Page 13 of Beautiful Crazy
Amusement paints her face as she glances over at me. “The one Sutton invited over for dinner?”
“Yup.”
“Girl, you didn’t mention how cute he was,” she whispers, quiet enough that the kids can’t hear. My body flushes, and I can feel my cheeks heat.
“I hadn’t noticed,” I lie.
“Mmhmm, suuuure, you didn’t.”
Just then, Everett looks up, turning his ocean gaze in our direction until our eyes collide. Tilting his head to the side, a smile tugs on his lips. He lifts his hand in a brief wave before returning his attention to the Reeses. It’s onlyanother few minutes before they finish up and leave the classroom, and I feel my cheeks flame once again as he walks over to us.
“Mr. Windward, huh?” I drawl as he stops in front of us.
“That would be me.” He grins, glancing down at Sutton. “Hey, Sutton. Looks like you’re in my class this year. That’s so cool, right?”
“So cool,” Sutton agrees, gesturing toward Beau. “This is my cousin, Beau. He’s also in your class.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Beau. I’m Mr. Windward. If you both want to go find your names on the tables behind us, there’s a fun little surprise.”
With Blakely in tow, the boys scurry away, in search of whatever it is that’s waiting for them on the tables. Grace holds out her hand to Everett. “Hi, I’m Grace, Beau’s mom and Gemma’s sister.”
Slipping his hand in hers, he shakes it, a genuine smile on his face. “It’s nice to meet you, Grace. I look forward to teaching Beau this year.”
“You didn’t mention you were a teacher,” I murmur, biting back a grin at this interesting turn of events. How is it that ever since he moved to town, Everett’s managed to beeverywhere?
“Ah, yeah, I kind of can’t believe I didn’t, especially when I met Sutton, but I’ve had so much on my mind the past couple weeks that it just completely slipped my mind.” He chuckles. “But it’s kind of on par for us, isn’t it?”
Grace gawks at the two of us, but I don’t dare look at her. I never told her about meeting a stranger at the pier,though I’m not sure why, but she’s going to have questions when we leave here. I can already hear them.
“I suppose it is.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I add teasingly, “You know, this isn’t helping the stalking suspicion any.”
Everett throws his head back and laughs. “I could say the same thing about you. Your child just coincidentally ends up in my class? Little fishy if you ask me, Gemma.”
“Mom, look!” Sutton runs over to us, shoving a little pouch in my hand. Inside is a piece of construction paper with a small turtle charm attached to it.
“You’re turtley awesome,” I read out loud with a chuckle. “That’s cute.”
“I love sea turtles,” Everett admits, his hands boyishly shoved into his pockets again, and I can’t help but find the look of him right now adorable. Though, I shouldn’t be finding my child’s teacheradorable. “Did you know that sand temperature actually determines the sex of the hatchlings?”
Okay, yes,adorableis correct, even if I shouldn’t think it.
Smirking, I cock a brow and say, “I did not know that, Mr. Windward.”
Everett meets my gaze, holding it just long enough for goosebumps to bloom on my arms. I’m the first one to break it, glancing down at the kids. “What do we say we go get some dinner and then some ice cream?”
A loud, collective “Yeah!” sounds in the room before they dart out into the hall.
“Well, it was nice seeing you again, Gemma,” Everettsays before flicking his gaze toward my sister. “And, Grace, it was nice to meet you.”
She smiles and waves at him. “You too!”
Walking out of the classroom, she murmurs to me, “You’ve got some explaining to do, ma’am.”
“Not here.”
We end up taking the kids to Taylor’s Grill. It’s a burger spot on Main Street right across the street from Grace’s bakery, and we were able to kill two birds with one stone since they also serve ice cream. After we finish eating, we bring the kids down to the beach so they can run off some energy as we watch the sun set. Sunsets over the ocean are probably my favorite thing ever. The sight never fails to take my breath away. I will shamelessly always be the girl who stops and takes a sunset picture on her phone, knowing damn well I’m never going to look at it ever again. I can’t help it.
“So, spill,” Grace blurts out as soon as the kids are out of earshot.