Jemma carefully took out her bowl of chicken noodle soup and carried it to one of the tables in the staff lounge. She sat with Marsha as she usually did, who was eating a sandwich and grading papers at the same time. The busy English teacher was always multitasking.
“I can’t wait for Spring Break!” she told Marsha as she sat down beside her.
“I bet!” the English teacher replied with a big smirk on her face.
Jemma laughed. She may have mentioned Angel a time or two to her colleague. “What about you? Got any plans?”
“Yes, I’m headed to Houston to see the folks, and my sister. My kids are looking forward to seeing their cousins.”
“That will be fun.” Marsha had two boys both in middle school. “Is your husband coming with you?” Jemma asked. She knew Marsha’s husband was a doctor.
“No, he likes to save up his vacation time for the summer.”
“Understandable.” Jemma glanced at the clock. One more class to teach before she had an entire week off. The kids were excited, too. She hadn’t been able to get much out of them as their focus was on their plans for the week and the dance at the school later that evening.
“Hi, Marsha. Hi, Jemma. Jemma, glad I caught you,” stated her boss, Mr. Boone, the principal of the high school. He’d tracked her down in the staff lounge. “Nancy can’t chaperone tonight, so I am one short on coverage. How about it?”
Jemma’s heart sank. She had made plans with Angel for that evening, but hated to disappoint her boss. “Oh, no! Is Nancy okay?”
Mr. Boone shrugged his shoulders. “She’s been battling her allergies all week, and when I went in to check on her, she just looked so miserable. I told her I’d find someone else.”
Jemma nodded. She’d noticed Nancy was feeling under the weather, too. The kind Spanish teacher had helped her a great deal when she’d been a new teacher just starting out. “I did have a date, Mr. Boone, but I suppose I could cancel.”
Angel had planned an evening out for them in Bandera, dinner and then something fun afterward, which he’d wanted to be a surprise, and told her to pack an overnight bag. She’d agreed to spend the night at his house afterward, and then they would head to her house in the morning to greet the kids who were arriving to begin work on her roof project.
“Nah, don’t do that. Why don’t you bring him along? All the kids are talking about him, and I’m sure they’d love to meet the man that has stolen their favorite teacher’s heart.”
“Thanks, Mr. Boone.” She was slightly embarrassed that even Mr. Boone was aware of her new status. She wondered if Angel would be willing to attend a school function with her. She wasn’t sure. “I guess I could ask.”
“I’ll do it, Mr. Boone,” Frank offered as he walked into the teacher’s lounge.
The principal turned to Frank. “Oh, would you? I would appreciate it so much, Frank.”
“No problem. I had plans, but they got cancelled. Jemma’s got a hot date. She’s been talking about it all week.”
Frank sounded sincere. Jemma also knew he was trying to get the permanent position of department chair for the science department. Along with the opening for a chemistry teacher that was being filled by a long-time sub, their current department chair, James Olsen, was retiring at the end of the year. With just her and Frank to choose from, Frank was making a play for the job. Another reason why she needed Calliope to apply for the job opening, or the one that would be available next year teaching Environmental Science and Biology like her.
“Thanks, Frank,” Jemma smiled. She was glad Frank seemed to have gotten past the initial awkwardness of her rejection. He had been nothing but kind and friendly for the past two weeks.
“Don’t mention it. That’s what friends do for each other.”
She gave him an appreciative smile as she packed up the remains of her lunch. “Well, I better get going.”
“Me, too.” Marsha stated as she began to gather her papers and lunchbox.
“You ladies have a great weekend,” Frank called after them.
“Thanks, Frank.”
“Yeah, thanks. You too,” Marsha stated as she followed Jemma out the door.
Jemma chose to wear a green checkered shirt with a pair of her best Levi’s. Angel had said dinner would be followed by something fun, but he didn’t want to spoil the surprise. He’d told her to dress casual though, so Jemma didn’t have a hard time in choosing what to wear. She wore her hair down, and applied just a bit of gloss and mascara.
She was ready and waiting for him when he arrived. “You look lovely.” He kissed her on the cheek as he greeted her at the door.
“So, where are we going?” she asked, full of curiosity.
He opened the car door before answering, “Dinner will be at Mac and Ernie’s and then later my surprise.”
Jemma laughed. “Still won’t spill?” she asked.
“Nope.”
He shut the door and crossed in front of his vehicle while she put on her seat belt. When he got in, she reminisced, “I haven’t been to Mac and Ernie’s in a while. The food is great.”
“I’ve never been myself, but a friend told me it’s got some great food.”
“It does, but it also serves some unusual food as well.”
“Really? My friend didn’t mention that.”
“It was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmer about ten years ago. They serve quail, goat, tuna, grilled jalepenos, and some other strange seasonal foods.”
“Really. Interesting.” Angel glanced sideways at her.
“I think I’ll stick to a regular burger.”
“Me, too.”
Angel smiled as he reached over and placed one large hand on her knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. Her body reacted immediately to his touch. It made curls of fire skitter up her leg. Her reaction to him was immediate and intense. The things he did to her the past two weeks made her nipples hard just thinking about it. She shook her head to clear her muddled brain. It wasn’t all about sex with him, though. He was truly a gentleman and liked to take her out and do things with her. He was courting her the old-fashioned way, but the things he did when they were alone, well, Jemma looked forward to the intimacy just as much as going out with him.
They enjoyed dinner at Mac and Ernie’s, but they did not dally long over their burgers and fries. Angel was in a rush to get her to the next activity he’d planned for the evening. It required they drive to Banderas. When Angel stopped in front of the Silver Dollar Saloon, she gave him a peculiar glance. She knew the place. The historic saloon was famous for its musicians and country line-dancing.
“Are we drinking or dancing tonight?” she asked.
Angel’s eyes shone with mischief. “Both of course!”
“Do you seriously like line-dancing?” she questioned. She knew he was a good dancer from the first night they met, but didn’t think him to be one for line-dancing.
He chuckled. “I love it, actually. Tonight, the instructor will be teaching everyone the Git Up. I mean, seriously, that dance looks like a lot of fun.”
Jemma burst out laughing. Her students were obsessed with the new song and the YouTube videos of people doing the funny, quirky dance on the side of the road, or at their work places.
“Are you game?” Angel smirked.
Jemma covered her mouth with her hand to hold back the laughter. “Absolutely. I’m glad you told me to wear my cowboy boots. Next school dance, I can join the kids in it.”
She’d told him she’d almost gotten roped into chaperoning the dance, and he’d said he would have gladly have escorted her to it if need be. That had earned him a sweet kiss.
“Fantastic. Well, let’s git to it.”
They went inside the bar where the music pumped from loudspeakers. The lessons started in fifteen minutes, so they had just enough time for one drink before learning the funny little dance.
When the instructor called for all those who wanted to learn th
e Git Up to make their way to the dance floor, Angel was the first to jump to his feet. He turned and offered Jemma his hand and pulled her out of her seat.
“You are a true cowboy at heart, Angel.”
He tipped his hat at her which made her laugh. “Yes, ma’am. Now come on, Jemma. You can’t quit on me now. You promised.”
“A promise is a promise. Ok.”
She enjoyed dancing, but she had never been one for the organized kind of dancing. But she couldn’t refuse Angel, especially when he looked forward to it so much. His rugged features turned to boyish charm when he smiled at her like that. She knew she was in love with him, and hoped that he felt it, too.
At first, she didn’t think she would get the dance moves, even though the instructor said it was just 24 steps to memorize. The first eight were the trickiest, but once she mastered those, the rest of the steps were easier. It was really just a matter of listening to the words of the song and keeping time with the music. After they had done the song a couple of times, they were then able to get a little creative with their steps. Angel’s exaggeration of the shoulder roll and the dip had her giggling. He even grabbed her and swung her around during one part of the song.
“Having fun, my beauty?” he asked her while he did an amazing butterfly.
“Yes, I am. This is a lot of fun,” she said breathlessly as she took it down and did her crisscross step.
“Okay, well, now you know the Git Up.” The lesson had finally ended.
“That was not so bad, not so bad,” she teased, repeating one of the lyrics in the song. “But, I’m definitely ready for another drink.” She fanned herself with one hand. They had been dancing for nearly an hour.
“My lady’s wish is my command.” He bowed low and then whisked her off the dance floor. The music changed and others took their places on the floor as they headed to the bar for another drink.
Just as Angel paid the bartender, Jemma spotted a booth that was just vacated. “Oh, there.” Jemma pointed, and Angel led the way through the crowded bar. She sat, and he slid her bottle in front of her. She took a long sip of the cold brew.
“Oh yeah, my favorite. The first sip of a really cold bottle of beer is always the best,” she told him.
He laughed, shaking his head. “My beauty is a beer drinker.”
“That’s the Texas in me.”
“I like the Texas in you,” he smiled over his own tipped bottle. “You want to dance some more, or you ready to head to my place?”
It had been a long day, and they had another ahead of them. She was ready for the night to end, especially when she knew it would end with her falling into an exhausted sleep after Angel made love to her. He had been a masterful teacher so far. Though she had no previous experience, she knew from books that she’d read that he was also a very kind and generous lover.
“I think I’m ready to call it a night. Here.”
Angel winked at Jemma, catching the suggestion when she added the last word to her answer. His beauty was proving to be an eager sex kitten under his tutelage, and he was only too happy to oblige. He was falling for her. Hell, he’d already fallen if truth be told. That’s why he still hadn’t mentioned that he was a Tarpley VFD. But he knew he had to tell her soon. It was just that the longer he kept it a secret, the harder it was to bring it up. He knew the truth would greatly disappoint her. But perhaps she cared enough for him now to overlook what he did on a volunteer basis.
He knew he was kidding himself, and that he needed to tell her his secret soon. Pops had asked if he’d told her, and when Angel confessed he hadn’t, Pops had been pissed as hell at him.
“Secrets are still lies. Keep that in mind, Short Shit.”
They were almost back to his house, when a sudden spring storm hit. Huge drops of rain hit the windshield and the wind whipped up. Sudden downpours like this weren’t uncommon in Texas, but when they happened, sometimes accidents occurred as the storms caused flooding on the roads, or worse, flash floods that could be hazardous. Angel eased his foot off the gas pedal, slowing their speed.
They were going to be soaked by the time they reached his house, but unless they wanted to wait in the truck for an hour, they were going to get wet.
“You ready to make a run for it?” he asked Jemma.
“Just a sec.” Jemma kicked off her boots and left them on the floor at her feet. She also removed the sweater she was wearing. “No sense getting those soaked. You can grab them for me later.”
Angel nodded his understanding. “You’re a pro at running from rainstorms.”
“I live in Texas, so yes, but I hate wet shoes, sneakers, and boots.”
“Good to know. Another quirk I need to add to your list.”
“Hey, are you keeping count?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Not too many, I hope.”
“Never too many.”
The way he said those words warmed her heart. Angel filled her life with so much joy. He was the best part of her day. She looked forward to each date, each call. Each time she got to sleep in his arms.
“I love you.” She suddenly blurted the words.
At his shocked expression, she reached for the door handle of the vehicle and made a dash for his front porch. She heard Angel’s door slam and heard his feet splashing through the puddles to reach her. He scooped her up just before she was about to climb the three steps to his porch.
“God, Jemma, I love you, too!”
His wet lips crashed onto hers. He let her body slide down his on the porch as rivers of water streamed down their faces from the storm that raged. But there was also a storm raging in his heart. She loved him. He loved her. It was terrifying yet wonderful. If only he still didn’t have that damned secret between them that could ruin it all.
“I love you so much!” Jemma gripped the side of Angel’s face. She stared into his eyes. Eyes that blazed with love and desire. Eyes that promised a future of happiness. “I know it’s soon to say it, but I just feel it in my gut. I love you.”
“I want you to know, I love you, Jemma. I’m not just saying it because you said it first. I knew when I met you that you were the girl for me.”
When she pressed her pink lips onto his, he reveled in her love. It meant everything to him. He just prayed that she would still love him tomorrow when she knew the truth.
Chapter 9
Jemma smiled while looking into the rearview mirror. Angel was everything she could have hoped for. As she drove down the main road that led into Tarpley proper, she passed by the Community Center named in honor of her father. He’d been killed in a horrific explosion fighting a fire sixteen years ago. She shuddered at the memory. It had been in the nearby town of Kerrville, and she remembered that day well.
It had been a school day when a fire close to town had started in an abandoned gas station. He’d told her he might miss her science fair that evening as she was getting on the bus she took to the local middle school. Sometimes those fires took hours to get under control, and with old gas tanks possibly still in the ground they had to wait it out until all traces of the fire were gone. He’d kissed her as she got on the bus and wished her good luck on her science project. He was sure she would win, he told her.
“I understand, Dad.” And she had. She’d been very proud of her father, the hero. “Aunt Eden will take lots of pictures.”
“I know, kiddo. Good luck!”
She had entered the fair and knew her study of the local fox population would do great. Her father had helped her with it, and their time lapse videos of the study would be a big hit with the judges.
“I got this in the bag, Dad.”
He smiled and ruffled her blonde hair. From the window on the bus she’d watched her father in full gear hop in his truck which he would drive to the location of the fire, where other firefighters would already be with the main engine.
All day long she’d smelled the smoke at her school. She knew it wouldn’t reach her at school or home as the winds
were blowing in the other direction. When she’d gotten home for a quick dinner before the science fair, her aunt had told her she hadn’t heard anything yet from her father. But Jemma wasn’t worried. Sometimes her father was out for days when something really big was going on, but he always came back. But… he hadn’t come back that time.
After the science fair, her aunt pulled up into their long driveway as she held the first place trophy she’d earned that evening. The chief’s jeep was in the driveway and he wasn’t alone. Two other firefighters she knew her father worked with stood beside him. She saw her aunt clutch her chest. Jemma leaped out of the car, dropping her trophy onto the gravel, not caring that it broke as she ran. Her gut told her Pops wasn’t there to deliver good news. He had tearstains on his dirty face.
“I’m so sorry, Jemma, Eden,” he started as Jemma’s aunt placed a hand on her shoulder. “Anton was killed today when a tank blew. The fire was nearly out, and he was on watch. The schematics of the gas station were wrong, and we didn’t realize he was standing on top of an old tank.”
The world turned upside down for Jemma, and the tears came fast as Pops held her shaking body in his arms, and she felt her aunt behind her, heard her cries as the emotion of the shocking news overtook them both. For four days she’d stayed in her room, bawling her eyes out, unable to be consoled for her unexpected and tragic loss.
Jemma forced back the horrific memories of the weeks that followed as she and her aunt learned how to survive on their own together. She knew her dad was somewhere up in heaven watching her now. She also knew he’d be happy she’d found someone like Angel.
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