Page 12 of Teacher's Pet

“I am too. I like Harley. There’s no way I could have a good time knowing that she’s out there and hiding or something’s happened to her. Uh-uh.” I shake my head. “I’m going with you.” I turn to Rebel. “Can you or Tony take my car home?” I turn back to Foster. “Unless you want me to follow you?”

His teeth are gritted and he’s glaring at me again. “Woman, you are turning into a real big pain in my ass. I don’t have time for this shit.”

I wave my hand at him. “Then let’s go. You’re not talking me out of this.”

He stands still for one minute and I’m not really sure if he’s going to give in or not but then he grunts and stalks to the door. I grin at Rebel and she snickers.

“I hope you know what you’re doing. Foster’s a huge grump on a good day.”

I nod and reach down to hug her, waving at Reva, Cassie and Daffy. “Y’all have fun.”

Chuckles all around and then I’m stalking out after Foster, not so sure that he won’t leave without me. To my surprise he’s still out there waiting for me. He glances over at me and grunts. “You ready?”

I lift a brow at him. “What’s the matter? Did you miss me, big guy?”

He rolls his icy silver eyes and I grin. “I gotta admit that it’s fun to mess with you, Foster Marcone.”

“Get your ass in gear or you’re gonna be walking,” he snarls.

But I see his lips twitching and I feel a warmth hit my belly. Until I think about Harley.

“Are you sure that she’s alright?” I nibble on my lip by the door to his truck and he leans into it, his hands either side of me.

“She’s fine. Like I said she gets ruffled easily.”

“She misses her mother and a girl needs her mom at this age.”

He turns to me, his mouth open. “Why would that be?”

Laughing, I strap my seatbelt on and say, “I’d say she’s hitting puberty, Foster. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she needs a bra and other things that she doesn’t want to talk to her dad about.”

Foster climbs into the truck, his cheeks beet red. “She’s not old enough for that.”

“I was about her age.”

He shoots me a baffled look but then he slams his door shut and hits the gas, ignoring my chuckles.

But I’m not laughing long. I need to know that Harley’s alright. It’s been a rough week for her. For everybody.

I know I shouldn’t do it but I can’t seem to help myself. “What happened to her mom?”

Foster stiffens. “She died.”

“I know that. How?”

He glances over at me, his face so closed off it looks carved from granite. “I don’t like talking about this, Tallulah.”

“Tally. Everybody calls me Tally.”

His eyes linger on me. “Tally.”

“Sometimes it helps to talk.”

He grunts and he’s silent for a full minute. Then like he can’t help himself he blurts out. “She had cancer but she was in remission. We were going to celebrate it that night. She fought the beast and won.”

I eye him and I feel my heart break for Harley. And for Foster. It can’t be easy.

“She was on her way to pick Harley up from school and a man had a heart attack in his car and lost control. He crossed the center line and slammed into her car and she tried to get out of the way but it just meant that he hit her side of the car. She was killed instantly. I didn’t find out until the school called to tell me that nobody showed up to get Harper. I tried to call her phone but it went straight to voicemail.”

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