Forever With You (Bayou Dreams Book 5) by Farrah Rochon Page A

dreams.
    This woman had him so twisted inside Gabe could hardly think straight when she was around.
    She perused the trays of tiny finger sandwiches and cookies before lifting up a chocolate-chip cookie. His breathing slowed as she brought it to her mouth. Blood started to pound through his veins as her lips parted and—
    “Do you agree, Mr. Franklin?”
    Gabe snapped to attention.
    “Yes,” he said.
    Wait. What had he just agreed with
?
    “It was actually Gabriel’s idea,” John Williams, the school’s principal, said. He sent Gabe a questioning look that said he’d better get it together. “We’re still figuring out exactly how we’re going to schedule it,” Mr. Williams continued. “But I think Quiet Time is going to be a big hit with students.”
    Ah, yes. Quiet Time
.
    “I predict it will, too,” Gabe interjected. “It’s something our principal instituted back when I was in high school. For ten minutes each day everyone in the school had to read something. It didn’t matter if you were a student, teacher or custodial worker. Even the delivery guy had to stop and read if he happened to come during Quiet Time. There were stations set up throughout the school with books, magazines and newspapers for anyone who didn’t have any reading material with them.”
    “I’m fascinated by this idea,” the superintendent said. “It’s not too overwhelming. Even nonreaders can concentrate for ten minutes.”
    “That’s the whole idea. And, eventually, they’ll learn to enjoy reading a little bit more every day. I went from being a student who hated to read to someone with a paperback-per-week habit, and it’s something that has stuck with me to this day.”
    “Now, that’s the kind of habit we want our students to develop,” Principal Williams said.
    “I haven’t gotten to the best part,” Gabe continued. “In just a couple of years, the test scores in reading went up over twenty-five percent school-wide.”
    “A twenty-five-percent increase in just two years? That’s all I need to hear,” Superintendent McCabe said. “Quiet Time will become a part of the curriculum throughout the entire school system. I’ll look into having a committee set this up as soon as possible. You mind working with them?” He directed the question at Gabe.
    “Of course I’ll work with them,” Gabe answered. “You’re going to be amazed at the results. Just wait.”
    “There’s Mrs. LeBorde,” Principal Williams said. “You need to hear about some of the things she’s added to the sixth-grade math course. Gabe, can you meet us in my office in about twenty minutes? Superintendent McCabe has something else to discuss with us.”
    Gabe told himself that the hint of unease he heard in the principal’s voice was just a figment of his imagination.
    “Yes. Of course,” he said, forcing himself to sound as normal as possible, despite the apprehension sweeping through him.
    Had news of the disgruntled parents reached the school board? Were they going to tell him that they were hiring a new permanent assistant principal, someone who hadn’t pissed off everyone in the community?
    He needed to get control over that rumor about the Lock-In as quickly as possible. This interim assistant principal position was a major stepping-stone on the journey to completing his ultimate goal, and he would be damned if he allowed some false rumor to kill it. He’d worked too hard for this.
    Gabe turned and spotted the woman who could be the potential key to putting him back in the parents’ good graces.
    Leslie stood in front of the table covered with pamphlets highlighting upcoming summer programs. She was chatting with a couple of other parents. For a moment he considered approaching them, but then thought better of it. They had not agreed on just how much she was willing to help him clear up that rumor. He didn’t want to pressure her into defending him if she still had lingering doubts about it.
    But then she looked directly at