by Maddie James
She’d swapped more spit in the last hour, exchanging a helluva lot of germs with way too many men.
Oh, it had started innocently enough. The first ten guys or so were okay with her bypassing their lips, and her depositing a baggy of candy kisses in their hands. But then came along Nash Rhodes, hunky country singer and husband to Mary Lou, and even though his wife was standing right there beside him, he came around the table, dipped Patti right before God and everyone, with cameras flashing, and planted a huge wet one right on her lips.
It was all for publicity, and they had planned that out too. Thing was, the rest of the men in line hadn’t realized that, and when they approached for their turns, they wanted the same treatment Nash got. And what surprised her was that all the wives were cool with it. They were all laughing and having a good time, and Patti was wondering if she would come out of this with a nasty cold, and hoped, not the flu.
She also hoped the hospital people wouldn’t be too upset with her.
To say the least, she was getting tired of kissing, even though it was a little fun.
But all of that spun on a dime when Jim Hamilton cut in line, moving all the guys back with a couple of principal-like barks and stood red-faced before her, hands on his hips, his sport coat pushed back at his waist, and glared at her.
“What in the…” he glanced about, leaned in, and lowered his voice. “What in the heck do you think you are doing,” he bit out.
Patti swallowed, hard, and tried like hell to stare him down, tit-for-tat. “Um. Kissing?”
If his face could get any redder, it just did. His voice even lower, he strung the next words out. “Go home. You’re shut down. Go home. Now.”
His anger surprised her, and it cut straight to her heart. She didn’t understand what was happening, why he was so darned angry. But the look on his face meant business, and it plummeted every teeny little hope that there might ever be something between her and Jim, to her feet and then some.
“Jim,” she began softly, just really feeling a need to explain, “this isn’t what it looks like. Let me tell you what this is about. Really, Jim, it’s all harmless fun and…”
He reached up, grabbed the kissing booth sign off the side of her display, and slapped it down on the table with force. A collective gasp went up in the surrounding crowd, but she kept her gaze fixed on Jim. She’d never seen him like this, not in all her days of teaching with him.
“That was rude.”
“You’re going to see what rude is in a moment, Patti Jo.” He crowded closer, and what he said next, was only for her ears. “If there is any kissing to be done by those lips,” he glanced to hers then jerked back up again, “I will be the one doing the kissing. Not them.” He tipped his head to the rear.
“That so.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that, but he was continuing with his little rant anyway.
“Now, please go before I blow my top. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
And at the moment, that was her intent. She reached under the table, grabbed her purse, and gave one last pause looking at Jim before she spun, humiliated, and raced away from the table.
And right into the chest of the Assistant Superintendent.
“Oh. Gosh. Sorry.” She looked up into his face, wondering if he’d just witnessed that whole scene. The look he gave her said that, yeah, he probably had.
Jim was suddenly at her side.
Now, she thought, was probably a good time to ask for that transfer, seeing that she had just embarrassed herself to no end here with the elementary school folks. In fact this was probably the best time in the world since it seemed neither man right now was very happy with her and likely wanted her out of their hair.
“Mr. Porter. I know this isn’t the best timing in the world, but on Monday morning, I want to speak with you about a transfer out of Legend Elementary. Perhaps you have something, um, out in the country? I know those schools are difficult to staff.”
He still glared, then shifted his gaze to Jim, and back again. “Sorry, your request for transfer has been denied, Ms. Baker.”
She was confused. But what was new, lately? “I don’t understand.”
He shrugged. “Talk to your principal. He asked me to deny your transfer request a couple of days ago. So consider yourself denied. You have two options, either stay at Legend Elementary, or quit. And given the conduct I’ve seen from you tonight, I am personally hoping you will consider the latter.”
Nothing, nothing, in her professional career had hurt so much. And hearing that Jim had asked to have her request denied—two days ago!—well, nothing had ever hurt her heart quite as much either.
She couldn’t look either man in the face…and fled the scene.
Chapter Nine
“All right Ms. Sour Puss. It’s been over a week. Aren’t you over this yet?”
Patti watched the swirls the creamer made in her coffee and felt like she was diving down into those swirly depths of dark herself. “I’m fine.”
“Like hell you are.”
Peeking up over her cup, she caught Kate’s stare, then looked back down again. “Look,” she said finally, “if the reason you asked me to coffee this morning is to verbally beat the crap out of me over this entire incident, well, you can stop now, because I assure you I have beaten my own self up enough for the two of us.”
Kate responded with an outstretched hand placed over hers on the table. “Patti, look at me.”
It took her a moment, but she did look up and connect with Kate. “What.”
Kate sighed. “Forget it all. You have your job; that is the important thing.”
“Well, only because Jim refuses to let me out of my contract in the middle of the year, and only because there are no positions open anywhere else in the district. He’s stuck; so I stay.”
“I don’t think that’s the only reason.”
Patti huffed. “You don’t? Well, I have news for you. That man wants nothing to do with me.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Give it some time. Perhaps things could work out.”
“No. No amount of time…” Her words trailed off, and she really didn’t want to think or talk about this anymore. Her stomach hurt.
“Well…”
“Well, well, well! Hey girls, what are you doing up so early in the morning?”
Both Patti and Kate lifted their heads toward the voice. A bright and smiling Suzie Matthews approached their table. “Fancy seeing you two here early this morning at Coffee High! Have you tried Sydney’s latest scone? Oh, man…”
“We just had one. They rock.” There wasn’t one iota of enthusiasm in Patti’s voice.
Suzie shrugged and stepped closer. “Patti, I’m really glad I caught you. Wear the black dress. If you don’t want to come to dinner, just come to the after-dinner party in the suite at the Lodge. It will be so much fun, and I’m sure you will enjoy getting to know this new guy I want to introduce you to.”
Shit. She had forgotten all about that. Looking to Kate, she said, “Is today New Year’s Eve?”
Kate nodded.
Where have my days gone?
Patti shook her head. “I’m really not feeling up to it, Suzie.”
A huge frown crossed the woman’s face. “You’re not backing out on me.”
Had I ever really confirmed? She couldn’t remember.
Suzie started in again. “You do have the dress, right?”
“I do, but…”
“No excuses.” She leaned over to peer into her face. “Don’t make me get ugly, Patti Jo. My reputation is at stake. I have not failed in my matchmaking attempts, and I’ll be damned if I am going to let you wallow around in self-indulgent, self-pity while my skills are on the line. Now, I’ll forgive the dinner, but I want you knocking on the door to the Black Bear suite at eight o’clock sharp. Have you got that?”
It was very difficult to ignore the intensity of Suzie’s stare. Even more, Kate’s gaze wa
s trained straight on her as well.
“Oh, Hell’s Christmas Bells. All right.”
****
Mistake. With a capital M. That’s what this was.
Jim paced the living room of the Black Bear suite. He’d arrived at a quarter before eight as Suzie had suggested. He knew what was coming down, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for it.
But he was going to do it because some things had to be settled between him and Patti.
Perhaps Suzie was right, and this was the best way.
Element of surprise and all.
Still, he wasn’t so sure.
He had a lot of talking to do, and he just wasn’t convinced that Patti Jo Baker would stick around long enough to listen.
There. A small rap on the door.
Show time.
With a deep inhale, followed by a cleansing, lengthy exhale, he crossed the room and wrapped his hand around the cold doorknob.
****
The door swung open and the first thing Patti registered was the lack of sound. She had expected a party but there was no party clatter happening in the background.
Almost simultaneously, she realized that it was Jim holding open the door.
A hand went to her throat. “Jim? Oh, God…”
He grasped her hand and tugged a little. “It’s all right, Patti. Come on in.”
Not sure this is a good idea, her brain screamed.
Move it, sister, her heart said.
Before she realized it, she was inside, the door was closed, and Jim was leading her into the living room. “Let’s have a seat,” he said. She sat, looking up at him, and wondered why in the world she was behaving like a submissive little girl who had just been scolded.
Perhaps, she thought, because that’s what this felt like, and well, he was the principal and well, he was her superior and well, there was almost something sort of naughty about the thought of all that.
“So are you going to spank me, Mr. Hamilton, for my actions? Or do you have other forms of punishment you would like to explore with me?”
Shit. Shit! Why she blurted that out was beyond her!
Jim simply stood and looked down at her, a mite uncomfortable with the thought, it seemed, by his reddened face. “I am going to ignore that, young lady.”
Oh, that was way too much of an opening for her to ignore.
“I didn’t mean to be bad, Mr. Hamilton. I just thought giving away my kisses was for a good cause. You know. The hospital germ fund at all. I didn’t realize it would get you upset, Sir.”
Her insides twittered. Where this was coming from, she hadn’t a clue. But she sort of liked the way that it made her twinge a little, you know, in excitement. Did she dare continue?
Still standing, he took a step closer, hands on hips, and stared down into her face. “Your kisses are not yours to give away.”
“Oh. I didn’t realize that. I thought that since you felt it within your power to deny my transfer request, that my giving away kisses was none of your concern.”
“You didn’t know that at the time, Miss Baker. Stop screwing with the sequence of events.”
“Why did you deny my request, Sir?”
He took a deep breath. “Because I don’t want you to leave. I can’t stand the thought of you not teaching in my school, of you giving up something you love, because of me. So, you see, I’ve made other arrangements. I’ve asked for a temporary transfer to the high school. The principal there is on maternity leave.”
“I think it is you who is screwing with the sequence of events, Mister.” Patti stood. This was all well and good, but where was it going to get her? Them? “You really transferred?”
Jim looked straight into her eyes. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“So I could perhaps salvage a little bit of us. Give us some time.”
Patti blinked. “There is an ‘us’?”
“I’m hoping so. What do you think?”
She looked off, and as she did so, his arms went around her shoulders, and he drew her closer. “Patti, look at me.”
She did.
“I know things have gotten out of whack. None of it was intentional, and all of it was because we are both trying to figure out what is happening, after all these years, between the two of us. It’s new and it’s foreign and it’s scary as hell. But I can tell you this. I’m tired of being alone. I’m tired of not having a partner to share my life. And I’m tired of watching you day in, and day out, flounce down the halls of my school, watching your backside taunt me. I’m tired of all that. I want a chance with you, and I want a chance at your kisses. Every day. Every morning. And for the rest of my life.”
He paused and searched her face. “That is, if you will consent to sharing those hard candy kisses with only me. Or at least, giving me half a chance to claim them for my very own?”
Patti’s chest heaved up and down with each word Jim said. A chance. He wanted a chance? To share a life? To wake up every morning with kisses? To be her man? Isn’t that all she ever wanted, anyway? Someone just exactly like Jim? And all this time, he was right under her nose.
“I will give my kisses only to you, Jim Hamilton, on one condition.”
His brow arched. “And what is that?”
“That if I ever do have to be punished, you will spank me thoroughly and often.”
Jim just about choked on that comeback.
As he took her into his arms, and his determined mouth met with and explored hers, Patti knew that she’d finally found her man.
THE END
ABOUT MADDIE JAMES
Whether writing traditional contemporary romance or building paranormal worlds, bestselling romance author, Maddie James, pens stories that frequently cross a variety of romantic sub-genres. Sweet or spicy, suspense or comedy, western or time-travel, her heroes and heroines are always chasing one thing—the happily-ever-after. Whether they realize it or not.
Maddie is a Food Network junkie, a wannabe gardener, a by-the-seat-of-her-pants cook, and a closet hermit. She works/writes every day in her converted sunroom office, and wouldn’t have it any other way. She frequently rescues stray pets and plants and an occasional antique wicker table. All of these quirky topics, and more, make their way into her books.
Her first book, THE WILD WEST, a Kensington Precious Gems romance, received a Calico Trails Cameo Award. RED: A SEDUCTION TALE, claimed first place as the Romance Book Scene's favorite novella of the year. A four time nominee for a CAPA/Psyche Award from The Romance Studio, she wonders if she is the Susan Lucci of romance, although she has received a number of Top Pick, 5 Star, and Best Read reviews from various reviewers. Her books have landed on Amazon Top 100 Paid Bestseller lists, including BROKEN, a #1 bestseller in western romance, and CRAZY FOR YOU, which reached #8 in romance.
Maddie is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and its Published Author Network (PAN, and Novelists, Inc. Visit www.maddiejames.com to learn more about Maddie, and her books.
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More contemporary romance by Maddie James
Falling For Grace
Crazy For You
The Heartbreaker
Convincing Nora
Body Heat
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