Her face twists, and her eyes get shiny. “You know my dad hasn’t called to ask me that?”
I look up at the ceiling and blow out a slow breath so I don’t say anything I shouldn’t say in front of June.
“I mean, I told him he was dead to me, but I thought parents were supposed to fight for their kids or something.” She laughs shakily. “He hasn’t even issued a statement on the news, like, calling out the stupid gossip sites for saying mean things about me. Like I said. He’s a dick. But I don’t think you are. And even if it doesn’t work out with you and my mom, I want her to decide that for her. Not because of me.”
I have to swallow twice before I can answer her. “I’ll do everything in my power to not hurt her.”
“Thank you,” she whispers. “She’s sadder than she was when Gran—when she found out Dad was cheating on her.”
“You know I know about your grandma, June.”
“It’sJunie,” she mutters. “And, like, so does half the school.”
I lift my brows.
She scowls at me. “Okay, fine, I started to tell Vivian one time, and I chickened out, because so many of my friends back in Cedar Rapids turned into cuntnuggets when—what? I can saydick, but I can’t saycuntnugget?”
I’m still wheezing in shock. This is a new one for me. “Exactly that.”
She’s wearing the same mischievous smile that Maisey had on the day she informed me my puzzle piece was wrong last week and made me take off my third sock.
Yes, I’m a man who comes prepared to a strip-puzzle game.
Which is not an experience I expect to have again for well over another year, and I’m okay with that.
It’s also something I need to stop thinking about in front of Junie.
“Anyone here give you grief over the gossip sites last week?” I ask her.
She shakes her head, and I believe her.
“Pretty sure they won’t care about what your grandma did either. You didn’t do it. And besides, you have the Tony-and-Gingersnap factor working to your benefit.”
“Can you tell me more about them?”
“Yep.”
She waits.
I let her.
“Now?” she prompts.
“Oh. No. Not now. I’m saving those for family dinners with you and your mom.”
She blinks at me twice to hide her eyes going shiny, and I have to swallow hard one more time myself.
I’ve always said I went into teaching because I remembered how hard this age was. And Kory isn’t wrong when he says I love building them up and letting them go so I don’t get attached.
But I’m attached.
I’m attached, and I have zero regrets.
Chapter 36
Maisey
That damn bear is back.
