He didn’t know much about Zoe, but that was easy enough to change. He’d just go back to the school tomorrow and convince her to go out with him. After deciding on a course of action, he relaxed and started paying attention to the movie.
The kids made it over an hour into the film before they started to get restless. Claire started squirming and then Chris started poking her. Toby leaned in and whispered. “Unless you’re ready to go, you both need to sit still and watch the cartoon. You have to be quiet and respectful of the other moviegoers when you’re at the theater.”
Chris stared up at him with wide eyes and nodded.
“Okay, Uncle Toby. We’ll be quiet,” Claire said in a loud whisper.
“Thank you.” Toby sat back up and bided the minutes until the movie ended. Once the credits started rolling across the screen, he was up out of his seat and collecting their trash. He stuffed all the small stuff in the empty popcorn bucket to make it easier to carry. “Come on, guys. Let’s clean up our mess and then head back to your house to see what your parents have planned for this evening. Anyone need to hit the bathroom before we leave?”
“Nope.” Claire held her empty ice cream container out to him. “I don’t need to go pee.”
“Me neither,” Chris said.
“Okay. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.” Toby headed down the aisle, trusting the kids to follow.
“I want a popsicle.”
“Me too.”
“It was a figure of speech guys,” Toby said over his shoulder. He stopped by the waste bins and pitched their empty containers inside. “There isn’t really a popsicle stand.”
Claire frowned. “Boo.”
“Dad says it isn’t nice to lie.” Chris glared up at Toby.
Toby sighed. Sometimes he forgot how literal the kids took everything. “I’m sure you’ll have even better treats waiting for you at home.”
“Yeah!” Claire bounced.
“We get a birthday cake for our birthday,” Chris said. “Mom said so.”
“I bet your mom is right. We should go to your house now and find out.”
“Let’s go.” Chris darted ahead. Toby and Claire hurried after him.
Twenty minutes later, Toby pulled up in front of his brother’s cabin and parked behind a car he didn’t recognize. Several others were in the yard. He shot a quick text to his brother just in case they hadn’t heard the vehicle pull up and then got the twins out of the back seat. Remembering the presents he’d stowed in the back, he walked around the rear of the vehicle to open the hatch and grab the gift bags.
“Are those for us?” Claire asked.
Toby closed the rear door window. “Maybe.”
“They are.” Chris grinned. “Those are birthday presents.”
“You’ll just have to wait and see.” Toby ruffled Chris’s hair as he walked by him.
“Where’d all these cars come from?” Chris asked.
“I don’t know,” Toby answered honestly. He climbed the porch stairs and stopped to wait on the kids. Once they were at his side, he turned the knob and swung the door open. He ushered the kids inside and then stood back and watched as everyone jumped out from behind the furniture and screamed, “Surprise!”
Chris and Claire jolted and froze, their eyes as big as saucers. Neither of them moved until their mom bustled forward and threw her arms around them both, pulling them in for a tight hug. “Happy Birthday, babies.”
Chris huffed. “I’m not a baby.”
With a laugh, Sophie kissed both their heads and then pulled back to gaze down at them. “I’m sorry. You’re right. You’re both big kids now. My big six-year-old boy and girl.”
“I’m six,” Claire repeated.
“We know, doofus,” Chris said. “I am too.”
“Be nice.” Sophie stood and snagged a hand from each of them. “Now how about you come with me and say hello to everyone who’s here to celebrate your birthday.”
Sophie led the twins over to a small group of boys and girls standing in the living room. Immediately, the noise level in the house doubled.
Toby spotted his brother standing with two other men. He headed toward them, anxious for a little adult conversation after spending the last couple of hours with the twins. “Hey Stuart,” he greeted the local sheriff and his brother’s oldest friend. “How you doing?”
“Good. Real good. What about you?”
“I can’t complain.” He glanced around the room for Stuart’s family. “You here alone?”
“Yeah. Lila wanted to come but Junior picked up another cold from that germy preschool. I swear, it seems like he’s been sick every month since we enrolled him.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope he feels better soon.”
“Thanks. Junior’s a tough little booger. He’ll be right as rain in a day or two.”
Toby turned his attention to the man standing by Stuart. “Hi. I’m Rick’s brother, Toby.”
“Hey man. I’m Jack, Daphne’s dad.”
Toby nodded. “Good to meet you.”
“You, too.”
“So...” Toby bumped shoulders with his brother. “You guys did well. The house looks like a rainbow threw up all over it.”
Rick groaned. “It does, doesn’t it?”
Toby looked over the multicolored streamers attached to everything stationary and the dozens of balloons on the walls and ceiling. “Pretty much. The kids seem to like it though.”
“Knew they would. The brighter the better with those two. I thought we should have done blue and pink decorations, but Sophie seemed to think that would look like we were throwing a baby shower or something.”
“If you say so.” Toby had no idea what a baby shower was supposed to look like since he’d never been to one. He was pretty sure men weren’t invited to those events.
Stuart laughed. “Just wait, Toby. Your time is coming.”
“What do you mean?” Toby glanced at Stuart and wondered if the older man could somehow sense something new about Toby now that he’d met a potential match, like his pheromones had already morphed from single male shifter into eau-de-mate cologne or something. He pretended to scratch his chin on his shoulder and snuck a surreptitious sniff of himself. There was no change that he could detect.
“You’re not a kid anymore,” Stuart said. “It’s only a matter of time until you meet the woman for you and get to experience all the ins and outs of mating for yourself.”
“Ah.” Toby exhaled. Of course no one could sense anything different about him. It was silly to think otherwise. Just because he’d felt a cataclysmic shift in the earth under his feet didn’t mean the seismic waves registered on anyone else’s Richter scale. “Well, that doesn’t sound so bad to me.”
Rick shot him a curious look. “Is there something you aren’t telling us?”
“Nothing I want to talk about right now.”
Rick opened his mouth to speak, but before he could so much as say a word, Claire belted out a scream for her daddy. “Excuse me,” he muttered, before hurrying across the room toward his kids.
Stuart shifted closer and spoke softly. “You aren’t in any trouble, are you?”
Toby chuckled. “No, Sheriff Watson. I’m not in any trouble.”
“Just checking. You look like you’ve got something weighing on your mind is all.”
“Maybe a little, but it’s nothing for anyone to worry about. Everything’s fine.”
“Okay.” Stuart nodded. “Well, if that changes, my door is always open. Just so you know.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” Stuart was a good guy and he meant well, but Toby didn’t want to talk. He’d much rather wait until he had something good to share. Hopefully that would happen sooner rather than later.
The next few hours were a whirlwind of loud children, presents, and chaos. Toby bounced back and forth from chatting with the adults to playing with the kids and loved every minute of it. Afterward, he returned home to his empty house and tried to imagine what it
would be like filled with a family. He showered, fell into bed, and drifted off to sleep with thoughts of Zoe Redman.
He slept well and woke up with Zoe’s name on his lips and a deep sense of anticipation. Work beckoned, but afterward he planned to swing by the school and take the first step of many toward claiming his mate.
Chapter Two
“You’re cute.” Those two words replayed through Zoe’s mind again and again, tormenting her with how dumb she’d sounded. She had no idea why she’d blurted that out to Claire and Chris’s uncle. It was like the filter between her brain and her mouth had been temporarily disconnected. If only she had a time-traveling DeLorean, she would go back to the day before and keep her mouth shut.
It wasn’t like her to be so affected by a handsome face anyway. Sure, Toby Gideon was tall, dark, and so ruggedly handsome she could almost smell the testosterone oozing from his pores, but that didn’t mean she had to revert into some kind of smitten schoolgirl when in his presence. Not that she’d have to worry about that again any time soon. The man would probably steer clear of her in the future.
She wouldn’t even blame him. When the Creator had given out charm and charisma, he’d bypassed her and gave her a double dose of introversion and clumsiness. Add in her generous proportions and a love of science fiction, and she was no man’s idea of the perfect lover. She was thirty years and a half dozen felines away from being a crazy cat lady.
Now, however, was not the time to ruminate on her future. Not when she had a classroom full of rowdy kindergarteners to take care of for—she glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the wall—another five minutes. The day had flown by faster than usual.
Zoe moved to the front of her classroom and clapped her hands to get the attention of her students. “All right class. Let’s line up just the way we’ve been practicing every day, with bus riders against the wall and car riders beside the desks.”
She stood back and watched for a moment as the five- and six-year-olds in her kindergarten class tried to do as she asked, and then she stepped in to help those who were confused or didn’t remember where they belonged. School had only been in session for around six weeks, so the kids were still getting the hang of things. They were all such bright, inquisitive little darlings. Being around so much enthusiasm all day brightened her life and made coming in to work a pleasure. She loved the kids and her job teaching them the building blocks of education. She couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
All the late-night cramming, the work-study assignments, and crappy part-time jobs she’d worked to get herself through college had been worth it. She finally had her independence and her dream job. The only thing missing was a partner with whom to share her life. Two out of three wasn’t bad though. She’d come a long way from the lonely little girl who’d spent her childhood bouncing back and forth between foster homes and the low-income apartments her mother rented every time she sobered up.
Once the kids were in place, she walked to the head of the line. “Good job, guys. Does everyone have their jackets and backpacks?”
A chorus of little voices called out “Yes” at the same time.
“Great. It’s almost time to go. As soon as the bell rings, Raylene will lead those of you who’re getting picked up into the cafeteria to wait for parents or caregivers, and I’ll lead the rest of you out to the buses.” She smiled at them and then turned to Raylene, her teaching assistant. “Ready?”
“Yep.” Raylene ran a hand through her long, dark hair. “Bell should ring any—”
The bell shrilled, loud and jarring. The children grew wide-eyed and giggled, fidgeting in place. The sense of excitement built in the room, almost palpable in the atmosphere. Zoe opened the door and waved Raylene and the first group of kids forward. Once they’d departed, she smiled at the remaining children. “All right. Follow me.”
She stepped out into the hallway and led them outside in single file. One by one, they disappeared into the buses until Zoe stood at the end of the line by herself. All her little charges were safe on the buses and ready to be driven home to their families.
She stayed outside until the buses pulled out and then turned to head inside with thoughts of gathering her things and calling it a day. There was a six-pack of hard root beer at home just waiting on her to crack one open and relax on the couch in front of the television. It had been a long day, a longer week, and she was looking forward to the weekend and the opportunity to explore her new community a little more. Although she’d moved to town at the beginning of August, there hadn’t been much time for her to see the sights beyond the shops in town. She hoped to change that in the upcoming time off. The leaves were changing color and the weather was supposed to be nice, making it the perfect time to go for a nice hike and check out some of the local trails. The countryside in Pleasant Valley was beautiful and it was high time she took a closer look.
She hadn’t moved halfway across the country to stay locked up in her house during her off hours. Pleasant Valley was a fresh start for her. A do over of sorts. The job offer had been a little farther than she’d anticipated moving, but the pay was slightly better than average for a public school and the small community seemed friendly. Then again, she hadn’t done much socializing beyond her classroom. The more things changed, the more they remained the same.
“Ms. Redman! Zoe!”
Zoe paused and looked back over her shoulder to see who was calling her name. A stiff breeze could have knocked her over when she spotted Toby Gideon striding toward her. “Toby? If you’re looking for Claire and Chris, I’m sure they’ve already been picked up by their mom. We could walk around to the parent pick-up zone to make sure though, if you want.”
Toby stopped in front of her. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m not here for the kids. I’m here for you.”
She stared up at Toby, breathless with anticipation. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“How would you like to go out with me sometime? Anytime you want really. Right now even.”
Zoe smiled, amused and flattered by his exuberance. Apparently she hadn’t scared him off after all. “I’d like that.”
A little wrinkle appeared between Toby’s thick brows. “Do you mean now or just in general?”
Zoe laughed. “Well... maybe not right this second. I’m not quite finished up for the day here, but I do have to eat this evening. I could meet you somewhere later for dinner.” There. She thought that was a good attempt at playing it cool without sounding too nonchalant. Inside, she was whooping with joy. She had a date. Her first in way too long.
Toby smiled and his whole face lit up. “Right. I would love to have dinner with you tonight. I’m sorry about barging in here while you’re working, but I didn’t know where else to find you.”
“It’s okay. I’m really glad you did.” Understatement of the year.
“Me too.” Toby pulled at his shirt collar. “So, when and where do you want to meet?”
“Um...” She thought about it. There weren’t many options in town. “How about the diner at five?” That would give her about an hour and a half to gather her things, go home, and get ready before she needed to meet him.
“Sure.” Toby nodded. “Five is great.”
“Okay then.” She glanced around them to see if any of the school busybodies were eavesdropping. This was one story she wouldn’t mind getting out. “I’ll see you at five.”
“Sounds good.” Toby turned and walked away.
Zoe stood watching him for a minute, absolutely not checking out his backside, and then hurried back into the school to collect her stuff. Time was short and she had a lot to do before she could get to know Toby a little better.
She skidded to a halt in the doorway of her classroom. One of the school janitors was bent over her desk. “Geoff? What are you doing in here?”
The janitor jerked upright. He glanced over at her and then quickly away. “Oh, hey Ms. Redman. I was just looking at your desk calendar. It’s real nice. I been thin
king about getting something like that for myself, to keep up with my appointments and such.”
Zoe frowned. “Okay. Well, I’m pretty sure you can get a big desk calendar like that one at pretty much any office supply store. Was there anything else I can help you with?”
Geoff shook his big bald head. “I best get back to work now.”
“All right.” She approached the desk, anxious to collect her things and leave. “You have a good evening, Geoff.”
“You too, Ms. Redman.” Geoff shuffled toward the door.
Zoe unlocked the desk drawer where she kept her personal items, grabbed her purse, and then her jacket off of her chair, and headed back out to her car. She broke speed limits on the way home and wasted no time stripping off and jumping in the shower. While washing off the scent of nontoxic finger paint and the scent of the chicken nuggets served for lunch in the cafeteria, she let her imagination run wild, imagining the night to come. By the time she stepped out and grabbed a towel off the rod above the commode, she was envisioning being thrown over one of Toby’s broad shoulders and carried out of the restaurant fireman-style for a night of debauchery the likes of which she’d never experienced.
A girl could always dream.
In reality, she had no intention of going home with Toby after their first date. She didn’t care how handsome or charming he turned out to be. She just wasn’t that kind of girl. However, regardless of how she knew the night would end, she still wanted to feel sexy and look her best. There wasn’t much in her closet that qualified as date night clothes, but after a little digging she found a cute little maxi dress with a sweetheart neckline that would work with a light cardigan since the nights were beginning to get chilly. The dress highlighted her cleavage and hid the belly bulge that made her self-conscious. She slipped her feet into a pair of ballet flats and then headed back into the bathroom to do her hair and makeup.
Pleasant Valley Bears: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Pleasant Valley Shifters) Page 19