Mary E. Thompson's Blog, page 52

Meet The Teacher, part four

Read part one, part two, and part three first!

Veronica had been nervous about seeing Tim again for weeks. She’d purposely avoided stopping by the school for anything. Every other year she’d volunteered in Charlie’s class, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it with Tim as his teacher.

But she couldn’t avoid him any longer. They needed to talk.

“I need you to stop encouraging Charlie to be a truck driver when he grows up. He comes home every day talking about it and it can’t continue.”

Tim crossed his arms over his chest, pulling his shirt tight to his body and making Veronica lose her train of thought. She still remembered how those arms felt wrapped around her, the sound of his heart pounding against her ear, and the taste of his bare skin. Not that she let herself think about such things often. No, Veronica was focused. Determined. She was no longer the carefree girl she once was.

And not even Tim could make her forget what really mattered in her life.

“I don’t encourage anything. I simply listen to Charlie tell me about how great his dad is and agree that he should be able to do whatever job makes him the most happy.”

Pain pierced Veronica’s heart at Tim’s words. She knew Charlie wanted to drive trucks like his daddy, but she thought it was something he’d outgrow. She never imagined he’d be so focused on the one thing that scared her the most.

“I need to sit down,” she said, suddenly feeling lightheaded.

“Are you alright?” Tim asked, sounding a mix of pained and pissed.

Veronica shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I just need to figure out how to handle this.”

“Not that it’s any of my business, but why are you opposed to Charlie driving trucks for a living? If he wants to be like his dad, he should be allowed to dream that.”

“His dad is a dream. He died six years ago. Driving his truck. Charlie doesn’t even remember him.”

Tim dropped into his desk chair and gawked at her. His mouth opened and closed like a fish, trying to formulate some sort of response, but Veronica knew there wasn’t one.

“You’re not married?”

Veronica shook her head. “I kept wearing my rings because I didn’t have any interest in dating with Charlie being so little. Now… I guess it’s just habit to keep them on.”

“You’re not married,” Tim said again, quieter, almost reverently.

Veronica looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. She saw all the things she longed for in his gaze. Desire. Need. Want. Passion.

Her cheeks heated and her skin tingled at the idea of being with Tim again. When she allowed herself a moment of weakness, her thoughts always went back to Tim. Yes, she’d married another man, but Tim was her first love. The man she compared every other man against. The man she would have followed to the ends of the earth.

And he was back. Sitting in front of her looking like he hadn’t forgotten any more than she had.

“I can’t do this. You’re Charlie’s mom. Not Veronica. You’re the parent of one of my students. I will do what I can to deter Charlie from wanting to be a truck driver, like his dad, but I can’t make any promises.”

“He likes you. He respects you. You could tell him to do anything and he’d listen. Just pull back on the truck driver thing,” Veronica replied, ignoring Tim’s first statements.

“You’re still beautiful,” Tim finally said. “God, V, I never forgot you.”

“I never forgot you either.”

“But you got married.”

“I didn’t think you were ever coming back. I tried to move on with my life. He always knew though. That there was someone else. We never talked about you, but he knew.”

“I’m sorry,” Tim said, sounding like he meant it.

“Me, too. He was a good man. He didn’t deserve the half-assed attempt I made at our relationship. But he wasn’t you. I couldn’t hide that.”

“Jesus, how are we going to get through this? It’s been eleven years but it feels like yesterday.”

“There’s nothing to get through, Tim. Nothing is going to happen. Charlie is my priority now. He’s the only man I have time for in my life.”

Veronica couldn’t let Tim know how much she’d thought of him over the last few weeks. She wasn’t strong enough to let someone else in, but she knew in her heart Tim was already in. He never left. He took up residence years ago and never moved out.

But she couldn’t tell him that. She couldn’t be vulnerable again. Not with him. Not when the pain of losing him the first time nearly killed her. Not when she ran straight to Charlie’s dad’s arms when she accepted Tim really wasn’t coming back. Not when she only ended up getting pregnant with Charlie because she’d been too foolish as a young girl to realize Charlie’s dad was just as messed up as she was.

And she couldn’t ever let him know the truth about how Charlie’s dad really died. Or who he was with when it happened.

“Charlie’s lucky to have you. I can’t help but wish he was mine. Every time I look at him, I see little bits of you, and I wish I could see me in him too. I wish I’d never left. Or that I’d convinced you to come with me. It’s my only regret in life. And the reason I came back. I came back for you, V. The job is a perk, but I came back hoping I’d get a chance to fix what I screwed up all those years ago. Except this time, I’m not leaving. I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to wait until you’re ready to let me back in. Then I’ll spend the rest of my life proving to you that I’m worthy of you now. That I won’t leave you again.”

Veronica sucked in a deep breath, one that didn’t come close to filling her lungs. Tears burned the backs of her eyes and emotion she hadn’t felt in over eleven years clogged her throat. She’d dreamt of hearing those words. For eleven years.

But could she trust them? Could she trust him?

The post Meet The Teacher, part four appeared first on Mary E Thompson.

Meet The Teacher, part three

Read part one and part two first! 

Tim tried hard to put Veronica out of his mind over the next few weeks. Dating the mother of one of his students was firmly on his Not-To-Do List, but Veronica was married. That put her squarely in the Don’t-Even-Think-About-It category.

Not that it helped.

Every day that got closer to Open House Tim felt dread creeping in on him. He didn’t want to see Veronica again. And he definitely didn’t want to meet her husband. There were some things that were better left in the past, and Veronica was one of those things.

When Open House night finally arrived, Tim grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed back to school. He wanted to be early so he could prepare himself. It was going to be a long night full of questions and information, but he was determined to make it a night he didn’t regret anything that came out of his mouth. Like telling Charlie’s dad that Tim was the first one to make Veronica scream with pleasure. Or that he never forgot how beautiful she looked when he slid into her.

Nope, he wasn’t going there.

At six o’clock parents filled his room. Tim looked around, wondering why Veronica wasn’t there yet. He knew he should get started but couldn’t bring himself to just yet.

Then he saw her. She rushed through the door like she was running for her life. Her eyes quickly flashed to his, but turned away just as fast. A jolt went through him before he could steal himself, the pain of losing her hitting him all over again. She was still as beautiful as she’d been when they were kids, when he was too young and stupid to realize what he had in his life.

But that was the past. And he worked too hard to let regrets get in his way.

“Welcome to third grade, parents,” Tim said, standing in front of the room. “I’m your child’s teacher, Mr. James. Most of you I met at the meet and greet, but there are a few faces that aren’t familiar to me. Tonight I’m going to go over how we’re doing in class, what the next few months look like, and where we plan to be by the end of the year.”

Tim launched into his discussion, pausing when needed to answer questions and ease the parents’ worry about him being a new teacher. He kept glancing at Veronica, but she wasn’t watching him. She was focused on a spot directly above his head, one that made Tim want to turn around and see what was so fascinating.

The rest of the evening went well, he assumed, as parents talked and relaxed and got more and more excited about his plans for their kids. Third grade was a busy year, a year a lot of things changed in schools. Kids ended up with more homework, more responsibility, and, frequently, more frustration on the part of their parents. Tim understood all that and did his best to put them all at ease, even as he was jumping out of his skin.

“Are there any final questions?” Tim asked as the time ticked closer and closer to the end. He was finally starting to breathe easier, knowing the evening had gone well.

“What about setting up meetings with you? In case we need to discuss anything particular to our student?” asked Gracie’s mom. Tim knew what sort of meeting she was thinking about and he wasn’t interested, but he couldn’t be rude, especially when other parents might want the answer to the question.

“My contact information is on the sheet I’ve given you all. My e-mail address is the best way to contact me. If you call the school, I can call you back during my break, but e-mail is a little easier for me. I’m available for parent teacher meetings most days after school and on any days that the school has set aside for conferences. The first one is the middle of next month, but if there’s something that we need to discuss before that I will be available.”

“Okay, great,” she cooed.

A snort sounded from the back of the room and Tim’s eyes snapped to Veronica’s. He knew it was her, but she passed it off as though she hadn’t done a thing. She glanced around the room, looking for the guilty party as Gracie’s mom flushed with embarrassment. Tim almost felt bad for her, but really, he thought she just needed to keep it in her pants.

“Any other questions?” Tim asked, attempting to diffuse the tension palpable between the women.

The parents murmured and looked around at each other, waiting for someone to speak up. When no one did, Tim thanked them all for coming and said he looked forward to seeing everyone soon.

Gracie’s mom rushed to the front of the room as the others began to file out. “It’s so great to see you again, Mr. James. How is Gracie doing in school?”

“She’s doing great, Ms. Thatcher. She’s a very smart girl.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and leaned into him. “Well, we work hard to keep her on top. Her daddy is useless, of course. He barely takes any time with her, but the court makes him take her one weekend a month. It’s nice for me to have a free weekend when I can let my hair down, you know?”

Was she seriously propositioning him at Open House? Tim forced a smile and said, “I’m sure that’s nice for you.”

“Maybe we can get together one of those weekends? I can show you around town since you’re new.”

“Actually I grew up here,” Tim said by way of explanation. He didn’t want to come out and refuse her invitation, but he wasn’t interested in sleeping with her.

“Oh, I didn’t know that. It must be nice to be back home then.”

A throat cleared behind her and Tim saw Veronica staring at him, her eyebrows raised at the back of Ms. Thatcher’s head. He groaned inwardly at her having overheard the conversation. Ms. Thatcher turned and stiffened when she saw Veronica standing there.

“Well, I suppose I should get home to Gracie. She’ll be getting ready for bed soon. I’ll see you soon, Mr. James.”

“Good night,” Tim said, watching her walk out the door.

Slowly he focused his attention back on Veronica. The green sweater she was wearing did nothing to hide the curves his fingers ached to explore again. Her jeans fit tight to her hips and molded around the ass he’d been dreaming of for eleven long years. His mouth watered at the sight of her, but he stuffed his hands in his pockets and bit his tongue. She was off limits. So far off limits he couldn’t even see the sign. But he knew it was there. Just as sure as the wedding ring around her finger.

“We need to talk,” she said, making his blood run from hot straight to cold.

The post Meet The Teacher, part three appeared first on Mary E Thompson.

Meet The Teacher, part two

Read part one first!

Veronica was shocked to see Tim standing there. Yeah, she knew it was possible when she saw Charlie’s teacher’s name on the letter she got from the school, but she didn’t know he’d moved back. Wishful thinking was what made her give her usually dull, lifeless hair a little fluff in the hallway, made her dab on an extra coat of lipgloss, and made her five minutes later to the classroom than her son.

And there in front of her was the first man who made her feel like a woman. The last too, if she were truly honest with herself. Tim had been her every teenaged fantasy come true. Until he announced he was moving away and had no intention of ever returning.

Yeah, he asked Veronica to go with him, but she knew it was only out of some twisted sense of obligation, not because he loved her the way she loved him.

Loved.

As in past tense, she reminded herself.

A quick twist of her wedding and engagement rings brought her back to reality. She was there for Charlie, not Tim.

“Do you want to introduce me to your teacher?” Veronica asked in a voice she prayed didn’t sound as shaky as it felt.

“Mom, Mr. James is so cool. Look at all the tricks. He even got to ride on that big monster truck. Isn’t that awesome!” Charlie rambled on and on about the trucks, but Veronica didn’t really hear him. All she could hear were the unasked questions in Tim’s eyes. The ones she didn’t have answers to, or didn’t want to answer.

“Mom, are you listening to me?” Charlie’s impatient whine broke through.

“Yes, of course, honey. This looks like a great classroom. And I’m sure Mr. James is a wonderful teacher.”

Tim nodded once as though agreeing with her. The divide between them seemed insurmountable and Veronica knew why. What she didn’t know was how to speak to the man who’d once been her whole world.

“You look amazing,” Tim finally said, breaking the silence between them. “It’s been a long time.”

“Eleven years,” Veronica said, silently adding three months, two weeks, and five days to the running tally in her head of how long it’d been since she’d seen him.

“It looks like you’ve been busy,” Tim stated.

Veronica tried to hear something in his voice, but she wasn’t sure if it was anger, jealousy, or just her imagination. Surely he hadn’t thought about her much. He never tried to keep in touch, and she never thought she’d see him again. What could there be for him to be upset over.

“Yes, busy has been good for me. And you’re teaching third grade, like you always wanted,” Veronica stated, leaving the question of ‘why there?’ open for him to answer.

“Yes, I am. I’m a good teacher, V. He’s in good hands.”

Veronica wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her or himself, but she only nodded. “We should probably get out of your way. We’ve pushed past the limit and I’m sure you’re anxious to get home.”

Tim looked around the classroom as though seeing it for the first time. He focused on Veronica, those teal blue eyes that always made her feel like the most important person in the room, and walked toward her. She froze, unable to do anything but watch him approach and wonder what was going through his mind. Years ago she could read him, like he was her favorite book, but now… Veronica had no idea what was going on behind those eyes.

“Let me walk you out,” he said when he was standing next to her. “It’s late.”

Veronica could have smacked her forehead for how stupid she felt. Her son was standing two feet away and she was fantasizing about his teacher kissing her. She needed to get a grip.

“Thank you. That would be nice.”

Veronica and Charlie waited while Tim gathered his things and locked the classroom door. They walked the silent halls in matching silence, Veronica wondering with each step how she would say goodbye to him again. It was different this time. He didn’t belong to her, and he wasn’t leaving him forever. But that almost made it harder. She would have to see him, talk to him, act like he didn’t still effect her the way he did. The clean break they had before was shattered as badly as her heart was that day. And Veronica wasn’t sure how to handle it.

In the darkness outside two lone cars sat side by side. The three of them approached the vehicles with Charlie once again filling the silence. “Mr. James, why don’t you drive a truck?”

“I always wanted to be a teacher, Charlie. Ever since I was about your age. Just like you want to be a truck driver.”

Veronica’s heart caught in her throat. She squeaked out something indistinguishable as a word. Her sweet boy? A truck driver? She couldn’t let it happen. It wasn’t possible. She would not lose him.

Suddenly being around Tim was too much. She had to get Charlie away. From Tim. From trucks. From danger.

“Say goodnight Charlie,” Veronica said in what she knew was too rough a voice.

“Good night, Mr. James,” Charlie said happily before climbing in to his seat and buckling up.

Veronica dared one last look at the past she’d never forgotten and said what she was never strong enough to say before, “Goodbye Tim.”

The post Meet The Teacher, part two appeared first on Mary E Thompson.

Meet The Teacher, part one

Tim made his way through the halls to his classroom. Starting over was always tough, but he was coming home. He’d paid his dues and was finally rewarded with the position he’d always dreamed of. It seemed silly that he wanted to be a third grade teacher his whole life, but ever since he was a third grade student, at the same school, he knew it was where he wanted to be.

Inside his classroom Tim observed the work he’d done. There was always a balance between making a room fun and making it functional. Every item in the room needed to serve at least two purposes, one of them being to show kids that learning was fun, not hard work.

Tim only had a few minutes before the parents and kids started arriving. He wiped his damp palms on his khakis and smoothed a hand over his teal blue shirt, hoping he’d be able to instill confidence in the parents. A male teacher was still an anomaly, and some parents were resistant to their child being taught by a man.

Of course, some encouraged it. Usually the single moms with their own agenda, but Tim wasn’t going to think about them.

The first families trickled in and Tim welcomed them, beaming his best smile, the one that usually made people feel relaxed, and introduced himself, “Welcome to third grade. I’m Mr. James. What’s your name?”

The little girl with a pixie cut ducked behind her mother and grabbed a hold of her leg. Tim expected that, but it still stung a bit. He checked the mom’s hand for a ring and saw none, which made him wonder how often dad was around and if the girl had been around men much.

“Tell Mr. James your name, Gracie,” Mom prompted. “I’m sure he’s very nice.” Mom beamed at Tim, one of those smiled that made him uneasy.

“Gracie, huh?” Tim said, focusing on the little girl. Little, she was eight, turning nine in a few months. He’d memorized the few facts he’d been given about each of his students, and he knew Gracie was very smart and one of the oldest in his class. He didn’t figure she would be so shy. “I think I saw your name over here. Why don’t you come with me to look?”

Gracie’s mother beamed at him again, but Gracie just stood there.

“Okay, you don’t have to. I think I’m going to go sit in your chair. Is that okay with you?”

Gracie almost smiled at him when she peeked out from behind her mother. Tim turned and walked away, perching himself on the small chair at the desk he’d taped her name to.

His 6’4” frame didn’t come anywhere close to fitting the small space meant for an eight year old. His knees hit the top of the desk, his arms dangled by his sides, almost reaching the floor, and his big feet hit both the edge of the chair and the legs of the desk.

Tim knew he looked ridiculous.

Gracie’s mother laughed, and after a minute Gracie did too. She eased her way over to him and looked at her name on the desk. “You’re too big to sit here.”

“Well,” Tim shrugged, “you didn’t want to sit here so I figured I’d try it out.”

“Can I sit?” she asked sweetly.

“Of course.” Tim carefully unfolded himself from the desk and allowed Gracie to claim her seat. She glanced at the other names close to her, her eyes lighting up when she saw a friend’s name. “Mommy, look! Megan is sitting right there!”

Tim smiled as the two huddled close and talked about how much fun Gracie and Megan were going to have in third grade together.

More parents and students came into the classroom, introducing themselves and meeting the teacher. Tim had a few more that were nervous about him, but none that reacted the way Gracie had. Most of the other students came in ready to find their desk and their friends, and see what the classroom looked like.

As the meet and greet died down, Tim breathed a sigh of relief. He’d met most the his future students, and they all seemed comfortable with him by the time they walked out the door. A few even commented on how cool it was to have a guy teacher.

When the last family left, Tim closed his door and turned off the lights. He dropped into his chair and rested his head back against the soft leather. He’d survived the first hour. It wasn’t much, but he survived it. Mr. Stevens wanted him to check in at the office before he left, but Tim knew the rest of the school was still crawling with families, so he was going to wait a few more minutes.

Bang, bang, bang! Someone pounded on his door. Tim bolted to his feet and looked through the glass panel. He saw a little hand resting against the glass.

“Duty calls,” he mumbled to himself.

He opened the door and found a young boy standing outside by himself. The boy looked up at Tim and grinned. He was missing a tooth, but was sliding his tongue through the space. Freckles covered his cheeks and nose and disappeared into the collar of his shirt, only to reappear on his arms and legs. Green eyes and red hair popped at Tim, making the kid look like a leprechaun, minus the pot of gold.

“Hi,” the boy said, “I’m Charlie. Are you Mr. James?”

“Yes, I am. Are you in my class?”

The boy nodded and pushed his way inside, looking around the classroom like he owned the place. “This is so cool. I love trucks. I’m going to be a truck driver when I grow up.”

Tim smiled at Charlie’s enthusiasm. Truck driver was definitely not a career most kids picked when they were eight, but Tim could see the appeal. What he couldn’t see was why the kid was there alone.

“I like trucks too. My favorite is this one,” Tim said, showing Charlie a picture of a blue monster truck with wheels that were taller than him. Tim had it taken when he was visiting a friend over the summer and decided it was a great idea for his classroom.

“Wow, is that you?” Charlie said in awe. “How big is that truck?”

“It was pretty huge. The tires were bigger than me. I’d never seen tires so big before, that’s why I wanted to get a picture.”

“That’s totally awesome. My dad would love that.”

“Where is your dad?” Tim asked, still wondering why the kid was alone.

“Oh, he’s not here. He’s working. My dad works a lot. But my mom’s here,” Charlie said nonchalantly.

“Thank God,” a woman’s voice said from the doorway.

Tim spun around and his eyes connected with Charlie’s mom’s. Bright blue met his brown. Relief on her face met a fading half grin on his. Lips that were as familiar to him as his own parted with surprise and Tim nearly fell over.

She was stunning. She was staring at him.

And she was someone else’s.

The post Meet The Teacher, part one appeared first on Mary E Thompson.

Where Home Is, part four

Read part one, part two, and part three first! 

Dylan held her as she cried, again. He didn’t care. His heart tore in his chest listening to her sob. He wanted to take her pain away, but he knew nothing would.

“I told her I wasn’t her. That I wasn’t like her. We argued the last time we talked and she said she wanted to see me happy and married. I threw her whole life back in her face, telling her I wasn’t going to be like her. I had a career, a life, and I didn’t need a man. God, if she could see me now! Snotting and crying all over a complete stranger. A man. The only thing holding me up.”

Her self-deprecating laugh made his chest ache. To know you’d never speak to your parents again and that the last thing you said was in anger… He couldn’t imagine. The thought of it made him want to call his mom and dad up and tell them how much he loved them.

First thing when we touch down, he told himself, resolving to make more of an effort with his parents. Their relationship was never a poor one, but he didn’t consider himself close to them either. Why, he didn’t know. It was as though they’d drifted apart instead of grown into friends as they aged like many of his friends and their parents. Dylan always assumed it was because he didn’t have kids, didn’t need his parents’ advice or counsel.

How wrong he was.

“You didn’t know, Tracy. There’s no way you could have known you’d never speak to them again. And I’m sure your mom knew you didn’t mean it-“

“Oh, but I did! That’s the worst part. I believed every word I said to her. I didn’t want to be her. I wanted to travel. To leave a legacy. To not have anyone to answer to. By the time my dad took the phone she was crying and said she was sorry for wanting more for me. I told her I didn’t have time for more, that I had enough in my life. My dad was furious with me. She wouldn’t tell him what I said, so I did. I told him I was like him, not her, and that I was chasing my dreams. That she just didn’t understand us. Then he said, ‘Tracy, you were your mother’s dream. She lived for you her whole life. Everything she’s ever done was to make you happy. Don’t tell her she has no dreams, or that her dreams aren’t worthwhile. Raising a family and loving a child is the most important thing a person can do. You might need to take a look at your life if you think putting down hers makes yours more important.’ Then he hung up. I couldn’t sleep that night. I guess they couldn’t either because they ran off the road between three and four am. No one found them until almost seven. They were holding hands. Gone for hours. I never got to tell them I was sorry, or that I was wrong.”

Dylan didn’t think he could listen to her anymore. The pain he’d seen in her amber eyes ripped him in two, but the sorrow he heard in her voice made him want to shield her from the world forever.

The plane jolted with their sudden landing. Dylan was so wrapped up in Tracy he didn’t even notice they were descending. He only had a few more moments with her. Then she would vanish from his life forever, go back to her empty life and he would go back to his. And he would forever wonder if he’d missed out on his one chance to have a full life.

“Come home with me,” he blurted out.

“What? You’re joking. Right?”

“No,” Dylan answered honestly. He could see it in his head, clear as day. A life with her. A future. Happiness. Love. Everything he’d ever truly wanted in his life, and he felt as though it was sitting in the chair next to him, a tear stained face, whiskey colored eyes, honey kissed waves of hair, and the softest, most perfect lips he’d ever kissed. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I know you feel it too. It’s insane, and it makes no sense, but I can’t let you go. Maybe it won’t work out, but can you honestly walk away right now without even trying? Because I can’t. I can’t let you leave knowing you’re hurting. I can’t let you leave knowing I won’t be there to hold you. I can’t let you leave knowing you could be it for me. Maybe that’s selfish of me, but I’m okay with that.”

Tracy smiled a watery grin as they pulled into the gate. “You sound like my mother. That’s something she would say. Like she brought you to me.”

Dylan nodded. “Maybe she did. Maybe this was the only way we would have met. The only way we would have both seen past the perfect lives we thought we were living to the truth of where we were headed. Maybe this is your mom telling you that she was right all along, and that you should listen to her now.”

Tracy sniffed and laughed, nodding her head in agreement. “I think maybe you’re right.” Tracy looked out the window into the sky we just soared through. “I get it, Ma,” she said with a laugh. “I get it. You were right all along. But did you really have to go through all this to prove it to me?”

Tracy shook her head and turned back to Dylan. “I agree. Let’s see where this goes.”

Dylan beamed at her, his whole life seeming brighter and more meaningful with just those few words. “There’s only one thing left to do,” he said, leaning into her. Carefully, so he didn’t hurt her lip again, he lowered his mouth over hers. She winced lightly before sinking into him, a soft sigh slipping past her lips. Dylan’s hand dove through her hair, pulling her gently against him as he angled his head to deepen their kiss. He poured everything he had into the kiss, promises for the future, healing of the past, and hope for the present.

Then his teeth clacked against hers, his seat jolting forward. Their foreheads bumped and they pulled back, both rubbing red marks.

“Timmy!”

The post Where Home Is, part four appeared first on Mary E Thompson.

Where Home Is, part three

Read part one and part two first!

Tracy let Dylan kiss her. The feel of his mouth on hers made her forget everything she’d been through in the last few weeks. Guilt tried to swamp her, but she shoved it aside and tugged Dylan closer. She brushed her tongue against his lips and felt his chest rumble with a groan. Tracy smiled. Her mom would have been proud. As much as her dad always talked about chasing her dreams and finding her own way, her mom always encouraged her to seek out happiness, and love.

Not that she was in love with Dylan, of course. He was a stranger. She knew nothing about him. But he definitely stirred feelings in her she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Longer than she wanted to think about. There was no time for thinking when Dylan’s hand slipped over her cheek, tugging her just a little closer, pulling her into him.

Tracy didn’t resist. She couldn’t if she wanted to. His touch was intoxicating and his kiss… there were no words. She wanted to get lost in him. To find herself all over again in his world. To-

“Ouch,” she exclaimed as her lip smashed into Dylan’s teeth. The seat she was in shifted back to its rightful place.

“I’m so sorry,” said a woman’s voice from behind them. “Timmy, that was very rude. Don’t kick the seats in front of you.”

A child. Tracy’s distraction was derailed by a child.

Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them. She turned from Dylan, suddenly self conscious. What was she thinking, kissing a stranger on a plane? He could be married, or involved, or crazy. And she was completely wrapped up in him.

“Are you alright?” Dylan asked. His hand hovered over her cheek, reaching for her but not touching. Tracy wanted to lean into him like a greedy cat. Her head even arched toward him, but she resisted.

She couldn’t lean on him. Her mom would want her to be happy, but the last words she spoke to her mother still rang in her head. Words she could never take back. Words she wished she’d never said.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be dumping all my drama on you. I apologize. I’ll leave you alone,” Tracy said sadly, without looking at him.

He was silent for a moment. His hand still floated in front of her. She watched his palm, memorizing the callouses on his fingers and the way it felt against her cheek. For a moment she was free. For a moment she wasn’t that horrible person. For a moment she could recall her mother in happiness.

Dylan’s hand turned into a fist and lowered out of Tracy’s view. She breathed a sigh of relief. He was going to let her slink back into her corner. There was no reason for him to fight for her. They didn’t know each other. He owed her nothing.

“I should be the one apologizing. I forced myself on you and- Oh, God, are you alright?” Concern covered Dylan’s handsome face when Tracy glanced at him. She had no idea what made him stop abruptly, but he was staring at her mouth. She brought her hand up and winced when she contacted her lip.

Blood. She was bleeding. Tracy didn’t do well with-

“Tracy, can you hear me? Are you alright? Tracy? Can you hear me, Tracy?” a man’s voice repeated over and over again. Tracy felt like she was underwater. Swimming? Was she in a pool? Why was he trying to talk to her underwater?

She opened her eyes, looking up into the most beautiful pair of green eyes she’d ever seen. They were the same color jade as her mom’s favorite earrings. She’d worn them on her wedding day and saved them for Tracy. Her mom always wanted to see Tracy wear them on her wedding day.

A day her mother would never see.

Suddenly, Tracy was awake. The accident. Her parents’ death. The airplane. Dylan. Her lip.

Damn. She passed out.

Shaking her head she sat up, prying her head from Dylan’s chest.

“Be careful. Don’t sit up too quickly. Are you feeling okay?” he asked.

Tracy squeezed her eyes shut. “Yes. I’m sorry. Again. I just can’t seem to act like a normal human being around you.”

“Please don’t apologize for how you’re acting around me. I’m taking advantage of you. You’re the one whose just been through something horrible and I’m here kissing you like a starved man and pawing at you like a wild animal. I want to kick myself.”

A smile spread over her lips, making her lip hurt again. She winced from the pain and Dylan reached for her again. “Let me get you some ice,” he said, reaching up to call the flight attendant.

“No, it’ll be fine. I just split it-“

“On my teeth,” Dylan finished for her. “Because I couldn’t leave you alone. I saw you in the airport. You looked so sad. When I realized you were sitting next to me I wanted to do anything to make you smile again. I felt like, even for one minute, if you were smiling, things might not be so bad. I never imagined what you’ve been through though.”

Tracy tried to smile. The tears were back. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes, but it was no use. The floodgates were open again. She closed her eyes and tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down, but it didn’t work. Dylan’s arms closed around her, drawing her against his warm chest. She resisted for a second, but he wouldn’t let her go, cradling her into him, even against the beating his chair took from little Timmy while his mom wasn’t looking.

The post Where Home Is, part three appeared first on Mary E Thompson.

Where Home Is, part two

Read part one first!

Dylan’s lips kissed away her tears, one by one. He hated to see women cry, and the beautiful pixy he’d watched from across the airport was the last person he ever wanted to see in tears.

He heard her sharp exhale of breath and wondered about it, but only briefly. When his lips touched her soft skin he knew it would take every ounce of his willpower to pull himself away from her.

His hand drifted into her hair of its own volition. The silky feel of her golden brown waves twining between his fingers heightened his awareness of her and made his pants tighten. He shifted in his seat, drawing his lips from her skin. She looked up at him, vulnerability and sadness in her eyes. Damn, she was beautiful, he thought.

“I’m sorry. Again,” she said sheepishly. “I can’t seem to stop crying all of a sudden.”

“Will you tell me about your parents?” Dylan asked, wanting to know more about her. Know anything about her. He didn’t care if she told him her favorite color and recited a recipe. He just wanted to listen to her speak.

A wistful smile spread over her lips. Her eyes turned toward the window, seeing something beyond the glass that Dylan couldn’t see. Something he ached to know.

“When I was a little girl, my dad would bring me out here. He loved watching the planes take off. He always told me about the adventures he and my mom wanted to have. The trips he planned to take her on.” She paused, watery amber eyes that he wanted to drown in like his favorite whiskey focused back on him. “He always encouraged me to live my dreams. So I did. I never looked back,” she said, so quietly he wondered if she realized she said it aloud.

“I bet he was proud of you. That you went out there and did what you wanted to do,” Dylan said, hoping she would tell him more. He held his breath, awaiting her next words.

A small laugh escaped her lips. “Oddly, I’m not even sure. I did what he said. I chased my dreams. But a part of me wonders what I was ever really chasing. I have a great job. A great life, by many standards. But it’s never felt like enough.” She shrugged, dismissing her own admission. “Not that it wasn’t enough for my dad, or my mom, but something always felt like it was just out of reach for me. Like I never really found my true happiness. Like I was never really home.”

She laughed mirthlessly again and the sound drew the breath from his chest. How could one woman, one random woman, put into words exactly what he’d been feeling himself for the last few months. Years, really, if he was truly honest with himself. Dylan loved his job, he was good at it, but something was always lacking in his life. He knew what it was, in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t admit it to himself.

Yet Tracy could. She knew what was lacking from her life. And she eloquently confessed it to a perfect stranger. How could he ever resist a woman so honest, so open, so beautiful.

No, he couldn’t. She was hurting. She was lost. And he would think himself a first class asshole if he made a move on a woman who was in pain.

“I understand,” Dylan finally said. “I’ve felt the same way for a while too. Although it’s a little harder to admit. It’s like men are supposed to have all this stuff figured out.”

A teasing grin quirked her lips, “Men are the worst. Emotional, mushy stuff usually sends men running. Men can find contentment in work and friends and sports and their own independence. Women… we need more. We need friends and careers and independence, yes. But women need love too. I think I never felt at home because I never felt like I’d found love.”

“Love. So elusive. So terrifying.”

Tracy laughed. At first it was a small, timid laugh. Then she looked up at Dylan and laughed harder. She clutched her stomach and leaned over in her seat. She threw her head back and guffawed like he told her the best joke ever. And Dylan sat and watched her. He loved seeing her so free. Just for a minute the sorrow was gone from her eyes, replaced by sheer joy, and humor. Damn, she was laughing at him.

His heart swelled, like the Grinch’s on Christmas morning. He never fathomed himself as someone incapable of love, or closed off to the idea. But watching Tracy laugh as though nothing could touch her, seeing the pure happiness on her face, it was almost too much for him.

He watched himself, as though he was having an out-of-body experience, move toward her. His hand slid back into her hair, his fingers tightening around the soft strands once again. His tongue darted out to moisten his lips, not wanting them dry for her. His eyes fluttered shut a second after he saw the surprise in hers.

Then his lips were on hers. A softness he’d never known touched him. Her lips, like silk, were pliable under his. A squeak erupted between them, followed quickly by a soft sigh. Then she melted into him, like he was made for her.

Dylan wanted to kiss her forever. To feel the smooth skin of her lips on every part of his body. He wanted to delve into her mouth and claim her. But he held back. Why? he dared wonder. But he couldn’t bring himself to formulate an answer. Maybe because he was afraid of what she would say. Or maybe of what she wouldn’t say. All he knew was one taste, one simple chaste kiss, was not going to be nearly enough to satisfy him. Not then. Not in a day. Not in a year. Not in forever.

The post Where Home Is, part two appeared first on Mary E Thompson.

Where Home Is, part one

Tracy dropped into her seat with a sigh. It’d been a long week, and she was ready to go home.

‘Home,’ she thought wryly, ‘as if it exists anymore.’

Passengers filed past her to their own seats on the plane, anxious to get to their destination. Vacation, home, visiting family… They had happy trips ahead of them. Tracy didn’t know what she had to look forward to. All she knew was she would be doing it alone.

A man stepped on the plane. He was tall and broad, everything Tracy wasn’t. Her petite frame next to him would look silly, but it didn’t matter. Not much mattered anymore.

His jade green eyes swept down the aisle, checking row numbers as he stepped closer and closer to the vacant seat beside Tracy. When his gaze met hers the corner of his mouth tipped up in acknowledgement.

‘Great,’ she thought. ‘The sexiest man on the plane is sitting next to me.’ She glanced down at her well worn outfit of jeans with a hole in the knee, Taylor Swift t-shirt that was softened with both age and wear, and hot pink wrap sweater that she never left home without. On her feet she wore flip flops to make the transition through security easier, but the chill in the air made her second guess that choice.

The man slid into the seat next to Tracy with the ease of someone who knew his body well. He smiled at her, a brief flash of perfect white teeth surrounded by luscious pink lips that made Tracy’s mouth water. “Hi, I’m Dylan,” he said, extending his hand toward her.

She sat there staring at him for what felt like entirely too long, but neither his smile nor his gaze faltered. When Tracy finally slipped her hand into his the smoothness of his palm contrasted with the roughness of his fingertips, sending shivers up her spine. “Nice to meet you,” Tracy stammered. “I’m Tracy.”

“Nice to meet you as well. What brought you to this sleepy little town?”

Tears welled up in Tracy’s eyes before she could stop them. She glanced out the window, wondering if she’d ever step foot in the town she grew up in again, knowing the answer was probably no. She had nothing to come back for. Her roots were severed, cut clean like the roof of her parents’ car when the jaws of life freed them from the wreckage. A small sob broke free, the first she’d allowed herself to cry since she got the phone call from the deputy sheriff. Until that moment she’d managed to keep it all bottled up, but knowing she was homeless, or at least rootless, was more than Tracy could handle.

“I’m sorry,” Dylan said from beside her. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” He rested a tentative arm over her shoulders, his warmth drawing her in. She leaned against him like he was the only thing keeping her from falling apart, even as she did just that.

When Tracy finally composed herself she looked down at Dylan’s neatly pressed white dress shirt, complete with a wet spot and mascara right in the middle. “Oh, my God. I am so sorry. I ruined your shirt.”

Dylan glanced down at it and waved his hand. “Nothing to worry about. I’m sorry for whatever I said. Are you okay?”

Tracy shook her head and offered a watery half-smile. “I’ll be fine. My parents… Phew, my parents were killed in a car accident ten days ago. Their funeral was…”

Dylan wrapped her into his arms again, pulling her tight against him. Tracy cried, letting out all the emotions she’d been keeping bottled up.

As she came back to herself from her second bout of tears, she was aware of the roar of wind rushing past the window outside, the steady thump of Dylan’s heart under her ear, the whisper of his hand up and down her back, and the rumble of his voice in her ear, promising her it would all be okay.

She allowed herself a few moments to listen to him, to let Dylan’s words sink in and to believe them, even though Tracy had no idea how everything would ever be okay again. For just a minute she started to believe him. That the sexy man she was cuddled against knew something she didn’t know and that he was right. That there was something more for her out there.

Tracy pried herself out of his arms, again, and tried to wipe her eyes. Dylan lightly grasped her chin and tipped her eyes up to his. With his thumb, he swiped the tears from her cheeks and leaned toward her.

Closer and closer he came, his intentions completely unknown to Tracy. Her breath caught in her throat, her heart hammered in her chest, her palms filled with sweat, and her whole body filled with anticipation.

In one second he had flipped her from a blubbering mess to a woman hotter than hell waiting for a kiss from a man. A woman who had forgotten all about the horrors she’d seen over the last ten days, from identifying her parents’ bodies to sorting through over 30 years of memories.

She wasn’t that woman with Dylan’s lips getting closer. His eyes, a deep rich brown that reminded her of the brownies she used to bake with her mother after school, bore into her as though he could read her soul. ‘Maybe he could,’ she thought.

Time seemed to freeze as Dylan moved closer, millimeter by millimeter as though he was dragging it out. Or maybe it was just Tracy’s brain, stalling time so she could enjoy it. A man hadn’t looked at her like that in a long time, like she was precious, and someone to care for. She was enjoying it.

When his lips finally reached her, Tracy’s eyes fluttered closed, her breath slipped from her lungs, and disappointment scorched her.

The post Where Home Is, part one appeared first on Mary E Thompson.

Undeniable Flirtation, part four

Read part one, part two, and part three first!

“Of course I want to know. What could be so bad that you think is turn away from you?”

Eve took a deep breath, one that out Nico on edge. Whatever she needed to say was big. Nico knew he needed to keep his reaction in check. His head was running through a million different scenarios, but the only thing that mattered were the words that came out of her mouth.

“I graduated high school ten years ago. My boyfriend at the time was someone I thought I was going to share my life with. I thought he felt the same. After graduation we slept together. It was my first time, but not his. I knew that, but what I didn’t know was that the condom broke. I got pregnant. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. We loved each other so I just assumed we’d get married. He assumed I cheated on him. At least, that’s what he said. He broke up with me and left me to raise the baby on my own.”

Eve took a deep breath and Nico found he was no,ding his. He forced air into his lung and consciously uncoiled the fists he’d made thinking about someone being so horrible to Eve. Nico wanted to hunt down the bastard and make him pay for what he’d done to her.

“Before David was born I learned he had some problems. He has cerebral palsy. The doctors wanted me to terminate the pregnancy, but I couldn’t. I loved him. Even though I knew it would be tough, I couldn’t even consider killing my child. He’s a great little boy, but he requires near constant attention. Which means I don’t have a lot to give to another man.”

Nico felt Eve’s disappointment as though it were his own. First, being dumped by an asshole who had the nerve to accuse her of cheating, then to find out her child would struggle for the rest of his like, and to go through it all alone.

He knew that wasn’t all of it. A woman as beautiful as Eve had surely dated other men. It killed Nico to think of her with someone else, but he knew the others were jerks, not capable of a relationship with a woman who couldn’t devote all of her attention to him.

“Where is David now? Who’s with him?”

“My parents help out a lot and I have a babysitter who’s great. Tonight he’s with my parents. They wanted me to enjoy a day after working so hard to finish school. After today though, I won’t get a lot of days off. I start my new job Monday.”

Nico was more curious about Eve with each word that came out of her mouth. He wanted to know her, and her son, and show her that he was different than the other men she’d known. “Where will David go when you’re working? Does he have a school he goes to?”

Eve nodded. “He goes to a special needs school year round. Since my job is full time, I needed a place where he could go and not be interrupted. He has school during the day but is home in the evenings.”

“I’d like to meet him,” Nico said, taking a chance.

“Why?”

Nico stepped closer, sensing that what he was about to say mattered more than anything he’d said to her over the last few months. More than his lessons in class, more than his admission that he wanted her, more than anything they’d shared. His next words would make or break his chances with her. And if there was one thing Nico knew, it was how badly he wanted a chance with Eve.

And not because she was beautiful, although she was, but because he knew she was special. He knew she was different. And he knew she was capable of love that went beyond anything he’d ever known.

“I want to know you, Eve. I’ve been watching you in class and you intrigue me, not just because you’re stunning, but because you’re kind and generous and compassionate and amazing. You give so much to the other students without a thought for how it could be returned. After being around college students for so many years, you notice the ones who are different, the ones who give a shit about others. That’s you. So it doesn’t matter to me that you have a son, and it doesn’t matter to me that he has special needs. Knowing that about you makes me want to know you even more. I think you’re a beautiful person and I know any child of yours would be equally beautiful. If you aren’t interested in me, that’s fine, but please don’t hide behind your son. Give us a chance. Maybe it’ll work out, maybe it won’t, but we won’t know if David is the reason you won’t try. I want to meet him and get to know you both.”

Eve’s eyes misted as Nico spoke and he wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. He waited, breath held, to see what the tears meant. When she broke into a grin he couldn’t stop the matching one from forming on his lips.

“Are you sure? Because this won’t be easy.”

“Nothing worthwhile ever is, Eve. But I know you’re worth it. I bet you’d say David has been worth every challenge you’ve been through also. Let me show you who I am. Let me be the man you need in your life.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask. Now what do you say we get out of here,” Nico asked with a grin.

Eve smiled back at him and said, “That’s a great idea.”

The post Undeniable Flirtation, part four appeared first on Mary E Thompson.

Undeniable Flirtation, part three

Read part one and part two first!

Eve was blown away by the sight of Nico. There was no denying how much he wanted her, something that turned her on more than any man had in longer than she cared to admit. His ferocious look and wild eyes made her feel sexy and powerful. He approached her like a wild animal, dangerous and out of control. Eve knew his control was slipping every time she gasped but she couldn’t stop. With every word her bathing suit grew wetter and wetter between her legs, and she was more and more surprised by his attraction to her.

As he approached her, fists clenched at his sides, cock straining against his shorts, muscles rippling with tension, Eve knew she’d never seen a man who was sexier.

Lusting after her professor hadn’t been the greatest of ideas, but teasing him was definitely looking like a good one. Her eyes widened as Nico moved closer, each step bringing more of him out of focus as she strained to look up into his eyes. When he leaned over her a grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. She liked seeing him look like he was ready to ravish her, and she liked the idea of him doing just that.

His knees hit the soft sand beside her chair and he kept moving closer. When he was just a breath away, he stopped and said, “I’m not sure you know what you’re getting into Ms. Martinez.”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure I know exactly what I’m trying to get into, Nico,” she said with a glance at the massive bulge in his shorts.

Eve surprised herself with how forward she was being, but she couldn’t stop herself from flirting with Nico. It’d been a long time since a man looked at her with such want, such desire, that she couldn’t bottle up what she was feeling. He made her feel bold, sexy, and more like a woman than she’d felt in a long time.

“Then maybe I should try out calling you Eve. After all, in less than a minute I plan on knowing exactly what that succulent mouth of yours tastes like, Eve,” he said, rolling her name off his lips as though he were already tasting her.

Eve gasped, an involuntary reaction to how her name sounded on his lips. With her gasp came his lips, the softest of touches against her own. A tentative first kiss, unlike the man himself, Eve knew he was simply warming her up. She exhaled softly, content with the gentle kiss as her body reacted like he’d touched her with more than just his lips. She wanted him to, dear God, how she wanted him to, but she was painfully aware that they weren’t alone, and they weren’t in a private place.

As if defining her thoughts, a whistle sounded from behind them, loud and shrill through the air. Nico broke away from her ever so slightly and dropped his forehead to hers. “I’d almost forgotten about them. Dammit.” His eyes pierced hers, holding her in place as though she could, or would, dare move. “This isn’t over, Eve.”

Goosebumps covered her body as a rush of cool air found her. Her nipples went from happy to painfully erect and her bathing suit felt as though she’d wet her pants. She didn’t want things to stop with a kiss, especially one as chaste as they’d shared, but she couldn’t deny that it blew her away. Not once had Eve been kissed so sweetly and burned so badly for it to never end.

“I hope not, Nico,” she teased as he stood up. He offered her his hand and she let him help her stand.

“I think I should get in the water before I embarrass myself. Would you care to join me?”

Eve followed Nico to the water’s edge and right out into the lake. He introduced her to his brother, Caleb, and Ms. Perfect Boobs, whose name was Denise. The four of them spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, floating on inner tubes, and basking in the sun. As dark approached, Eve knew her day with Nico would end. She wouldn’t get another day with him. Eve was certain of that. The idea brought a sadness to her she hadn’t felt in years.

“Hey, we’re going for pizza and beer. Are you joining us?” Nico asked as they pulled dry clothes over wet bathing suits.

“No,” Eve said sadly. “It’s time for me to get home.”

“Another time then,” Nico said, his brow furrowed, not knowing why Eve would brush him off after a day together. She wished she could explain, but it wouldn’t do any good. Nico wouldn’t understand, just like no other man understood. It was her burden to carry, and she’d long ago accepted that she would carry it alone.

“I don’t think so, but today was wonderful. I’ll never forget it.”

Eve stood and gathered her things, knowing Nico was watching her. She wanted to add a swing to her hips or shake her ass for him, but there wasn’t any point. In a few minutes she would be walking away and he would let her go.

“Why do I feel like you’re dumping me, or pushing me away? I thought today was special. We connected. Why now are you turning away from me?”

Eve shook her head, knowing it wouldn’t matter. She could let him think what he wanted or she could tell him the truth. Either way, the day was all they’d had, and all they’d ever have.

“Do you really want to know why? Because once you find out, you’ll never see me the same.”

The post Undeniable Flirtation, part three appeared first on Mary E Thompson.