Page 2 of Teacher's Pet

I have a feeling that I’m gonna be rearranging my schedule and maybe some people’s thinking as well here pretty soon.

Because there’s one thing I know. If my daughter does something wrong, I’ll make sure that she takes her punishment.

But if she’s not responsible because of something horrible being sad about her mother than I’m good with her doing it.

I want my daughter to feel like she matters and if that damn school and whoever that teacher is made her feel anything but good about herself, I’m gonna make sure that they never ever forget who I am and what they’re supposed to be doing for the kids.

I’ll make sure of it.

TALLY

Irub the throbbing behind my eyes and groan. Today has been an absolute mess. My brother and his wife called to tell me they’re coming for a visit and although I love them, I’m heading into that wind-down for the end of the school year and I just want to put my head down and push through until vacation. But they don’t want to wait, saying that they had something important to talk to me about. I have a feeling I know what that is and I’m super-excited.

But one of my favorite kids also had a bad day yesterday and I feel so damn guilty that she got in trouble. I feel like I should have spotted what was going on sooner. Instead, I missed it and she’s been suspended. Which I also don’t agree with. The little bully that she slugged was probably doing something he shouldn’t have done, saying something he shouldn’t have said and I understand why she snapped.

Not that violence is ever the answer. I had that same argument with my brother so many times over the years that I could do that lecture by rote.

But he didn’t listen and most likely neither would the kid.

So I have a blistering headache and I’m currently filling out extra papers for Harley so that she doesn’t fall behind. Technically, we’re not supposed to do that but I refuse to back down on this point.

She’s suspended for five days and this is her first day of suspension so I’m going to have to do this for a little longer but I’m good with that. I wanted to argue over the suspension with the principal but he just glared at me and told me to mind my own business. He’s a dick.

“I don’t care if she’s busy…I want to talk to her now!” The door flies open and I squeak, jumping about a foot in the air and slamming back down onto my chair, throwing my arms out as my chair wobbles and then falls backward, dumping me onto the floor, my long red hair tumbling out of the messy bun on my head.

I huff out a stunned breath when I hit the ground. “Dammit,” I growl.

“Oh fuck! Are you alright? Shit! I shouldn’t have said that…I mean shoot, dang it!”

The harsh growl grows louder as I roll over on the floor, pushing myself up onto my elbows. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I shrug and slowly scrabble to my feet, shoving my hips back, which I’m sure is putting my ass right in the man’s face. I swear to heaven, I hear a low growl and freeze, my ass sticking straight up, my red hair hanging in my face.

“Do you have a dog with you?” I ask hopefully, not sure what I’m expecting him to say back.

“No,” he grunts and I feel the heat from his body moving closer to me, my hair standing up on the back of my neck, burning heat washing over my body. A hand comes down in front of me and I gasp, jerking back and almost falling face first into the floor.

Before I can even blink, he grabs for me and yanks me straight up and into his body and everything around me blurs until all I can see is him. A giant man with stormy gray eyes and longish curly brown hair, silver sparkling at the temples and scattered throughout like the tinsel some of the older kids wear.

His eyes dart around my face and I flush, my body catching fire when I feel all of his muscles tense up against me. He’s like a damn brick wall he’s so hard and I practically incinerate when I feel something hard poking me in the belly. Something long and thick and drool-worthy.

“C-can I help you?”

Like he’s coming out of the same fever dream I am, he shakes his head and pushes me away, setting me back on my feet but holding his hands out when I wobble unsteadily.

“Are you good?” He grumbles and I nod my head, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes, needing to blot out the sight of the big man in order to get my racing hormones and wired body under control. For the first time in my life, there’s an undercurrent of electricity zinging along my nerve endings like I’ve stuck my finger in a light socket. I don’t know what’s happening but I can tell you one thing.

If this guy is a dad I’m gonna cry. He must have a wife. I mean…what woman in her right mind wouldn’t want this guy?

“I am looking for Tallulah Carter,” he rumbles at me and it’s like the same sound that gravel makes tumbling around.

“That’s me. Can I help you?” I repeat it hoping that he’ll finally answer me so that we can finish up this conversation and I can get out of here.

“I’m Foster Marcone. My daughter Harley is in your class and you suspended her. I want that suspension lifted. And I want to know what’s happening to that boy. He told Harley that my wife is in hell and she’s nowhere near an angel. I don’t condone violence but that kid was asking for it.”

“I’d have to agree but I didn’t suspend her.”

“Bullshit. I want her back in class today and I want this suspension lifted.”

---