She should feel that.
Because I sure as hell do.
And I’m nowhere near done circling her.
Chapter Five
Briar
The Fall Festival at Devil’s Peak Elementary is supposed to be charming. Wholesome. A night of caramel apples, raffles, and children bouncing off hay bales like over-caffeinated bunnies.
Instead, it feels like the entire town is slowly closing in on me—like a pastel-colored, pumpkin-spice-scented trap.
I adjust the strap on my tote bag, inhale the sugary air, and try to convince myself I am not drowning.
“Briar,” my fellow kindergarten teacher, Melissa, says as she swoops in, cheeks flushed from chasing her class, “I swear next year I’m volunteering for coat check. Why do we do this to ourselves?”
“Character building?” I offer.
She snorts. “I don’t need more character. I need a margarita.”
I exhale a laugh. “God, same.”
Melissa links her arm with mine and lowers her voice conspiratorially. “So. How’s it going? You look…” She pauses, searching for the right word. “Frazzled. Adorably frazzled.”
“That bad?”
“Worse.”
I groan. “Junie’s with her class, hopped up on sugar, and I can’t convince my students that the hay bales are not an obstacle course. And the PTA keeps circling me like I’m the fresh meat.”
“Youarethe fresh meat.”
Before I can respond, she nudges me. “Speaking of circling… I heard something.”
I raise a brow. “From who?”
“My husband. He talked to Captain Cole earlier.”
My stomach flips. “Saxon was here?”
“Oh yeah,” Melissa says casually. “Handing out these ridiculous firefighter hats to the kids. They loved him, of course. He could’ve run for mayor tonight.”
Of course they loved him.
Everyone loves him.
Except me.
I donotlove him.
I just… notice him.
Constantly.
“What did he say?” I ask, too quickly.
Melissa grins knowingly. “He told my husband that you need someone… what were his words? Someonedependable.”
