Page 86 of Rags to Royals

“Yes. Definitely,” Scarlett agrees.

I wonder if she realizes that she’s pressing her cheek into my hand.

“But by being emotionally supportive and physically being there for me, she’s also had to do without a lot of stuff. We’ve had crappy apartments, stressful finances, and schedules to juggle. One of the reasons Ruby started bartending and then dancing was because it was at night. I would drop Mariah off at daycare around eight, then work during the day. Ruby would come home after her shift, sleep for a few hours, then pick Mariah up from daycare in the late morning. I’d come home and take over and she’d go to work. It saved us a lot of daycare money by having Mariah there only for about three hours a day.”

The more I hear about the ways these women, girls really in the early days, had managed, the more I respect them. And the more I want to take care of them all from here on.

“Ruby has to work tonight,” I say.

Scarlett nods.

“And Mariah told me she’s going to Greta’s for the weekend.”

Scarlett rolls her lips in and nods.

“That means you and I have Friday night all to ourselves.” I run my thumb along her jaw.

“It does,” she says. “And I was thinking…”

There’s a little sparkle in her eyes now and I definitely want to hear this.

“What if we went to Columbus tonight and got a hotel room?” she asks. “We have the house to ourselves tonight. Ruby won’t be home until around two thirty. But…” She wets her lips.

“But?” I prompt.

“We could go out to dinner. And we wouldn’t have to worry about anyone in town seeing us together.”

“Are we worried about that?” I ask with a frown.

She shrugs. “Kind of. You’re a college professor just traveling through. It’s probably better if the town doesn’t find out we’re sleeping together.”

“I shaved my beard, dyed my hair, and am wearing glasses so we could spend time together and people wouldn’t know who I really am,” I remind her.

“But that was before everyone was going to get to know and love you as a teacher,” she says.

I feel my chest squeeze. “You think they’re going to love me as a teacher?”

She smiles. “Of course. You’re fun and charismatic as hell. You’re so excited about all of it. I know that’s going to show and the kids are going to love having you around.”

Warmth spreads through my chest unexpectedly. I clear my throat. “Thanks.”

“But that makes it more complicated than if you were just hanging around waiting for your car to get fixed,” she adds.

“Why?”

She sighs. “If you were just Professor Brady, you could have played aloof. Mysterious. You could have laid low. But as a teacher, you’re not going to be able to help showing your enthusiasm. You’re going to be very engaging and enjoy the job, and they’re going to like you, and want to get to know you, and will include you in things.”

“You want me to be aloof in the classroom with the kids?” I will try. I’m not sure I can pull it off but if that’s what Scarlett needs, I can try.

“No,” she says quickly. She laughs lightly. “I don’t think you could pull that off anyway, but no. I want you to enjoy it.”

She seems sincere. “I guess that does put more of a spotlight on me, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.”

She seems amused that I’m just now truly realizing that. I probably should have said no when they asked me to take over this class.

“I thought these eighteen days would be just us,” she says. “Now it involves the whole town.”

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