Page 24

I’m in the middle of a run through my neighborhood when my phone starts to ring. I don’t recognize the number, but it’s the Vegas area code, so I decide to pick up just in case it’s Harper’s school calling to tell me something’s wrong.

I double tap my AirPod to answer. “Hello?” I’m panting since I’m in the middle of a run.

“Travis?” a voice on the other end asks.

“Who’s calling?”

“Um, hi. This is Victoria Hartley calling from Stratford Elementary.”

There’s a pause, and maybe I’m supposed to fill that gap with a pleasantry, but I can’t seem to make myself do it.

I’m about to ask why the fuck she’s calling me, but I change direction.

“Change your mind about wanting me?” I ask, and my voice is a little raspy from the run. I don’t mean to sound extra sexual as I say it, but I know I do.

“Uh, no. Still the same answer there. I’m calling about your daughter.”

“Is she okay?” I ask.

“Yes, as far as I know, she’s fine. Did you get the letter I sent home with her yesterday?”

“What letter?” I ask. I rest my hands on my hips as I try to catch my breath.

She sighs. “Ms. Miller expressed some concerns to me about Harper possibly struggling in some areas, so I brought her in for a quick eval. I’d like to run some further evaluations on her, but my initial hunch is that she has struggles with reading. The letter was asking your permission to complete a series of tests to check for any potential disability.”

“Excuse me?” I say, my anger suddenly flaring. “As if that little girl hasn’t struggled enough, now you’re suggesting she has some sort of disability? Of course she’s struggling, Ms. Hartley. She just lost both her parents and was transplanted to a new town with a stranger. She’s doing her best. I’m doing my best…we’re all just doing our best, okay?”

“I understand that, Mr. Woods, and I didn’t mean to suggest anything offensive. I simply want to ensure she has the best shot at success in her new environment.”

“And what role do you play in that, exactly?” I hiss.

“I’m a reading specialist. I work with kids who are struggling to get them up to grade level, and I’d like to evaluate Harper to determine whether she qualifies for an IEP.”

“An I-E-what now?” I ask.

“An individualized education plan. If she qualifies for services, a team will meet to determine what sorts of accommodations she needs in order to give her the best chance at success.”

“That’s ridiculous,” I say. “She doesn’t need services . She just needs time . She needs to adjust. She needs to get used to this new life that changed overnight for her because of the actions of one careless asshole.”

She’s quiet a beat, and her voice is soft when it comes out. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Woods. I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you both, but the educators here at Stratford are a team ready to help in whatever way we can.”

I can’t help the scoffing sound that comes out of me. “Right. And then there’s you, somehow going into the school system and getting my number…my daughter is perfect, Ms. Hartley, but thanks for your false concern.”

“Excuse me?” she asks, defensiveness clear in her tone.

“You heard me. Lose my number. You’re not her teacher, so there’s no reason for you to be calling me.” I cut the call.

I feel like an asshole after I do it. None of this is her fault, yet it feels awfully convenient that my daughter has a supposed reading disability and this chick who so clearly wants me but can’t do anything about it since she has a boyfriend is the one to call me to tell me about it.

Right. If there was a real issue, her teacher would call me.

I finish my run, and I cool down by sitting in my backyard with a beer before I hit the shower.

I spend the entire beer and the shower feeling like a dick for how I talked to Victoria. Maybe she’s right. I’ve always hated to read myself, and maybe it’s genetic.

That whole feeling like a dick thing doesn’t stop me from jerking off in the shower.

It’s been a while, okay? And I don’t see a time when I’ll have a hot woman in my bed anytime soon. I have a kid now, so it’s not like I can just head out to Coax to pick someone up. It’s not like I can go to the Gridiron and come home with a new woman. It’s not like I can spend the night at someone else’s place. I’m stuck in limbo here, and I need a fucking release. Bad.

It’s as I come that Victoria Hartley’s face pops into my head.

I don’t like how uncomfortable that makes me feel.

Anyone but her.

Okay…not anyone , but any of the chicks in my little black book or any of the ones I’ve bedded recently would have been a better choice with possibly the exception of the last woman I banged over at Coax who wanted me to take her out.

Imagine how much bigger of an asshole I feel like after my shower when a different number with a Vegas area code comes calling my phone.

“Hello?” I answer.

“Mr. Woods, hello. This is Mandy Miller, your daughter Harper’s teacher.”

“Hi Ms. Miller,” I say, allowing just the smallest bit of flirtation into my tone. As I recall, Mandy Miller wasn’t too hard on the eyes, though I was so distracted by Victoria Hartley that it barely even registered. “What can I do for you today?”

She lets out a soft giggle, and it almost feels like she is flirting with me, too. “Oh, um, I’m calling to schedule a meeting with you regarding your daughter’s reading progress.”

Oh.

My heart thumps in my chest.

So she wasn’t calling just to hear my voice.

“What about it?” I ask.

“I’m afraid she seems to be a bit below grade level, and I’d like to have some further evaluations done with your permission. I’m sending home a letter with Harper today, and if you could review it this weekend and send it back with her on Monday, we can run some tests over the next week and schedule a follow-up meeting next Thursday if that works for you.”

“Uh, sure,” I say slowly. I have no idea what the fuck works for me next Thursday, but if it’s for Harper, I’ll make it work.

I don’t have any other choice.