Chapter 6 #2
She grins. “Which one have you met?”
“Theo. He’s the parent of one of my students, and I just moved into his studio apartment.” My cheeks are getting warm and I know she can see it, which makes it worse. Why am I blushing just from saying his name?
She throws her head back and laughs, the sound bright and delighted.
“Of course you did. Of course Theo’s the one who rented to you.
” She’s still grinning when she looks back at me.
“Well, Theo is my brother-in-law. I actually lived in that studio briefly before I moved in with my husband, Calvin. He’s one of the other Midnights. And Susan was their mom.”
I shake my head, trying to process. “Wow. People say small towns are small, but this is next level.”
“You have no idea. The Midnights are everywhere. Can’t throw a rock without hitting one.” She reaches across the bar. “I’m Maren, by the way.”
“Emma. Emma Hayes.” I shake her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Emma.” She slides a menu toward me. “Can I get you a drink? Food? I bet you could use both after a day with twenty-something first graders.”
My stomach growls on cue, loud enough that we both hear it. Perfect timing. “Both, please,” I say, laughing at my body’s betrayal. “I’ll take a glass of red wine, whatever you recommend. And any suggestions on food? I’m not picky, just hungry.”
She taps the menu thoughtfully. “I’d go with the short rib tacos if you’re in the mood for something hearty.
Jayson’s an incredible cook, so honestly everything is stellar, but those are my personal favorite.
Braised for hours, pickled onions, cilantro lime crema. They’re ridiculous in the best way.”
“Sold. That sounds perfect.”
She calls the order back to the kitchen, then turns to pull down a bottle of Cabernet. The pour is generous, which I appreciate more than she probably knows.
“So you teach Chloe?” she asks, sliding the glass across the bar.
“Yeah, she’s the best.” I take a sip, and the wine is rich and smooth and exactly what I needed. “She’s smart as a whip, asks a million questions about everything, has this incredible curiosity about the world. Keeps me on my toes.”
“That’s Chloe,” Maren says, smiling. “She’s actually mentioned her new favorite teacher this year, so it’s nice to put a face to the name.”
Warmth blooms in my chest, and not just from the wine. “She’s a great kid. One of my favorites.” I drop my voice to a stage whisper. “Don’t tell the other kids.”
“Secret’s safe with me.” Maren winks. “So how are you settling into town?”
“Good, actually. Really good. People are friendly, the air smells like trees instead of exhaust, and I’m finally starting to feel like I belong here.
” I take another sip. “Eventually I want to start hiking and exploring more. I used to love that back in Seattle—day trips to the mountains on weekends—but I’ve been so focused on getting my footing with teaching that I haven’t had the chance yet. ”
“Oh, there’s so much amazing hiking around here!
” Maren’s enthusiasm is contagious. “I used to be not super outdoorsy, but my best friend got me into running a while back, and now you can’t keep me away from the trails.
I even joined a women’s hiking group. We go out to a new spot once a month, you should totally come! ”
“That sounds great,” I say, and I mean it. This is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for when I moved here. “I would love that.”
Maren pulls out her phone. “Give me your number and I’ll text you the details. The next one is in a few weeks.”
I rattle off my number and she types it in.
“Perfect,” she says. “We’ll get you out of your hermit shell, don’t worry.”
I’m about to respond when her eyes shift to something behind me and she brightens. “Hey, Theo!”
My stomach flips. I turn on my stool, and there he is, walking toward the bar with that easy confidence he carries everywhere.
He looks surprised to see me, which makes two of us.
He’s wearing jeans and a dark shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and even in the dim light I can see those forearms that have been living rent-free in my head for days.
His hair is slightly mussed and there’s stubble along his jaw that wasn’t there before, and the overall effect is doing things to my pulse that are probably medically inadvisable.
“Emma,” he says, and a smile replaces the surprise. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Well, you mentioned I should stop by,” I say. “Ask and I shall obey.” The words are out before I can stop them and I immediately want to die. Just cease to exist. Vanish into the ether. Ask and I shall obey. Like I’m auditioning to be his good little girl or something.
Not that I’d be opposed. But maybe not in front of his sister-in-law.
Theo’s smile falters for a second, his eyes widening. I can’t tell if he’s more shocked or intrigued. “Uh, good. Well, I mean, I’m glad you stopped by.” He’s flustered, which would be adorable if I wasn’t busy dying of embarrassment.
Ask and I shall obey.
Perfect. Just perfect. Maybe a cartoon anvil will fall on my head and put me out of my misery. Should I just tell him I wouldn’t mind being bent over his knee while I’m at it? Really round out the evening and just fully torch whatever dignity I had left.
I turn back to the bar, praying my cheeks don’t match my hair. Maren has this expression like she’s trying very hard not to burst out laughing but is kindly doing her best to save me from complete humiliation.
“Laila’s over there napping,” Maren says to Theo, pointing to the golden retriever and mercifully steering us toward safer ground. “We went to the beach today, so she’s completely conked out.”
Theo glances over at the dog, who is sprawled on her back with all four paws in the air, snoring despite the bar noise. He laughs, and some of the tension breaks. “Perfect. Thanks for letting me take her on short notice. I think Chloe could use an extra friend this weekend.”
This man. This ridiculous, competent, devoted father of a man. I am so screwed.
Maren’s expression softens. “Yeah, I’m sorry about what happened with Victoria. Calvin told me. That’s tough for a kid.”
He looks between the two of us, then nods. “Yeah. She’s handling it, but still. Having Laila around for a couple nights should help.”
“Definitely,” Maren says. “There’s something about dogs that makes everything better.”
A couple approaches the other end of the bar and Maren glances over. “I should go greet them. Say bye before you leave,” she tells Theo, then smiles at me. “Your food will be up soon.”
We both nod and Maren heads down the bar. Theo turns to me, his expression more serious now.
“How did Chloe seem at school today?” He shifts his weight, looking concerned. “Her mom canceled their weekend.”
I set my wine glass down. “Yeah, she was upset. She told me about it when I checked in on her. But she was better by the end of the day.” I pause. “I ended up canceling our vocabulary quiz so we could do art time and popsicles instead.”
A small smile crosses his face, and his eyes go soft. “That’s really kind of you. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to,” I say simply. “She needed it. She deserves to have good days, especially when hard stuff happens.”
He nods, the smile fading. “She does. I just wish her mom saw that too. It’s getting harder to explain why she keeps canceling.”
Anger flares in my chest. I feel protective of all my students, but the thought of anyone hurting Chloe specifically makes me want to commit a felony. My brain starts searching for a fix, some way to make this better, even though I know I can’t actually change what her mom does.
“Actually,” I say, the idea forming as I speak, “There’s a fall festival this Saturday over in Cedarbrook.
Apple picking, pumpkin patch, hayrides, the whole autumn thing.
I was planning to go anyway.” I keep my voice light, like this is no big deal, like my heart isn’t suddenly pounding.
“You and Chloe should come. Maybe it would cheer her up after the canceled visit.”
He tilts his head. “I hadn’t heard of that. We actually missed the harvest festival here in Dark River a couple weeks back. Chloe wasn’t feeling well.”
“See? It’s a sign.” I smile. “You should come.”
Something shifts in his expression—interest, maybe, but also hesitation. “It sounds fun, but I probably shouldn’t. I have inventory at the restaurant I was going to do while Chloe was with her mom.”
“So reschedule the inventory,” I say. The wine is making me bolder than I might normally be, loosening my tongue in ways that are either going to help me or get me into trouble. Oh well. In for a penny. “Do it Sunday instead. The napkins aren’t going anywhere.”
He hesitates. “The suppliers need the numbers by Monday—“
“So do the count Sunday night after Chloe’s in bed.
Or Monday morning before you open.” I lean forward slightly on my stool, close enough to catch that clean scent of his I remember from my apartment.
“Life’s too short to spend a beautiful October Saturday counting silverware while your kid sits around sad because her mom flaked on her. ”
His jaw tightens slightly at the mention of Victoria, and I wonder if I’ve pushed too far. But then he shakes his head, and he’s smiling. “You make it sound so simple. Are you always this persistent?”
“Only about things that matter,” I say, meeting his eyes.
He holds my gaze for a beat longer than necessary, and I watch something flicker across his face. Consideration, maybe. “I’ll think about it,” he says finally. “But I should go grab Laila and get home.”
“Alright,” I say. “And text me if you decide to come.”
He walks over to where Laila is still sprawled on her dog bed, and I let myself watch him go.
The way he moves, confident but unhurried.
The breadth of his shoulders under that shirt.
The golden retriever wakes when he crouches beside her, immediately rolling over and wagging her tail like he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to her.
I know the feeling, girl.
He clips a leash to her collar and scratches behind her ears, and there’s something about watching a man be gentle with an animal that does things to me. Sue me.
“Maren, I’m heading out,” he calls down the bar.
She looks up from pouring someone’s beer. “Bye! Tell Chloe I said hi. And give that sweet girl extra love from me tonight.”
“Will do.” He gives her a wave, then glances back at me one more time. His eyes find mine across the bar and hold. Just for a second. “Have a good night, Emma.”
“You too, Theo,” I manage, and I like the way his name feels in my mouth. Like something I want to say again. Preferably while he’s doing things that would make me forget my own.
He heads for the door with Laila trotting happily beside him, and I watch until it closes behind them. Watch the space where he was for another few seconds after that, like an idiot.
Then I turn back to my wine and take a long drink.
I replay the conversation in my head. The way he looked at me when I said “only about things that matter.” The way his eyes dropped to my mouth for just a second before he caught himself. The way he said my name.
He’s into me. I’d bet my entire first-year teacher salary on it, and that’s not nothing, even if it is depressingly small.
He’s just too cautious to do anything about it.
The age gap. The teacher thing. The landlord situation.
All perfectly reasonable concerns that I fully intend to help him get over.
If I want this to go anywhere, I have to make the first move. I have to be the one who pushes past all those walls he’s built up. And that’s fine. I didn’t get where I am by waiting around for things to happen to me. When I want something, I go after it.
I want Theo Midnight. And I’m starting to think he wants me, too.