he ordered. “Hit the pool as soon as we get back. And don’t you dare even think about stopping for a rest.”
A groan echoed out from behind him. Tom kept his face straight as he ran backward again, pleased that at least his general fitness was better than any of these kids’. He could run for hours without stopping, and before his injury he could easily have stayed as long in the water, too.
“Do you want to be Navy SEALs or not?” he barked, waiting for a Yes, sir. “So let me hear you or it’ll be a double run next time!”
“Yes, sir!”
“I wanna be a Navy SE-AL, ” he sang, “run with me-e if you dare .”
Tom clamped his jaw tight and gritted his teeth. He wasn’t used to being distracted, and he didn’t like it one bit.
* * *
Caitlin pulled off her trousers and replaced them with her black leotard, wriggling in the confines of the teacher’s bathroom.
“You definitely need a night out.” Lucy was waiting for her on the other side of the door. “Seriously, it’ll do you good.”
At least she hadn’t said I told you so.
“I don’t know…” Caitlin finished getting dressed, folding all her things back in her bag.
“Did I mention I wouldn’t take no for an answer?”
Caitlin flung open the door, hair tie in her mouth as she fingered her hair into a bun. “Did I mention how bossy you are?” she mumbled as she plucked out the tie and twisted it into her hair.
“I don’t care.” Lucy picked up the bag for her and swung it over her shoulder. “The best thing to get your mind off a guy is to go out and have fun. Believe me, I know from experience.”
Caitlin laughed, Lucy’s attitude was contagious. “I’m not having any problems getting my mind off him, Lucy, I just wanted to tell you what a jerk he ended up being.” She was lying. The way Tom had behaved had upset her, cut her up inside, but she didn’t want anyone knowing that. Not even one of her closest friends. Men never rattled her, not anymore, and that was the way she wanted it to stay.
“Yeah, yeah.” Her friend swatted her hand in the air as if what Caitlin was saying was completely irrelevant. “I don’t need more details right now, what I need is for you to say yes to coming out tomorrow night. Okay?”
Caitlin grabbed her bag back and bumped shoulders with Lucy. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
She laughed at Lucy’s surprised expression. “Pick me up on your way,” she said as she walked toward her car.
“Don’t go all miss prissy ballerina on me, either, okay? I want sexy Caitlin!” Lucy called.
Caitlin cringed, hoping no one else had heard their conversation. But the truth was, she did need a night out, and Lucy was the perfect playmate. She was confident, engaging and loads of fun. Exactly what Caitlin needed to make her feel better. It was one of the reasons she’d been drawn to Lucy in the first place.
She started the car and made her way to ballet. Her only hope now was that Tom would drop Gabby off outside. The last thing she needed was to bump into him and get herself all tangled in knots again.
* * *
Tom went through Gabby’s schoolbag, fishing out some uneaten lunch and her school books. “Is there any homework in here?”
Gabby called back at him from her room. “Nope.”
He seriously doubted that. “Gabby, come on out here.”
She didn’t call back. Tom dumped her lunchbox on the counter and put her books beside it. He was sure there’d be something in there they were meant to be addressing. He checked to make sure there wasn’t an uneaten banana or anything else lurking, but found a note instead.
Hmmm. Tom unfolded the tatty piece of paper, recognizing Gabby’s handwriting and an unfamiliar child’s writing. He wondered how long it had taken the little girls to write the note when they were meant to be listening in class.
Miss Rose asked us for dinner last night.
Why?
Don’t know. But my uncle kept looking at her all funny.
Like what?
She made nice food. Like my mom
A groan echoed out from behind him. Tom kept his face straight as he ran backward again, pleased that at least his general fitness was better than any of these kids’. He could run for hours without stopping, and before his injury he could easily have stayed as long in the water, too.
“Do you want to be Navy SEALs or not?” he barked, waiting for a Yes, sir. “So let me hear you or it’ll be a double run next time!”
“Yes, sir!”
“I wanna be a Navy SE-AL, ” he sang, “run with me-e if you dare .”
Tom clamped his jaw tight and gritted his teeth. He wasn’t used to being distracted, and he didn’t like it one bit.
* * *
Caitlin pulled off her trousers and replaced them with her black leotard, wriggling in the confines of the teacher’s bathroom.
“You definitely need a night out.” Lucy was waiting for her on the other side of the door. “Seriously, it’ll do you good.”
At least she hadn’t said I told you so.
“I don’t know…” Caitlin finished getting dressed, folding all her things back in her bag.
“Did I mention I wouldn’t take no for an answer?”
Caitlin flung open the door, hair tie in her mouth as she fingered her hair into a bun. “Did I mention how bossy you are?” she mumbled as she plucked out the tie and twisted it into her hair.
“I don’t care.” Lucy picked up the bag for her and swung it over her shoulder. “The best thing to get your mind off a guy is to go out and have fun. Believe me, I know from experience.”
Caitlin laughed, Lucy’s attitude was contagious. “I’m not having any problems getting my mind off him, Lucy, I just wanted to tell you what a jerk he ended up being.” She was lying. The way Tom had behaved had upset her, cut her up inside, but she didn’t want anyone knowing that. Not even one of her closest friends. Men never rattled her, not anymore, and that was the way she wanted it to stay.
“Yeah, yeah.” Her friend swatted her hand in the air as if what Caitlin was saying was completely irrelevant. “I don’t need more details right now, what I need is for you to say yes to coming out tomorrow night. Okay?”
Caitlin grabbed her bag back and bumped shoulders with Lucy. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
She laughed at Lucy’s surprised expression. “Pick me up on your way,” she said as she walked toward her car.
“Don’t go all miss prissy ballerina on me, either, okay? I want sexy Caitlin!” Lucy called.
Caitlin cringed, hoping no one else had heard their conversation. But the truth was, she did need a night out, and Lucy was the perfect playmate. She was confident, engaging and loads of fun. Exactly what Caitlin needed to make her feel better. It was one of the reasons she’d been drawn to Lucy in the first place.
She started the car and made her way to ballet. Her only hope now was that Tom would drop Gabby off outside. The last thing she needed was to bump into him and get herself all tangled in knots again.
* * *
Tom went through Gabby’s schoolbag, fishing out some uneaten lunch and her school books. “Is there any homework in here?”
Gabby called back at him from her room. “Nope.”
He seriously doubted that. “Gabby, come on out here.”
She didn’t call back. Tom dumped her lunchbox on the counter and put her books beside it. He was sure there’d be something in there they were meant to be addressing. He checked to make sure there wasn’t an uneaten banana or anything else lurking, but found a note instead.
Hmmm. Tom unfolded the tatty piece of paper, recognizing Gabby’s handwriting and an unfamiliar child’s writing. He wondered how long it had taken the little girls to write the note when they were meant to be listening in class.
Miss Rose asked us for dinner last night.
Why?
Don’t know. But my uncle kept looking at her all funny.
Like what?
She made nice food. Like my mom
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