Chapter 4

I couldn’t believe it.

The hot lumberjack I’d plowed into earlier that morning was standing right there.

And he’d just whistled loud enough to bring a speeding freeway to a screeching stop.

Rounding up the kids, I made my way over to Paulette and discreetly asked if she could take them inside. I wanted to say hello to the handsome stranger and at least get a name.

All throughout the morning, I’d struggled to get that crooked smile and the smell of him off my mind. I’d done just about a million other things that morning to get ready for my first day. I got that chamomile tea and took a Lyft home, where I took a scalding shower, got dressed, and prepared goodie bags for the kids before finally hopping in my car to drive to work.

All that time, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I regretted not getting a name or at least buying him another coffee to make up for the one I ruined.

If he was here, that meant he was a parent. That was confirmed when one of the kids broke off from the group and ran toward the man. It was the perfect opportunity to finally get his name and stop obsessing over the chance meeting.

I approached him just as the boy clung to his father’s leg like a baby monkey. I couldn’t help but giggle as I walked up to them.

“I, uh, think you’ve got a little something on your leg there,” I teased.

“What, this old thing?” He lifted his leg and wiggled it a little, eliciting a squeal of laughter from the boy. “It’s all the rage in Paris these days.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Got an eye for fashion, huh?”

“Oh, I definitely have an eye for when something looks good,” he said.

I bit down on my lower lip, perhaps a little too hard, feeling my face and ears flush.

Focus, Marley. Focus.

I knew I couldn’t entertain the flirtation, so I cleared my throat and ran a hand through my hair. The other parents were trickling out of the school after seeing their children safely transported into their classroom.

“Can I help?” I asked.

“Please,” he begged. “I think he thought school was a trip to the playground and then a drive back home.”

I laughed. “Yeah, happens every year with the kindergarteners. I don’t think it matters if you’re a shifter or a human. The first day of school is scary for everyone.”

I knelt on one knee and pressed a gentle hand to the boy’s back, patting it slightly. “Hey there, kiddo. What’s your name?”

He only peeked at me from where he clung to his father’s leg.

“My name is Miss Cage. I’m really excited to meet you and be your friend,” I said. “But it will be a lot easier for us to play together if you tell me your name.”

It was a few seconds before he answered, but he finally said a skeptical, “Noah.”

“Nice to meet you, Noah,” I said with the biggest, most encouraging smile I could muster. “Now, Miss Paulette is inside with all of the new friends you were playing with, and she’s giving everyone goodie bags for when we sit down for circle time. Do you like goodie bags?”

He took his face fully away from his father’s leg now, eyes wide and interested. “Goodie bags?”

His father brushed his hand through his thick curls. “Remember when you went to Cousin Riley’s birthday party, and you got that bag with the toys and candy in it?” he asked. “Sounds like your pretty teacher made special goodie bags for everyone in your class.”

“That’s right,” I said brightly. “Because school is just like a birthday party! We get to play with friends, make art, and learn new and fun stories. And we get to eat tasty snacks.”

Noah looked up at his father.

“Daddy, can I go to the school party with Miss Cage?”

I smiled and looked up at his dad. He looked almost incredulous as he looked down at his son.

“Yeah, buddy. Go get ’em and have a great day. I’ll be back to get you before you even realize the day has passed, all right?”

Noah nodded and finally relinquished his father’s leg. I pointed to the classroom door that I’d decorated in moons and stars, each of them with the name of one of my students.

“See that door over there with the moons and stars?”

Noah gave a timid nod.

“That’s where we’re going. You run ahead, and I’ll be there right behind you, okay?”

“Okay!”

The boy took off, dark curls bouncing as he ran. He stopped in the middle of the playground and turned around, looking at his dad.

“I LOVE YOU, DADDY!” he screamed as if trying to be heard across a valley. Then, he abruptly turned again and ran the rest of the way to the classroom.

It shocked me so much that laughter bubbled up from my throat, unbidden and a little too much.

“Love you too, kiddo!” his father called back through a laugh of his own.

I stood up and smiled at Noah’s father as I offered my hand.

“I’m Marley… uh, Miss Cage, I guess,” I said a little awkwardly. “I guess we ran into each other again, so I really do owe you a coffee.”

His hand dwarfed mine as he gave it a good, firm shake.

“Bratt Lucas,” he said with that crooked smile. “Seriously, though, don’t worry about the coffee. It’s bad for my blood pressure anyway.”

I scanned his body, every inch muscular and toned.

“You don’t look like you have to worry that much about your blood pressure, Mr. Lucas.”

He laughed warmly, the sound of it almost musical. That husky laughter tickled the hairs on the back of my neck, just like it had this morning. “No, I don’t need to worry about my blood pressure,” he said. “And you can just call me Bratt. Never liked being called mister anything.”

“Then I insist you call me Marley,” I said.

His gaze slid down my body, and not in the same way it had when he’d looked me over that morning. I guess it was only fair for him to ogle me after I’d just so blatantly ogled him. My thighs squeezed together involuntarily, and I found myself hoping he wasn’t a shifter, even if his son was.

ThenI found myself remembering that whether or not he was a shifter, he was still a parent of one of my students. My employee handbook emphasized multiple times in bold and italics that parents of students were strictly off limits for any kind of romantic involvement.

With all the stories in the news of shifter and human romances going awry, POSHA was extremely careful about inviting that PR nightmare upon themselves, especially during a year when their accreditation was on the line. The pressure was on everyone, from lunch ladies to principals, to play by the rules. If I fell to temptation it wouldn’t only be my reputation on the line, but Lana’s as well.

“Marley, then,” Bratt said, his gaze sweeping over me again. “Well, listen. Noah had a bit of a crisis this morning about his mother. Could you keep an eye on him today and make sure none of the kids ask him any funny questions about his parents?”

“Oh, is his mom okay?” I asked, heart sinking a bit at the fact that I’d just thirsted over a man who was apparently spoken for.

“Hell, if I know, but she’s out of the picture. Noah and I talked about Pinocchio this morning—”

“Oh, yeah. That’s a great way to think about it. Pinocchio only has his dad, too.”

He looked at me a bit strangely, and I immediately felt embarrassed.

“Wait, was that not what you were getting at when you talked about it?” I asked, my face heating.

“No, no. Sorry, that’s exactly what I said to him…I was just surprised, I mean…” he trailed off, then continued. “You really understand kids, don’t you? I mean, I guess you’d have to in this job, but… you really have a knack for it.”

Pride stirred in me at the compliment, and I had to look away, suddenly bashful. “I’ve always loved kids. The way they see the world is just so pure and full of love. It’s a nice break from all the hatred and distrust in the world, you know?”

“Yeah,” Bratt said, looking toward my classroom.

I followed his gaze before looking up at him again.

When I was with Wyatt, he always called himself an alpha. I doubted he understood what that word meant. The way he’d spun the idea was like he was going to be the boss of the household, and I would be his humble servant—spitting out babies, cooking for him, and rubbing his feet.

But seeing how much love and concern Bratt had for Noah made me see a new side of that idea. An alpha wasn’t someone who sat on his ass and got his way—it was a father who set aside everything, even his own comfort, to provide for the people most dear to him. I didn’t know if Bratt was a shifter, but he had big alpha energy, nonetheless.

I leaned forward a bit and smiled up at Bratt.

“So,” I said somewhat teasingly. “Now is the part where the parents go back home or go to work…or maybe get a replacement for the coffee someone ruined for them earlier this morning.”

Bratt jerked as if remembering himself.

“Right. Jeez, I’m no better than my son, am I?” he asked with a startled laugh.

“I guess you guys are just made for each other,” I joked. “Class will be done at two. You can come and wait for him here if you want.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you again, Miss Ca—Marley. I’ll see you both at two. Just let me know if you need anything. If he gets upset or needs something—”

“Everything will be fine,” I promised him with a reassuring smile. “Have a nice day.”

Bratt looked toward the classroom one last time before he nodded, pressing his lips together and stiffly turning to leave.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t watch him go.

Thank God for well-fitted jeans.