you so much. And I wanted you to like me.”
Chapter 8
Joey tipped up her chin and forced her to look at him. Tears welled in her green eyes and something twisted so deep in his gut it hurt. To think he was the cause of her pain. Since the carnival, the more time he spent around Madeline, the more a faint memory gnawed at him. One that included a tall, skinny, but cute girl with a mop of fire-engine-red curls that bounced about as she followed whichever teammate she was interviewing.
His thumb brushed over her lip. “Did we ever talk?”
She nodded, but didn’t speak. Her lips were smooth, satiny. Was he that insensitive in high school? He could kick himself. Why didn’t he ever notice her?
He traced her lips, her cheek, her ear, pushing back a lock of the smoothest hair he had ever touched. He reached for her hair again, compelled to stroke its silkiness. “What did we talk about?”
She swallowed and cleared her throat, then swiped impatiently at her eyes. “Sports, mostly. I interviewed you a couple of times after a game.”
“I bet you wrote killer articles.”
“I did.”
Joey laughed at her assuredness. She could be vulnerable one minute and cocky the next. He admired that in a person. It made her real. Not like most of the women he’d met recently. They were sure of themselves all the time.
“Maddie. Do you mind if I call you that?” When she didn’t object, he said, “I’m sorry for being an insensitive jerk in high school. To be honest, I do remember this cute, determined redhead with a pen and pad following some of the guys around. Even if it looked like it, I wasn’t ignoring you or trying to avoid you. Just wrapped up in my own world. I never would have hurt you on purpose.” He stood up straight and held out his hand. “Can we start over? I’m Joey.”
His truthfulness seemed to penetrate and she teased him with the start of a smile, placing her hand in his. “Madeline.”
Her hand trembled, and as he covered it with his, he brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss against her knuckles. They warmed to his touch and she rewarded him with a true smile this time. He was about to lean in for a kiss when she moved away.
“What’s wrong?”
“I still have my doubts about you.”
“I promise you, I’m innocent. And I believe you. About the jewelry, I mean.”
She shrugged, but offered no further explanation.
“I guess I’ll have to prove it to you,” he added. Then he took her hands and brought them down in front of him.
“Your nephew’s in my class.” Madeline looked around, as if checking to see if anyone saw them together. “It’s not right. I don’t feel comfortable.”
“Are you saying it’s a conflict of interest or something? He’s not my child. I doubt there’s a rule against it.”
She let go of his hands and rose up to her entire height. Heels and all. “No rules that I know of, but it’s not appropriate. I’m a new teacher. I can’t afford a blemish to mark my clean slate. It would be foolish to give my principal or the board any reason not to give me tenure in two years.”
He grinned at her analogies. “I’m insulted. No one’s ever called me a blemish.”
She put a hand on his chest and grinned back. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. Look, Joey, I need this job. Fraternizing with relatives of students might be frowned upon and I can’t take a chance of not getting rehired over it. I probably shouldn’t even be eating dinner here with you.”
He shook his head about to argue that in their close-knit town everyone fraternized with everyone, but she held up a finger.
“Promise me you’ll keep this moment between us. And don’t say anything to Sabrina. She thinks I worry too much. Speaking of Sabrina, she must be wondering what happened to me.” Madeline’s voice grew tight. “Us.”
He shook his head and grinned again at the intriguing redhead. “Your wish is my command.” He bowed and gestured like a genie.
They headed back.
Chapter 8
Joey tipped up her chin and forced her to look at him. Tears welled in her green eyes and something twisted so deep in his gut it hurt. To think he was the cause of her pain. Since the carnival, the more time he spent around Madeline, the more a faint memory gnawed at him. One that included a tall, skinny, but cute girl with a mop of fire-engine-red curls that bounced about as she followed whichever teammate she was interviewing.
His thumb brushed over her lip. “Did we ever talk?”
She nodded, but didn’t speak. Her lips were smooth, satiny. Was he that insensitive in high school? He could kick himself. Why didn’t he ever notice her?
He traced her lips, her cheek, her ear, pushing back a lock of the smoothest hair he had ever touched. He reached for her hair again, compelled to stroke its silkiness. “What did we talk about?”
She swallowed and cleared her throat, then swiped impatiently at her eyes. “Sports, mostly. I interviewed you a couple of times after a game.”
“I bet you wrote killer articles.”
“I did.”
Joey laughed at her assuredness. She could be vulnerable one minute and cocky the next. He admired that in a person. It made her real. Not like most of the women he’d met recently. They were sure of themselves all the time.
“Maddie. Do you mind if I call you that?” When she didn’t object, he said, “I’m sorry for being an insensitive jerk in high school. To be honest, I do remember this cute, determined redhead with a pen and pad following some of the guys around. Even if it looked like it, I wasn’t ignoring you or trying to avoid you. Just wrapped up in my own world. I never would have hurt you on purpose.” He stood up straight and held out his hand. “Can we start over? I’m Joey.”
His truthfulness seemed to penetrate and she teased him with the start of a smile, placing her hand in his. “Madeline.”
Her hand trembled, and as he covered it with his, he brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss against her knuckles. They warmed to his touch and she rewarded him with a true smile this time. He was about to lean in for a kiss when she moved away.
“What’s wrong?”
“I still have my doubts about you.”
“I promise you, I’m innocent. And I believe you. About the jewelry, I mean.”
She shrugged, but offered no further explanation.
“I guess I’ll have to prove it to you,” he added. Then he took her hands and brought them down in front of him.
“Your nephew’s in my class.” Madeline looked around, as if checking to see if anyone saw them together. “It’s not right. I don’t feel comfortable.”
“Are you saying it’s a conflict of interest or something? He’s not my child. I doubt there’s a rule against it.”
She let go of his hands and rose up to her entire height. Heels and all. “No rules that I know of, but it’s not appropriate. I’m a new teacher. I can’t afford a blemish to mark my clean slate. It would be foolish to give my principal or the board any reason not to give me tenure in two years.”
He grinned at her analogies. “I’m insulted. No one’s ever called me a blemish.”
She put a hand on his chest and grinned back. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. Look, Joey, I need this job. Fraternizing with relatives of students might be frowned upon and I can’t take a chance of not getting rehired over it. I probably shouldn’t even be eating dinner here with you.”
He shook his head about to argue that in their close-knit town everyone fraternized with everyone, but she held up a finger.
“Promise me you’ll keep this moment between us. And don’t say anything to Sabrina. She thinks I worry too much. Speaking of Sabrina, she must be wondering what happened to me.” Madeline’s voice grew tight. “Us.”
He shook his head and grinned again at the intriguing redhead. “Your wish is my command.” He bowed and gestured like a genie.
They headed back.
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