I looked down at my white button down and the clean jeans. Nothing special. “Do I look like crap usually?”
“Nope.” Her little brow furrowed as she pursed her lips. “Just not as good as you do today.” She lifted her chin and sniffed. “Smell nice, too.” Her eyes narrowed on me. “Am I going to get another teacher in the family? I mean having my momma as a teacher is one thing, but an aunt, too. Jeez.”
“What are you talking about, short stuff?” I knew what she was getting at, and it was making me feel distinctively uncomfortable.
“You and Miss Turner. I’ve seen you making eyes at her. You smile differently when she’s around.”
“I have not! I do not!”
“Have so. Do so.” She grinned and leaned forward to poke me in the stomach. “Just like I told Daddy when he and Momma made out they didn’t like each other, that’s the best fairytale I’ve ever heard.” She then patted where she’d poked. “Anyways, you have fun now. Come on Dorcas! We’re going to see Ariel and then play in the tree house!”
“Short stuff,” I called after her. “Do not take that puppy up the tree.”
She waved at me over her shoulder. “How stupid do you think I am, Uncle G. Uncle Wilder rigged up a lift for him with an old basket. And don’t you forget to have fun.”
As I watched Bertie skip away, her puppy following, Lily started to chuckle behind me. I spun around to see her leaning against the doorway with Billy on her hip, him playing with her hair.
“You are so deluded,” she said with a huge grin. “She’s deluded, too.”
“Who, Bertie?”
“No and you know exactly who I’m talking about. Cassidy.” She shifted Billy whose head had started to lol against her shoulder, her hair wrapped around his tiny fingers.
I walked to her and dropped a kiss to my nephew’s soft hair, inhaling the smell of baby powder and milk. “There’s nothing to talk about where Cassidy and I are concerned,” I whispered so as not to disturb Billy. “I’m not going to give you the ‘we’re just friends’ line, because we’re not even that.”
“You know what they say about love and hate, Gunner?”
Damn meddling woman. “Lil, don’t get things in your head that don’t need to be there.” My stomach felt weird again. “We’ll be building up the camp together and that is just about it.”
As I walked past her, Lily followed me and gently placed Billy on the sleep mat inside his playpen. It was now a permanent fixture in our large kitchen and provided Wilder with hours of fun. Yep, Wilder!
“Why do you two dislike each other so much?” Lily asked as she ran a hand over her baby’s head.
“You know this story,” I told her as I took a glass from the cabinet. “We had a shit date. A huge difference of opinion about how kids around here should be taught.”
“You thought she was trying to bring her big city ways where they weren’t wanted.” She rolled her eyes. “Blah, blah, blah. You know now that isn’t what she meant.” When I didn’t respond she blinked slowly. “Oh, come on, Gun, do you really think that Cassidy doesn’t want the best for the kids of this town? Still? Even after having the idea about the camp.”
I ran the cold water for a few seconds before filling my glass. Before answering I took a long sip, delaying having to admit that maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe I admired the woman who I’d spent all this time disliking. And that didn’t sit well with me because I always gave people the benefit of the doubt; just not Cassidy Turner it seemed.
“Whatever happened on our date all those years ago,wasall those years ago. It was what it was.” I turned and leaned against the sink. “Now, because of that and the time that has passed I’m sure we can only ever be colleagues on the camp and then acquaintances after.”
Lily’s hand went to her throat as she gasped softly. “Gunner, no. Don’t just dismiss it like that.”
“I’m not, Lil, because there’s nothing there.”
Even as I said it, I remembered how she’d leaned over my desk earlier, pointing out details in her plans, the scent of her shampoo mixing with her perfume. How her voice had softened when we’d talked about the kids, about loss. How different she was from the woman I’d dismissed three years ago. Yes I was attracted to her. No, she wasn’t the person I’d thought she was. Yes she was a much better teacher and person than I’d ever given her credit for. The way she’d talked about helping those kids today, the passion in her eyes when she’d laid out her plans... I’d been dead wrong about her, and that was harder to admit than the attraction. That didn’t mean I should pursue something that probably wouldn’t last anyway. We were too different, too stubborn, too set in our ways. And yet every time she challenged me, now I found myself wanting to push back just to see that fire in her eyes.
“I wish you would both realize that you’d be great together.” Lily moved closer and placed a cool hand on my cheek. “Firey but great.” She gave me a little smirk. “And think about all the makeup sex.”
The idea of that was tempting but…
“Lily, leave it be, okay?” I kissed her cheek. “Now, I have a town meeting to go to and find out what those trucks are doing near our land.”
She looked me up and down, just like Bertie had done. “Dressed up like that. For a town meeting.”
“Yep I am. Nothing wrong with being smart for your adoring public.” I gave her a wink and then sauntered out to the foyer. “Nash,” I called up the stairs. “You coming or not? We don’t want to be late.”
One thing I hadn’t told either Bertie or Lily, was that a certain brunette might be there. And that maybe, just maybe, I’d chosen this shirt because I knew exactly how her eyes lingered when I wore it. Not that I’d ever admit that to anyone, especially myself.
