“Whatever you want to ask, just ask. I promise you, there are no stupid questions.”
He gave me a look that said he didn’t believe me, which at his age, was entirely fair. He likely thought a lot of his classmates asked stupid questions. He’d learn eventually that no matter the question, it was better to ask and learn than it was to keep it to himself and attempt something blind.
“I, uh… Mama started teaching me math when I was Isla’s age. I want to do the same for her, but I don’t know where to start. Can you help me? I don’t want her missing out just ‘cause Mama’s not here.”
The request was so sweet, I could have melted. I kept the response to myself, nodding once. “I can do that. How about I come to visit this weekend and we can sit down with Elias and make a plan on Isla’s education. Something that your mothers would approve of. How does that sound?”
He nodded again. “Sounds good. Thanks.”
He left the room after I gave him a pass for making him late, and I sank into my desk chair, letting out a slow breath. Of all the requests he could have asked, I never expected that one.Maybe I should have, even when he was at his worst he showed he put his little sister first, but it wasn’t something I expected a middle school boy to ever think about. And while I’d never done tutoring for a toddler before, I couldn’t make myself say no. He’d lost enough in his life. He was trying not to lose his sister’s connection to their parents. If I could help with that, I would.
A knock at the door drew my attention and Reagan poked her head in, a frown pulling at her lips. “That was the most heartbreaking conversation I think I’ve ever heard.”
Huffing a laugh, I sat up in my chair. “You were eavesdropping?”
She shrugged. “I was walking the halls and overheard you talking. My interactions with Jasper have been limited, but he sounded a lot older than his years talking to you. And you treated him like an adult, letting him make the decision himself. Not all teachers would do that.”
“I’m not all teachers,” I countered, which made her roll her eyes. I chuckled, shaking my head as I tidied the papers on my desk. “I try to balance treating my students like they’re capable of making their own decisions with the fact that they’re still very much kids. Jasper is a special case. I get the feeling he had to grow up fast after his moms died, taking care of his little sister while waiting to find a stable home. He’s also the only one who knows how his mothers thought. He would know better than anyone how they would respond and what they would prioritize. Letting him be that voice for them seemed to help.”
She nodded in agreement. “I think so too. And since he’s starting in John’s class on Monday, you can finally shoot your shot with the hottie biker who couldn’t stop looking at you whenever he was in your class.”
Spluttering, I looked up at her, wide-eyed. “What?”
She grinned, and the look was entirely too mischievous for a middle school principal. “I’m pretty sure everyone noticed. Itdidn’t matter where you were, if he was walking past you, he was staring. And I didn’t miss the flirtatious looks he sent your way.”
“I– I didn’t– I never–”
She held up a hand, stopping my rambling protests. “Relax. I know you. You never would allow yourself to start something with a parent or guardian while that student is in your class. But he’s not in your class anymore, or at least he won’t be soon. No one would blame you for testing the waters a little. Go on a date. See if there’s a spark. You’ve been single so long, you’re at risk of the local cat population showing up at your door.”
“Reagan!”
“Simone!” she mimicked my tone, snickering when I started rubbing my temples. “Look, you’re my closest friend and I noticed the way your voice softened whenever you talked about him from day one. I respect you keeping things separate while Jasper is your student, but you should give him a shot. He’s a good guy. Which sounds weird when talking about a biker, but he spent half a week in class with Jasper to get him back on track and never lost his temper once. He also did a presentation in Mr. Stickleman’s class, played dodgeball with the kids, and read passages out loud in Ms. Blair’s class, all with a smile on his face. If you’re going to take a chance on someone, take a chance on the guy who’s willing to do all that just so his cousin knows he’s got someone in his corner.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ZERO
I was trying to figure out a new plan to get Jasper to give the crew a chance when the doorbell rang. I’d been away from my crew for too long, it was starting to wear on me. Going from work to childcare all without any breaks was exhausting. Wraith started small with Xander, only introducing a few guys at a time, maybe I needed to do it that way with Jasper too. Something to show him they weren’t as bad as he thought.
My attention was on my phone when I pulled the door open, and when I looked up, I nearly dropped it on my foot. I yelped, jumping out of the way, and Simone’s mouth twisted like she was trying not to laugh.
“Simone! Uh, hey! Did, uh, did we have a tutoring session planned for today? Jasper never mentioned anything.”
“I can see that.” Her eyes trailed over me and I remembered belatedly that I’d not gotten dressed for the day yet. I was still in my pajama pants, sans shirt because Isla threw a handful of applesauce at me at breakfast and I hadn’t bothered to grab something else. It was a little embarrassing since it was closingin on lunch time, but from the look she gave me, she wasn’t complaining. I felt my chest puff out a little, and had to seriously resist the urge to lean in for a kiss when I stepped out of the way to let her in and she brushed past me. Remembering her soft lips against mine was like sweet torture. I wanted more. If I were a little younger, I wouldn’t have the patience to wait until Jasper was out of her class.
“So what’s up?” I prompted after closing the door. It was warming up, cold didn’t stick around long this far south, but the winds today were brutal and I’d caved and turned on the heat when Jasper started complaining and Isla wouldn’t stop crying.
“Jasper asked me to sit down with you and him and plan for Isla’s educational future,” she explained, toeing off her shoes as I took her jacket. She was dressed casually for once in jeans and a sweater, but I didn't have time to enjoy the look. I frowned at her.
“Educational future? She’s not even a year old yet.”
I thought I had a few years before I had to worry about teaching her anything. I was going to ask Butch when she got a little older what I needed to do.
“Babies can learn just as well as older kids can, and when you start them young, they end up with the kind of confidence and skills Jasper has thanks to his mother’s early lessons. He wants the same for Isla, and he asked me to help since he wants her to learn math like he did.”
Well, I wasn’t about to argue. I was a little worried Isla would be outdoing me in math before she even started school, but I’d deal with that when the time came. Maybe I’d get a tutor for myself at some point. Just to have a clue what she was learning. A sly grin tugged at my lips as I considered asking Simone to be my tutor. Maybe once she wasn’t Jasper’s teacher, I’d ask. I could be a good student for her. Or she could punish me somehow. That’d be hot.
“Sure, lemme just get Jasper. It’s naptime right now, so I don’t wanna be yelling up the stairs.”
