throwing a quick glance over her shoulder to ensure there were no other obstacles in her way.
“I’m fine; I’m fine.” Embarrassment flared hotly across her cheeks. Averting her face, she lurched in the direction of the vacuum cleaner, hoping to take solace in its noise.
“Mom, are you sure you’re all right?”
Jack’s voice reached her just as she was about to flick the switch. She was forced to halt her retreat and face him—which also meant facing Andy.
She gave her son a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, Jack, honestly. I’m so embarrassed I’d be happy if the floor opened up and swallowed me, but yes, sweetheart, I’m otherwise unharmed.”
She risked a glance at Andy and reluctantly returned the grin that lit up his face. So what if she’d just humiliated herself in front of the most gorgeous man she’d ever come across? She’d get over it. In about a hundred years.
His eyes sparkled with humor. “Why don’t you take a break and sit down for a few minutes?”
Knowing the bruise now forming on her hip was probably no worse than the dent to her pride, she sighed in defeat and accepted the chair he held out for her. He folded his long body into his seat and pulled his chair close. Very close. Butterflies jumped in her stomach.
His gaze remained steady on hers. “It’s good to see you again.”
Cally swallowed her nerves. Please, God. Please don’t turn me into a blithering idiot. It’s absolutely not right the first guy I have even the remotest interest in makes me so tongue-tied I’m almost mute. Whatever will he think of me?
“Um, thank you. It-It’s nice to see you again, too.” She bit her lip and inwardly grimaced at the banality of her reply.
“How have you been?” he asked, not seeming to notice her discomfort.
She nodded. “Good. Busy. I’ve been at work today and now I’m cleaning and—”
“What else do you do?” His eyes were alight with curiosity.
“I’m…I’m a primary school teacher. That’s my day job.” She lifted her chin, awaiting his reaction.
“A school teacher?” His expression reflected his surprise.
“Yes, a school teacher. I’ve only managed to get three days a week at Jack’s school. It’s hard, because I’m kind of limited to finding work within a short distance of where we live. With Jack not being old enough to be left at home on his own…”
“You’ve taken on a cleaning job to supplement your income.”
“Yes. So far, it’s worked out pretty well. Jack comes with me and does his homework or reads a book and I clean. There are other jobs out there, but they’re usually either too far from home or not the kind of job where I can take Jack with me. I’ve looked into jobs I could do on the days I’m not at school, but I haven’t been able to find anything that will let me start at nine and finish by two-thirty.”
She saw his curious expression and added, “I have to be at the school by three to collect Jack.”
He nodded. “Which means having to leave by two-thirty.”
She sighed. “You see my problem.”
“Yes, I do. I guess it must be a problem for lots of parents. I’ve never given it any thought.”
She shrugged. “If you don’t have kids, there’s no reason for you to think about it.” She paused. “Do you have kids?”
“Nope, just me.”
“What about family—parents, brothers and sisters?”
He hesitated and a shadow passed across his face. “Nope, just me.”
Sensing he didn’t want to elaborate, she changed the subject. “So, what is it exactly that you do here?”
“Well, I’m a detective, but like I told Jack, I’m also a negotiator. I’m part of a team that provides a negotiation service in high risk and critical situations, say for example, someone who’s threatening suicide. We also resolve siege and hostage situations, conduct high-risk searches—things like that. That’s when the SPG are sent in.”
She frowned. “The SPG?”
“The State Protection Group. It’s made up of
“I’m fine; I’m fine.” Embarrassment flared hotly across her cheeks. Averting her face, she lurched in the direction of the vacuum cleaner, hoping to take solace in its noise.
“Mom, are you sure you’re all right?”
Jack’s voice reached her just as she was about to flick the switch. She was forced to halt her retreat and face him—which also meant facing Andy.
She gave her son a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, Jack, honestly. I’m so embarrassed I’d be happy if the floor opened up and swallowed me, but yes, sweetheart, I’m otherwise unharmed.”
She risked a glance at Andy and reluctantly returned the grin that lit up his face. So what if she’d just humiliated herself in front of the most gorgeous man she’d ever come across? She’d get over it. In about a hundred years.
His eyes sparkled with humor. “Why don’t you take a break and sit down for a few minutes?”
Knowing the bruise now forming on her hip was probably no worse than the dent to her pride, she sighed in defeat and accepted the chair he held out for her. He folded his long body into his seat and pulled his chair close. Very close. Butterflies jumped in her stomach.
His gaze remained steady on hers. “It’s good to see you again.”
Cally swallowed her nerves. Please, God. Please don’t turn me into a blithering idiot. It’s absolutely not right the first guy I have even the remotest interest in makes me so tongue-tied I’m almost mute. Whatever will he think of me?
“Um, thank you. It-It’s nice to see you again, too.” She bit her lip and inwardly grimaced at the banality of her reply.
“How have you been?” he asked, not seeming to notice her discomfort.
She nodded. “Good. Busy. I’ve been at work today and now I’m cleaning and—”
“What else do you do?” His eyes were alight with curiosity.
“I’m…I’m a primary school teacher. That’s my day job.” She lifted her chin, awaiting his reaction.
“A school teacher?” His expression reflected his surprise.
“Yes, a school teacher. I’ve only managed to get three days a week at Jack’s school. It’s hard, because I’m kind of limited to finding work within a short distance of where we live. With Jack not being old enough to be left at home on his own…”
“You’ve taken on a cleaning job to supplement your income.”
“Yes. So far, it’s worked out pretty well. Jack comes with me and does his homework or reads a book and I clean. There are other jobs out there, but they’re usually either too far from home or not the kind of job where I can take Jack with me. I’ve looked into jobs I could do on the days I’m not at school, but I haven’t been able to find anything that will let me start at nine and finish by two-thirty.”
She saw his curious expression and added, “I have to be at the school by three to collect Jack.”
He nodded. “Which means having to leave by two-thirty.”
She sighed. “You see my problem.”
“Yes, I do. I guess it must be a problem for lots of parents. I’ve never given it any thought.”
She shrugged. “If you don’t have kids, there’s no reason for you to think about it.” She paused. “Do you have kids?”
“Nope, just me.”
“What about family—parents, brothers and sisters?”
He hesitated and a shadow passed across his face. “Nope, just me.”
Sensing he didn’t want to elaborate, she changed the subject. “So, what is it exactly that you do here?”
“Well, I’m a detective, but like I told Jack, I’m also a negotiator. I’m part of a team that provides a negotiation service in high risk and critical situations, say for example, someone who’s threatening suicide. We also resolve siege and hostage situations, conduct high-risk searches—things like that. That’s when the SPG are sent in.”
She frowned. “The SPG?”
“The State Protection Group. It’s made up of
Similar Books
