Page 4 of One Kind Heart
“I don’t think I’ve seen Luke that animated yet. You two know each other well?” she asked. A nervous energy buzzed in her stomach now that it was just her and Dakota. An energy she absolutely had to ignore.
“Ah, yeah.” Dakota rubbed the back of his neck. “I actually delivered Luke in the front office of Birch Peak Adventures.”
“Get out of here. Really?” Hot and useful. Now that was definitely sexy.
“Luke’s mom, Krista, is my best friend and basically runs my business. While I take care of actually going on the adventures, she handles all the appointments and payments and the like. You know, the boring stuff. When she was pregnant with Luke, she refused to take any time off as it got closer to her due date. We made jokes about me having to deliver the baby and sure enough, that’s the way it went down. Luke’s been my little buddy since then. Actually, his middle name is Brenton.”
“Well, that’s a nice story.”
“Maplehaven is full of nice stories. That’s how we roll here.” Dakota leaned against the building, pulling his sunglasses back down. Though his beautiful eyes were hidden now, the man was a sex god in sunglasses. The slight smile on his lips ought to be illegal.
Not that Leah was noticing. She wasn’t. Not at all.
“Where are you from?” he asked.
“New York. New York City specifically.” Where she’d been born and raised... and lost everything she’d cared about.
Dakota let out a whistle. “Wow. Maplehaven must seem downright backwoods to you.”
A little laugh escaped from her throat. “It’s quiet. That’s for sure. Takes a little getting used to.”
“How long have you been here? I mean, I haven’t seen you around.” He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, muscles twitching in his thighs and making Leah speculate about how hard those thighs were.
“A month. I moved here at the beginning of August.” Left everything behind in New York. Everything that threatened to swallow her whole. Of course, some of it followed her. Some of it she would never get rid of completely.
“A whole month? Where have you been hiding? Ginger here usually sniffs out anyone new in under a day.” He nudged the pooch sitting between them with the tip of his boot.
She’d been hermiting in the tiny cottage she’d bought by Brenton Lake since her arrival in Maplehaven last month, trying her best to avoid people and piece herself back together. But she wasn’t going to tell Dakota that.
“I guess I was busy settling in and preparing for the school year. Haven’t explored all that much.” A vague yet honest answer.
“It’s a good thing we met today then.” Dakota pointed to his business card which Leah just realized she’d been stroking. “I can take you on any number of adventures that will let you explore and enjoy the surrounding outdoors.” He pushed off the building and opened his arms wide to encompass the woods around the school and beyond. He looked as if he were preparing for a hug. “What do you like to do? Hiking? Canoeing? Biking?”
His enthusiasm was a little intoxicating, but Leah wasn’t about to get carried away here. If she went on an adventure with him, she’d possibly have a good time. If she had a good time, she’d probably want to see him again. If she saw him again, she’d no doubt end up liking him and getting close to him.
If she got close to him… no, she wouldn’t put herself through that. Not again.
“Thanks, but I like reading and writing and solving word problems. Indoors.” She shrugged one shoulder and backed into the stream of people going into the new school. “It was nice to meet you.”But let’s never talk again.She scurried into the school even though she’d caught the way his mouth had opened to say something more to her.
She didn’t want to hear it. She’d come to Maplehaven to teach. Nothing more.
An arm looped around hers and Leah nearly jumped out of her skin.
“Hey.” Heidi Lennings, the school’s other fourth grade teacher, gave Leah’s arm a squeeze as she brushed her curly red hair off her shoulder. “I saw you talking to Dakota. I don’t know why I didn’t think to introduce you two sooner. He’s super hot and the nicest guy. He’d be perfect for—”
“Heidi.” Leah held up her hand to stop her new friend from babbling.
“Yeah?” Heidi stopped walking so Leah had to as well.
“I’m not looking for someone. We’ve talked about this.”
Heidi shook her head. “Not really. I know something happened in New York, but you won’t tell me what. Maybe if you did, I could help somehow.”
Despite her not wanting to make any connections in her new location, Leah had let Heidi in. They had a great deal in common with both of them being thirty, both originally from New York, and both teaching fourth grade. The friendship had formed all on its own and there was no way to avoid it. She saw Heidi every day and had to work with her. Doing a good job depended on getting along with her grade-level partner.
And she needed at least one person to depend on. That wasn’t too much to ask. Was it?
Leah put her free hand on top of Heidi’s shoulder. “I know you want to help, Heidi, and you have. I’m grateful for all the assistance you gave me in getting ready to teach my class.”