replied, mortified all over again. “I’m so sorry about that. I hope it’s alright he stayed that late.”
“Honey you could have stayed out all night for all we care. I’m just jealous. Was it Terry?”
With a groan, she stared at the words, unable to formulate a response that sounded in any way like a grown up woman’s. Figuring that she’d ignore it now, answer later, she took her purse from Cole’s hand, sopped up the coffee spill and guided him out into the hall.
Once she’d parked and set Cole down, she smoothed her rowdy hair back with the mostly useless headband and made a mental note to find an appropriate hairdresser. Hearing her mother in her head, reminding her that there likely was no such thing in this two-bit, redneck town, she guided Cole past the large lawn where the marching band was practicing, and into the door that, she recalled from her interview, opened into the music and theater hall of the massive high school.
People were roaming around, getting ready for Monday’s start. She smiled at a few, still gripping Cole’s hand so he wouldn’t bolt away from her. Her heart pounded at the sight of the door next to the choir room: “Mariah Bailey,” it said. “Music Instruction.”
She’d been a very late hire, Kieran had said, but she’d been the only one he wanted. Or so he claimed. The pay wasn’t great, but she was on the “beggars” side of that old adage. Besides, she’d lived on less before. And since she was paying such a ridiculous pittance for rent on a really nice condo, her numbers might even allow for a bit of excess every now and then.
The door was unlocked so she pushed it open, gasping at the sight of a huge bouquet of flowers, about a million balloons and a giant sign: “Welcome to Lucasville High Music! Singing Star Mariah Bailey!” Tears stung her eyes again.
“Mama, let go’a me. I want a balloon!” She let him go and he started snagging the strings and running around her tiny space—her space. Her office. Her first real job in a field she adored.
“Oh, hi,” a deep voice said, making her turn around after hopefully clearing the evidence of her silly emotional outburst off her face. “Welcome,” Kieran Love said. Mariah grinned at him. Her new boss, a former Division one NCAA and NBA basketball star was the tallest man she’d ever seen, with wavy red hair, huge green eyes and a sweet smile, which he was currently using on her son—who was flailing around with the balloons at the moment.
“Sorry,” she said, attempting to grab him as he dashed by her. “I hope it’s okay I brought him today. It’s…”
“Say no more,” Kieran said, crouching down and getting on Cole’s eye level. The boy stopped, his fist closed around the balloon strings. “Hi there, you must be Cole. I’m Mr. Love.” He held out a hand. Cole looked up at her. She nodded. He took the man’s hand and shook it in his solemn way, in opposition to the way he’d just been running around as if he were high on sugar. “I have a surprise for you,” he said, addressing the boy directly.
Cole blinked, glanced up at her then back at the tall stranger. “I like surprises,” he said softly.
“Do you like to kick soccer balls?”
Cole nodded. Kieran stood and took the boy’s hand. “Cool. My boys are here today too, Frankie and Sean. They’re on the soccer field with the new coach, helping him with some stuff.” He leaned into Mariah. “Or just getting in his way, but I had to bring them so he took them off my hands for a while.”
She smiled, her heart expanding at the concept that she had, indeed, found the perfect place to land, to build her new life, just her and her boy. At that moment, a more recent memory wafted across her brain, making her bite her lip and turn away. Terry’s face filled her mind, the remembered sensation of his lips and hands made every inch of her skin pebble with illicit pleasure.
She stared at the empty bookshelves, forcing herself to
“Honey you could have stayed out all night for all we care. I’m just jealous. Was it Terry?”
With a groan, she stared at the words, unable to formulate a response that sounded in any way like a grown up woman’s. Figuring that she’d ignore it now, answer later, she took her purse from Cole’s hand, sopped up the coffee spill and guided him out into the hall.
Once she’d parked and set Cole down, she smoothed her rowdy hair back with the mostly useless headband and made a mental note to find an appropriate hairdresser. Hearing her mother in her head, reminding her that there likely was no such thing in this two-bit, redneck town, she guided Cole past the large lawn where the marching band was practicing, and into the door that, she recalled from her interview, opened into the music and theater hall of the massive high school.
People were roaming around, getting ready for Monday’s start. She smiled at a few, still gripping Cole’s hand so he wouldn’t bolt away from her. Her heart pounded at the sight of the door next to the choir room: “Mariah Bailey,” it said. “Music Instruction.”
She’d been a very late hire, Kieran had said, but she’d been the only one he wanted. Or so he claimed. The pay wasn’t great, but she was on the “beggars” side of that old adage. Besides, she’d lived on less before. And since she was paying such a ridiculous pittance for rent on a really nice condo, her numbers might even allow for a bit of excess every now and then.
The door was unlocked so she pushed it open, gasping at the sight of a huge bouquet of flowers, about a million balloons and a giant sign: “Welcome to Lucasville High Music! Singing Star Mariah Bailey!” Tears stung her eyes again.
“Mama, let go’a me. I want a balloon!” She let him go and he started snagging the strings and running around her tiny space—her space. Her office. Her first real job in a field she adored.
“Oh, hi,” a deep voice said, making her turn around after hopefully clearing the evidence of her silly emotional outburst off her face. “Welcome,” Kieran Love said. Mariah grinned at him. Her new boss, a former Division one NCAA and NBA basketball star was the tallest man she’d ever seen, with wavy red hair, huge green eyes and a sweet smile, which he was currently using on her son—who was flailing around with the balloons at the moment.
“Sorry,” she said, attempting to grab him as he dashed by her. “I hope it’s okay I brought him today. It’s…”
“Say no more,” Kieran said, crouching down and getting on Cole’s eye level. The boy stopped, his fist closed around the balloon strings. “Hi there, you must be Cole. I’m Mr. Love.” He held out a hand. Cole looked up at her. She nodded. He took the man’s hand and shook it in his solemn way, in opposition to the way he’d just been running around as if he were high on sugar. “I have a surprise for you,” he said, addressing the boy directly.
Cole blinked, glanced up at her then back at the tall stranger. “I like surprises,” he said softly.
“Do you like to kick soccer balls?”
Cole nodded. Kieran stood and took the boy’s hand. “Cool. My boys are here today too, Frankie and Sean. They’re on the soccer field with the new coach, helping him with some stuff.” He leaned into Mariah. “Or just getting in his way, but I had to bring them so he took them off my hands for a while.”
She smiled, her heart expanding at the concept that she had, indeed, found the perfect place to land, to build her new life, just her and her boy. At that moment, a more recent memory wafted across her brain, making her bite her lip and turn away. Terry’s face filled her mind, the remembered sensation of his lips and hands made every inch of her skin pebble with illicit pleasure.
She stared at the empty bookshelves, forcing herself to
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