Chapter 2
Farrah
With a deep breath, I settle my pink rhinestone headband into my dark hair. I’ve carefully curled each strand into purposefully messy waves. The style makes it look as if I didn’t try too hard, while still being professional.
God, I still miss her every day. Despite her cancer diagnosis, she hung on until I was a teen. I think she knew I’d never have survived with my alcoholic dad if she’d left me too soon.
I shake off my melancholy thoughts. I need to be at the top of my game tonight.
The parents will be here any minute to find out how prepared their kids are for first grade. As part of our school’s grant funding, we’re required to hold parent-teacher conferences twice a year—once in the fall and again in the spring.
Most of the parents I have to interact with are amazing.
I got lucky this year compared to the other kindergarten teachers.
These kids are some of the best students I’ve had in the seven years I’ve been a teacher, and their parents are just as great.
There are just a couple I struggle to interact with.
Well, really only one in particular.
Knox Waters.
Just thinking his name makes my blood pressure rise. I have yet to figure out how such a grumpy asshole of a man could raise such a sweet and kind kid. Finn is one of the best in my class, which is saying something. He’s always helpful, listens with ease, and can make me laugh at the drop of a hat.
Sometimes I worry about his home life. Is Knox kind to him when it’s just the two of them? I know Finn’s mom isn’t in the picture, though I don’t know the story behind why. Does he have other influences in his life who make him such a great kid?
I was not raised in a healthy home, and I know I tried to make up for it at school. I hope Knox isn’t a jerk to Finn… but any time I’ve seen him interact with his son, he gets a soft look in his eyes that cannot be faked. Trust me, I’d know.
So maybe it’s just me that Knox has a problem with. I suppose I’d take that over him being mean to Finn.
It still blows serious chunks to interact with the jerk.
I’ve had enough of men thinking they can treat people however they’d like with no consequences.
If Knox decides to be hateful tonight, I’m going to give it straight back to him, consequences be damned.
I only have to interact with him for another couple of months.
As sad as I’ll be to watch my class move on to the next grade, it will be a huge relief to never see Knox again.
I organize my already perfect stack of student files.
I’ve printed sheets detailing each kiddo’s progress for the parents to take home.
They’re in order of when the parents signed up to meet with me.
I ignore the last one on the list. I wish he’d have picked the first time slot instead.
I’d rather have gotten his meeting over and done with because now I have to dread his arrival all night.
Fortunately, I don’t have time to think about it any longer when my first parent walks through the door five minutes early. I grin at them, excited to talk about how well their daughter is doing this year.
The cycle continues as parents arrive and leave in a constant rotation. I usually only get a minute or two between each meeting. It’s exhausting, but it ensures I’m not here until midnight.
“Hey, we’re a bit early,” Holt Basil says, sticking his handsome face around the doorframe.
His daughter, Leah, is also a favorite student of mine, and I always look forward to our meetings.
With brown hair and light blue eyes, the man could be on the cover of romance novels.
I had a major crush on Holt at the start of the semester until I realized I just longed to have a partner as genuinely kind as him. He’s become a good friend ever since.
“Hey! Come on in,” I greet him.
Walking behind Holt is his gorgeous girlfriend, Gia Miller. Her blonde hair and blue eyes give her the appearance of a ditzy Southern woman. In reality, she’s sharp-witted and a little spiky—in a protective way.
She’s one of those people you want on your side in any situation because you know she’d have your back no matter what. She moved to Pine Creek Falls back in February, and she’s now one of my best friends.
I give them both hugs before we sit down to catch up.
“How’s your night going?” Holt asks.
“It’s been long, but good. I haven’t had any parents get annoyed with me about their kid yet. I’ve still got four more to go.”
“I can’t imagine how hard it is to deal with this many parents.” Gia grimaces.
“Most of them are great, actually.”
Holt smirks. “Not including a certain grumpy cowboy.”
I roll my eyes but don’t confirm his statement.
“Who’s the grumpy cowboy?” Gia asks.
“Knox seems to have a bee up his ass around Farrah. We’re not really sure why, but he’s an even bigger grump around her than usual.”
Gia gets a gleam in her eye. “How interesting. We might have to do some digging.”
“No.” I point my finger at her. “That’s only going to piss him off more.”
She barks out a laugh. “Okay, okay, I won’t meddle.”
I realize we’ve been talking for most of our scheduled time, so I switch gears to update them on Leah.
“She’s an incredible student. Her reading comprehension is phenomenal, and she’s a joy to have in class.
I’m still keeping an eye on the student who’s been bullying her.
He hasn’t tried to hurt her recently, and seems to either be keeping his actions hidden or he’s stopped altogether. ”
“I’m hoping for the latter, but I’d imagine he’s just hiding it better,” Holt grumbles.
“Unfortunately, I agree with you. My guess is he’s found an easier target since he knows I’m paying attention to him. Finn has been sticking close to her as well. He’s become quite the protector in the last couple of weeks.”
“Knox may be a jerk most of the time, but he’s done an incredible job raising Finn,” Holt says.
I don’t respond to that comment. It’s not my place to say whether he’s done a good job or not to another parent, even if they’re my friends.
“All in all, I think Leah is more than ready for first grade. If you guys keep working on her reading and counting skills over the summer, she’ll be able to hit the ground running on day one. ”
Holt stands from his chair, folding Leah’s student sheet and slipping it into his back pocket. “That’s great to hear, Farrah. We’re going to miss seeing you every day next year.”
I stand as well to walk them to the door. “I’ll miss you guys too, but it will be nice to be regular friends instead of teacher-parent. Takes a lot of the weirdness out of it or me.”
They both laugh as they leave my classroom, saying a quick see you later as the next parent on my list arrives.
Three more meetings before Knox’s.
It feels like a ticking time bomb. He’s so mercurial, I’m never sure if this is the time he’ll explode or if I’ll be able to cut the right wire and avoid the blowback.
I try to start every interaction with a smile—try to make it clear to him that I don’t hold his anger against him, even though I so do.
Sometimes he ignores me altogether, other times he finds something rude to say that I somehow can’t help but respond to.
With my past, you’d think I’d be able to keep my mouth shut, but something about Knox pushes every button I have.
When the second-to-last parent leaves, I peek into the hallway. It’s quiet now that the majority of the parent-teacher conferences have been wrapped up. The other teachers will hang around to wait since I had the latest meeting time.
I can’t decide if I’m happy Knox isn’t here yet or annoyed. It gives me a minute to pull myself together, but it also prolongs the anxiety.
I run to the bathroom, taking advantage of the break. Maybe I’ll have time to eat my dinner, too. That would be nice. I haven’t eaten anything since lunch, and it’s going on seven now.
Knox is a few minutes late, but that’s not unusual for him.
I can only imagine how hard it is to keep track of time on his farm.
He operates a successful cattle ranch along with being a sought-after tourist destination, and the amount of work that goes into running that big of an operation is insane.
My dad worked as a ranch hand when I was a kid. If Grammy wasn’t able to watch me, he’d bring me along. I loved seeing all the cowboys riding horses and herding cattle. It was incredible to watch how easy they made it look.
I keep an eye on the door while I eat. He’s creeping toward fifteen minutes late at this point.
I try to shove down the annoyance. All I want to do is go home.
I don’t have it in me to verbally spar with Knox anymore.
If he still shows up, I’m not sure I’ll have the patience to keep my cool or even stand up for myself.
I’d hate for him to see me fall back into the old patterns I’ve tried my damndest to break.
The clock creeps toward ten after seven, and I decide to start packing my stuff. I’ll give him until seven fifteen before I leave. If he’s still not here by then, I guess I’ll email him my notes or something.
I’ve gotten everything gathered, and I’m tapping my fingers on my desk when quick footsteps clack outside my office.
I sit up, my heart pounding at the quickness of their movements.
What if it’s… No. That’s not possible.
It’s either Knox or a parent who forgot something.
Suddenly, he’s filling my doorway. Knox’s shoulders are wide enough to practically touch the frame on both sides.
He’s an absolute bear of a man with dark hair and dark eyes.
His jeans are covered in mud, and his button-down shirt has seen better days.
His cowboy hat sits low over his eyes, and I notice the bloody bandage on his hand as he reaches up to remove his hat.
I suck in a breath, standing abruptly. “What in the world happened to you?”