“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Maya said.
“Oh, you’ll see it. But you two have to stand up for yourselves too. Maya, you need to deal with the one boy who got the better of you. And, Riley, maybe you can finally put your rival in his place. What do you say?”
Talking about vengeance out loud empowered Ann. Finally, she’d get Jack out of her mind and her dreams. Confront him head on, say what she’d been dreaming about saying for years, then leave him with his proverbial tail between his legs. Oh yeah, that totally had appeal.
Maya just stared at her.
“What?”
“Color me impressed. You sound a little mean, Ms. Wea-ver,” she ended in a singsong voice, imitating any one of Ann’s students.
“Hey, you try to deal with twenty six- and seven-year-olds all day. It turns you nasty.”
“If she can do it, I can for sure.” Riley rubbed her hands together and gave an evil laugh. “Anson Black, you aresogoing down.”
“No reneging,” Maya warned. “We see this through. It’ll make us all stronger in the end. Confronting fears, handling the past—”
“Eating more cookies,” Ann recommended, and bit right into her cookie’s nether region.
“Ouch.” Riley laughed and held up her own headless sugar man. “A toast to us. And may revenge be as sweet as the icing on my cakes.”
Chapter Two
Ann spent the remainder of her weekend running errands and seeing the latest thriller at the movies with her friends. She, Maya and Riley had been inseparable since the first grade, and she didn’t see that changing any time soon. Through the boyfriends, the challenges, the wins and losses each had experienced, they’d been there for one another.
Now, they’d have their revenge.
She’d have hers sooner than later, it seemed, because Monday afternoon, who should arrive to pick up Josh from school? None other than Jack “The Ass” Bloom.
Her pulse raced and her whole body seemed to come alive. She could feel him looking at her through the classroom door while she pretended not to notice. She and a few mothers who’d been helping with a class project readied the kids to go home for the day.
“Ms. Weaver! Ms. Weaver! Uncle Jack is here.”
She inwardly groaned but refused to turn and face his overwhelming presence until she was ready. “That’s great, Josh. How nice for him to visit you at school.”
“He’s takin’ care of me for a week. Mom and Dad are on business in San Diego.”
Terrific. She’d have to see Jack before, duringandafter she gave him his verbal ass-whooping. Ann stood straighter. This had been a long time coming. No point in half measures.
Then again, with all the kids around, she’d probably have to delay their little talk. She had no intention of getting into anything with her students or their parents near. But if Jack tried to hang around…
The bell rang. She told Josh he could open the door, and the students filed out.
To her chagrin, the room emptied in no time and nobody came in, leaving her pumped up for a confrontation that didn’t happen. Feeling let down, she grabbed her coat and shoulder bag and headed home. Her heart raced when she saw Josh sitting in a car in front of her house. The boy must have told his uncle where she lived since he passed it every day going home.
Be calm. Be cool.She slowed her pace and reached the car at the same time Jack got out. Good Lord. He’d gotten even better looking in the twelve years since she’d last seen him. Proof positive that life was not fair.
He still towered over her at more than six feet to her five-four. Short brown hair framed a handsome face, from which his bright blue eyes blazed. Had luck been on her side, he would have gotten slovenly and out of shape. Instead, he looked muscular even under jeans and a blue sweater.
“Well, well. When Josh told me Ms. Weaver was his teacher, I was hoping it was you.”
To her shock, he enveloped her in a bear hug that took her off her feet.
Familiar warmth, desire, and a need to be closer caught her off guard. She hadn’t expected him to be friendly—or that she’d be so receptive.
Before she could struggle to be put down, he set her back on her feet. “Still as pretty as ever.”
She felt as if she’d stepped into an episode ofThe Twilight Zone.
