Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Amber
C hatter fills the classroom as my fourth graders shuffle into their seats, their backpacks thudding onto the floor and chairs scraping across the tile. I stand at the front of the room with a bright smile plastered on my face. Mornings like this always remind me why I love teaching.
“Good morning, class!” I say, clapping my hands once to get their attention.
“Good morning, Miss Shafer!” they chime back in a singsong chorus.
I scan the room, my eyes landing on Casey. She’s sitting near the window, her hands folded neatly on her desk, her gaze darting from me to the book she brought from home. She’s still quiet, but there’s a new light in her eyes, a spark that wasn’t there a few weeks ago.
“Alright, let’s start with our morning warm-up,” I say, moving to the whiteboard. “On your desks, you’ll find a worksheet with a riddle at the bottom. Solve the math problems to uncover the answer.”
Casey picks up her pencil, her brow furrowed in concentration. I watch as she glances at the student beside her for reassurance before diving into the work. It’s small, but it’s progress.
I circulate the room during reading time, offering guidance and encouragement. Casey is curled up with a book, her lips moving silently as she reads.
“Casey,” I say softly, crouching beside her. “How’s the book?”
She looks up, her cheeks flushing pink. “It’s good. It’s a scary one.”
“You like the scary ones, huh?” I say, smiling. “I’m a big fan of all of the Goosebumps books.”
Her eyes widen. “Really?”
“Really,” I confirm. “Maybe you can tell me your favorite part of this one when you’re done.”
She nods, a small smile tugging at her lips.
It feels good to see this change in her. I’m grateful she finally feels comfortable enough to open up a bit.
The classroom is quiet after the final bell rings. I’m tidying up when Casey comes back in with her dad. She rushes over to give me a quick hug even though she just saw me less than an hour ago. I don’t look up at Derek as she does. I don’t want to see the irritation that’s no doubt in his expression.
When I do look up, Derek looks every bit the part of the hardworking single dad—faded jeans, a plain T-shirt, and that perpetual air of exhaustion he tries to mask with a smile. My stomach betrays me by doing that stupid little flip it does when I see him.
“Hi, Miss Shafer,” Casey says shyly, her voice barely above a whisper. “Can I read one of the new books while you talk to my dad?”
“Of course you can,” I say. “You know where they are.”
She beams and heads to the nook, picking up one of the Goosebumps books. She settles into the beanbag chair, her little legs swinging as she flips through the pages. I smile as I watch her.
“She loves that reading nook,” Derek interjects, his voice low.
“I can tell,” I reply, motioning for him to sit.
As he takes a seat across from me, I notice him glance toward Casey. His expression softens when he sees her engrossed in the book.
“She hugged you when we came in,” he says suddenly, his voice thick with emotion.
I smile. “She’s a sweet girl. I think she’s starting to feel more comfortable with me.”
He nods slowly. In the past, he looked irritated when his daughter showed emotion toward me, but now his expression is entirely different. It’s almost like he’s okay with it.
What does that mean?
It doesn’t matter. As hard as it is not to flirt with him or even be attracted to him, I have to stay strong.
“I see that, too. She’s like a different kid at home. I guess I didn’t realize how much she had withdrawn until you mentioned it.”
I pull out a folder and hand it to Derek. “I wanted to show you this,” I say, flipping to the spelling test. “She got 100 percent. Every single word correct.”
His face lights up, and he leans forward to get a better look. “She did this?”
“She did,” I say, my voice brimming with pride. “And that’s not all. For her oral history project, she stood in front of the class and talked about Abraham Lincoln. She was nervous, but she did it.”
His eyes glisten as he stares at the paper. “She hates talking in front of people. I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” I reply. “Just know that she’s working hard, and it’s paying off. You’re doing an amazing job with her, Derek.”
He looks up at me, his expression a mix of gratitude and disbelief. His eyes hold mine for a brief few seconds and my stomach flips again.
“You think so?”
“I know so,” I say firmly. “She’s thriving because of you.”
He leans back in his chair, a small smile tugging at his lips. “You’re good at this, you know. Making people feel like they’re doing better than they think they are.”
I laugh. “It’s part of the job. But seriously, you should be proud of yourself. Casey’s progress is a reflection of the love and support she gets at home.”
“Well, I try,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “But sometimes it feels like I’m just winging it.”
“Welcome to life,” I tease. “None of us really knows what we’re doing. We just fake it until we make it.”
He chuckles, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You’re not faking it. You’re a natural.”
“Not really.” I smirk.
My heart flutters when he looks directly into my eyes. This is such a different man than the one I first met. He’s kind and funny now, not that brooding jerk.
“Miss Shafer?” Casey pipes up from the reading nook.
“Yes, Casey?”
“Can I take this book home?” she asks, holding it up.
“Of course,” I say. “Just make sure to bring it back, okay?”
“I will!” she promises, her face lighting up.
Derek watches her with a soft smile, and I can see the pride in his eyes. My heart melts a little, and I sigh. I clear my throat and straighten up a little. It doesn’t work. Seeing his love and pride in Casey blows up whatever guards I thought I had around my heart.
“She’s lucky to have you,” I say softly.
“She’s my world,” he replies, his voice thick with emotion.
Why does he have to be this version? It was easier to say I couldn’t date him when he was a jerk.
Something about him makes me smile and feel…I don’t know floaty or giddy inside. I’ve never felt that before.
“She’s been doing so good lately. I’m glad we were able to get ahead of things.”
“Me too. I thought you were being a little too much in the beginning, but I’m glad that you care so much about these kids. It really shows.”
I grin proudly back at him. I’m not used to getting a lot of compliments, especially not from parents. For whatever reason, it feels different coming from him. The words cause me to relax even more. Whatever resolve I had against him is gone.
“Miss Shafer, are you going to the Fall Festival tonight?” Casey interrupts.
“I’m not sure. Will you be there?”
“Yes, ma’am.” She grins. “It’s my favorite thing! Have you ever been before?”
“Not for a very long time. What’s the one thing that I should make sure I see?” I ask.
“You definitely have to come to our booth!”
“Your booth? Do you have a petting zoo set up?”
“No.” Derek chuckles. “Nothing like that.”
“Daddy makes apple cider and wine, and we’ll have some pies and stuff. It’s so much fun. Will you come by and see us?”
“Well, of course, especially now that I know you’ll be there.”
“Sweet!” She grins widely before her eyes flit to her dad, and she grins proudly at him.
“We should get going. I still have to load the truck up with everything,” he says with a smile as he ruffles his daughter’s hair. “I guess we’ll see you later tonight.”
It’s a date.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Casey skips out of the room with Derek close behind her. I watch them go before I move about the room, getting my things together.
I grab my phone and call Bree, and she answers on the first ring.
“Do you want to go to the Fall Festival with me tonight?”
“Ohhh, of course. I thought Charlie and I were going, but he has to work late.”
“Perfect.”
“I’ll see you around six,” she says before hanging up.
I drop my phone into my purse and smile down at it.
Okay, so I know it’s not a date, but I’m excited about getting to see Derek again outside of the classroom.
Maybe he’ll get up enough nerve to ask me on a date. And maybe I’ll stop thinking this is a bad idea by then.