their sixty-something-year old English teacher said from her spot at the table. Jack and Miranda stood by the counter, fixing their coffees, while other teachers milled about, getting ready for the first period.
Miranda just shook her head and smiled. “I’ll take the happiness for now, if that’s all right.”
Mrs. Perkins looked over her glasses, her pointed chin and mouth scrunching. “If that’s what gets you through, keep at it. When you crash and burn, you know where to come.”
Pessimist much? Miranda so did not want to turn into Mrs. Perkins when she got older. The woman wasn’t a mean old crone or anything—not like some of Miranda’s past teachers—but she wasn’t too happy either.
“Don’t listen to her,” Jack whispered in her ear. His breath warmed her neck, and she took a step to the right. He didn’t make her uncomfortable per se, but she was at work and didn’t need any rumors about the new girl and the—according to the older students and some of the staff—sexy history teacher.
Miranda turned, increasing the space between them. “I won’t,” she said softly back.
Jack smiled, and she saw what others did. He had a great smile. His blue eyes seriously sparkled under the right light. He had that angelic look with his tousled blond hair and tanned skin. It seriously wasn’t fair that he was so good looking…and a history teacher. He was also the closest to her age at the school from what she could tell. He had to be around thirty to her twenty-three. Not that it meant anything anyway. She had to get over a certain somebody before she even looked at another person. Looking at a co-worker that way wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do right out of the gate.
She drained the last of her coffee and looked at her watch. “I better get to it. These kids aren’t going to teach algebra to themselves.”
“It’d be easier if they did,” Mrs. Perkins put in. “With all the testing the state wants us to do, they’d be better off that way anyway.” The older woman stood up, dusted off her matronly outfit, and left the lounge.
Miranda looked down at her cute flats, linen pants, and silk top. She might not look like what others thought of as a teacher, but she liked clothes. Sue her. She had a feeling that, as she grew older, what she wore now would look dated. She’d grow into her own high school teacher persona as time went on.
“Have fun today,” Jack said before leading the way to the hallway. He grinned at her, and she smiled back. She didn’t feel that flutter she experienced whenever Decker smiled in her direction, but Jack was a nice man to look at nonetheless.
She made her way to her classroom and got the camera table ready. The school had just updated to a projection system that didn’t require erasing on plastic and dim lights. She could put the textbook right under the camera and show what she was talking about, as well as write out words in real time. She also used the white boards when she was lecturing since she had space on either side of the projection screen, though she mostly used that for getting students out of their seats to show their work. And if she noticed too many droopy-eyed kids, she could move around to wake herself up as well.
Mrs. Perkins had been right about the state testing and all the bureaucracy that came with a public school, but Miranda took it in stride. It wasn’t as if the low pay, long hours, no budget, overworked teacher trope was a new thing. She’d known that going in. Now she just had to work with it. Well, she’d see how she did by the end of the school year. Teacher burn-out wasn’t a thing of the past, after all.
The first bell rang, and students started trickling in. First up was ninth grade algebra, though she had a few tenth graders blended in. Many of the students in her school had taken it in eighth grade and had now moved on to geometry—the next period’s class—but she had a good grouping anyway.
The second bell rang, and the last students ran in, looking harried and, if Miranda was right, a bit mussed. The boy gave her that cocky grin while the girl on his arm blushed. She ran to her seat while he strolled.
It
seemed the tradition of making out in the hall hadn’t ended with her generation.
Kids today.
She grinned, noting down their names in her head just in case. “Good morning. After the announcements, we’ll be starting on our friend, x, so open your books to chapter two please.”
There were the normal groans and whispers, but she took it all in. This was her life now. She was going to live it and enjoy it.
No matter what.
By the end of the day, her lower back had started to hurt, and she knew she needed to increase her core yoga sessions. Getting aches and pains from standing all day wouldn’t end any time soon if she didn’t try to battle against it. She’d made it to her car, the previous day’s homework papers stuffed in her shoulder bag, when Jack came up to her.
She blinked, surprised to see he’d parked right next to her. She hadn’t noticed that when she’d come in. Of course, her mind had been on her schedule for the day, not the cars in the parking lot.
“Enjoy your day?” Jack asked, sliding her bag off her shoulder. She gripped it, not wanting to let her students’ papers out of her hands. Privacy was important, and she didn’t want to look like the little woman who needed help.
She was a Montgomery. She could handle things on her own.
“I’ve got it,” she said nicely. He let go of the bag, and she brought it closer. “But thank you. And yes. I did. It might be Monday, but it’s still the end of August, so we have energy. Right?”
He nodded then leaned against her car. “I’m glad you started working here, Miranda. You’re bringing fresh air to the place.”
She hoped so, though she needed to go home and start grading, get ready for the next day, and then call her dad to make sure his treatment went well. Okay, she was getting a bit tired just thinking about all of that.
Perk up, Montgomery.
“Thanks for saying that, Jack.”
“So, how about I take you to dinner this weekend to celebrate your new position?”
Tempting Boundaries Page 3
