“Who left us both. I don’t have sympathy or empathy for that woman when I gave her all I had and still pushed to give her more. She?—”
“You don’t have to explain,” I cut in softly so I don’t cause him any unnecessary stress. “I understand.”
Micah searches my face for any underlying feelings. However, I just want to be there for him if he needs emotional support. “I hope not, sweetheart. Becausethis…Laura is now the bane of my existence, and I’m not a good man when she’s mentioned. The pain and memories…they cut deep. They’re annoying.”
“It’s a hard thing to forgive?—”
“Luca, my love,” my waitress, Sherry, greets on the other side of the countertop. “Ya havin’ the usual?”
“Yeah,” he answers, steering his newly formed smile toward her. “And put my son’s favorite teacher’s bill on my tab.”
My lips part to counteract his offer, but Sherry’s eyes are already suspiciously locked onto me as if she’s just uncovered the latest gossip.
“We got a new lady friend?” she inquires as if genuinely curious, but I’m fully aware of what’s at stake here.
Me as the new topic ofwhat-ifsandis there something going on around here?
Dramatically, I roll my eyes with a sigh like it’s no big deal. “I’m Heath’s teacher. Mr. Wolfe is trying to buy his son brownie points.”
Sherry’s focus slices back to Micah’s with a mini scowl. “Are you tryin’ to buy good grades now, Luca Wolfe?”
“It’sMicah,” he retorts with emphasis, but there’s no animosity to his tone. “And hell yeah, I’m going to prop my son out. But thanks for pointing out the obvious, Miss Sherry. Now I have to figure something else out.”
She tsks. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“He can always volunteer at the beer tent,” I manage, trying to keep a straight face. “I hear they could use some help at the winter festival.”
“Hell no,” Micah rebukes with a shake of his head. “I’m not dealin’ with Jamison Williams and his dumbass friends.”
“Then you can volunteer as the marshmallow quality control guy.” Micah and I both look at Sherry like she’s working on her last brain cell this morning. “You know how Lucy Valor gets at her cocoa stand. You would literally check the squish factor of each one before it makes it into the customers’ mugs.”
Micah drops his head a little. “That’s fuckin’ insane.”
The corner of my lips heave because wouldn’t that be something to see? I’d be ordering extra marshmallows.
“Or you can be the judge for our snowflake contest,” I suggest. “The kids are going to be making paper snowflakes, and they get to win free tickets for rides.”
“He’ll pick his son’s,” Sherry accuses. “Don’t let his pretty face fool you.”
“How about I don’t volunteer,” Micah chimes in. “And leave everyone at it.”
Sherry lets out a haughty sound. “You’re a little shit, Luca Wolfe.”
Then she takes off to put his food order in while I watch her shake her head at how Micah tries to appeal his way out of anything.
But that smile I’m wearing quickly fades when Micah’s large palm falls dangerously andpubliclyon my upper thigh.
“What are you doing?” I solicit immediately through a whisper-yell, earning that sexy, smug smile on me again.
Meanwhile, he takes his damn time just staring at me as if he’s doing nothing at all.
“Can I get extra credit, Miss Vesper?”
I immediately need to swallow because a lump just formed in my throat before I lightly shove Micah’s hand off me, but not before he drags his fingers along my legs and down my calves, in an attempt to forget that Maebelle and Agnes are feet away.
“Not when you’re not understanding the assignment, Mr. Wolfe,” I chide. “The wrong person looks this way, and I’m going to be looked at like the latest Jezebel here.”
“You’re single.”
