My gaze shifts to the other students and Dana. She’s staring right at us. I’m suddenly aware of how close I am to Joel. I pull away, and his hands drop from my shoulders.
The microwave dings, and I pull Justin’s plate of food out.
“I set some food aside for you too and the others on the search. Do they know?”
“I called them as soon as I got a signal. They’re heading back now.”
“Thank goodness you’re here.”
I mean it. I don’t know how I would have survived the last hour if it wasn’t for knowing that Joel was out there looking for Justin.
I turn to get cutlery, and Joel’s in front of me again. I can’t miss him in the small space of the kitchen. Joel fills up the space; his scent of earth and pine, his low gravelly voice, and his hard body bumping up against the cupboards are all too much. My vision shifts, and I sway on my feet.
Joel shoots out an arm to steady me, but the heat of his body makes me dizzier. I close my eyes, but it intensifies the sensation of his fingers, hot on my skin.
“Are you okay?” His voice is low in my ear, and when I open my eyes, he’s right there.
My pulse thunders in my ears, and I have to get away from him before I do something stupid in front of my students.
“I need to get this to Justin. He must be starving.”
I brush past Joel and out of the kitchen, and I feel his eyes on me as I cross the hall, heating my skin even from a distance.
An hour later, I’ve spoken to Justin’s parents. They didn’t seem surprised that he’d wandered off on his own. I guess they know their son.
I’ll have to report the incident to the school in the morning, and I’m dreading it. I need a good reference, and I need to work this contract out. At least the parents are understanding, and it seems they’re not going to demand disciplinary action. I’m at the whim of the school, and I just hope my six months here have been enough to show my good character.
These thoughts are whirling through my head as I let myself into the cabin.
Joel is lying on his bed reading a paperback, looking casually sexy in his sweatpants and t-shirt. “How is the wayward student?”
“He’s fine.” I dump my folder on the table and hang my coat up. “His parents are fine. But I’ll have to tell the school tomorrow.”
He slides off the bed and flips the kettle on. “He’s okay. No harm done.”
I slide into a chair and rub the tension at the back of my neck. I’m aware of Joel moving by the sink as the kettle boils.
“He went missing in the dark, in the forest. It could have been a lot worse.”
Joel pours two mugs of chamomile tea and slides one across the table to me.
“But it wasn’t. You did the right thing, sending me out to find him while you kept the students calm.”
He seems so sure, but I can’t help the niggle in the pit of my stomach.
“I just hope the board sees it like that.”
“Why wouldn’t they?” He sits next to me, and now there’s a different type of turmoil making my stomach churn. The butterflies that show up whenever Joel gets too close. “I’ll vouch for you. So will all your students. They love you.”
His words are some comfort. “I just hope it’s enough.” I turn the mug in my hands and utter the words I’m fearful of. “They could terminate my contract.”
Joel stiffens beside me. My hair has fallen over my face, and he takes a loose strand and tucks it behind my ear.
“I sincerely hope that doesn’t happen.”
My gaze lifts to his, and my heart beats faster in my chest. Does he mean because he likes me, or because I’m teaching his daughter?
I search his face for answers, and all I find is his intense gaze on me, sincere and kind, and I hitch my breath as I see my own desire mirrored in his expression.
