Page 5 of Secret Love (The Single Dad Playbook #2)

CHAPTER FIVE

NOWHERE TO HIDE

HENLEY

The next few days go by in a flash. Bree won’t be back in town until Sunday, so the girls are with me for the rest of the week. Bree lives just around the corner from me, so I see the girls every day, but one of our agreements when we divorced was that we’d have them consistently in one home so they could stay on a routine. Not that it’s bad when parents have to do something different, but for our girls, they’ve always thrived on consistency. We never wanted them to have to go back and forth from one house to the other all the time, so they’ve stayed in the home they’ve lived in most of their lives, and I just make sure I’m still with them as much as possible. It’s what works for us. I pick them up from school and have dinner with them most nights, at least during the offseason, and I take them to their after-school activities and games. Cassidy and Audrey are in dance and Gracie is in softball.

Saturdays are usually packed. We’ve already been to softball practice this morning, and now we’re on our way to dance class for the girls’ lessons.

“The new sub, Miss Seymour, is so great,” Cassidy says.

I turn to her in surprise.

“Really? What do you like about her?” I try to sound interested, but not too interested. I’m dying to know everything she has to tell me about Miss Seymour. I wonder if she said anything to Cassidy about our interaction.

“She met me after class yesterday and gave me a chance to read my report to her one-on-one, which was awesome.”

“Why didn’t you read it in class like everyone else?” I ask.

“I was too nervous.”

“Nervous? You? Since when?”

“I hate reading in front of people. You know that,” she says.

It’s true Cassidy has never loved reading like her mom or Audrey. Now that I think about it, even Gracie likes reading more than Cassidy.

“You’re a fine reader. You shouldn’t be shy to read in front of your friends. What did Miss Seymour say? Did that finish everything up with your project? Are you good now? Will Mrs. Carboni be happy when she comes back?”

“What’s with all the questions, Dad?” She laughs. “Oh, wait. I haven’t told you…” She turns to me, excitement radiating off of her. “Guess what?” she says, her eyes bright. “I don’t think Mrs. Carboni is coming back!”

“What happened with Mrs. Carboni?

“I heard that I wasn’t the only one she said horrible things to and that she got fired .”

“No way. She hasn’t even been there that long.”

“I know. I’m hoping they’ll keep Miss Seymour. Mrs. Carboni was so boring. The class goes by so fast with Miss Seymour! And I love the way she dresses. She always looks so cool, and she’s super nice and pretty.”

Damn right, she is, I think to myself.

We park in front of Wiggles & Whimsy and everyone piles out. When we walk into the studio, a class is just ending. I get the girls checked in the way I always do, but I’m caught off guard when I hear a melodic voice saying, “Okay, girls, that’s it for today.”

I turn and see Tru Seymour in a fucking leotard.

God help me.

She looked exquisite in her suit and heels, but in a leotard and a see-through skirt, she’s fucking sinful. She’s completely covered, but the effect it has on me, she may as well be naked. She’s not wearing glasses today, so her eyes stand out even more. The moment she spots me, her eyes turn cold. She pauses for a second then resumes, telling the girls to have a good week. They thank her for the class and Chelsea Appleton goes up and hugs her leg.

“It was fun,” she says in her high, squeaky voice.

Tru smiles down at her and Jacklyn comes over and says hello to me. Jacklyn Toussant is a stunning older woman whom every man over fifty in Silver Hills crushes on, and not just the older men. Penn once said he’d had a sex dream about her and couldn’t look her in the eyes when he ran into her at the grocery store.

“Hello, Mr. Ward,” Jacklyn says, her husky voice warm as she smiles at me. “I don’t suppose I can talk you into joining our class today, can I? We have a lovely new teacher here, Miss Seymour. She could keep you in shape during the offseason.”

“I’m sure she could.” I laugh. “I think I’ll leave it to the girls for now.”

“Suit yourself,” Jacklyn says.

Tru comes over to the counter and doesn’t return my smile.

“Hello, Miss Seymour.”

“Mr. Ward,” she volleys back.

“You’re everywhere I turn. I didn’t know you were the new dance teacher as well.”

There’s a painful silence as she studies me.

“Miss Toussant generously offered me a job here,” she says coolly. “So I guess there’s yet another place you’ll be running into me.”

“Looks like it,” I say, smiling again.

Disappointment floods through me when she nods and walks away.

“The two of you know each other,” Jacklyn says, looking between the two of us with interest.

“We met briefly at Cassidy’s school,” I tell her. “Didn’t get off to the best start,” I mutter under my breath.

“We’re really lucky to have her,” she says.

“Cassidy will be happy to see her. She loves having her as an English teacher.”

“Excellent,” Jacklyn says, clapping her hands twice.

“I’ll head out for a little bit and be back shortly.” I look back, but Tru is already busy with the girls.

I’m at a loss about what to do when I leave the studio…and then I see Serendipity Cafe and stop in my tracks. Serendipity has not only some of the best sandwiches I’ve ever tasted, but their pastries are out of this world. I nearly talk myself out of it multiple times but finally go in. I get coffee and sit at the table near the window as I check my email and text the guys about random stuff, making sure not to breathe Tru’s name. Right before class is over, I go to the counter and smile at Wyndham, the owner of the cafe.

“Do you need another coffee?” she asks.

“No, thank you. What I need are those.” I point to the batch of cinnamon rolls Greer is pulling out of the oven. “I’ll take two boxes.”

“Perfect.” Wyndham smiles. “Greer, did you hear that?” she calls.

Greer sets the rolls down and turns toward me. “Hey, Henley. How are you? Long time, no see.”

Greer’s hair is purple and Wyndham‘s hair is pink. The two look like they stepped out of a magical forest together.

“I know. Unfortunately I can’t come in here too often. I wouldn’t be able to do my job if I did.”

Greer winks at me as she starts putting cinnamon rolls in the box and fills it up before grabbing another and doing the same.

“We know.” Wyndam sighs. “We’ll sacrifice seeing you often if you just keep winning those games.”

“What she said,” Greer adds.

“How are the wedding plans coming?” I ask.

“Slowly but surely, it’s coming together. You know us, we want to make everything so special, so it’s taking forever,” Wyndham says. “Last weekend, we made a firepit out of the river rock from our backyard.”

I shake my head. “It’s going to be fabulous, you guys. Whatever you do will be.”

“That’s what Bree says too.” Wyndham shrugs. “But I think she’s secretly tired of all the projects.”

“She didn’t know what she was signing up for when she agreed to be our wedding planner.” Greer laughs.

“She can handle it.” I laugh too. “Let me know if you need help with anything. I have time right now, you know.”

Wyndham nods mischievously. “I’ll put you to work.”

“I’m getting out of here,” I tease.

When I walk out, I stick a box of cinnamon rolls in my truck and take the other box inside. I nearly back out but pause when Tru walks to the counter. Jacklyn is on the other side of the room, and the girls are putting their things in their bags.

I hold the box out to Tru without saying anything. She looks up at me reluctantly.

“What’s this?” she asks.

“Take a look,” I tell her.

She opens it and gasps softly when she sees the cinnamon rolls.

“They look spectacular,” she whispers.

“Wait until you taste them,” I say.

“They’re for me?” Her mouth parts in surprise.

I nod. “Think of it as one more apology for how I acted the other day.”

Her cheeks flush and she looks down at the cinnamon rolls again.

“Thank you,” she says. She turns and puts them in a little cubby where I see her purse and sweater. “I’ll be getting into those the first chance I get,” she says, and there’s not a smile on her face, but there is a softening in her expression toward me.

I’ll take it.