My Bad Boy Valentine (Hope Peak Valentine’s Day)

Chapter One

Caroline

Valentine's Day in Hope Peak always brought out my inner romantic, even if I was just sharing it with thirty overly dramatic sixth graders. Between my sister Mira's whirlwind Christmas cruise ship romance with Colt and my best friend Tessa finding love with Ryder, our little Montana town seemed determined to remind me that February was for more than just classroom decorations and lonely dinners with my romance novels.

The Belle sisters couldn't have been more different. Mira, four years older than me, was all

sleek blonde perfection and ambitious drive—the kind of woman who turned heads when she walked into Levi’s bar and who landed a marketing executive position before she’d even finished college. Meanwhile, I was the soft one, the sister who baked cookies and read sentimental stories and never strayed far from home. My curves were more generous, my blonde hair darker and more unruly, my life more...unremarkable. Okay, so a lot more.

"Caroline needs adventure," Mira had announced at Sunday dinner last week, waving her

wine glass while our parents nodded indulgently. "She can't spend her whole life hiding behind a desk." Easy for her to say—she'd just returned from a luxury vacation with a brand-new gorgeous boyfriend on her arm. I'd spent my winter break grading papers and trying not to feel like I was disappointing everyone by being content with my quiet life.

That morning, I spent far too long choosing my outfit, finally settling on my favorite sweater—a soft blue that brought out my eyes and hugged my curves in a way that made me feel almost pretty. Not Mira-level gorgeous, but... noticeable. My mother would have said I was being silly—"Caroline, dear, teachers don't need to worry about fashion"—but something made me want to look nice that day.

I paused outside Hope Peak Middle School's front entrance, juggling my coffee and a stack of Pride and Prejudice study guides while fumbling for my keys. The crisp February morning painted my round cheeks with what my mother called my "perpetual blush," and the mountains surrounding our little town were still dusted with snow against the bright blue sky. The kind of morning that made Hope Peak look like something from a postcard with its charming storefronts and small-town warmth.

Across the street, Tessa was arranging her Valentine's display in The Velvet Book's window. Romance novels in shades of red and pink, hearts and flowers promising happy endings to anyone brave enough to reach for them. My best friend was finally dating Ryder, her brother’s best friend and the guy she’d had a secret crush on ever since I could remember.

A motorcycle's deep rumble shattered the quiet, and my heart stopped. I knew that sound. Everyone in Hope Peak knew that sound—the same one that used to make teachers nervous and girls swoon back in high school. The same one that had made shy, bookish Caroline Belle peek over her novel in study hall, hoping for just one glance from the boy who never knew she existed.

Knox Slater was back.

The gossip had been swirling for days at the Skyline and the grocery store. Hope Peak's prodigal son returning—the boy who'd left in handcuffs and come back a man. I'd overheard Mrs. Chen telling my mother all about it at the market: "Opening a motorcycle shop in the old Peterson garage. Can you imagine? After everything that happened with his parents..."

I told myself not to look. I was a responsible teacher about to start her day. I absolutely should not have been watching Hope Peak's most notorious bad boy park his gleaming black motorcycle in the school lot. But I couldn't help myself. Just like I couldn't help stealing glances at him in high school, when I'd been a shy, awkward teenager dreaming about a boy who represented everything my parents warned me against.

He was bigger than I remembered, but his broad shoulders and muscled arms under his leather jacket weren’t hard to miss. The years had transformed him from dangerous boy to forbidding man. His goatee framed a jaw that could have been carved from granite, and the elaborate tattoos that climbed up his neck caught the winter morning sun.

Something inside me went still when he helped Linzie—his 13-year-old younger sister and a student in my class—off his bike, the gesture so gentle it made my chest ache. I remembered being her age, watching Knox from behind my books, too shy to even smile when he passed me in the hall. Now here he was, carefully adjusting his sister's backpack, showing a tenderness that contradicted every rumor Hope Peak had ever whispered about him.

"Earth to Ms. Belle?"

I jumped, nearly dropping everything. Jason Chen grinned at me from the doorway, already reaching for the tilting stack of study guides. His mother's restaurant was next to Knox's new shop, which meant she probably had all the latest gossip about our town’s prodigal son.

"Thank you, Jason." I finally got the door unlocked, forcing myself to focus on my students arriving instead of the man in the parking lot. My mother's voice echoed in my head: 'Caroline, dear, you spend too much time daydreaming. Look at your sister—she knows exactly what she wants.' The familiar comparison stung, but I pushed it aside. "Ready to start Pride and Prejudice today?"

"My sister says it's boring," he informed me, following me to my classroom. "But she also likes those weird vampire books, so..."

The classroom filled quickly with chattering pre-teens, their energy infectious as always. I spotted Linzie slipping into a back corner seat, dark hood pulled up despite the dress code. She reminded me so much of Knox at that age with her sullen expression. The same look he'd had in study hall, right before everything came out about his family.

"Okay, everyone!" I clapped my hands. "Before we start our new book, let's talk about what makes a good love story. What elements do we need?"

"Kissing!" Emma Martinez called out, making everyone giggle. Emma was going through a serious romance phase—last week she'd asked if she could write her book report on one of the novels she'd spotted in Tessa's window display.

"Fighting and then kissing!" added Mackenzie, whose older sister worked at Levi's bar and probably filled her head with stories about the local couples.

"When they have to overcome stuff," Jason offered. "Like in Romeo and Juliet."

"Very good insights," I said, writing their suggestions on the board. "Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy have to overcome their pride and prejudices before they can find love. Sometimes our first impressions of people aren't always accurate, are they?"

Just as we were getting into a good discussion, a knock at my door made me turn. My heart sank when I saw Principal Matthews standing there, lips pressed into a thin line. Susan Matthews had been running Hope Peak Middle School since I was a student here, and she took her role as guardian of young minds very seriously.

"Ms. Belle? A word?"

In the hallway, she cut straight to the point. "I assume you've seen our new...parent. Knox Slater is now his sister Linzie’s legal guardian, in case you weren’t already aware."

I straightened my cardigan, suddenly very aware of how my curves filled out the soft blue fabric.

"I'm concerned about his presence on school grounds, given his history. The board has expressed reservations."

The words slipped out before I could stop them. "People change, Susan."

Her eyebrows rose at my tone. I was usually the peacekeeper, never the one to rock the boat. Always reliable Caroline, the teacher’s pet who never caused trouble. But something about the principal’s automatic dismissal of Knox rubbed me wrong.

"Just...be careful," she said finally. "Document everything with Linzie. We don't need trouble."

The morning passed in a blur of literature discussions and trying not to glance at the parking lot where Knox's black motorcycle gleamed in the sun. During lunch, I escaped to The Velvet Book, desperate for caffeine and my best friend's advice.

Tessa took one look at my face and started making my usual vanilla latte. The smell of coffee and books wrapped around me like a hug as she added an extra shot of espresso from the maker without asking. "Spill."

"Knox Slater is back in town."

"Oh honey, I know." She glanced out the window at the mountains. "Ryder saw him moving into the old Peterson garage last week. He's opening a motorcycle shop."

"He's Linzie's guardian now," I said, accepting the coffee. "She's in my class."

"Mhmm." Tessa's knowing look made me blush. "And how's that working out for your old crush?"

"I did not have a crush!"

"Caroline." She leaned across the counter, brown eyes sparkling. "You spent all of sophomore year staring at him in study hall. I was there, remember?"

I groaned, remembering my mousy teenage self mooning over the bad boy who never gave me a second glance. I'd been so different from my older sister—while Mira was dating the football captain, I was dreaming about a boy I was too scared to even smile at.

After Tessa and I finished catching up, I returned to my classroom where I ate the ham and cheddar sandwich I’d brought from home and prepared for the last two class periods of the day. Finally, the final bell rang, and I was gathering my things when a deep voice from my doorway made me freeze.

"Ms. Belle?"

I turned slowly. Knox filled the doorframe, somehow larger and more imposing up close. His tattoos were more visible now, since he had his jacket slung over one shoulder, and I spotted religious symbols mixed with faded images of seething dragons and knives. But it was his eyes that caught me off guard—dark and intense, yes, but with a depth that wasn’t there in high school.

"Mr. Slater." I was proud that my voice stayed steady despite my racing heart. "What can I do for you?"

"Knox," he corrected. "I wanted to talk about my sister Linzie."

"Of course." I gestured to my desk. "I've noticed she's struggling with the reading assignments."

He ran a hand through his tousled dark hair. "Yeah, she's... school's never been easy for her."

"Like it wasn't for you?"

The words slipped out before I could stop them. His eyes narrowed slightly, studying me in a way that made my skin tingle.

"You remember that?"

Heat flooded my cheeks. "Small town. Everyone knows everyone."

"Right." A hint of a smile played at his lips. "Except I don't remember you being this..."

He trailed off, gaze sliding over me in a way that made me forget all about being shy and quiet.

"Being what?"

"I don’t know," he said finally. “You just look…different…that’s all. In a good way.”

The air between us felt charged, and electricity zinged through my veins. I should have been professional, focused on Linzie. Instead, I was wondering if his goatee would scratch if he kissed me, if those strong hands would be gentle like they were with his sister.

"I want to help," I said quickly. "Linzie, I mean. She's bright, I can tell. We just need to figure out what's holding her back."

Knox's expression softened when I mentioned his sister. "Thanks. For giving her a chance. Not everyone does."

"Everyone deserves a second chance." I met his eyes steadily. "Don't you think?"

Something intense flashed across his face, gone before I could interpret it. "Maybe. If they've earned it."

The sound of students in the hallway broke the moment. Knox straightened, the hint of vulnerability vanishing behind his tough exterior.

"I should go. Thanks for..." He gestured vaguely. "Just, thanks."

I watched him stride away, trying to calm my racing heart. Tonight at our weekly family dinner, Mira would take one look at my face and know everything. She always did. And she’d be right.

Because Knox Slater was more dangerous to my peace of mind now than he'd ever been in high school. Only this time, he might actually be noticing me back.

And I wasn't sure my heart was ready for what that meant.