Because of You : A single dad romance

by Fabiola Francisco

  “I’ll come up with something.” I grin, leaning in to brush my lips against hers. No way I can leave without a kiss. Ada tenses but quickly relaxes and brings her arms to my side, gripping my dress shirt.

  Her tongue peeks out and runs along my lips. Our kiss becomes heated, tongues stroking, mouths devouring each other. It’s desperate and passionate. I want her badly. It takes everything in me not to carry her onto her desk. Instead, I press my erection into her and am rewarded with a whimper.

  “Sawyer…” she breathes out. “We need…” I kiss down her neck, nipping her skin. Her words trail off, forgotten, as she angles her head to give me better access.

  “Damn it, Ada, I need you.” Her nails scratch the back of my scalp as they tangle in my hair, and I groan.

  “Not here,” she’s breathless as she speaks.

  “No,” I agree, kissing back up her neck and finding her lips. They fuse together, and I show her what I feel with just my mouth.

  A sound outside the classroom makes us freeze, and we separate. With our chests heaving and our clothes more wrinkled than when I first arrived, Ada and I stare at each other with wide eyes before looking toward the door. No one is there, but I could’ve sworn the door was shut earlier instead of cracked open.

  “Shit,” Ada curses, running a hand through her hair and then mine, attempting to calm the waves. “We should be more careful,” she whispers.

  “I know, sorry. I just…” I run a hand down my face.

  “I know, I know,” she nods.

  I step back, adjusting myself in my pants, heart pounding. For her sake, I hope no one saw us. I’m more determined to get some alone time.

  “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

  Ada nods. “Yeah,” she whispers. I kiss her cheek and walk out of the class, looking around the hallway, but I don’t see anyone. No one is looking at me as if they’re privy to my personal life, so I grab River and head home. Maybe it was just a false alarm.

  chapter 12

  Ada

  I’m not sure if anyone saw Sawyer and me making out the other day, but my anxiety is building. I feel as if, at any moment, our secret will be revealed. I haven’t treated River any differently, but others may not see it that way. If parents catch wind of it, I’ll risk them complaining and coming up with their own conclusions.

  I can’t have that happen.

  I like Sawyer. A lot. But I wonder if having a relationship is the smartest idea. At least until River moves on to third grade.

  That’s more than half a year away. I sigh and drop on my chair. I check the time on the clock, waiting for the last fifteen minutes to pass so I can go home, have a glass of wine, and drive myself crazier with this mess inside my head.

  My argument with Karen doesn’t help things, either. She complained that I did a Science experiment with my class that I didn’t share with her. When I told her she does things all the time without consulting me, we started going head to head. I’m tired of her bullshit and superior attitude. When Sawyer interrupted, I had forgotten about our conference and freaked, wondering what he was doing in my classroom.

  I shuffle papers on my desk, stack them and place them in a pile on the left. I rearrange my pencil holder and the small box sign that reads, “Teaching is a work of heart.”

  Checking the time again, I sigh when only five minutes have passed. I startle when my classroom phone rings, fumbling with it as I answer.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, it’s Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Carroll would like to see you before you leave.”

  My heart pounds furiously, and tears prickle the corners of my eyes. She must know. Why else would she want to see me?

  “O-okay, I’ll be right there.” I try to keep myself under control, but I feel like running into the bathroom and puking. Is this where I lose my job?

  Maybe I’m overreacting. It could very well be that no one knows about Sawyer and me, and the sound outside my classroom could’ve been a student who dropped something.

  I walk into the office, smiling at Mrs. Jones, our secretary, who tells me I can go into Mrs. Carroll’s office. I swallow thickly and take a deep breath, which does nothing to settle the nausea before knocking on her door. Being called to the principal’s office as a teacher is worse than as a student.

  “Come in.”

  Opening slowly, I smile nervously at my principal.

  “Take a seat, Ada.” I nod, sitting on the chair at her desk and fold my hands together to keep them from trembling. I place them in my lap and look at Mrs. Carroll.

  I don’t speak and wait for her to tell me why she called me in here. Like she won’t notice my voice shaking, and I won’t give myself away in case this has nothing to do with Sawyer.

  “Something was brought to my attention, and I wanted to ask you personally instead of assuming.” I swallow thickly and nod for her to continue.

  Mrs. Carroll smiles warmly, crossing her hands on the desk and looking at me straight in the eye. She’s an amazing principal, and I’ve always gotten along with her, but right now I’m scared of what’s to come. There are no other elementary schools in Springville, so if I get fired, I’ll have to find a job in another town.

  “Someone told me that you have a relationship with a parent.”

  My breath catches, and my eyes widen. I don’t say anything at first, but I’m sure she can read the concern on my face.

  “The personal lives of my teachers are not my business unless it affects their work. You’re a great teacher, and I know you treat all your students fairly, but if this information is true, then you’d have a conflict of interest.”

  I come clean, telling Mrs. Carroll the truth. There’s no point in lying now and having it come out later anyway. “I met Sawyer over the summer when I was in Nashville. Nothing came of it since I thought he lived there. Then, he showed up in my class on Open House night. Nothing happened at first, but…” I shrug. “I guess our pull is stronger than I thought.”

  I look down at my lap, unsure of what happens next.

  “I believe the best solution is moving River to Mrs. Banks’s class.”

  My eyes fall shut, and I shake my head softly. I look at Mrs. Carroll’s eyes. “He’s finally settling in and making friends. It would devastate him.”

  “I don’t see any other solution.” She gives me a pointed look.

  “So basically, I have to quit or he has to move classrooms?”

  “I don’t want you to quit, but I need to treat everyone fairly. Most teachers can’t teach their own kids for the same reason. I have to consider this under the same rule, even if you aren’t his mom.”

  I nod, biting my lower lip until my teeth are imprinted on it. I take a deep breath. I have no idea how Sawyer or River are going to react to this. For all I know, it will ruin our relationship.

  “I understand,” I tell her. Fair is fair, and she has a point about that. There’s nothing I can do but hope that this won’t cause more trouble than it already is.

  After going through some details, I leave her office feeling deflated. I grab my bag and leave work, waiting until I get in the car to release the tears and allow the stress to wash over me. Having River move to the other class isn’t the worst-case scenario, but I’m unsure how Sawyer will react.

  I should tell him what’s going on when we talk tonight, so he isn’t totally blind-sided. Feeling like I’ll need reinforcement tonight, I stop at the store for a bottle of wine and dark chocolate. What the hell, I throw a box of frozen pizza into my basket and head to the register.

  I’m so lost in my mind that I don’t realize someone is in my way until I run into them. “Sorry,” I breathe out with wide eyes, looking at the woman with the scowl. “Are you okay?”

  She eyes me up and down, pinches her lips together, and nods before walking away without a word.

  “Well, okayyyy, then.” I roll my eyes and place my things on the register.

  “So, uh…” Tina, the cashier, says as she chews her gum, maki
ng snapping sounds.

  I lift my eyebrows and wait for her to continue.

  She leans in and whispers, “Word is you got yourself a hunky boyfriend.” Her mouth splits into a huge smile.

  “What?” I screech, then curse myself and lower my voice. “Where did you hear that?” I can always count on our cashier to spill the tea when needed. Unfortunately, the tea is about me this time, and I’m already in hot water.

  “I heard a few ladies talkin’ about it earlier. Something about you and Dr. Brooks.” I blanch, but she continues talking. “You two are together, right?”

  I stare at her and shake my head. Avoiding the question is the best route to take. Whoever told Mrs. Carroll must’ve told someone else in town, and now word’s going around. Great, not only is my job in jeopardy, my personal life is being tossed around.

  I pay for my things and flee the store, knowing I have to talk to Sawyer sooner rather than later. The last thing I want is for one of his patients to question him about his love life.

  chapter 13

  Sawyer

  River and I are cleaning out Blaze’s stall with the radio playing country music. We’re talking about our plans for Thanksgiving a few weeks away. My phone rings, and I frown when I see the school is calling.

  “Be right back, buddy.” I turn from River and answer the call. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Mr. Brooks, it’s Mrs. Carroll, River’s principal.”

  “Yes, hi, is everything okay?” I furrow my eyebrows and look at River over my shoulder. He didn't mention getting in trouble at school.

  “Everything is okay, but I’d like to meet with you tomorrow morning when you drop River off at school.”

  My heart pounds. The thought that this has to do with Ada weighs on me like a ton of bricks. “Sure, of course.” I end the call after a few seconds and take a deep breath before plastering a smile and looking at River again. He’s humming along to an Eric Church song, and I smile. Hopefully, my desire for a woman won’t ruin his happiness.

  “I’m done, Dad,” River calls out. I smirk at him and nod.

  “Awesome. Let’s bring Blaze back in.”

  River opens the gate to the pen and goes for Blaze, grabbing the rope and leading him toward the stall. I watch him, amazed by the son I have. I’m fortunate to have him in my life. If it weren’t for River, I don’t know if I would’ve had a purpose to keep fighting for life.

  Losing Tessa was the most painful thing I lived through but knowing I had River kept a shining light in my life. A piece of her would always be with me. I’m so grateful to have him.

  I catch up and tousle his hair before putting my arm around his shoulder. He shakes his head and chuckles, looking up at me.

  “Dad,” he whines but doesn’t fix his mussed hair.

  “How’s school?” I decide to tread lightly in the subject. Maybe someone mentioned something to him about Ada and me, and that’s why the principal wants to see me.

  River shrugs. “It’s good. I thought Ms. Ward told you I was doing good.”

  I nod. “Yeah, just wanted to make sure you’re really doing okay, getting along with the kids. I’m your dad, I’m gonna worry.”

  “I am,” he nods with a smile. “We did that really cool science experiment I told you about.”

  “Yeah.” I remember him telling me all about the experiment that resulted in him bringing home a lava lamp.

  “What’re we gonna have for dinner?” he asks once we head back into the house.

  “Do you want burgers?” Today has warmed up to the seventies after a few days in the low sixties. “We can grill them. Might be the last use of our barbecue until spring,” I tell River.

  “Yeah!” He jumps up and down. My son runs into the house, leaving me to chuckle alone.

  I turn on the grill so it can heat up and head inside. I find him grabbing the buns from the fridge along with the ketchup and mustard. After he sets them on the counter, he opens the freezer and grabs the box with the burgers.

  “You hungry?” I tease.

  “Yeah.” He turns back around and searches inside the fridge.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “Juice.” He looks at me over his shoulder.

  “Check the door.” I lift my eyebrows. I grab a beer for myself and season the burgers before River, and I head outside.

  I need to relax and not worry about my meeting tomorrow. I’ll ask Ada if she’s heard anything after River’s in bed. I don’t want to alarm him.

  We both stand by the grill, River helping me. Moments like this bring me peace. I’d do anything for my son, and I’ll make sure he isn’t affected by my personal life if I can help it.

  Once River’s in bed, I call Ada. I’ve been anxious all afternoon, and I’m exhausted from hiding it from River.

  “Hey,” Ada answers the phone.

  “Hey, how are you?” I settle on the couch, lifting a leg onto the coffee table.

  “I’ve been better. We need to talk.”

  My heart halts, and I freeze. “Shit,” I mumble.

  “Yeah…” Ada sighs. “I…” I hear shuffling in the background. “Mrs. Carroll spoke with me this afternoon.” I scrub a hand down my face, closing my eyes. This isn’t good. “They know about us,” Ada whispers.

  “Shit, babe… I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry?” she yelps. “Why are you sorry? This isn’t your fault, but people in town know as well. I don’t know who told Mrs. Carroll, but I’m going to find out. Whoever it was, though, must’ve told someone in town and now the word’s spreading. It wouldn’t be a bad thing if I wasn’t River’s teacher.”

  “Ada, darlin’…” I wait until I have her attention.

  “Yeah?”

  “It’s okay. Tell me what happened. I got a call from the principal. She wants to meet with me tomorrow morning. I couldn’t call you earlier, but I knew something was up.”

  “I don’t know, Sawyer. She called me and told me she had heard we were dating, and I couldn’t deny it.”

  “Did you lose your job?” I ask, interrupting her.

  “No,” she sighs. “But River can’t be in my class. They’re moving him next week to Mrs. Banks’s class. That’s probably what she’ll tell you tomorrow, but I wanted to tell you so you wouldn’t be surprised.” The sadness in her voice strikes me, and I wish we were in person so I could hug her.

  “Is that the lady you were talking to when I had my conference?”

  “Yup,” she sounds angry. “I can’t stand her, but she isn’t a bad teacher. Our mutual dislike is more personal—she’s a stuck-up bitch, and I’m not. Well, that and she plans things without sharing them with me when we’re supposed to be team planning. River will get a good education,” she assures me.

  Ada sniffles and my eyes fall shut again. I comb my fingers through my hair, still wet from my shower. “It’ll be okay.”

  “Will it? Is River going to be okay with separating from his friends? Will you eventually resent me if your son’s adjustment was hindered because of this?” She throws question after question, her voice rising with each one.

  “Take a deep breath, Ada.” I wait until I hear her exhale. “We don’t know that will happen. River’s a strong boy. I’ll talk to him and explain what’s happening. I’ve always been honest with him, and that won’t stop now.” I cross my fingers that he won’t get angry or blame me for having to go to a new class with a different teacher and students. They’ll be next door, and he can still spend time with his friends outside of school. I’ll make sure of it.

  “I feel terrible,” she confesses softly.

  “Would it make a difference if we broke up?” I hold my breath, hoping she says that’s absurd. I don’t want this to interfere in her work, though.

  “What?” she screeches, then controls herself, lowering her voice. “If you think that’s best, Sawyer, I’ll agree to it. I’d understand your reasoning behind it. They’d still move River, though. There is already a conflict of interest in their eyes
.”

  “Ada…” I breathe out. “Of course, I don’t want that. I just don’t want your job to get any harder. I want you to be happy.”

  “You make me happy. I know it’s just the beginning of our relationship, but it feels right.”

  I smile, although she can’t see me. “I know. I feel it, too. I never thought I’d find this again. After Tessa…” I swallow back emotions and clear my throat. “I never discarded the possibility of getting re-married because we were young when she passed, but I was in no rush. I’m still not in a rush, I just never thought I’d meet Amanda Bynes in a Nashville bar.” I don’t want her to think I’m pushing this faster than she’d like, but the possibility of being happy with someone else feels real now.

  Her raspy laugh is music to my ears. “Ditto, Biebs.”

  I laugh along with her, relaxing a bit. I’m still nervous about how my meeting will go tomorrow, but my personal life is private. I’ve always been adamant about that.

  chapter 14

  Sawyer

  Ada and I make eye contact when I pick up River from school. I give her a subtle nod and smile when River races toward me. I hope I continue to see this same enthusiasm next week when he’s in the other class.

  My meeting with Mrs. Carroll was not as tense as I imagined it’d be. She was welcoming and kind, but she did tell me River will be switching classes and left no room for discussion. I simply had to agree. I’ll be meeting with Mrs. Banks tomorrow afternoon so she can inform me how her class works and where River will incorporate himself. I figured all classes did the same work, but after Ada telling me that they don’t always share their lesson plans, I figured River won’t be fully incorporated into the lesson.

  I scratch my jaw and buckle him in even if he’s old enough to do it. Soon, he’ll be sitting in the front with me, changing the radio stations. I smile at that.

  But now, I have to talk to him… So maybe stopping for some take-home pie is in order. Hopefully, that will lessen the blow. I cross my fingers that River surprises me and is okay.