The Talk of the Town

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Halle hurried into the kitchen. She hopped on one foot as she got her shoe on and reached for the coffeemaker with the other hand. She skidded to a halt just as she reached the counter, narrowly avoiding banging her bent knee. She grabbed a mug from the rack next to the machine and poured coffee into it.

She hated when she ran late. She was usually good at getting up early and being at the school before the first students and teachers arrived, but she’d overslept today. Hitting her snooze button multiple times. That was what happened when she stayed up later than usual, video chatting with Quinton. They hadn’t had the chance to be alone since that day in his place, but he’d found a way to make up for not being able to see each other.

They’d started off talking about mundane things. He’d seemed like he’d just wanted to get lost in conversation, and she’d been more than willing to help get his mind off whatever had bothered him. They’d talked about their day at school and their plans for the next. The progress the town was making and what they wanted to do that weekend with Shania. When they’d exhausted all safe topics, they’d finally had to admit that they both were eager for a repeat of their stolen moment. An admission that nudged the conversation into dirty talk. They’d talked in detail about the specific activities they wanted to repeat, which escalated into self-pleasuring demonstrations while the other watched.

Halle’s face heated and her nipples hardened with the memory. She couldn’t believe she’d done that. Not that she would take it back for a second. The memory of Quinton’s big hands squeezing and gliding up and down his length and then hearing his ragged breaths as he released, drove her over the edge. Knowing he watched her, that he was fixated on seeing what brought her pleasure and then his low whispered encouragement followed with a promise of “I’m going to touch you just like that the next time we’re together,” had almost made her climax again.

That memory would bring a smile to her face for the rest of the day. She’d woken up with smile on her face. A smile that faded the second she’d realized she hadn’t set her alarm the night before and that she was going to be late.

The sound of Shania’s alarm clock chimed through the quiet of the house. Halle pulled out a packet of hot chocolate and prepared a mug for Shania. A few minutes later her daughter came shuffling into the kitchen wearing her dark green bathrobe and a purple satin scarf over her hair.

Halle held out the hot chocolate. “I’ve got you.”

“Thank you,” Shania mumbled. “You’re just getting coffee?”

“I woke up late. I’m going to be late for work.”

Shania’s eyes lit up. “Does that mean you can take me to school?”

Halle cut her eyes at Shania while she sipped her coffee. “Taking you to school will make me later.”

Shania appeared unfazed. “You’re the principal and the boss. And since you’re already late, you might as well take me.”

“If you’re ready in the next ten minutes I’ll drop you off at school. Prepare to be early.”

Shania’s eyes widened. “Twenty minutes.”

“Fifteen,” Halle countered.

Shania gave her a thumbs-up. “I’ll be ready.”

Twenty minutes later Halle tapped her foot by the front door. She checked her watch and called, “Shania, come on, girl, before I let you go ahead and take the bus.”

“Here I come!” Shania ran from the back of the house, book bag in tow. She stopped in front of Halle and spread her arms. “Check out the fit. Maximum drip, right?”

Halle laughed then took in her daughter’s outfit. When her eyes landed on the shoes on her feet her smile faded. “Where did you get those shoes?”

Shania’s face brightened. “I was hoping you noticed. Grandma got them for me.”

Halle blinked. “Grandma?”

“Yeah, Grandma Laura. I told her that I like them and then she got them for me. She dropped them off after practice yesterday.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Even more important: why hadn’t Quinton told her? He’d jacked off with her but hadn’t thought to mention that his mom had bought her daughter shoes?

“I wasn’t thinking about it. I had practice and then you were busy on the phone getting stuff ready for the Business Guild meeting. I just thought I’d see if you noticed. I’m telling you now.”

“She shouldn’t be buying you gifts.”

“Why not? She’s my grandmother.”

“Because.” She hesitated as her mind scrambled for a reason other than Halle didn’t like it. That she felt uncomfortable accepting gifts from Quinton’s parents. That she was going to get Shania the same shoes for Christmas and Laura had swept in and stolen her thunder. “She just shouldn’t. She’s not a normal grandmother.”

Shania gave her a you can’t be serious expression. “Just because you and Coach Q didn’t...you know, doesn’t mean she’s not my grandma. Plus, she wants to do nice stuff for me.”

“It’s not her right to do that.”

“It is her right. Why can’t you just be happy for me? I found my dad and my grandparents. You got to have grandparents. Why can’t I?”

Guilt tried to stifle Halle’s justification, but she refused to let it. She was right in this. She didn’t mind Laura and Willie getting to know Shania, but she didn’t want them to believe she needed to be showered with gifts. She’d tried hard to teach Shania that she had to earn the things she wanted. She couldn’t have them come in and undermine that. “What did I tell you about accepting gifts?”

Shania scoffed and looked toward the sky. “Mom, this is my grandmother. She’s not some guy trying to take advantage of me or someone who’s going to think I owe them something. She’s just being nice. You just don’t like that it’s not just you anymore.”

Halle sucked in a breath. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that you liked being the only person in my life. You got to dictate everything and be the only influence. Now I’ve got a dad and grandparents and you don’t want anyone else to do anything for me.”

“That’s not true and you know it. You don’t know your grandparents’ income situation. If buying those shoes hurts them financially.”

“Coach Q has money,” Shania said, sounding a little less confident.

“He played professionally, but his parents didn’t. He’s now teaching high school math and coaching football. You don’t know how much money any of them have. Those shoes cost two hundred dollars. Give them back.”

Shania sighed. “Mom.”

Halle held up a hand. “Don’t mom me. Give them back.”

Shania crossed her arms. “I’ll ride the bus.”

“The hell you will. I’m late because I waited on you. Now get in the car and be happy that I’m dropping you off.”

Shania huffed but headed out the door. Halle pressed a finger to her temple and took a deep breath. She just had to get through the day and then she’d deal with Quinton and his parents and the expensive shoes. She was not about to stand aside and let them undercut everything she’d taught her daughter. Shania was not a spoiled kid, and just because she suddenly had grandparents didn’t mean she was about to become one.

That afternoon, Halle left Shania at home doing homework and went to return the shoes to Quinton’s parents. Her daughter had pouted but hadn’t repeated her earlier comments about Halle overreacting. Halle supposed her lecture about not knowing her grandparents’ financial situation had stuck. Honestly, Halle didn’t know if they were still struggling financially. She doubted that they were. Quinton had played professionally, and he’d mentioned once that he’d taken care of his parents once he’d gone pro. But that didn’t mean they could spend indiscriminately on Shania.

She rang the doorbell and took a deep breath as she waited. She hoped they understood what she was saying and didn’t get upset about her returning the gift.

Quinton came to the door a few seconds after she rang the bell. He looked as if he’d recently showered and changed after football practice. The smell of body wash hovered around him, and he was dressed in joggers and a T-shirt.

He smiled when he saw her. “What are you doing here?”

He looked so happy to see her. She thought about their late-night pillow talk. His excited, choppy breaths. How she’d imagined it was his hands touching her as their eyes locked virtually.

Halle cleared her throat and broke eye contact. She came here for a reason. She needed to stick to it. “I came by to return something.” When he frowned, she held up the shoebox.

His frown deepened. “Nikes?”

“The Nikes your parents bought Shania.”

Confusion clouded his face. “What Nikes?”

Halle opened the box so he could see the pair of black and red shoes. “These Nikes. They bought them for her.”

Frustration crept across his features. “When?”

“I don’t know when, but they gave them to her yesterday.”

“Shit, I told them not to buy her anything. I’m sorry, Halle. I didn’t know about this.”

She searched his face for any signs of deceit. “Really?”

He raised a brow and lowered his voice. “Do you think I would have gone through last night and not said anything?”

Heat crept up her neck and across her cheeks. She shifted as the memories flickered through her mind again. “I’d hope you wouldn’t do that and not tell me.”

He stepped outside. His fingers laced with hers and he pulled her close. “I wouldn’t have let things go so far last night if I’d known. I promised that I would check in with you when it came to Shania and that’s what I meant.”

The righteous indignation that had driven her there melted against the heat in his gaze. “I just had to be sure.” She tried to make her voice firm, while her heart raced.

“Trust me. I meant it when I said that I was here to support you. Not make things harder.”

“I know she really wanted these shoes, but I don’t want your parents to think they have to buy her gifts. Or for her to expect them every time she sees them.”

“They want to spoil her. My dad said that the other night. I told them to take things slow. That you’re still getting used to this.”

Her brows rose. “Aren’t you still getting used to this?”

He nodded. “I am.”

“Why aren’t you upset that they stepped over a boundary already?”

He lifted a shoulder. “I’ve known my parents all my life. One thing I can safely say is that they’re going to do what they want and they’re stubborn. I’m afraid that even though we tell them not to buy Shania anything that they’re still going to try.”

She tried to pull back. “She doesn’t need gifts.”

Quinton held on and didn’t let her step back. His eyes stared back into hers. “She may not need a gift, but that doesn’t mean that my parents won’t want to show her some type of affection. They’re happy. She’s happy to have them. They never got the chance to give me and my sister the things we wanted. Now they’re making up for it with Shania.”

Halle understood that, but it didn’t change how she felt. “I don’t want to spoil her.”

“Neither do I, but can you at least try to understand where my parents are coming from? They finally have a child they can afford to do stuff for. I’ll talk to them and ask them not to do anything extravagant.”

Halle shook the shoebox in her other hand. “Two-hundred-dollar sneakers is extravagant.”

“When I was a kid, it was. Now it’s not.” He spoke easily.

She narrowed her eyes. A suspicion that her claim of his parents being unable to afford expensive gifts was about to be proven wrong. “They have more money now?”

“They have the money I gave them and the investments that they’ve made. I meant it when I said going pro meant I helped them out. I never wanted anyone in my family to struggle. Don’t worry. Two-hundred-dollar sneakers isn’t going to break my parents’ bank account.”

“But I can’t afford two-hundred-dollar sneakers like that. I’m a principal. I have to save up for big gifts. These were going to be her Christmas gift.”

Her world shifted again. She’d fooled herself into thinking that just because Quinton taught school that he was on the same level as her financially. She’d been wrong. “Are you rich?”

“Do you care if I’m rich?” His voice was calm but he watched her warily.

“Yeah. I need to know what kind of life you plan to give Shania. Are you going to spoil her?”

He shook his head. “I’m not trying to spoil her, but...”

This time when she pulled back he let her pull away. “But what?”

“But I’m not going to let her struggle unnecessarily.”

Halle clutched the shoebox with both hands. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’ll help her pay for college, so she doesn’t have student loans. When she’s ready for prom, I’ll rent a limo for her and her friends. When she’s ready to buy a house, I’ll help with the down payment.”

Halle frowned, all things she wanted to do and had scrimped and saved to try to be able to do. “You can do all that?”

“I can. Is it a problem that I can do that?”

“I can’t do all that,” she blurted out. Quinton and his family could give Shania everything Halle had wanted to give her. But they could do it easily. Once again she felt control slipping.

“Do you think Shania will care about that? She loves and respects you, Halle. I don’t plan to rent out Disney World for a graduation party or buy her expensive gifts just because. I want her to be responsible and know how to take care of herself.”

“That’s what I want for her.”

“I know. I just want her to feel secure. Growing up, I was always worried about money. How the bills would get paid and what would my parents be able to afford. I took on a lot of responsibility to keep them safe. I don’t want her to worry about me.”

“After my parents died, I struggled,” Halle admitted. “They didn’t have a will. I had to figure everything out. I want her to feel secure.”

He reached for her, and she didn’t resist when he pulled her in close. “We want the same thing. I promise. No big gifts without talking to you.”

“What’s a big gift? Two hundred dollars isn’t big?”

“Again, I didn’t know about the shoes. What limit do you want to set?”

She sighed and thought about it. Did she really want to give Quinton and his parents trouble if they bought Shania a pair of shoes? What was a good limit to check in before spending? She’d never had to navigate co-parenting before. Now she was supposed to have an answer to a question she didn’t know she’d ever be asked.

“I don’t know, but I like that we want the same thing for Shania,” she said honestly.

He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers. “You don’t have to know today. Right now, I’ll talk to my parents about the shoes. Okay?”

She wanted to kiss him again. To lean into him and finally accept that she had a partner in this. “I still feel...”

“Feel what?”

She searched for the right words. “Like I’m disrespecting your parents and hurting Shania.”

“I’ll talk to them. They’ll understand.”

She looked at the shoebox in her hands. “Maybe I should let her have the shoes.”

“Let me talk to them first. The shoes aren’t going anywhere. We can give them back to her.”

She met Quinton’s gaze. Saw the understanding and support reflected back. He’d respected her feelings but also made her understand his side. This was compromise, partnership, and she liked it. “Why are you so understanding with me?”

“Because I like you.”

Her heart flipped. So many emotions filled her. She’d never thought she would want to lean on anyone else, or that someone would be on her side in this the way Quinton was for such a simple reason. “That’s not the reason why.”

He leaned forward, his voice serious. “That is the reason. I like you, Halle. I like you a lot.”

Halle didn’t know how she’d gotten here. How her life had been turned on its head so quickly, but she wasn’t going to fight this anymore. “I like you, too.”

He smiled as if she’d given him a present. Quinton leaned in and kissed her quickly. “That’s enough for now. We’ll figure out how to make this work and become a family.”

She took a shaky breath. The realization both unsettling and comforting. “We are a family, aren’t we?”

He nodded. “Yes, we are.”