“What?”
“Nothing.” She waved it off and smiled. “I adore Katy. She’s so sweet and a wonderful student.”
“She adores you too. And whatever you’re teaching her is working. She loves to pick apart my texts and correct me when I don’t write them properly.”
Della stood a little taller. “Really? I sort of love that.”
“So do I.”
“You call her Dandelion? That’s a unique nickname. Where did it come from?”
“When she was little, she used to follow me around the yard whenever I mowed. She’d pick every dandelion flower she could find and bring me these bouquets. She said it was her favorite flower, so I started calling her Dandelion.”
“It fits.”
“I think so.” I grinned, taking in the sparkle in her eyes. That color was mesmerizing. Not just caramel like I’d thought last week, but there were a few flecks of shining copper too.
I opened my mouth, about to tell her she had beautiful eyes, but caught myself. “I, uh…I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Yeah, I um…” The color rose in her cheeks as she glanced to her desk. “Me too. Bye, Mr. Dawson.”
“Jeff.” It was my turn for corrections.
She dipped her chin. “Jeff.”
Even the way she said my name sounded pretty.
But pretty wasn’t the right word. She was captivating. Breathtaking. Stunning. Surprising. Tempting.
And Katy’s teacher.
It was time for me to put some distance between us before I said something stupid and made it awkward.
With a wave, I turned and strode for the door, about to escape into the hallway when I nearly collided with another man. I shifted out of the way in time to avoid a crash in the threshold. “Sorry.”
“No problem.” The guy was about my height and size. He looked me up and down, then strode into Della’s classroom.
I glanced over my shoulder, just in time to see her eyes dart up from my ass.
Damn. Was she interested? Because that would be fucking awesome.
For Della Adler, I’d learn how to date. Unless there were other rules at play? Could teachers and parents get together?
“Hey.” The man, another teacher probably, walked straight to Della, stopping close. Too close. He put his hands on her shoulders, a move not normal for coworkers.
Ah. Of course she’d have a man in her life.
The twinge of envy was hard enough to send me out the door and down the hall. After passing a row of lockers, I glanced back, hoping to see him leave her room, but the hallway stayed empty.
Why was I even jealous? She was a beauty, sure. But I didn’t date for a reason.
That reason was on the playground at the moment.
It was better this way. Maybe knowing Della was taken would stop me from thinking about her legs tonight. Probably not, but maybe.
I picked up my pace, wasting no time on my way back to work. Then I spent the rest of my day answering questions and reviewing design plans, anything to keep my head from wandering.
Hans had offered me the chance of a lifetime this morning. Was I twisted up about Alcott? No. I was stuck on Della. On the way I’d caught her checking out my ass even though she was tangled up with someone else.
Maybe that should have made me mad, but damn it, I couldn’t shake the jealousy. By the time I left the office, the last place I wanted to go was home. It was too quiet. So I did a quick internet search and found that restaurant Katy had told me about.
The Maysen Jar.
That seemed like a great place to kill an hour.
The café was an old building that someone had fixed up, small enough to be cozy but big enough you weren’t sitting on top of other patrons. The minute I stepped inside, the smell of fresh bread and apple pie hit my nose.
My stomach rumbled. It was comfortable. Welcoming. Like I was stepping into a friend’s house, not a restaurant.
All but two of the tables were full. My boots thudded on the wood floor as I made my way toward the counter at the back lined with stools. Normally, a single stool would suit me just fine. But tonight, sitting alone felt too miserable.
Katy’s puppy was starting to sound more and more appealing, and I did not need a damn dog. Instead, I’d sit at a table. Pretend I was waiting on someone else. So I ordered—mac ’n’ cheese and a salad, both served in jars—and took my food to one of the free spaces, settling in with my phone.
I’d been putting off the call to Rosalie all afternoon, mostly because talking to her gave me a headache. But I pulled up her number anyway, bracing for whatever attitude would greet me on the other end of the line. Before I could hit send, a throat cleared at the base of my table.
And there she was, the woman who’d invaded my thoughts. Every time I saw her she just kept getting more beautiful. How was that possible?
“Hi, Jeff.”
Still liked how she said my name. Still liked those legs in her tights. Still liked the pretty colors in her eyes.
Not a chance I’d be able to stop thinking about my daughter’s teacher tonight. Damn. “Hey, Della.”
Chapter 4
Della
There was one empty table at The Maysen Jar.
The table situated right beside Jeff’s.
“I, um…nice to see you again.” My hands smoothed down the skirt of my dress, then tucked twin locks of hair behind each ear. My fingers flexed, hanging in midair for a moment, searching for their next target—the puff on one of my sleeves.
Fidgeting. That was a new trick. Oh God. I hadn’t felt this nervous around a man in years. Not since those early days in college when I’d met Luka. But I’d known him for so long, the jitters that came with my crush had faded.
Was that what this was? A crush?
If only I’d spotted him earlier, I could have snuck out the restaurant’s door before he’d seen me. But there was no way I could leave now, not without seeming rude. Besides, I was starving and I’d already ordered my food.
So here I was, fidgeting.
I cast a look toward the front counter and the row of empty stools. The loner’s section. I’d wanted a table tonight, not just because I’d brought along papers to grade and wanted space to sprawl, but because I hadn’t wanted to be the only person at the counter.
So I slid into a chair at that empty table, sitting beside Jeff with a two-foot gap between our shoulders, and set down my Diet Coke. Poppy wasn’t here tonight, but the waitress was making my dinner and had promised to bring it over once it was out of the oven.
“How was the rest of your day?” Jeff asked.
“Good. Uneventful. I don’t know if my students will ever learn how to use commas correctly, but it’s become my personal challenge to get at least one kid to know the rules. Katy might just be that kid.” Rambling. I didn’t ramble. Get it together, Della.
I risked a glance Jeff’s way, taking in his profile. There was a small bump on the bridge of his nose. He had a strong chin. A soft pout. And that jaw…
Chiseled. Granite.
Yep, definitely a crush. On my student’s father. This was so, so bad.
“I wish I could offer to help Katy with the comma situation,” he said. “But I’m rather helpless when it comes to them myself. I’d do more damage than good. Math on the other hand, math I can handle.”