But it also makes me think we’re preparing to say goodbye … and I’m not strong enough to do that.
As I walk into the school’s front office the next morning to deliver the temporary guardianship papers, part of me hopes to run into Daisy and another part of me hopes to avoid her all together. My motto is playing on repeat in my head the entire time I look for her, wrong time, wrong place, wrong man.
After filling out additional paperwork with my contact information, the secretary files the temporary guardianship papers with Isabelle’s records and assures me everything is in order. But I still need to have that conversation with her teacher, the one about any changes in Isa’s personality. That means I have to find Daisy and talk to her, for my family’s sake, not for my own.
When I step into her classroom, another woman is in there instead. I glance around the room, expecting to find Daisy working with one of the kids, but she’s not there.
“Can I help you?” The non-Daisy woman glances around the room, then turns her attention back to me with a cautious eye.
“Yes, I’m looking for Daisy Nash. I’m Isabelle’s uncle, and I need to give her some vital information.”
“Miss Daisy is in a staff meeting with the principal and the other teachers. I’m Glenna, the paraprofessional assigned to this room to help her with the workload. If you’d like, you can give me the information, and I’ll make sure she gets the message.”
Damn.
I can’t withhold the information now that I’ve stated it’s vital. This means I’ll get to keep my oath of steering clear of Daisy at all costs. I relay the message from Juliana and explain the temporary guardianship arrangement, so they’re not surprised when they see me standing in for my sister. She takes all the information down and slides the note into a file inside Daisy’s desk with a promise to share it verbally too.
As fun as it could be to fill my days with kindergarten activities, I’ve been away from work long enough as it is, so I turn and walk out to my car. Nowhere along the path between Isabelle’s classroom and the front door do I run into Daisy.
Not even a single glimpse of her.
When I walk into the office, everyone is busy working, but Kevin isn’t in his office. I glance at my watch and realize I’m twenty-five minutes late for an important meeting. With everything in my personal life blowing up in my face, I completely forgot about it. After I rush to my office and grab my laptop, I quietly enter the large boardroom and take a seat in the back.
Kevin, ever the consummate professional, doesn’t miss a beat when he catches me sneaking in and taking a seat along the back wall so I won’t disturb the clients around the table. He continues the presentation we were scheduled to give together, covering my ass as the second-in-command of the company. He doesn’t mind since he didn’t rise to the level of vice president based on his good looks, but missing anything work-related isn’t in my DNA. My business has been my life since I was a teenager, studying computer language late into the night after Juliana and Mom had fallen asleep hours before.
When the lights brighten at the end of the demonstration, Kevin recaps the important details of the meeting and provides a reminder of the next steps. After a quick introduction and vague explanation of my tardiness, I thank them for considering our company before they leave. When they’re out of earshot, Kevin turns his attention to me.
“How are you holding up, brother?”
“I’m taking all of this one step at a time. Juliana. Isabella. Daisy.”
“Daisy?” His bewildered expression would make me laugh if I didn’t have this elephant sitting on my chest, making it impossible to breathe.
“Yes, Daisy. She’s Isabelle’s new teacher.”
“Oh, shit.”
“That about sums it up.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Daisy
“How do you like it here so far?” Cam Brooks, the fifth-grade science teacher, strolls up beside me as Landen and I walk into the school early one morning.
Cam is the schoolgirl crush of every young girl in this elementary school. With soulful brown eyes, dark brown hair, classic good looks, and a genuinely friendly smile, it’s easy to see why he also turns the heads of the single teachers. Since the day of our teacher staff meeting last week when we first met, he’s gone out of his way to help me learn the ropes and be a friendly face.
“I love working here. Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but I’m glad the previous teacher made her maternity leave permanent. Everyone has been so helpful, and I haven’t found the mean girls club among the teachers like I have in other schools. I’m convinced the smaller classrooms keep us sane here.” We laugh together while he holds the door open for me.
“I’m glad to hear that. The staff here is more like a family than anywhere I’ve taught. We’ve all experienced the politics you’re talking about, and we’ve agreed to keep that mentality out of our school. Since we spend more time with each other than at home during the school year, we all have to get along.”
“That’s exactly the same argument I made at my last school, but it fell on deaf ears. You and I seem to think a lot alike.”
“Yes, we sure do. I’d be willing to bet we have a lot more in common too.” He smiles down at me with a mixture of teasing and appreciation in his expression.
“Possibly.” I’m not trying to flirt with him, but I can’t seem to stop batting my eyelashes and smiling like a dork at him.
When we reach the corner that separates the upper grades from the lower, he stops walking and turns his full attention to me.
“There’s something I want to ask you about, but I don’t want you to think I’m overstepping my bounds or anything,”
“You can ask me anything.” Seriously, stop it, Daisy.
“I’ve been thinking about the summer camp you organize every year, and I’d like to help if you’ll have me. I have a few ideas of how to raise the capital you need to fund the program, and even some ideas on subjects to add to the teaching lineup. Would you like to go to dinner tonight and brainstorm? Landen is welcome to join us, of course.”
My standard answer is always “no.”
No, I’m way too busy this week.
No, I don’t have a babysitter.
No, I have other plans. Maybe some other time.
“Yes, that would be great. I can’t wait to hear your ideas.” How easily I accepted his invitation is foreign to me, but somehow it feels right, too. Maybe I’m finally moving on, not simply turning the page but starting a brand-new book.
We settle on a time and place to meet for dinner before going to our classrooms. We plan to drive separately, and I’m relieved to avoid the awkward goodbye scene at the front door. Kiss or no kiss? Handshake or hug? Friendly smile or awkward wave? All these unknowns and ambiguities make dating not worth the effort.
But meeting a friend for dinner then driving myself home? I can do that.
After I walk Landen to his room, I head into mine and start setting up for the day. I can’t stop thinking about the note Glenna took from Rod regarding Isabelle and their home situation. When I talked to the school counselor about it, she filled me in on the rest of the story of why Rod had to take temporary guardianship of his niece.
Despite how many times I’ve tried to put the thought out of my mind, I can’t help but wonder if his sister’s diagnosis is why he left the island early and without saying anything to anyone about it. If so, he’s trying much harder than I originally thought to hide his soft heart under a false shell of apathy. He briefly mentioned them while we were together, and I could tell they were important to him from the slight change in his tone.
But then I remind myself how and why we parted, and I have to accept I’m not the woman he cares about. He proved that to me beyond a shadow of doubt with his actions, both then and now. If he had any regrets about shredding my heart and my pride, he would’ve tried to make amends by now. He’s had plenty of opportunities to talk to me, and waiting for him to man up only
reveals how foolish I am.
No more promises in the dark. He was so convincing that morning after his run on the beach. I fell for his lies and lines and kept falling until the truth slapped me in the face. I wanted him to be real so badly I convinced myself to ignore all the warning signs. That’s something I swore I’d never do again before I met him. Now I’m considering having it tattooed on my ass as a permanent reminder.
Cam, on the other hand, is handsome, kind, and thoughtful. He doesn’t set my nerves on edge or send the fluttering in my chest into overdrive, but he could be good for Landen and me. Damn Rod for obliterating my belief that I could be happy alone. After spending nearly all my time on the island with Rod, I’m craving companionship and someone to share my life with, and to find someone who wants to be with me too.
Could Cam be that someone?
Glenna has noticed the sly way we flirt with each other over the last few days, consciously avoiding anything too overt. Naturally, the first couple of times he did it, I didn’t read much into it. He’s friendly with everyone, but doesn’t give off the player vibe like Rod does. But I still chalked his covert advances up to him knowing how handsome he is and using it to his advantage. Glenna set me straight on that immediately.
“He’s hot, Daisy. Like, hot hot, and several other women here have made it clear they were interested in him. He made it clear he wasn’t interested in any of them, though. He likes you. Maybe you should give him a chance.”
She doesn’t understand why I’m so hesitant. I haven’t been able to bring myself to tell her about the fiasco with Rod yet, Or about Landen’s father.
Sometimes I feel as if I’m trapped in prison, one I’ve built around myself one wall at a time.
“Good morning.” Glenna’s eyebrows are high on her forehead, she’s doing a slow wave, and one side of her mouth is quirked upward. No doubt she’s been in that same position for more than a few minutes now. “Where’d you go? Because you have not been in the same solar system with me since I walked into the room.”
“Cam asked me to go to dinner tonight and talk about the summer camp. I said yes, and now I’m trying not to freak and back out of it.” That’s the partial truth. The full truth is far too complicated and not anything I’m prepared to share yet.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time. You’re definitely not backing out on him. Just think about how awkward that would be the next time you see him here.”
“You know, that’s a fantastic point. If we start something and it ends badly, we’ll both feel awkward here. Everyone else will feel it too. It’s best not to start anything at all. Thanks for helping me think this through.”
“Hey, that’s not what I meant, and you know it. You need to live a little, Daisy, while you’re still young enough to have fun. There comes a time when all you can see are the years passing by, and all the opportunities you’ve missed because you let fear rule you. Don’t waste your life hiding your heart away.”
“Are you still mad at me?” Tracy is already at my house when I get home from work, which is odd since she normally works longer hours at her office downtown than I do at the school.
“Of course I’m still mad at you.”
“But you said you love me.” She pouts, pursing her lips and giving me her sad puppy eyes.
“I never said I’d stopped loving you, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still mad at you for the elaborate blind date disaster.” I unlock the door and tell Landen to start on his homework since we’re going out to dinner later.
“Who are you having dinner with?” Her eyes are wide open, and her jaw goes slack, so I crook my finger under her chin and close her mouth.
“The fifth-grade science teacher.” I purposely keep my voice as neutral as possible, not giving anything away. She still deserves to be punished for her deception.
“Can I dare to hope this is something akin to a date? Not just a girls’ dinner date?”
“Mommy’s going on a date with Mr. Brooks. I heard my teacher talking about it with the other second grade teachers. Miss Germann said she’s so happy Mr. Brooks is finally dating again.”
Tracy and I both stare at Landen for a full minute while he concentrates on his homework at the kitchen table. He’s oblivious to our stunned silence. My peers are discussing my personal life at work, and that makes me very uncomfortable. This is even more reason I should cancel our plans and quell the rumors before they even get started.
“Don’t you dare even think about it. You’re going to dinner with him if I have to drive you there myself.” She crosses her arms over her chest and quirks one brow.
“Fine. But only because I don’t want to hurt his feelings and I’m too tired to fight with you today.” After making a quick snack for Landen, I walk toward my bedroom to rifle through my closet for something to wear tonight. Tracy follows me, leaning against the doorframe while I rant about a lack of suitable clothing.
“Wear your black leggings with the shimmery silver top. You look extra sexy in that outfit.”
I cut my eyes toward her and decide she has a point. “What are you doing here, anyway? You’re usually still in meetings at this time of day.”
“What? I can’t stop by and see my best friend in the world whenever I want?”
Now it’s my turn to fold my arms across my chest and arch my brow at her.
“Okay, so there is something I need to talk to you about, but it can wait. Why don’t I stay here with Landen while you go meet Mr. Chemistry?”
“Seriously. What is wrong with you? Are you dying? What’s going on?”
She sighs heavily, then blurts it out all at once. “Kevin insists on meeting my family, including my parents.”
“That is the worst idea I’ve ever heard. Have you not told him about how they are yet?”
“Well, I’ve told him a little about them, but not everything. He thinks he can change their minds, make them like him even though he’s white. They’re causing problems between us and he hasn’t even met them yet. The more I resist, the more he thinks it’s because I’m ashamed of him, or that I don’t have enough faith in him, or that maybe I’m more like them than I’ll admit.” She wipes the stray tears from the corners of her eyes, holding on to the belief she has to be strong and independent at all times. “I just need some space to think, and I need you to help me talk this through. I’ll stay with Landen while you go out, then we can talk when you get home.”
“Okay, but only because I know you’re not ready to talk right now. If I push the issue, you’ll just clam up and say you’ll handle it on your own. But I will make one point I want you to think about while I’m out.
“He doesn’t think you’re like your parents or he wouldn’t be with you. The bottom line is the two of you will have to face others like them at some point. Is it possible he’s pushing this meeting because he’s insecure about your feelings? If you’ll stand by him or walk away? Maybe facing this together is what he needs to feel confident with you.”
The more I think about it, the more I’m concerned his meeting her parents will hurt Tracy as much as it will Kevin, even if the reasons differ. I’ll leave her to sort out her thoughts while I have dinner with Cam, but I already know how this scene will play out. All I can do is offer to go with them, to act as the moral support they’ll both need afterward.
Tracy and Kevin stay on my mind the entire way over to meet Cam. He’s already waiting inside the restaurant when I arrive, patiently waiting at our table with two glasses of wine. His eyes skim over me appreciatively, but not too suggestively. He stands and pulls my chair out for me. His warm and welcoming smile instantly puts me at ease.
“You take my breath away, Daisy.”
“Thank you, Cam. That’s so sweet of you to say.”
We order our food and chat while we wait, getting to know each other better. He asks about the camp programs, why I started it, and where I see it going in the future. His interest in helping seems genuine, and his enthusiasm about
being part of the program brings back the initial excitement I felt when I first started it.
“You know, almost all the parents are independently wealthy. They own lucrative companies, they inherited large estates, or they work for corporations who would donate. You operate as a nonprofit, so their donations are tax deductible. I think we could share the vision with them and pick up several sponsors, maybe even enough to cover the costs for several years out.”
We’re so engrossed in conversation about the possibilities and various approaches we could use, I don’t realize we have company standing beside our table.
Then I look up into those mesmerizing blue eyes, strikingly handsome face, and chiseled body covered by a custom-tailored suit that fits his frame exquisitely.
“How are you, Daisy?” Rod is not pleased to find me here with another man.
Isn’t that unfortunate?
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Rod
“Oh, hello, Rod. I’m sorry I didn’t see you standing there. We must’ve been deeper in conversation than I realized. Do you two know each other?” She gestures toward her date, who looks like a poor man’s version of a short-haired Keanu Reeves, as if I have any interest in meeting him. But I can play along with the best of them.
“No, I don’t think we’ve met. Rod Stone.” I extend my hand to shake his.
“Rod is the uncle of one of my students.” Daisy’s color commentary feels like a bucket of ice-cold water was dumped over my head. I didn’t expect her to introduce me as the love of her life, the one who got away, the one she’s still pining for, but being relegated to a student’s distant kin is a sucker punch to the gut.
“Cam Brooks. Nice to meet you.” He takes my proffered hand with a smile, not the least bit intimidated by my intrusion on their date.
“I don’t mean to interrupt your dinner. I wanted to make sure you received the message I left with Glenna. If you have time soon, I think it’d be best if we had that parent-teacher conference you mentioned so we can discuss it.”
All of Me: Rod & Daisy Duet Box Set Page 20