Page 59 of The Wedding Engagement

He sighed, sinking farther into the cushions. The worst thing was, she and Brodie had looked good together. And Arran wantedto see her happy. He just wished he could be the one achieving that for her.

The Skye trip was the following weekend, and he’d have to redouble his efforts to keep his distance and not do anything dumb to spoil her burgeoning relationship. Nor spoil the new relationship between Liv and his son, as teacher and pupil. They had a visit to the nursery school planned the next day, when he and Jayce could look around with the other parents and pupils before the term began midweek.

He’d been intending not to see her until then, but then he’d caved and agreed to go to the egg-rolling event when Jayce had asked for her. At least that was what he was telling himself, rather than admitting that he too had caved—in his desperation to lay eyes on her again. The reality was that Jayce asking for her should’ve been a signal to bolster his intentions to keep her at arm’s length. If she was getting into a serious relationship, then she’d have less time for both of them.

Shuffling down a little, he turned his face into the cushions, hoping that there’d still be a trace of her scent buried in there somewhere.

—

Arran squeezed Jayce’s hand asthey reached the front door of the nursery school. “Okay, pal?”

Jayce was admiring the little playground in the front garden, complete with an adventure playset. “I want to play on that, Daddy.”

“Sure, we will. We just need to go and see Miss Holland first, okay?”

“Miss Lib,” Jayce said, completely undermining the conversation Arran had had with him about the need to call Liv by her formal title at work.

Arran pressed the doorbell, and an older lady with her gray hair tied back appeared and opened the door. “Morning!” she said in a tone so bright it blew the cobwebs from Arran’s brain. “And who is this?”

She opened the door to allow them into the foyer, where rows of pegs with children’s names lined the walls.

“My name’s Jayce,” Jayce replied, wandering over to inspect the pegs.

“Well, hello, Jayce. I’m Mrs. MacKay. Whose class are you in?”

“Miss Lib’s!” Jayce exclaimed happily, turning back toward them and clapping his hands.

Arran coughed. “He means Miss Holland, don’t ya, buddy?”

Jayce pursed his lips. “No. I mean Miss Lib.”

Mrs. MacKay raised an eyebrow, and it felt very much like a chastisement. “Follow me,” she said in her overly bright voice, and led them down the corridor toward a doorway where the sound of children chatting was apparent.

Jayce bounded round the corner ahead of them, and as Arran followed, Jayce was running up to Liv where she stood speaking to a male parent. Her eyes lit up when she spotted Jayce, who flung himself at her as she crouched down to give him a hug.

“Hey, buddy,” she said. “Want to have a look around our classroom?”

“Yeah!” Jayce said.

As Arran approached, Liv stood and finished her conversation with the parent standing with her. She turned and met his gaze, something shifting in her eyes, and the all-too-familiar want he felt whenever he was near her gathered within him.

“Hey,” he said, the desire to hug her tugging strongly. But he suppressed it.

“Morning,” she said, fiddling with the arm of her glasses. “Let me show you two around.”

“Thanks,” he replied, taking in the fact that the guy she’d been speaking to wasn’t drifting away but rather hanging around and looking at Liv in a way he didn’t like. Arran eyed him for a second as Liv led Jayce away, glancing down at the man’s wedding ring then back up to give him the deadliest dead eye in the history of dead eyes. Then he turned to follow Liv and Jayce.

The classroom was bright and airy, with colorful paintings and pictures plastering the walls. Liv showed them the craft area, the free-play area, and the little library corner, where colorful books lined the walls. Then they moved into an adjacent room where there was a messy play area and a door that led back out into the front playground.

“Want to have a little play in here with Emily and Charlie?” Liv asked Jayce, pointing to a table nearby where two kids were getting involved in some water-based activities, each in a wee apron.

Jayce’s eyes lit up. Making a mess was right up his street. Arran smiled as Liv got him an apron and introduced him to the other kids. The three began happily chatting and playing together.

Liv came over to stand with Arran as they watched them. “Is he looking forward to his first day?”

“Totally. I think knowing he’s in your class has made the idea a piece of cake.”

A little color rose in her cheeks, and it was so cute. “I’ll look out for him, but I’m sure he won’t need it. He’ll be grand.”

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