Instead of scowling at me in irritation, my husband chuckled. He winked at me before telling his brother, “Well, she gave me two D’s, so I don’t feel sorry for you.”
From the back of the room, what sounded like a pile of books clattered to the floor. The three of us turned to find one student struggling to make her way from the class. As one of the spokes on her wheelchair caught on a desk she was passing, it managed to jerk the pile of books right off her lap.
Noel and I moved to help her, but my sixteen-year-old brother-in-law leapt in front of us.
“Here. Let me get those for you, Sarah.” He bent and scooped them up in one graceful swoop.
Sarah pulled back in surprise and ogled him a moment before she ducked her face, letting her dark hair spill forward and cover her scorching red cheeks.
“Thank you,” she said in her shy, low voice. She reached out her arms to retrieve her things, her fingers quivering slightly as she did.
But Brandt tucked them under his arm instead of handing them back. “I’ve got them. You headed to your locker?”
Her head snapped up, eyes wide. “I...” When her mouth opened and a few garbled sounds came out, she snapped her teeth together and blushed even harder. “Yes,” she finally answered.
Brandt sent her a friendly grin. “I’ll walk with you. My locker’s only a couple down from yours. Oh, here.” He quickly reached out and shoved aside the desk that had tripped up her wheelchair, giving her more than plenty of room to pass.
Face lighting up, Sarah beamed at him as she rolled through, once again thanking him for his consideration.
“So how’d you do on your paper?” He continued to smile down at her. Sarah’s answer was muffled as they moved into the hall together.
Noel and I shared a glance. His eyebrows lifted. “Is it just me, or did it look like Mason Lowe’s little sister has a crush on my brother?”
I laughed. “Well, half the girls in school have a crush on him, so I’d say it’s highly possible.”
He groaned. “Really? He’s popular here? That’s so not fair.” His scowl was adorable.
I leaned up to give him a quick kiss. “He fits in very nicely.”
Noel sighed as if disgusted. “I guess it’s better than him almost getting jumped into a gang like he’d been at that other place that shall not be named.”
All of his siblings had adjusted nicely to Ellamore. They hadn’t even seemed upset when their mother had granted Noel guardianship of them without a single protest. Caroline, Colton and Brandt had frankly bloomed under Noel’s care, even though it’d taken Colton a good year to warm up to us.
“So how was your first day of teaching, Mr. Gamble?”
I’d been stressed all day that he would regret taking the teaching position here. After he’d broken his collarbone his senior year of college during a football game and lost his chance to play for the NFL, I’d worried he’d eventually grow to hate the new life he’d had to make. And he’d come to resent me for urging him into changing his major to teaching and coaching.
“It was kind of exhilarating, actually,” he said. “When I noticed people paying attention to me when I talked, I almost felt as if I might be able to make a difference in some kid’s life.”
I could’ve told him he’d already made a difference in three very important kids’ lives. But he looked awed by the realization he’d just reached.
“I’m anxious to start football practice and see what sort of team I’m going to have this season.”
Which reminded me of the time. “Doesn’t that start in three minutes?” I arched my eyebrow, silently asking him what he was doing in my classroom.
His blue eyes turned smoky. “Yes, it does. But knowing you were in here was too much temptation to resist. Seeing you in your ‘professor suits’ always reminds me of the days we first met.” He ran his fingers lovingly down the lapel of my blazer.
“But now we don’t have to hide anything.”
“Yeah.” He leaned in to kiss me again. “And it still feels too good to be true. I keep expecting someone to blow in here and tell us we can’t be together.” His arms wrapped possessively around my waist. “This time with you has been the best time of my life. I can’t thank you enough for coming back to me, for being my wife.”
I rested my head on his heartbeat. “You’ve given me the best three years of my life too.” I patted his abs of steel and kissed his chin. “Now you better get going, Coach, before they decide to replace you on your first day.”
“I’ll see you at home. Love you, babe.” He kissed me again before stepping back. I immediately missed his arms around me.
“I love you too. Don’t give Brandt too hard of a time during practice.”
Noel just grinned. “Oh, if he thinks you didn’t show him any family favoritism, just wait until he finds out how hard I’m going to ride his ass on the field.”