“Does he know you were planning to ask me?”
There was something thrilling about being near him again. After not seeing him for weeks, she’d almost forgotten the stirring effect he had on her.
“No, but he won’t care. Besides, he’s boring and never rides anything. Do you like the rides?”
“Only a few.”
“I want Maverick to ask me to ride but what if he tries to hold my hand?” Ami shuddered and Addison laughed. “I mean, I like Maverick, but I still like Zach. I think. I’m so confused.”
“Just enjoy spending time with your friends. You’re a smart girl. Things will work out as they should.”
A few minutes later, Addison stood next to Logan’s truck. She felt like a schoolgirl, butterflies raging war within her. She’d stayed away from Logan the entire afternoon, but now she was standing next to him and every nerve ending in her body stood on edge.
She inhaled his fresh, clean scent mixed with the familiar woodsy, spicy notes of his cologne. A quiver of awareness flowed through her. There wasn’t a waking moment she hadn’t thought of him. Longed to call him. Longed to be in his arms. She stared as Logan walked around the truck after helping her in, his gentle touch still lingering on her skin.
Logan paid for parking at the amusement park and listened to the girls chatter beside him. He had a hard time concentrating on the drive here with Addison sitting right next to him and was glad to finally arrive at the park.
Logan allowed Addison to walk ahead of him with Ami as they met up with a group of kids. They headed through the entrance gate, then Maverick slowed and walked next to him.
“Ami likes to come here, doesn’t she?”
Logan glanced at the boy. His face was so red. “Yeah, she comes all the time.”
“Do you like the rides?”
“No.” If Addison wants to ride with me, I’d reconsider. Ami would keep Addison to herself though. It would be better that way. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to handle being near her without giving in to his need to be closer.
As if reading his thoughts, Addison turned and looked at him. He’d thought of her all afternoon. He had to make this friendship thing work. If he only avoided eye contact with her, he’d survive.
Then everything changed.
Maverick walked toward Logan’s sister. “Ami, will you ride something with me?”
Ami glanced over her shoulder at Addison. “Do you want to come with us.”
“I’m okay, Ami. You go ahead.”
Ami pulled her to the side and whispered against her hair. Addison shook her head. He scolded himself and turned immediately to remove his temptation to study her every move.
Moments later, when the voices subsided, he looked over his shoulder. Addison stood against the fence, her arms folded against her chest, her expression distraught. He ached for her.
He moved into the space next to her and stared into the evening sky, praying that he would say the right thing.
“Ami told me you were going to be teaching at the academy in Jacksonville this fall.”
Addison glanced at him, her gaze charged, the connection between them electrifying. “Yes, they called me last week.”
“Were you able to get a kindergarten class?” he asked, keeping their conversation safe. He had to gain control of his emotions before he pulled her against him.
“Yes.”
Logan blew a lungful of air from his chest. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you, Logan.” Addison’s smile increased as she stared starry-eyed into the flashing carnival lights. She was fighting their attraction too.
Logan lost his train of thought, watching her relax, watching her lips curve into a charming smile, but then suddenly she straightened, and her posture tensed.
33
Addison deliberated a moment too long. “Logan, I need to go to the truck.”
“Is something wrong?”
Her delay was going to cost her.
“Addison, Logan, it’s so good to see you.” Philip’s disgustingly fake voice sickened her.
Addison stared at the blonde hanging to Philip’s sleeve avoiding Philip’s eyes.
With a brief tilt of her head, she met Philip’s gaze and that’s all it took. Addison spun around, unable to stand there another moment. Philip had violated her in the worst way yet stood here facing her as if nothing had happened.
Dizziness swept through her, nausea rolled in her stomach, and she grabbed the fence rail to steady herself.
In search of an escape, she scoped the surroundings to no avail. The fried dough smoking from the trailer directly in front of them bled through the air and she took a step away.
“Addison.” Philip called her name and she froze. With each step that brought him closer, her pulse quickened. “I need to talk to you.”
Anger consumed her every breath. He had caused her unimaginable torture, but he didn’t remember or didn’t care.
She glanced at Logan in desperation. “Will you walk with me?”
Philip grabbed her arm. “I said I need to talk to you.” Addison tried to snatch away from him, but he yanked her toward him. “Let go of me.” The next seconds were a blur as Logan’s hand breezed past her making contact with Philip’s mouth.
“She said”—Logan’s tone deepened—“let go.” Philip stumbled backward, landing against the fence.
“Are you crazy?” the blonde yelled.
Commanding her heart palpitations to cease, Addison moved forward without looking back.
Moments later, Maverick and Ami stepped around the opposite side of a carnival ride startling Addison’s heart into another round.
Ami took her arm. “Hey, we’re going to play some games. You want to come?”
Addison met Logan’s gaze and drew in a deep breath. Forcing a smile, she straightened. “No, you guys go ahead. We’ll catch up with you later.”
Ami’s smile widened. “Okay, see you in a little bit.”
Addison glanced down and, seeing blood, she grabbed Logan’s hand and yanked it toward her. “You’re bleeding!”
“You’re shaking.”
She ignored his perception. “Do you have napkins in your truck?”
“Addison, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. Come on,” she said, pulling him forward.
“It’s nothing.”
“We need to make sure.” Addison pulled at the locked handle. “Where’re the keys? I need some light.”
He leaned against the truck, ignoring her question. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, of course. I’m fine. You’re the one that’s hurt.”
He leaned in closer, still staring at her, unwilling to give in. “Why won’t you be honest with me?”
“Please, Logan. I’m worried about your hand.”
“I’m worried about you,” he said as he unlocked the truck.
“Don’t be.” Addison opened the passenger door and unlatched the glove compartment. She grabbed a wad of napkins and poured some of the liquid from her water bottle onto the crumpled pile. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.” She dabbed at the small cut on his index finger under the interior light of his truck.
He gently touched her shoulder, drawing her gaze to his. “It’s not your fault.”
Tenderness welled inside her as he smiled down on her. His fingers were still attached to her shoulder, his touch quickly distorting all sensible thought. How she had missed him! If she wasn’t careful, she would most certainly give in to his charm and never look back. She continued pressing the napkin to his cut, tearing her gaze from his. “I shouldn’t be here.”
“Where should you be?”
A broken laugh, blended with a guttural sob, escaped her lips. “What do you mean?” she whispered tearfully as she looked at him.
“If you shouldn’t be here with me, where should you be?”
Her hands stilled as his hand lowered down the length of her arm. His lips quirked slightly as if eager to claim he
rs, the touch of his fingers still lightly grasping her bare arm. He gave her no time to respond. “Would it make you feel better to go back and find Philip?”
Her brow furrowed. “No.” But immediately understanding dawned on her. “You don’t think …” She paused, unsure how to finish.
Addison glanced across the parking lot just as Philip’s truck pulled out of the gate.
“It’s none of my business, but I understand you being upset seeing him with someone else.”
“No, that wasn’t it.”
Logan didn’t say anything, and she regretted her words immediately. How could she explain it to him? She couldn’t. Not without telling him the whole story.
“Really, it isn’t what you think,” she said, still dabbing his knuckles with the napkins. His breath tickled her cheek and her mind went blank.
“Do you want me to take you back to your car?” His voice was low and bleak, and his nearness had an undeniable effect on her. Caution filtered her affection. She was only millimeters from crossing an invisible line she had drawn.
She didn’t want to go home, to be lonely, despairing in her own thoughts. This is what she wanted. To be here with Logan, where she felt safe.
Mistaking her silence for an affirmative, he said, “I understand, Addison. It’s okay. You don’t have to stay. I’ll find Ami and let her know that I’ll come back after I drop you off.”
He hesitated, waiting for her to respond, and she cleared her throat, driving away the tears clouding her vision. “I don’t want to worry Ami.” She immersed her attention in the warmth of his hand as she folded hers within his. “I would really like to stay here with you.”
“Are you sure?” His quietly spoken words brought her closer.
She smiled. There was something freeing about being near Logan. The tender way he regarded her as if she was the most important thing in his world. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I want to ride something.” An electric current pulled them toward each other. His intense stare mesmerized her, just as his eyes fell to her lips. “With you.”
They stood in line for the pirate ship and Logan told himself to quit worrying about Philip, but to enjoy this moment with Addison. Demanding the truth from her was out of the question. But something was wrong. And it had everything to do with Philip. It was in the uptight way she’d held to his hand, the way she constantly looked over her shoulder, the way she never left his side.
Logan had to tread carefully where she was concerned. This may be his last chance to spend time with her like this.
Addison’s eyes held a mixture of fear and confusion. “Do you like this ride?”
He stood taller, staring at the big machine swinging back and forth in midair. “I’ve never ridden it.”
“You were telling Maverick you don’t like to ride.” She turned to face him, her gaze wandering somewhere behind him. “This probably isn’t the best one to start with.”
He had to remain neutral, her stronghold for the moment. “I want to. It looks … fun.”
She chewed on her lower lip, studying the passengers screaming as they floated by. This ride was nothing to her but a deliberate diversion, but to him it would be much more than that.
“It is, but it takes your stomach. Like really bad.”
“What does that mean to you?”
She blinked. “What?”
“What does it feel like to have your stomach taken?”
“Wait! You don’t know how that feels?”
Weary of the pretense that they could only be friends, he leaned in closer. “I don’t know what it feels like to you.”
“It’s like a rush of a thousand butterflies sweeping through your body all at once, taking your breath.” Her hands were animated as she described the sensation and her voice was too warm, drawing him in like a magnet. If she didn’t stop talking, he would kiss her.
He held her gaze, wanting to reach out to her, but kept his hands stuffed in his pockets. “Then I do know how that feels.” Because that’s exactly the way I feel when I look into your eyes.
“Okay, good.” She studied his face. The tiny lines on her forehead crumpled and she looked away.
His lungs expanded as he examined her movements. She squeezed her eyes shut and seemed to be holding her breath. Fear mixed with excitement shaded her face. He fixed a tight smile on his lips; confident he would kiss her if he allowed them to relax. The gate opened and they walked to the top of the ship and he took the seat next to her. They had plenty of room to spread out, but she slid closer to him.
“I’m scared,” he said.
“You are?” Her voice jumped an octave.
He wrapped his arm around the back of the seat. “Aren’t you?”
“A little. Do you want to get off?” She grabbed the rail, her fingers just millimeters from his other hand.
“Not on your life.”
Feminine laughter came crashing from her and his heart lifted.
As the ride started, she leaned closer to him and he welcomed the pleasant feel of her body against his. He allowed his arm to fall onto her shoulder and she snuggled deeper into him. The ride was exhilarating, but it was nothing compared to the way she made him feel.
Minutes later they stepped from the platform onto the safe grassy earth beneath them.
He held out his hand to help her down and she took it.
“How did you like it?” she asked.
“It was amazing.”
She laughed. “You didn’t even flinch. I did all the screaming.”
“Believe me, Addison. I felt your rush of butterflies.” He was having way too much fun watching her blush.
They walked side by side, careful not to touch each other but close enough that the electricity flowing between them sparked thrilling moments throughout the rest of the night.
34
On Monday morning, Addison arrived at the elementary school and climbed from her car as Principal Andrews, her new boss, walked toward her.
“Miss Morgan, good morning. I hope you’re doing well.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she said. “I hope you are.”
After her second interview with Mrs. Andrews a week earlier, Addison could hardly wait to get started.
“It won’t be long now. Enjoy your time preparing your room for your students.”
“Yes, ma’am, I will.”
Mrs. Andrews walked toward her car and climbed in. “See you tomorrow if not before.”
Addison knew without looking back that Mrs. Andrews still wore a huge grin. She was always smiling, the kind that could brighten any dull room.
Addison had applied to several different schools but had prayed she’d get this position. It was a longer drive, but it would be worth it to work for a principal like Mrs. Andrews.
Addison unloaded the first few boxes from her car then walked to her new classroom. Mrs. Andrews had shown her the room yesterday, but today it looked bigger.
A soft knock on the door startled her. “Hi, you’re Addison Morgan, right? I’m Charlotte Avery. I heard you come in.”
Addison walked across the room to meet the pregnant, pretty blonde halfway and offered her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
“You too. We’ll be teaching partners this year, until I go on maternity leave. That just means we’ll do our lesson plans together and work out a strategy that will boost our students learning capabilities. It sounds boring, but it can really be a lot of fun.”
Nothing about it sounded boring. “I’m excited. This is my first year, so I’m ready to get started.” Ready to get my mind focused on something else.
“Good, I was hoping we could start working on the first six weeks. It will take a few days to go through everything and gather the materials.”
“That sounds good. Tell me when and I’ll be there.”
“Let’s meet after lunch. For now, I’ll leave you to go through all this stuff. Don’t feel like
you have to use everything and if you need anything, I’m right next door.”
“Thanks.” Addison smiled as Charlotte slipped from the room.
By the end of the week, Addison had a daily schedule planned out for the first six weeks and had transformed each corner of her classroom into different learning centers.
On Friday afternoon, Addison placed twenty-three name tags carefully on each desk. “Perfect.”
She pulled her classroom door closed in anticipation of Tuesday morning. She then drove home to prepare for her last night at Olive Garden. Aunt Brenda had returned, Taylor had moved back home, and school was starting next week.
Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window as Aunt Brenda stood at the sink washing dishes as Addison headed for the front door. “I was hoping to talk to you.”
Addison moved in the space beside Aunt Brenda. “Okay. I have a few minutes.”
Aunt Brenda rinsed her hands and dried them on a tattered towel. “What happened with you and Philip?”
Addison hugged herself against her sudden chill. “We’re not seeing each other anymore.”
“That’s what I thought. He hasn’t been coming around. Did something happen?”
She tightened the strings of her apron, warding off painful memories. “He’s unfaithful and hateful when he drinks.”
The hard lines of Aunt Brenda’s face softened with tenderness. “Oh, honey, I feel bad leaving you all alone while this was happening. I can see how hard it’s been on you. You’re better off without him.”
Tears burned her throat. What Aunt Brenda witnessed lately had more to do with Logan than that slime ball who didn’t deserve space in her head.
“I’m glad you were able to go to California. I’m okay, really. I’ve got to go, but I’ll be home early. We can talk when I get home. I’m not closing tonight.”
“That’s good. You look so tired. Are you feeling okay, honey?”
“I’m fine, really.” She kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.”
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