5
“The kids are over at the Diederiks’ until dinnertime,” Sara said as she approached Ezreal’s SUV where he stood holding open the front passenger door. She hadn’t expected him to get it for her. One more notch on the positive side of this unexpected man.
“Sorry I couldn’t help with your test class. How’d it go?” he asked as she slid into the seat. Whatever aftershave he wore smelled really good.
“Francie’s guest, Ahri, came over to help. She’s a sweetheart.” Sara had been surprised at how well she and the woman had gotten on. They’d even made a lunch date for the next week. “We were both exhausted by the time we were done. The house isn’t big enough, and there were too many distractions inside. I’ll have to come up with some energy wasters before classes start.”
“Like they did in Cub Scouts.” Ezreal leaned in. “At least you have an idea now of how many kids might be interested and the number of adults per student you’ll need.”
Sara met his gaze, and her breath caught at the sudden tension between them. It wasn’t a bad tension. If anything, it made her feel like a rubber band pulled tight and ready to spring—right into those blue eyes. She couldn’t let herself get pulled in by them. Ezreal Wallach was still an unknown entity and his pleasant manners could all be a sham. As she knew too well.
“Right.” She reached for her seatbelt. “I’ll need lots of helpers.”
“Right.” Ezreal swallowed and shut her door, his ears red. He jogged around to the driver’s side.
Sara didn’t know what to think about his flush. He couldn’t have been embarrassed by that little thing that had passed between them. But she’d never heard that anyone could do that on purpose. She glanced at him as he got into the driver’s seat. When he turned on the ignition, a pop song swelled from the car’s speakers. He turned it down.
“Nice,” she said.
“I’m trying out a new program that one of my partners wrote for on-demand music in a car. It’s a side project of his.” He put the vehicle in gear and eased out of the drive. “What kind of music do you like?”
“I like all kinds.”
“Good. I’ll start with classical.”
Ezreal gave some verbal instructions and soft music started to play, the volume loud enough to hear but still carry on a conversation.
Sara ran her hand along the leather armrest. He could afford nice things, but they weren’t overtly expensive. It pleased her that he drove a practical vehicle and not a flashy sports car. The principal at her school drove a car like Ezreal’s.
“I’ve been wondering if my partner Darius might be willing to paint a mural on your music room wall. He enjoys that kind of thing.”
“Would he have time?”
“Ahri’s bugging us all to get out and do more besides work, so yes. He’s done murals before at the school he taught at before we sold our first game.”
“What did you dobefore?” Sara asked.
“Before.” Ezreal chuckled softly. “That’s a good descriptor. It really is like the difference between night and day.”
“I assume you studied music.”
“Yes, and that was a battle. My father didn’t approve. He said I could never make a living writing music.” Ezreal grinned, and it lit up his face. There was something engaging in it, and she could tell it pleased him to have proved his father wrong.
“Is Harvard very far from where you lived?”
“My family’s in the Pacific Northwest, so I chose a school clear across the country.”
“Did you choose Harvard then to get far away from your father?”
“It was more complicated than that. They do have an excellent program, but the big selling point for me was that my father would approve of it because it’sHarvard. He thought it was a big deal to have a son accepted there.” Ezreal laughed softly. “But it also sent mefaraway from my folks.”
“Do you not have a good relationship with them?”
“Don’t get me wrong. They’re loving parents, but they loved me to death. I’m the baby of the family. When I was younger, with my stutter, I had a hard time speaking up for myself.”
“Especially in junior high as you mentioned before.”
Ezreal made a face, and Sara had a ridiculous desire to smooth the crease between his brows. She kept her hands folded in her lap.
