Rae blushed—the faintest, cutest, pinkest shade of pink I’d ever seen. Then she shook her head. “I think that’s enough questions for today. Mr. Paul was just leaving.”
Damn. I tried to saunter out of the classroom like I hadn’t just been beaten down by a group of twenty-five first graders. Maybe they saw something Rae and I weren’t willing to acknowledge yet. Or maybe they could sense the desperate need I felt for my best friend’s daughter that I’d been trying to hide under layers of attitude and self-preservation. Whatever it was, if they were that good at seeing through me, I needed to get myself in check before Friday.
CHAPTER6
RAE
Priest droveme to and from school for the next three days. He spent Tuesday as an admin assistant in the office and Wednesday on crossing guard duty before and after school, with a stint as the librarian’s helper during the day. On Thursday, he filled in for the art teacher who was out sick and taught the kids how to draw motorcycles. No telling what kind of questions the principal would be fielding from parents that night.
After the school day ended, we’d head back to his place where we cooked dinner together, then sit in front of the fireplace and watch action movies until I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I was tired of fighting the attraction, of sharing the same space, of breathing the same air. The tension between us ratcheted up with each moment we spent together. I was so on edge that I didn’t know whether to proposition him or take matters into my own hands.
I was so ready for Friday’s field trip. Assuming nothing happened while we were out in public all day, I planned on returning to my apartment afterward. Ashley said Razor and Eight Ball were leaving town over the weekend and I couldn’t wait to get back to my own space. Being surrounded by Priest was taking a toll, and I needed to put some distance between us before I did something I’d probably regret.
The school bus was waiting out front when we pulled into the parking lot. If Priest thought the kids were a handful in the classroom, he had no idea what he was in store for when both first grades filled the bus. I couldn’t hear anything over the din of fifty excited kids and didn’t think anything would get them to be quiet.
Then Priest and two of his MC brothers climbed onto the bus with their wallet chains jangling. The kids went silent.
“Hey, Rae. I think you know Thunder already. This is Stone.” Priest nodded toward a huge guy in a black leather jacket.
“Nice to meet you. Priest has told me a lot about you.” Stone gave me a smile. He might be as big as a boulder, but there was undeniable kindness in his eyes.
“Welcome to the chaos. Thanks for helping out today. We wouldn’t be able to make the field trip work without you,” I said. “Take a seat wherever you can find one, and we’ll get going.”
The three men moved down the aisle and took empty seats. I wasn’t sure who was more terrified, the guys from the MC or the kids, but I’d enjoy the peace and quiet for as long as it lasted.
It didn’t last very long. Ten minutes into the forty-five-minute ride, the noise level reached epic proportions. Priest got up from where he’d squished into a seat already holding two first graders.
He put his fingers to his mouth and let out a long, high-pitched whistle. “Listen up. The driver can’t do his job with all of you yapping like that. I’m going to teach you a song, and I want all of you to sing along.”
The kids stared in silence as Priest belted out one of the old running cadences my dad used to sing to me when I was younger. Stone and Thunder chanted the words back to him and within minutes, Priest had the entire bus full of kids singing along.
He glanced at me a few times and I smiled back my approval. I wouldn’t admit it to him, but I kind of liked having him nearby this week. Knowing he was around, I felt safe. Even though I didn’t think I was actually in danger, it was nice to know someone cared.
We arrived at the wildlife refuge, and Priest marched the kids to the entrance with another Navy cadence. Once we got inside, I counted the kids off into groups and assigned an adult chaperone to each. We had three hours to explore the center, then would meet back at the bus to have lunch before we headed back to school.
“I’m not leaving you, Rae.” Priest stood by the group I’d assigned to him. “This place is too big, and I won’t be able to keep an eye on you unless our groups stick together.”
I leaned closer to him to keep the kids from overhearing. “Don’t be silly. Nothing’s going to happen. Nothing’s happened all week.”
“They’re waiting for the right moment. I can feel it.”
“You really think they’re going to follow us all the way out here and try to make a move when we’re surrounded by kids at a wildlife center?” I shook my head, unwilling to validate his hunch.
“I’m sticking by your side.”
“Your group is supposed to visit the wolf education experience and mine is headed to the beaver dam. Please don’t undermine me in front of everyone today.” I wouldn’t let him mess this up for me. I’d volunteered to plan this field trip so I could make a good impression on the principal and the teacher who’d be reporting back to my professor.
Priest half growled, half grumbled. “Fine. But you call me if you sense anything is off. I mean it, Sunshine.”
Grateful he was willing to be reasonable for a change, I backed away and smiled. “Of course. Have a good time learning about wolves.”
Priest led the group of boys I’d matched him with down the hall to the wolf classroom while I took my group outside so we could visit the beaver dam. The guide talked about beavers, why they made dams, and pointed out some interesting facts as she showed the kids the above and below water views of a huge dam. I zoned out for a bit, wondering why Priest was so sure I was in danger. If the Savage Bones MC had a problem with him busting up their deal, why hadn’t they made a move yet? And why not just go after him?
The thought of him being a target made my cheeks go cold. Even though I hadn’t had the nerve to tell him how I felt about him, I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it. If something happened to him…
“Miss Cooper?”
I looked up to find the guide and all the kids staring at me. “Yes?”
