Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Delaney
Today's been one of those days where everything just wants to pile right on top of me. The curse that I swear by seems to be taking its toll with each ticking second going by.
First thing this morning, I had to deal with the questioning stares and contemptuous looks of my colleagues.
Then the principal called me into his office, where I found both him and the head of the school board.
That wasn't even the topping on the cake, though it made up all the layers.
I also received a text message from Philip demanding to know where I was.
I didn't opened the message. Instead, I blocked the number just as I did with the last one he texted me from.
At lunchtime, I’d finally gotten a call from Dustin.
The fire marshal had been in touch after completing his investigation at the house.
He hadn’t wanted to tell me the results, but I had the right to know.
A part of me had been relieved it wasn’t something that I’d done to cause the fire, but the rest of me wanted to freak out, finding out it’d essentially been set on purpose.
The fire marshal stated he found evidence of gasoline being used as the accelerant that started the fire.
The heat of the fire caused the second floor to collapse in from the heat and the flames eating at the beams, weakening them.
The only bright side of my day had been the children in my class.
They were always a joy to be around, and I hate that I missed so much time with them.
An added bonus part to make the day better had been dinner at The Hideaway.
I absolutely demolished my food in record time.
I’m blaming it on my eating for three gig.
Dinner had been full of Dash filling his dad in on what all we did in class and when he was in gym, not to mention what he and two other kids talked about at lunch–slimy frogs–gross.
He did all of this while consuming all of his mac and cheese mixed in with broccoli, which seemed to surprise Tyler immensely.
Dash isn't one for wanting to eat veggies.
He seems to stick to one thing, but this past week I'd been able to get him to eat some at every meal by making them fun to eat.
Now with us being back at Tyler's, Dash riding around on his bike while we watch from the swing, I knew it was coming. Tyler let it slide earlier, but time was up.
"Alright, sweetheart, tell me what happened today that upset you," Tyler prompts, one arm stretched along the back of the swing, fingers playing with my hair. His long legs keep the swing in motion while I sit with my feet curled up in front of me.
This swing has become my favorite spot to relax around here.
Soon, I won't be able to sit as I like to while he sets the pace of movement with his long legs. I discovered this morning that my pants no longer fit me. I had to rig them up with a hair tie. When I looked in the mirror, I noticed I was already starting to sport the slightest bump. I’d been able to conceal it for the most part by wearing a flowy top and cardigan, but my pants were another story.
Sighing, I keep my eyes on Dash as I begin, "You know I've always thought of myself as cursed. Cursed to never be happy. Cursed to lose everyone in my life. Cursed to never see the sunlight through all the rain."
"Why's that?" Tyler asks, his fingers stilling, but he keeps the swing moving.
"My mom walked out on us when I was little. Then Dad passed away. Davis was killed, leaving Dustin and me broken in a lot of ways. Now, I'm pregnant, and I'm scared out of my mind I'll lose them. I'm scared of being happy in the now when it can be ripped away from me in the blink of an eye."
"Can't predict the future, Delaney. You gotta live in the here and now. Not worry about the what-ifs."
I nod at Tyler's gentle words. I couldn't agree more. "You saw the guy who attacked me, Philip. I know you heard me tell him what I did, but here’s the full story. I went on a handful of dates with him. I didn’t see it going anywhere, so I told him I’d rather be friends.
He seemed okay with it. We hung out a few other times while out with other people.
When he found out I was moving home, he tried to talk me out of it.
I refused, and he slapped me. The day he showed up at my apartment, he beat me up because I wasn’t happy he moved to town to be with me. I told him to leave.”
I feel Tyler tense, but he doesn't say anything, so I keep right on going.
"This morning while the kids were at gym class, the principal called me to his office. He and the superintendent were both waiting for me."
"What the hell did they want?" he growls.
I take a breath and look to him to give him this part.
"First, the principal informed me that he was concerned about a rumor he heard about me being in a relationship with one of my students' parents. He didn’t ask about my pregnancy, but the way he looked at my stomach in question spoke volumes. He claimed that someone reported seeing the two of us together at the doctor’s office. Which also confirmed he knew.”
I hadn’t spoken a word of it to anyone, but knowing the community around here, I shouldn’t be surprised that speculation has started after my appointment Tyler went with me to, and my trip to the ER.
For all I know someone could have heard Tyler announce it to the nurses’s station in the ER waiting room when he got there that he was the father of my babies.
I just can’t be sure of it. He might not have even heard, and I’m seeing things.
“He called you into the office all because you’re involved with one of your students’s parents? That doesn’t make sense. People have relationships all the damn time.” Tyler’s voice causes a shiver to run down my spine at the deep rumble of it. The way his eyes darken in anger doesn’t help.
“It wasn’t the only reason, but he said it didn't look good for the school for a teacher to be involved with a parent.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Nope,” I mutter, shaking my head and keep going. “To make it worse, he called in the superintendent.”
“What did he have to say about all of this?”
I suck in a breath and tell him, “Well, he decided to inform me of his concerns about my home going up in flames and a strange man confronting me outside the school.
Not to mention my missing days due to my attack.
He claimed they didn't need a teacher at the school that could bring a threat to their students.”
“What the hell!” Tyler's voice speaks volumes for how pissed he’s getting on my behalf. “How do they even know about the fire? Do they even know that it wasn’t your fault? And why the hell would you being confronted outside of the school have anything to do with this?”
I feel the same way about everything he’s questioning.
“I don’t think they really care. It’s a matter of the image the school wants to portray to the public.
” I sigh, lowering my head. “They’ve decided that it’s in the best interest of the school at this time that I am suspended without pay after finishing out the day.
The school board will be meeting to decide whether I'm a risk they're willing to take having on staff at their precious school. "
"You've got to be kidding me," Tyler bites out. "They can't do that, can they?"
"I’m a new hire. They can do what they want. Granted, their job is to look out for the safety of the children in the school. Right now, they see me as a liability to them."
"How the hell are you a liability? Did you ask to be attacked?
For your home to be burned down. Were you throwing yourself out there demanding someone hit you?
Inviting strangers to the school?" The anger all but rolls off Tyler in waves.
"Who are they to say who you can and can't be with?
They don't know a damn thing about our relationship and when it started.
It's a small town, and it's not like there's no talk about other teachers and what they get up to. "
"Yes, but people frown upon teachers dating the students' parents who are in said teacher’s class. Some might see it as favoritism," I point out.
"Bullshit, it's them sticking their noses in our business. You don't pull that shit in your class. I'm sure of it without a doubt, you treat each student the same as you do Dash."
I did do this. I’m not one for playing favoritism in my classroom. I believe every child should be treated equally, and I don't want anyone to feel neglected in any way, shape, or form.
"They're not going to see it that way. All they care about are appearances." I shrug and let out a heavy breath. “Maybe it’s a good thing.”
“Did anything else happen?” he asks.
“Dustin called,” I tell him about the fire marshal’s report. When I finish, Tyler’s anger seems to skyrocket.
“Someone set your house on fire,” he snarls through gritted teeth.
“Yeah.” I nod, swallowing nervously as I look back to watch Dash riding his bike, not seeing him. "Where'd he go?" I ask, lowering my feet.
Tyler stops the swing and hops off the swing, yelling, "Dash."
I follow Tyler as he heads for the stairs and down them, though I take them at a slower speed than he does. The last thing I need is to trip and tumble down.
"Dash, where are you?" Tyler shouts.
"Look, Daddy," Dash yells from around the side of the house.
I come to a stop as Dash points at what looks like a dead fox. "Is that . . ."
"Dash, you know you're not supposed to be where no one can see you," Tyler mutters, scooping Dash up. "No more riding your bike the rest of the week."
"But I just wanted to see what was lying on the ground," Dash whines, clearly upset at his punishment. "There's no one around to worry about stranger danger."
"Doesn’t matter, Dash, you tell someone," Tyler informs. “You don’t go anywhere a grown-up can’t see you. It's still hot out and snakes are out. Not to mention all the other sorts of danger you could find yourself in."
Watching the two of them together, the way Tyler handles Dash with ease, explaining everything to him without being too hard on him, causes a fist to squeeze at my heart.
Tyler sets Dash on his feet and motions for him to head toward the front of the house. "I want you to go inside and get ready for your bath. I'll be just a moment to get the water going."
"Okay." Dash pouts, but does as he's told.
When he's out of hearing range, I step closer to Tyler, only for him to put a hand up, stopping me. "Don't get too close to that thing. You're pregnant, and I'm not taking chances."
"I wasn't going to touch it," I inform him briskly. "I just wanted to see how it died."
"It looks like it was killed by an animal," he grumbles, shakes his head, and sighs. "I'm gonna check the cameras in hopes of seeing what did this. Once I do that, I'll get rid of it. I don't want you anywhere near it."
"Okay." I nod, drawing my bottom lip between my teeth.
"What is it?" he asks, curling a hand around my neck, the other going to my chin to tip my head back.
"I . . . I . . ." I shake my head. "It's nothing."
"It's not nothing, sweetheart. You've got something on your mind, what is it?" he pushes, eyes laser-focused.
I swallow and finish what I started to tell him about everything.
"I just didn’t finish telling you everything.
” I take a deep breath and give him the rest about how Philip had texted me.
I don’t want to hide anything from him. He deserves to know it all.
Just as he gifted me by telling me about Megan the other day.
If what we’re starting is going to work, I don’t want to keep my fears at bay. I know being on the ranch with him, Philip can’t get to me. I’m safe here. Tyler told me all about the cameras they’ve got set up.
“Sweetheart, Philip is nothing more than an asswipe that needs his ass handed to him. If he tries to contact you again, tell me. I’ll track him down and deliver that kicking personally.”
I draw my lip in once again and nod. I don’t want him to get into trouble.
“And since you’re suspended for the time being, instead of you sticking around bored out of your mind here at the house, why don’t you come to work with me?” I know it’s not ideal, but I want her with me.
“I don’t know anything about working on a ranch,” I blurt, staring up at him wide-eyed. “Besides, you don’t need me hanging around you all day while you’re working.”
A grin slides into place, and he dips his head to rest his forehead against mine. "We'll figure it out, Delaney. I promise you won't be bored. You’ll hang out with me and around the ranch until we get everything sorted out."
"Okay," I whisper, trusting him in a way I've not trusted anyone else except my brother. Though I’m not sure about working on the ranch. But for now, I suppose it's better than just sitting around the house. I don’t like twiddling my thumbs.