Scandalous Scotsman - M.J. Fields Page 0,44
to bump it.
Walking up to the front doors, I look down at her. “Ye see anyone ye want to give the apple to?”
She holds her shoulders up like she’s going to shrug, and they stay up.
Fuck.
“Ye want me to give it to someone?”
The tension leaves her shoulders and she nods, catching the glasses before they fall off her face.
Pretending to scan the area, I ask, “Who do ye think I should give it to?”
My eyes stall on Elizabeth, who is smiling as she greets each kid that passes, and I can’t help smiling when I see her dressed in a cute, knee-length, hot pink skirt, wearing a black tee-shirt that has the word “Teacher” crossed out and below it, in hot pink letters, it says, “Magic Wand Wielding Wisdom Wizard.” The kicker is she’s wearing a matching hot pink cape and holding an actual wand.
I look down at Kai, who nods to her.
“Perfect choice She looks like she’s a lot of fun.” Unless you spill the fact that you received two years of texts that she sent to her deceased father, and she plays it off like it’s cool. But then, as soon as you get back to her place, park the car, she jets out of your vehicle, won’t answer the door, ignores the fact that you slept on her porch all night, and finally, when she has to face you, because she needs you to move your car so she can get hers out to go work at a job she shouldn’t be working while wearing a fucking cast, she informs you that it’s a boot and tells you that she needs time to process, and then blocks your number, knowing damn well you’re not going to be able to contact her any other way since you finally have custody of your little girl after a five-year battle that you told her she was the reason you continued to fight. Well, her texts.
Yeah, she’s a fucking blast.
When Kai tugs on my hand, I realize that I was kind of frozen. “You sure?”
Holding the bridge of the glasses, she cocks her head and looks at me like I’m insane.
“All right.” I walk toward Elizabeth, and though her back is to me, she stiffens up.
Fucking contagious.
“Ms. Bloom?”
She turns and looks at me, then down at Kai and smiles.
“We decided you looked deserving of a first day of school apple.”
Still not looking at me, she leans down and smiles at Kai. “Thank you so much. It’s going to be a magical year.”
“Already seems to be getting off on the right foot,” I say as smoothly as possible, and because I’m a little pissed, maybe more frustrated, I add, “Cute wand. I bet it produces one heck of a magical surge.”
“Your dad is kind of funny, huh?”
I look down at Kai, who looks up at me. “She thinks I’m the best.”
Kai’s lips twist, and her dimples deepen.
“But how could I not be? She made me that way.”
Kai grins then buries her head in my side.
Elizabeth stands straight up, looks me in the eyes, and says sweetly, “Thank you for the apple. I appreciate it.”
“Well, we hope you have a great first day, Ms. Bloom.”
“And I hope that together, Kai and I can stir up some magic.”
“I’ve no doubt you can stir up many things, Ms. Bloom.”
“Hey, are you Kai Kaplan?”
I hate that she doesn’t have my last name, which reminds me to call my attorney … again to check in on the progress of the change.
When the woman who called Kai’s name walks in front of us, I chuckle silently when I see her.
Like Elizabeth, she ignores the fact that we know one another and leans down. “I’m Ms. Townley. We have so much planned for you here, Kai. How about we head in to get all the boring grownup things done, so that we don’t miss any of the fun today?”
Still Monday
Ethan
When Kai’s teacher came to get her, Kai was still sporting the sunglasses. She didn’t want to leave, but of course she didn’t say that. I just felt it.
When Ms. Townley— aka, Tonya— asked that I stay for a few minutes, I knew we would be stepping out of the realm of parent/counselor to the guy who pushed baby back in the proverbial corner/pissed-off friend.
“Have a seat,” she says, moving to her desk chair and not sitting in the buddy position like she had with Kai. “Kai’s a beautiful little girl. She has great grades and tests well.”
“I’d like to