Maybe This Time (The Educators Book 3) (9 page)

“Hello, everyone.” Gage gave a cute little wave to the group of about fifty people who served lunch in downtown Rochester every week. People worked at various stations—the stove, the dishwasher, drawing coffee from big urns. Its scent and that of spicy spaghetti sauce made her stomach growl.

He didn’t even seem out of place here in his jeans and deep green Nautica shirt. He’d brought a bag to stay, and she teased him about being too sure of himself. “Let’s pour milk,” Delaney suggested.

“Sure.” He grabbed a gallon. “I’m glad I woke up for this. You were ready to sneak out without me.”

“I couldn’t believe you’d want to do this with me.”

“I used to…” he stopped.

“Don’t tell me, in the early days you did volunteer work.”

He nodded.

“I started coming here because the kids in the Dynamics of Citizenship classes have to do service projects as a requirement for graduation and they challenged the faculty to get involved. So I went along. I love the work.”

“Crystal Corners kids come here? Aren’t you afraid they’ll see us?” Given Delaney’s single status and her pregnancy, and Stephanie’s state of mind, they’d agreed to keep their relationship a secret for the time being.

“No, they volunteer at a soup kitchen in Crystal Corners.”

“Where is it?”

“In the basement of Community Christian Church.”

“I heard that church did a lot of outreach. You came to this one because it was close to your house?”

“No, because I like to keep a private life separate from school.”

“We blew that one, didn’t we?” he said with a half-smile.

“
You
are totally worth it.”

Out on the floor, sixteen tables had been set up and were full of patrons. They served the main course amidst the rumble of voices and an occasional shout from guest to guest. Because they were assigned two tables together, Delaney got a chance to observe Gage. He was more easygoing with the homeless and addicted who frequented the kitchen than she would have thought he’d be. Now, she watched him bend over and speak to a baby girl in a high chair. He seemed to have a soft spot for babies. Was that why he was so taken with news of her pregnancy?

“Hey, Delaney, where’d you go?” This from one of the guests who always sat at one of her tables. Several people sought her out and knew her first name. She’d brought out the cart of desserts but was just standing there staring at Gage.

“I’m right here, Roger.” She placed a piece of pumpkin pie in front of him. “Need anything else?”

“A million bucks?”

She grinned. This was a standing joke between them. “I meant milk or coffee?”

The time flew by and in three hours, the meal was over. As they made their way to Gage’s car, he tugged her to his side. That she was beginning to feel as if she belonged there tried to scare her, but she battled it back. He said, “I liked helping out.”

“Me, too. Once I started here, I wondered why I didn’t volunteer more in the community.”

“Do a lot of teachers participate in the challenge?”

“Yeah, great guys like Nick Corelli. He works at a domestic violence shelter with a student. But people like Tom Speranza and his group of friends don’t. They’ve filed a grievance over the Volunteer Challenge.”

“He’s not a nice guy, is he?”

“No, Stephanie’s good at reading people and she hates him. I hear Schmooze has a real vendetta against him, too. Annie and Brie told me.”

“Are they your friends at school?”

“I think they’d like to be. And I know them better than anyone there. Steph has Brie for tenth grade Social Studies.”

Before he started the car, he leaned over and kissed her. “Thanks for giving me this opportunity. I mean it.”

“Stick with me and I’ll show you lots of different things.” She made light of his statement because it moved her so much. Because what they did together yesterday and today made her care about him more and more.

“Hmm,” he said matching her tone. “I got a few moves of my own you might not know.”

“Oooooo…let’s go home and try them.”

“You’re on, babe.”

o0o

“Hi, Steph, it’d Dad.”

“Oh, hi, Dad. I didn’t expect you to call.”

Gage fingered a eucalyptus bouquet on the table next to the couch, appreciating its pungent scent. “I called yesterday, too.” He was trying to be a better father. And he was worried about her. “You didn’t answer then or return my call after you got my message.”

“I know. We were out all day then went to see a play last night.”

“Are you having fun?”

A hesitation. “Um, yeah.”

“Steph, is something wrong?”

Delaney raised her head up from where she was lounging in the hammock. He met her worried gaze with one of his own. When Steph didn’t answer, he asked, “Is your mom okay?”

“Yeah, I guess. She drank a lot last night is all.”

Andrea wasn’t supposed to drink because of her medication. “Did she go off on you?”

“No, she got sloppy and sentimental. Told me how much I meant to her. She wouldn’t want to live without me.”

Because Steph rarely opened up to him like this, he kept her talking. When they were ready to hang up, she said, “So, I’ll be home Tuesday.”

“I thought you were coming back Sunday night?”

“No, Mom made us an appointment for a manicure at a salon on Monday morning. I’ll miss another day of school.” She didn’t sound happy about it.

“Want me to pick you up at the airport in Rochester?”

“Mom rented a car.” Quiet. “Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I come and stay with you on Monday night when we get back?”

“Will mom care? My usual days are Wednesday and the weekends.”

“Fine, if you don’t want me to come!”

“I didn’t say that. Of course I want you here. I’ll plan a special night for us.”

“Sorry. That’d be good. And, um, thanks for calling.”

Still worried, he clicked off the phone.

“Problem?” Delaney asked when he left the couch and walked over to the hammock. He leaned against one of the posts that held it up.

“Andrea’s drinking.” He explained the situation.

“Gage, this is a problem. Are you sure it’s safe for Steph to be with your ex?”

“The judge thinks so.”

“Maybe
you
should think about changing the judge’s mind.”

“That’s really complicated. But let’s not talk about my ex right now. It’s a little bizarre with you lying there in that cute little white bathrobe.”

Slowly, she untied the belt and pulled the flaps open. “Care to join me?”

He arched a brow. “You’re kidding, right? In a hammock?”

“It’s very sturdy. Besides I never did it here before.”

“In that case…”

He stripped and joined her on the ropes. The sensation of them next to his naked body was exciting. She’d just taken a bath and smelled like the bubbles she’d put in it. “I can’t believe we’re going to do this.”

Delaney watched him with wide brown eyes. The expression made his heart leap. “I can’t believe this whole weekend has happened.”

He tucked her hair behind her ear. “We just got an extra day.” He told her about the return date.

“As much as I don’t like Steph missing more school, I’ll just have to try to think positively.” Her hand slid between his legs. “Hmm, this is a good motivator.”

“You can bet it is, love. Now, how are we going to manage this?”

o0o

“This place is amazing, Gage.”

They were seated in Edgar’s, the gourmet restaurant at The Belhurst Castle in Geneva, a half hour from Crystal Corners. Delaney hadn’t heard that any of the high school kids worked at the inn, so she’d agreed to come when Gage had suggested an overnighter.

The historical landmark, an imposing stone mansion on acres of land butted up against Seneca Lake, was previously a private residence that had been converted to an inn. A loving husband and rich landowner had built it for his wife over a hundred years ago. With mahogany woodwork, hand-painted mosaic tile and beamed ceilings, the building had several floors of rooms with the same opulent décor. It had also been voted one of the top ten romantic inns and resorts in upstate New York.

“Ever been here before?” he asked her.

Sometimes she thought he didn’t even see their differences. “No, I’m a more of a Dinosaur Barbeque kind of girl.”

He sloughed off her comment. “You look beautiful tonight, by the way.” He referred to the sleek black dress she wore with the black necklace she’d seen at Jewels and bought to celebrate the pregnancy. She told him that.

“It’s interesting. It suits you.”

“I don’t usually dress this conservatively.”

“What would you normally wear?”

“Oh, this dress, probably with a leopard scarf at the waist, my hair up in a tail, wild earrings and boots.”

“I like the heels. They make your legs seem even longer.”

“Sexist.”

“You know, you can wear whatever you’re used to around me. Stephanie says you’re the funkiest teacher in the school. And from what I’ve seen, I agree.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing, changing my style for you?” She frowned. “God, I hope not.”

Reaching across the table, he squeezed her hand. “Mostly, I don’t think much around you. I’ve been in sexual haze for four days.”

“Aw, poor you. Well, you know what they say about pregnancy hormones, don’t you?”

“Music to my ears. Why do you think I rented a room upstairs?”

He’d insisted she drive to Crystal Corners, park in the back of the school, and ride to Geneva with him to stay overnight at the inn. He’d drop her off early at school, tomorrow.

“I think,” she said taking a bite of lobster that he ordered for her because she’d never had it “that you’re as much of a sex fiend as I am now.” She purposely dripped butter on her lips and licked it off sensuously.

“Don’t do that.”

Because it bothered him, she licked again. Then did the same with her wine. And finally the chocolate mousse.

He stood the minute they finished dessert. “Come on, woman, we’re going upstairs.”

She laughed all the way up the winding staircase to the top tower room. He didn’t say anything as he opened the door. Went inside. Closed it.

Not so gently, he pushed her against the heavy wood. “Your teasing got you here, so you better put out.”

“Oh, I’d love to put out.”

“Kick off your shoes.”

She did, and managed to get the black thigh high stockings off, too.

“Good girl.”

He’d yanked off his suit coat and tie, then braced her against the wall. “Wrap your legs around me.”

“Push back first.” She released him from his trousers. “Come inside me now, Gage.”

Hiking her up, with no finesse, no tenderness, not gentle motions or words, he plunged inside her.

Just like she wanted it.

Later, they lay in bed, staring out one of the tower windows. “All this ends tonight,” she said nostalgically.

He didn’t pretend to not understand. “Us
like this
ends
.”

For a moment, she didn’t respond. Then she rose up and braced herself on his chest. She ran her hand over the coarse hair there that she loved, inhaled his sexy scent. “We can’t kid ourselves, Gage. We’re in a difficult situation, given Steph.”

“Difficult but not impossible.”

She didn’t know why she continued to argue. She cared so much about this guy already. “Look, we didn’t make any promises beyond these four days.”

He scowled and she tried to smooth his brow.

“We don’t really know each other except in bed.”

“Bullshit.”

“What do you mean?”

“Okay, we changed the order of a normal relationship. Usually people get know each other first then go to bed. But we’ve shared a lot of ourselves in a short time because of Steph. Then we had this weekend to talk about our pasts, our lives now. What makes us who we are. So don’t tell me we don’t know each other.”

“Maybe I meant we didn’t know how we feel about each other.”

His whole body stiffened. “I know how I feel about
you
.” His tone was angry.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Quickly, he reversed their positions. Now he loomed over her. “I’ve fallen in love with you.”

“Really?”

He shook his head, as if he was trying to calm down. “Yes, really. And you don’t have to say you are too, with me. But
I
know something happened to me that weekend in Atlanta and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. Then seeing you so much and not having you about killed me.”

“Gage, I--”

“Be quiet. I’m not finished yet. Now that I’ve spent this time with you, I’m not letting you go. Jesus Christ, you’re carrying my child.”

“I don’t want you--”

This time he put his hand over her mouth. “And don’t tell me it’s too fast. I know how I feel.”

The room was eerily silent. He removed his hand. She asked, “Can I talk now?”

“Yes.”

Her heart was so full she thought she might burst. Never in her entire life had she experienced the sweetness that flowed through her—and the hope. “I feel the same as you, Gage. Right from our night together in Atlanta.”

He seemed utterly surprised, which was really touching. Finally, he gritted out, “Then tell me.”

“I love you, Gage.”

Chapter 8

Sitting beside her mother in the town car they’d rented, Stephanie turned on her cell phone. She hadn’t checked any of the texts she’d gotten in New York because she didn’t want to get upset on her vacation with her mother. But she’d have to read them before she went back to school, when she’d have to deal with Schmooze. Sure enough, there were several texts, all from her…

hey, baby, how’s nyc? gonna have lots to catch up on here miss u.

really rockin’ now  me, mitz and catherine the great are settin’ up a plan u r part of it.

bad news tom tom got catherine again she failed two tests and he called good ole daddy cg is in the hospital he beat her up bad child protective might take her away from the bastard father…

btw saw your favorite teach today she musta got some over the weekend because she was sending off mega vibes…