Officer on Duty (Lock and Key Book 4) by Ranae Rose

shrugged. “I like summer, but I’m going to do a creative writing class this year.”
    “You’re into writing?”
    She nodded. “I wrote some short stories in my English class last year, and my teacher said they were good. The creative writing class is normally for eighth graders, but I got permission to take it this year instead of study hall.”
    The excitement and pride in her voice made Lucia smile. “I wish I was creative enough to write. My best subjects in school were history and French. No numbers or creativity required.”
    Learning a foreign language had probably been a little easier for her than the average student since she’d already been bilingual, speaking Spanish in addition to English.
    “I like history too, but I like English better. Well, except for grammar drills. I took German as my foreign language last year.”
    Lucia nodded. “What about math – are you good with numbers too?”
    Paige made a face. “I try not to think about math when I don’t have to.”
    “You get that from me,” Jeremy said. “I was always crap at algebra, calculus and all that.”
    “Are you an English lover then too?” Lucia asked.
    He shook his head. “I was a summer vacation lover. Spent years on the wrestling team. Did okay academically, but only because my parents made it clear that I had to if I wanted to stay involved in sports.”
    “And here I figured you were where Paige got her writing genes from. Thought maybe you were a poet.”
    He made a face remarkably like the one Paige had made when Lucia had mentioned math.
    Paige smirked. “Dad, you should try to write one. Maybe you’re good at it and just don’t know it.”
    “You just want a good laugh at my expense.” He shot Paige a knowing look. “I’ll leave the writing to you.”
    Paige finished her iced tea, set the glass by the sink and glanced at the clock. A split second later, she thanked Lucia again for the comb and drifted off to the living room.
    A favorite show of hers must’ve been on. The sounds of a drama drifted from beyond the kitchen, and Lucia could just see her curled up on the couch, bathed in the TV’s soft glow.
    Outside, the light was fading. As evening descended on Magnolia Street, Lucia was alone with Jeremy for the first time since she’d managed to wrangle him into having coffee and cookies with her.
    He thanked her again for the comb too, and embarrassment unfurled in the pit of her belly, just below the place where a few butterflies were stirring. The comb had been a mild kindness at best, and an excuse to visit. Far from a big deal, but with the way Jeremy and Paige acted, it might as well have been solid gold.
    “It’s was nothing; I’ve got almost a dozen of them. If Paige ever wants to try out hair products or needs help with styling, just send her over.” She touched one of her curls. “I’ve got years of experience.”
    She felt compelled to offer, wanted to help. And not just because Jeremy was smoking hot – for Paige’s sake, too.
    Lucia had taught lots of girls in the same age group, but Paige had a certain charm that eluded many girls in the difficult preteen stage. She was smart and a little shy, but she opened up, her enthusiasm shining through, when the topic turned to something she cared about.
    It was obvious that Jeremy was doing a good job raising her.
    “I appreciate that,” he said, his eyes meeting hers. “Really.”
    She felt her cheeks get hot and hoped he couldn’t see the pink. Her complexion wasn’t fair, but the blush felt substantial enough to show anyway.
    She smiled and tucked a curl behind one ear, just for something to do with her hands. “I’d be glad to help out. I had lots of little cousins growing up, and I loved doing their hair. Of course, I was pretty awful at it back then and they probably regretted being my guinea pigs. I like to think I’ve come a long way, though.”
    “I’m sure you wouldn’t steer Paige wrong. Your hair’s gorgeous. Like something out