Chapter 2
Tara had never wished to be invisible as much as she did at that moment. She’d already been practically manhandled by the divorced dad Aunt Sandy had brought over a few minutes ago. But this was a different kind of embarrassment. For the first time since Derek said he couldn’t marry her, she felt like maybe her heart was still beating after all. There was just something about Luke. Not that he was drop-dead gorgeous, but she liked his stocky, athletic build and his short, stick straight hair that refused to be tamed. And that smile. It was absolutely magnetic. Her face was probably as red as her dress. She’d almost forgotten about seeing Aunt Sandy pull him into the auditorium. But that was a mistake. Luke was just another victim coaxed into coming over, and nothing could come of this even if she wanted it to.
“It was nice to meet you.” He said it like an apology, like he too felt how nice it was before it got weird. “We should go.” He guided Hallie to her parents’ side, giving Aunt Sandy an uncomfortable smile before turning his perfect brown eyes back to Tara for just a moment.
Jill put a comforting hand to her back. “You liked that one, huh.”
“Shh.” It was okay for Jill to know. She noticed everything. But no one else needed to catch wind of Aunt Sandy’s fun little hobby. There was already enough gossip circulating about Tara to fuel a daytime talk show for weeks. “We can analyze this later, my friend.”
And they would. They’d been friends from day one of teaching together, and more so after Derek broke her heart. Jill had been her saving grace this year. Coming in to teach after a honeymoon that never happened had been utterly humiliating. If it wasn’t for Jill and her student’s happy faces, she couldn’t have done it.
Another child came up to introduce his parents, and Tara gave them all her attention, forcing her eyes not to follow Luke out of the room. She’d never felt this much irritation at her aunt before. Exasperation, yes. But not this stab of disappointment.
And where was Aunt Sandy, anyway? She’d been standing right here, looking pleased as a cat with cream just a moment ago. Oh no. Had she gone after him? Tara turned to Jill. “Where’s Aunt Sandy?”
They looked around together, but she was clearly not in the room. Jill rubbed the spot between her eyebrows. “Love you like a sister. Glad I’m not one, though. My aunts are no fun at all, just the way I like them.”
“Ha, ha. It wouldn’t matter. Aunt Sandy tells me every day I’m her favorite niece, and that’s why I get all her special favors.”
“Maybe she just took a potty break.”
Tara cracked a smile. “You’ve been teaching kindergarten for too long, Jill. Adults don’t say potty.”
“Look on the bright side. If she went to catch up with the guy, there’s a chance he might call now.”
“I wouldn’t respect him if he did.”
***
Sarah’s car was parked on the other side of the school, so Luke said goodbye to the three of them, feeling like an idiot. He hadn’t even explained what just happened, though he’d get around to it at some point. Well, he would explain some of it, anyway. He was almost to his car when he heard the brisk clip clop of heels from someone short and determined, and his shoulders dropped. Sandy had followed him. It wasn’t even a surprise when he turned around to see he was right.
She looked sheepish. “I’m sorry. Was I too pushy?”
Well, she did ask. Which meant, on some level she was open to the truth. “A little. To be honest, I don’t think you’re helping Tara by playing matchmaker.”
“All right.” She nodded, looking resigned. “Have a nice night.”
“You, too.” Coming here had been a mistake. He’d let his frustration out on this well-meaning woman. “Thank you for inviting me.”
He turned to go, but stopped as she stepped closer and pulled something out of her purse. She placed it into his hand. A Pez dispenser.
He looked down at it, expecting something recent. A nice token, but not anything collectible. This one was on a green stem and wearing an ugly brown hat with a beaver tail down one side. Daniel Boone. A Bicentennial celebration piece from 1976, and very rare. Being the Pez geek that he was, he knew it was probably worth almost two hundred dollars—not that it ever came up at auction.
He handed it back as soon as he could stop studying it. “I can’t take this.”
“Please do.” She pulled her hands away, refusing to take it back. “Consider it my apology.”
“You should apologize to Tara. Does she like Pez?”
Sandy laughed. “Not really. My late husband collected these. But I don’t want them. I have enough things stored as it is.”
He still held it out. He didn’t even want to entertain the idea of keeping it.
Sandy turned and walked off, and he sighed in exasperation, having no choice but to follow. “You have to take this back.”
“Keep it.” Sandy called over her shoulder, getting closer to the orchestra door where Tara was. Luke didn’t dare follow her back in there. “And if you happen to run into Tara again, ask her out. I think she liked you.”
Luke stared down at Daniel Boone. He’d hold onto it until he could find a way to return it. But he would not be asking Tara out.
