they made better friends. “It ended when I returned to San Antonio.”
He looked at her with those deep blue eyes. “You’re a teacher.”
She nodded. “High-school English.”
He grimaced. “Not my favorite class.”
“I bet I could have helped change your mind.”
His gaze grew intense. “If you’d been my teacher I would have tried harder.”
The tremor in his voice caused her to shiver, and she had to look away.
“Why aren’t you still in San Antonio?”
“I’m on a leave of absence, but I hope to go back.”
“What happened?”
She wasn’t ashamed about what had happened. “I felt that one of my students was unfairly expelled and lost a chance for a scholarship. I tangled with the principal, and we both decided I needed some time to regroup.”
She felt his heated gaze. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
“What? That I’m in trouble?”
His mouth quirked at one corner. “No, that you put a kid first.”
She shrugged. “It’s my job, Evan. Someone has to be on their side.”
He touched her hand, his broad fingers moving over the backs of hers. “Who’s on your side, Jenny Collins?”
Between his voice and his touch, she had trouble putting together a thought. “My friends, Allison for one.”
“So there’s never been anyone special, except Perkins?”
She fought a shiver. “No one worth mentioning. And Brian is still a friend.”
Another hint of a smile. “They’re all blind then. You’re a beautiful woman and distracting as hell.”
She laughed trying to keep it light. “You have such a way with words, Rafferty.”
“I’ve never had a way with words.”
She doubted that. She also knew she couldn’t give this man anything. That didn’t mean she didn’t want to, but he was too dangerous. “Are you flirting with me?”
Suddenly, he pulled back. Any hint of playfulness was gone. “Just making conversation.”
The sound of the girls caused them to turn. Cherry and Gracie came running toward them, followed by Alex and Allison.
Gracie dropped to the blanket. “Daddy, Cherry asked if I can spend the night at her house.” The girl took a breath. “We don’t have school tomorrow and her mom and dad said I could if it’s okay with you.” Her blue eyes widened in anticipation. “Please, Daddy.”
Jenny could see Evan fighting with an answer. “Are you sure it’s okay with her parents?”
Allison appeared. “It’s fine. The girls are about the same size, so Gracie can borrow something to wear from Cherry. And I’ll bring her home tomorrow morning.”
Both girls turned back to Evan, wide-eyed, silently waiting for his answer. He knew Jenny was watching for his reaction, too. He nodded. “Okay, you can stay the night.”
Gracie jumped up and down along with Cherry, then she hugged him. “Oh, thank you, Daddy.” Just as quickly she released him and returned to her new friend.
“Can we go back now?” Cherry asked. “We want to play in my room.”
Alex took charge. “Then let’s clean up and get going.”
The girls began to pack things in the bags as Alex came up to Evan. “The first time is the toughest,” he said. “We want to protect our little girls, and all they want is to be independent.” Alex looked at him. “It’s no secret you and Gracie have had a rough couple of years. It’s good to let her get out on her own.”
“She’s never wanted to before,” Evan admitted. “Now, she’s asking for things I have no idea how to give her.”
Alex shook his head. “Females. They’re hard to figure out sometimes.” He suddenly grinned. “But they sure make life interesting.” The man turned and shared a glance with his wife. “Oh, yeah, very interesting.”
Evan couldn’t stop looking at Jenny as she helped the kids gather things. She must have sensed his gaze because she turned around. When she smiled, a warm heat shot through him, settling low in his gut.
He tore his gaze away and found Alex watching him. “Jenny’s a special person with a big heart. I’d hate to see her hurt again.”
The message was clear. “I don’t plan to hurt her,” Evan said, knowing the only way for no one to get hurt was for him to stay away from the woman.
He was going to do his darnedest to accomplish just that.
Later that evening, Evan sat on a stool at Rory’s Bar and Grill as his dad worked behind the bar, drawing beers from the tap and mixing drinks. Rory’s wasn’t usually busy on a Sunday night and Evan was glad. He took a drink of his beer and listened to a Carrie Underwood ballad on the jukebox.
Too restless to sit around the house alone with Gracie gone to the Casalis’, he’d surprised himself when he got into his truck and drove into town.
His dad came over. “Can I get you another one?”
Evan stared down at his half-empty glass. “No, I’ll nurse this one for a while.”
Sean nodded. “You should come around more often.”
“I’ve never been the type to hang out in bars. And I usually have Gracie.”
Sean studied his son. “And you were married young, and then Gracie came along.”
Yeah, she’d arrived seven months after the wedding. Evan thought back to those days when Megan had returned from college, fresh with her degree and so many dreams.
He’d been working the Merrick Ranch and saving for his own place. They’d dated only a few times before spending the night together. A few months later, with Megan pregnant, they were standing in front of a preacher. After Gracie’s birth they’d moved into the foreman’s cottage at her parents’ vineyard.
“Socializing seemed to get me into trouble.”
His father smiled. “I think you’re older and wiser now. Besides, you can’t regret that beautiful child.”
“I regret a lot, but never her. She’s the reason I’m working so much. I know I don’t show her the love I should, but it’s hard.”
Sean placed his hands on the bar. “And I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, son, but Megan didn’t help you bond with your daughter.”
Evan
