They were going to disown me. My trust fund was mine, but even if they found a way to leave me penniless, I’d make a living. I was a legit teacher, after all. Many schools would be grateful to hire a former principal as a teacher.
Right?
God, I didn’t know. I knew no one in the field. Would I have to move back to Seattle?
Go where the jobs were. No one was tying me here.
Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. No one was waiting for me anywhere.
I stifled a sob and rushed into my office. The sooner I was packed, the sooner I could skim help-wanted ads and call moving companies.
Chris
As Natalia disappeared around the corner, I picked up the pace. I wasn’t going to charge after her like a madman. But it was hard to convince myself not to.
I’d just told Cierra’s parents to stay out of my and Cierra’s business and walked out of the meeting. Natalia was right. Preston Academy was designed for one reason, and who was I to say they were wrong?
But as Jaycee’s father, he could say, nope, my daughter is going to school where she chooses. She’d go where she fell in with a group of friends who cared about her and not with a boy who cared about nailing her virginity.
I would go down broke and swinging on that account.
Ahead, what sounded like a sob spurred me to go faster. She had stepped into her office and was swinging the door shut behind her.
I rushed inside and closed the door.
She turned with a gasp, her arm drawing back.
Holding up my hands, I leaned against the door. “Easy with the Krav Maga.”
“I’ve only taken a self-defense course.”
I grinned. “Good. Could you teach Jaycee?”
She chuckled and we both fell quiet.
“I’m sorry—”
“What a shit show,” I said over her.
“Yeah. It has been for a while. But I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. “You were doing your job, even if the mentality here sucks. If it had been the last principal, he’d have let Dresden keep running off with my girl, and she’d have stayed with him because she was miserable. Then there’d be a fourth-generation Preston kid.”
Another laugh burst out of her. “Sounds awful.” Her smile faded. “Is she really doing well?”
I pushed off the door. “No exaggeration. The first day, some kids saw her sketches and now she’s snap-whatevering them all freaking day. She even shows them to me. Do you know how many drawing apps there are?”
A flash of a grin faded. “I’d love to know. I’d love to hear her stories and see her work.”
I drifted closer. Tension vibrated through me like a tuning fork. “Well, I happened to hear you’re not busy later. Want to come over?”
“I’m so not busy now.” The sound she made was a mix of a laugh and a cry. “Why would you want me over?”
“Are you serious? After I witnessed Shaw Shank slap down an entire room of esteemed Preston Academy faculty and donors?”
“I didn’t do anything but quit. And text my parents about it.” She screwed up her face. “My phone is going to vibrate apart, but I told them I’d call them later.”
I whistled low. “Shit’s serious now.”
She considered me, her head tilting to the side, one hand running along my lapel. “I want for it to be serious again. I’ll even send my father a selfie of us and hash tag it ‘ownsatoystore.’”
She’d told off the school board, left her job, and notified her parents right away? I hadn’t met this Natalia yet. Or had I? The real Natalia had ripped her mask off.
I lifted her glasses off her face and tossed them in the trash. Her lips twitched.
Cupping her cheek, I said, “You can tell them that they can get the friends and family discount if they shop at Arcadia.”
Her laughter—it’d been too long since I’d heard it. And too soon it was gone. “What are you going to do about Jaycee?”
The corner of my mouth kicked up. “We had a long talk about her future and her authority over it. She’s with her mom now and I fully expect Nana and Papa are going to get an earful.”
“They don’t seem like the type of people who’ll listen.”
“Her mother might. The peace of Cierra’s wedding is at stake.”
“Devious.”
I hadn’t moved my hand, and she rubbed her cheek against it. “We’re preparing for war. You met Ephraim at the party. Our store uses his law firm for all things legal and he has a contact for me if the Richards try to interfere with custody. I have some assets I can cash in for the retainer. But mostly, Jaycee and I are hoping they don’t call our bluff.”
“I hope you don’t have to do that.” We were chest to chest.
“It’s past due.”
“I know a former principal of a prestigious private school who can vouch for your character.”
“I don’t think it’ll go over well once I tell them just how unprofessional our relationship is.” I lowered my head. This time, after we repeated the desk episode, I would leave with her on my arm.
Chapter 16
Six months later…
Chris
I wandered the perimeter of the trade show floor. Once again, Arcadia got the primo corner booth and we’d outdone even last year’s showing. Six-foot renditions of popular comics lined the wall behind the tables. We had pull boxes for comic books and action figure displays arranged on the corners.
Twenty minutes and the doors to the Twin Cities Comic Con would open. A line outside had already formed around the building. Even though I was a fanboy and had waited in line for comic cons, it still humbled me that others wanted to come to spend the weekend at an event I had put hours of energy into.
“Hey, Dad.” Jaycee straightened from behind the booth where she was helping Mara shuffle boxes of action figures and brochures under the table. “Do you want me to stock the little TARDIS key chains, too?”
“Sure, if there’s room.” A smile tickled my lips as Jaycee eyed the table.
Her cosplay costume was homemade. Every hour Jaycee and Natalia spent hunched over the sewing machine was better than any movie I could watch. They laughed and joked and put me to work ironing fabric.
Full custody was a heady prospect. Jaycee still spent one weekend, or at least part of it, with her grandparents. Cierra had invited her over a few times for a sleepover. Best of all, I had less to do with all of them than when Jaycee had gone to Preston. We all tolerated each other, having come to an agreement after the Preston debacle last spring. Nana and Papa weren’t willing to run Jaycee out of their lives by fighting for custody, and Cierra had actually listened to Jaycee and not isolated herself to keep the drama from affecting her precious wedding.
The rumble of wheels on the floor sounded behind me.
“Excuse me. I’m in need of a superhero, but I don’t know who you are.”
I spun around, trying not to be self-conscious in my skintight gray superhero suit. Shaw Shank’s hands were on her hips, a wicked grin on her face. A black star was painted over her right eye, but it didn’t prevent her from being recognizable.
“I have a special surprise for attendees who know who I am,” I said, tapping the blue emblem on my chest. Nightwing.
Natalia skated closer and dropped her voice. “What if I were to admit that I know who you really are, I just like to hear you get defensive.”
I held out my hand and pulled her closer. “I’ll have to deal with you later.” I gave her a quick kiss.
“Half my class said they were going to come today.” Excitement vibrated in her voice.
“Extra credit or they didn’t believe you could roller skate?”
She tapped my arm. “You know I don’t give extra credit.”
I laughed. Natalia had embraced her real self but being a strict teacher with high expectations was a part of her.
After only a couple months as a Family and Consumer Science middle school teacher, Jaycee had heard stories t
hat Natalia was tough but well-liked by her students. Part of her relatability in FACS was that she was learning with the students. Her sewing skills had landed her the job, but with her first class, she’d announced that they would all learn how to cook from the students in each class who already had the skills.
It was a win for everybody, especially for me. Jaycee was blossoming into a fun teenager to be around. Natalia had moved in—movie night every weekend. My parents had loved her. Hers… They were trying, and that was more than Natalia and I thought they’d do.
She rolled into me for another kiss. “I’d better get back to the Mean Streaks’ booth.”
“I have it on good authority there’ll be a sexy assassin sneaking around tomorrow.”
Her saucy smile was dangerous to a guy in a superhero suit. I couldn’t wait for the next day. Valaria wasn’t retired. Instead of taking the time to design a new cosplay identity, Natalia had helped a couple of students make their own. I didn’t know who was more excited, Natalia or the kids.
I loved the enthusiastic FACS teacher as much as I loved Ms. Shaw, Valaria, and Shaw Shank. Each identity was all a part of Natalia Shaw and they were no longer secret, or separate, and I was crazy for every part of her.
_____________________________
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About the Author
Marie Johnston writes paranormal and contemporary romance and has collected several awards in both genres. Before she was a writer, she was a microbiologist. Depending on the situation, she can be oddly unconcerned about germs or weirdly phobic. She’s also a licensed medical technician and has worked as a public health microbiologist and as a lab tech in hospital and clinic labs. Marie’s been a volunteer EMT, a college instructor, a security guard, a phlebotomist, a hotel clerk, and a coffee pourer in a bingo hall. All fodder for a writer!! She has four kids and even more cats.
mariejohnstonwriter.com
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First to Fail: A Strictly Professional Romance (Unraveled Book 3) Page 16