“A teacher,” he finished.
“So were my parents. It’s why we could spend all summer at Yellowstone. A couple of years, we went to Glacier for fly-fishing. One time, we even went to my uncle’s. He lives outside of Seattle and has a boat. I caught a salmon this big.” I held my hands apart…farther than what my catch had actually been. Couldn’t help it. I got the trait from my dad.
“No way.” He tossed his controller to the side. “Dad’s going to get a boat this summer.”
“Fishing boat or party boat?”
Tate chuckled.
Chance rolled his eyes. “Fishing, Miss Scarlett.”
“We’re not at school, Chance. You can just call me Scarlett.”
He eyed me. “Do other kids just use your first name?”
“No.” I hadn’t tried dating their dads either. “Maybe I could, I don’t know…go fishing with you guys one time?”
He thought for a moment, his studious gaze jumping from me to his dad. The kid might only be eleven, but he wasn’t the same kid who’d walked into my classroom. His teacher next year might have to call one, maybe two, parent meetings, but it wouldn’t be all poor-behavior reports.
“It’s okay if you don’t want me to go.” I used my most reassuring tone and gave Tate a look that said I meant it. I wasn’t forcing myself on them. “Really. We could just have lemonade at my place.” After I took a couple of my wall hangings down.
“It’s fine.” Chance shrugged. “Dad said we could go next weekend. But, um…is that the same lemonade you brought to school? With the cherries?”
I nodded, biting back a grin. I shamelessly used my lemonade to get to my students’ hearts.
“Can you bring that?”
I clamped the inside of my cheek between my teeth and exchanged a hopeful look with Tate. Pride radiated from the man’s handsome face. For me or his kid, I didn’t know, and it didn’t matter. He hooked his fingers through mine and gave me a grateful squeeze.
“I’ll show you how to make it if you want.”
He shrugged again and picked up his controller. “I’d rather drink it.”
“Okay,” I said, chuckling.
Chance glanced at me, surprised.
“It wasn’t an assignment, Chance. I’m only a teacher at school, and I’m not even your teacher anymore.”
“I know.” He looked at his dad. Buried deep in his eyes was the fear he’d lose his dad to me. I didn’t have anything to tell him. Only our actions would reassure him. “I’m hungry.”
“Want to help me fry the fillets?” Tate asked me. “I haven’t started the veggie salad.”
Chance groaned.
“The fish are even cleaned already?” I asked, trying to keep the mood playful.
Tate and Chance nodded.
“Well then, count me in. I can chop vegetables with the best of them.”
Tate towed me to the kitchen, but I tugged him to a stop. Chance was fiddling with his controller, but he wasn’t going back to his game.
“You gonna join us?” I wanted it to sound like an invite and not a job.
Startled, Chance looked up. “I don’t know how to cook.”
“Want to learn?” Tate asked, his fingers tightening on mine.
