Page 6 of Hearts and Hidden Secrets

And if something bad had happened, Rosalie would have called me. Confidence in my ex was severely lacking, but when it came to emergencies, she didn’t have the stomach to gut them out. She’d call.

So I did my best to work for a few hours, but worrying was as constant a distraction as my silent phone.

It was nearly lunchtime when it rang. I flew for it, twisting so fast in my chair that I knocked over my coffee cup—thankfully empty.

The school’s name lit up the screen.

“Hello?” I answered, already out of my chair.

Fuck. I knew it. Something was wrong. I should have acted sooner. Should have checked in with Rosalie. Should have called the school.

“Hi, Mr. Dawson.”

“Miss Adler.” Later, I’d analyze why I recognized her melodic voice. “Is Katy okay?”

“She’s, um…she’s having a bad day. Any chance you could get away from work for a quick visit?”

“On my way.” I strode from the office, not slowing to tell Korbyn where I was going. He could assume I was on my way to lunch. Then I raced across town, breaking every speed limit posted until I was at the school and jogging down its hallways.

Similar to my visit last week, Della’s classroom was empty save for Katy in her desk, arms folded on the surface. Instead of being in her own chair, Della was crouched beside my daughter, her hand trailing up and down Katy’s spine.

“Hey, Dandelion.”

Katy’s head flew up, her face streaked with tears.

My heart cracked. Did all dads hurt when they saw their kids cry?

“What happened?” I picked her up from the desk, hoisting her up from beneath her arms, and hauled her into my chest.

There’d come a day when I couldn’t pick her up. Thank fuck, it wasn’t today.

Katy’s arms wrapped around my neck, holding tight, as she pressed her face into the crook of my neck.

Outside, kids were playing on the playground. Their shouts and laughs carried through the tall windows. I just held my daughter closer. “Are you hurt?”

Katy shook her head.

A sliver of panic faded. “Are you in trouble?” Please, don’t be more cussing.

This time it was Della who shook her head, giving me a kind smile as she stood. “She started crying in class today. I pulled her aside and gave her some space, but she’s had a hard time stopping.”

Damn. I bent, setting Katy on her feet. Then I pulled her arms away because she wouldn’t let go before dropping to a knee so we could talk face-to-face. “Lay it on me, shortie.”

That earned me a slight smile.

Katy hated any endearment or nickname besides Dandelion.

She sucked in a shaky breath, then blew it out as her shoulders slumped.

“Mom took my phone and my watch so I couldn’t even call you today and she did it because she knows I was going to text you on the bus and she’s mad at me because she promised she’d take me to this restaurant and then she changed her mind and I got upset and she said I was acting like a brat even though she was the one who broke her promise. ”

“Wow.” I pulled in my lips to hide a smile. That was a load to unpack. Mostly, I was just really glad she was okay.

Over Katy’s shoulder, Della ducked her chin, fighting a laugh.

“That’s a lot,” I said.

Katy nodded, wiping beneath her eyes. “Mom’s the brat.”

“Hey, now. Don’t say that.” I’d used plenty worse when it came to Rosalie, but I didn’t want Katy to walk that road.

“It’s true.” The scowl on her face was adorable. I’d take that over the tears anytime.

“We’ll get this all sorted out, okay?”

“Okay.” Katy sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve.

Rosalie had no right to take that phone from Katy, not without checking with me first. I’d given Katy that phone and watch. I floated the bill. She should have asked me first. A conversation I’d have with my ex soon.

The restaurant thing we’d tackle next week.

I had a hunch the place she wanted to go was called Jar something.

She’d mentioned it last weekend on the drive to Rosalie’s place—too quickly for me to recall the name and too late for me to actually take Katy there for dinner.

She’d also mentioned something about a girl in seventh grade and her mom who owned it or something.

Whatever. I’d get the scoop tonight. After Rosalie returned Katy’s phone.

“Better?” I asked. “Think you can make it through the rest of the day?”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“That’s my girl.” I tucked a lock of her hair behind an ear. “I’ve missed you this week.”

“Missed you too.”

Della cleared her throat. “Katy, if you hurry, I bet you can still eat a quick lunch and have five minutes on the playground.”

“Okay.” She flashed her teacher a smile, then flew into my arms, hugging my neck so tight I couldn’t breathe. Then she was gone, hair streaming behind her as she ran out of the classroom.

I sighed, letting my heart finally sink back into my chest.

Della wasn’t in overalls today. Instead, she was in a black dress with puffy sleeves. The boots she wore only came to the ankle, giving me the perfect view of toned legs encased in green and black checkered tights.

Of course she had great legs. Tonight I’d probably imagine them wrapped around my waist. Not exactly thoughts I needed to be having about my daughter’s teacher.

I shoved to my feet, giving her a nod. “Appreciate the call, Miss Adler.”

“Della,” she corrected, just like she had last week. Somehow, calling her Della felt too intimate. It erased that imaginary boundary between us. But that didn’t stop it from rolling off my tongue.

“Della.” Pretty name for a pretty woman.

She cocked her head, studying me. Her eyebrows came together with the slightest crease.

“What?”

“Nothing.” She waved it off and smiled. “I adore Katy. She’s so sweet and a wonderful student.”

“She adores you too. And whatever you’re teaching her is working. She loves to pick apart my texts and correct me when I don’t write them properly.”

Della stood a little taller. “Really? I sort of love that.”

“So do I.”

“You call her Dandelion? That’s a unique nickname. Where did it come from?”

“When she was little, she used to follow me around the yard whenever I mowed. She’d pick every dandelion flower she could find and bring me these bouquets. She said it was her favorite flower, so I started calling her Dandelion.”

“It fits.”

“I think so.” I grinned, taking in the sparkle in her eyes. That color was mesmerizing. Not just caramel like I’d thought last week, but there were a few flecks of shining copper too.

I opened my mouth, about to tell her she had beautiful eyes, but caught myself. “I, uh…I’ll let you get back to work.”

“Yeah, I um…” The color rose in her cheeks as she glanced to her desk. “Me too. Bye, Mr. Dawson.”

“Jeff.” It was my turn for corrections.

She dipped her chin. “Jeff.”

Even the way she said my name sounded pretty.

But pretty wasn’t the right word. She was captivating. Breathtaking. Stunning. Surprising. Tempting.

And Katy’s teacher.

It was time for me to put some distance between us before I said something stupid and made it awkward.

With a wave, I turned and strode for the door, about to escape into the hallway when I nearly collided with another man. I shifted out of the way in time to avoid a crash in the threshold. “Sorry.”

“No problem.” The guy was about my height and size. He looked me up and down, then strode into Della’s classroom.

I glanced over my shoulder, just in time to see her eyes dart up from my ass.

Damn . Was she interested? Because that would be fucking awesome.

For Della Adler, I’d learn how to date. Unless there were other rules at play? Could teachers and parents get together?

“Hey.” The man, another teacher probably, walked straight to Della, stopping close. Too close. He put his hands on her shoulders, a move not normal for coworkers.

Ah. Of course she’d have a man in her life.

The twinge of envy was hard enough to send me out the door and down the hall. After passing a row of lockers, I glanced back, hoping to see him leave her room, but the hallway stayed empty.

Why was I even jealous? She was a beauty, sure. But I didn’t date for a reason.

That reason was on the playground at the moment.

It was better this way. Maybe knowing Della was taken would stop me from thinking about her legs tonight. Probably not, but maybe.

I picked up my pace, wasting no time on my way back to work. Then I spent the rest of my day answering questions and reviewing design plans, anything to keep my head from wandering.

Hans had offered me the chance of a lifetime this morning. Was I twisted up about Alcott? No. I was stuck on Della. On the way I’d caught her checking out my ass even though she was tangled up with someone else.

Maybe that should have made me mad, but damn it, I couldn’t shake the jealousy. By the time I left the office, the last place I wanted to go was home. It was too quiet. So I did a quick internet search and found that restaurant Katy had told me about.

The Maysen Jar.

That seemed like a great place to kill an hour.

The café was an old building that someone had fixed up, small enough to be cozy but big enough you weren’t sitting on top of other patrons. The minute I stepped inside, the smell of fresh bread and apple pie hit my nose.

My stomach rumbled. It was comfortable. Welcoming. Like I was stepping into a friend’s house, not a restaurant.

All but two of the tables were full. My boots thudded on the wood floor as I made my way toward the counter at the back lined with stools. Normally, a single stool would suit me just fine. But tonight, sitting alone felt too miserable.

Katy’s puppy was starting to sound more and more appealing, and I did not need a damn dog. Instead, I’d sit at a table. Pretend I was waiting on someone else. So I ordered—mac ’n’ cheese and a salad, both served in jars—and took my food to one of the free spaces, settling in with my phone.

I’d been putting off the call to Rosalie all afternoon, mostly because talking to her gave me a headache. But I pulled up her number anyway, bracing for whatever attitude would greet me on the other end of the line. Before I could hit send, a throat cleared at the base of my table.

And there she was, the woman who’d invaded my thoughts. Every time I saw her she just kept getting more beautiful. How was that possible?

“Hi, Jeff.”

Still liked how she said my name. Still liked those legs in her tights. Still liked the pretty colors in her eyes.

Not a chance I’d be able to stop thinking about my daughter’s teacher tonight. Damn . “Hey, Della.”