Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47521 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 158(@300wpm)
“You’re not going to be fired.”
She barely gets the statement out when the intercom in my room buzzes. “Miss Waters?”
I hold my breath. “Yes.”
“Mrs. Daniels would like to see you please.”
I fall into my chair and rest my head on my desk. Dammit. “Okay,” I mutter.
“Excuse me?” the secretary says.
I lift my head off the desk, and in my most pleasant voice, I tell her, “Okay, I’ll be right there.”
I slowly stand up, and Charlotte meets me in the middle of my classroom and hugs me tightly. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. Even if you get a reprimand.”
She holds her hands up when I open my mouth. “And I know you didn’t do anything to get reprimanded; I'm just saying that they’re not going to fire you. There’s no one to fill your spot right now.”
I roll my eyes. “Well, that makes me feel better. They’re not going to fire me because they’re waiting for someone to fill my position. Thanks for that.”
Charlotte laughs and shakes her head. “You’re worried for nothing. It’s going to be okay. Do you want me to go with you?”
I shake my head. “No. There’s no sense for Mrs. Daniels to tie you to me in any way. She still likes you.”
Charlotte pulls her bag up her shoulder. “Are you sure? I parked out back, but I can take the long way around and walk with you.”
I shake my head. “No, it’s okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”
She pats me on the back, and we go in separate directions. I make the long trek down the hallway toward the offices. When I get to the front office, I stop suddenly when I hear Mrs. Daniels laughing from her office. What the…? I don’t think I’ve ever heard her laugh. I go to the open door and am about to knock when I spot Baker standing inside, smiling and looking as charming as ever. He’s in uniform again, and he looks even more handsome than I remember.
It’s then that Mrs. Daniels spots me. The whole walk here I prepared myself for a tirade, and I was ready to defend my actions from last night. But I don’t get a chance to.
Mrs. Daniels comes toward me with her arms wide open. I tense up because I’m not sure what’s about to happen, and she wraps her arms around me as she laughs and hugs me. “Cassie,” she admonishes as she pulls back and looks at me. “Why didn’t you tell me that you are friends with Baker? He told me he was there last night and you were completely innocent.”
I meet Baker’s eyes, and he’s looking at me with a satisfied smile on his face. I’m completely stunned by the turn of events. Baker walks over to me and puts his hand around my waist, effectively pulling me away from Mrs. Daniels. “Mrs. Daniels—I mean Krista—it was so good to see you again.”
She blushes. Stone cold Mrs. Daniels is blushing. “Oh my, you too. And how sweet are you to come in today to talk about the carnival. All the kids love your dunking booth.”
I look at him in shock. “You do a dunking booth for the school carnival?”
He looks almost sheepish. “Yeah, I think it’s good for the police to be seen around the school and to have a good rapport with the kids. I had to skip it last year because I was undercover, but I’m looking forward to picking it up again.”
My heart starts to race in my chest. Can this man be any more perfect?
Baker nudges me toward the door. “Well, we’re going to head out of here. I know you’ve had a busy day, so we’ll let you get to it. Thanks again for meeting with me, Krista.”
I wave over my shoulder. “Good night, Mrs. Daniels.”
She calls back in a giggly tone, “Night, Baker. Have a good night, Miss Waters. I’ll see you in the morning.”
I almost trip over my own feet on my way out of the office. We get down the hall before I can form a sentence. “What just happened back there? What did you do to her?”
CHAPTER 6
BAKER
I laugh and point in the different directions of the four-way hallway. “Which way to your classroom?”
She points to the left, and I walk by her side, my hand on her hip. “I didn’t do anything to her, by the way. Mrs. Daniels has always liked me.”
“And you decided today is the day you wanted to come and talk to her about the dunking booth?”
My hand tightens. “No, I came today to clear up any misunderstandings about last night.”
“You mean she called you?”
I shake my head. “No, I called her.”
She stops outside a classroom. “Is that the only misunderstanding you wanted to clear up?”
I peer down at her, and my heart constricts in my chest. I thought about her all night, trying to figure out this obsessive attraction I have for her. Even now, I can’t explain it, but I know I can’t just let her go. “You mean last night… with me and you?”