I laugh. “The catch is I want to get to know you in another way.”
“What’s that?”
“The old-fashioned way. You can talk to me at night on the phone. You can text me. I want to see if we have things in common besides”—I gesture between our lips. “—“that.”
Somehow I’ve left him speechless.
“Please let me know about a tutor as soon as possible,” I say, my tone somber.
“I will.”
“AndProfessor Warden? You have my number.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Shane
Despite the openingAmber gave me, I keep my distance. I was burned too badly once before by a nonexistent relationship with a student to indulge in any sort of real one. No matter how drawn I am to the bubbly blonde.
And in the last few weeks, I’ve seen a more radiant side to Amber’s personality as she grows more comfortable both in my class and with the material. I know from Professor Anne Slater, who is tutoring Amber, that she is grasping the material thanks to the individual attention dedicated to the subject. She also has made some friends in class, her study group, which shows me the lighter side she keeps hidden beneath the busy mom or harried student. I often see her laughing, revealing a more carefree side I wish I could get to know better.
Every time I catch a glance of her smile, my dick reacts.Remember that kiss?it seems to ask me. Don’t you want a repeat?
I frown and refocus on the papers in front of me, but the information blurs, and when my cell rings, I am grateful for the reprieve.
“Hello?” I ask without really looking at the number.
“Shane? It’s Margo. Your step—I mean, it’s Zachary’s wife.” She was clearly about to saystepmother, a term I’ve never been open to or welcomed.
Still, she tries. She’s never been the stereotypical bitch I expected, just the second wife my father left his family for. It is hard to welcome her, especially when my own father hasn’tbothered much with me and yet has been such a stubborn ass when it comes to how I choose to live my life.
“Hello, Margo. How can I help you?” I ask, my standard answer for her rare phone calls. And they are rare.
“It’s your father. He… he had a heart attack,” she says, her voice cracking.
Despite our fractured relationship, panic runs through my veins. “Is he… is he okay?”
“He is. The doctors are optimistic, though they want to run a few tests.”
Relief flows through me. After all, the man is an ass, but he is the only father I have.
“But he’s asking for you,” Margo says. “Can you come visit? Tomorrow would be best because they are running tests today.”
I run a hand over my eyes and groan. “I’ll be there.” I don’t have class in the morning, and they are only located an hour away. But why in the hell does my father want to see me?
And how do I feel about it? My father either leaves me to my own devices or steps in when he doesn’t approve of my choices. He’s never once asked to see me for no apparent reason. True, a brush with mortality could spark a man’s deepest fears, but I don’t see my father reaching that deep into his soul, and apologies aren’t in his vocabulary.
“Thank you. I’ll let Zachary know. I’ll text you the hospital information and I’ll see you tomorrow,” she says before disconnecting the call.
I open a beer and walk to the kitchen window above the sink and look out over my lawn. The neighbors are sitting on their deck, a drawback to this house as there are no trees as a barrier giving me privacy.
Deciding not to go outside, I sit down on the sofa in the family room, take a sip of my drink, and stare into the empty room. I need someone to talk to, someone I think willunderstand my past and mixed emotions about visiting my sick father. There is no way I’d burden my mother with this news, and I haven’t made any friends here close enough to unload this kind of crap on.
Which leaves the only person I really want to see anyway. The same woman I’ve been avoiding unless I see her in my classroom. The one I’ve steadfastly refused to text or call despite the open invitation for me to do so.
I want to talk to Amber.
***
