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He scowled. “It’s come to my attention that you have a new suitor. That’s not something I would ever need to know, nor would I care to know, but for some reason, you insist on flaunting it around this building. First I got a complaint about you receiving huge bouquets of flowers that distracted the students and then I caught you myself hanging all over that guy in the parking lot. Now, your boyfriend has caused such a ruckus on this campus that security had to be called. This is absolutely inexcusable.”
I cleared my throat as a million words flew through my brain all at once. It wasn’t a conversation I ever expected to have with my boss so I was at a loss for where to start.
“Beyond that, I’m very concerned about some calls we’ve been getting.” His mouth turned down even more until the lines in his face made him look like a marionette. “Do you know what someone would be calling here, warning us about you?”
My mouth popped open in shock and I stammered. “W-what? Warning you about me?”
He folded his hands in front of him on his desk and sighed. “I pride myself on running a tight ship, Miss Carter. Never in my entire career have I had someone call to warn me about one of my employees.”
I shook my head as reality started to stretch and fold into something that didn’t make any sense. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little confused. I don’t understand why anyone would call and warn you about me. Did they say why?”
He shifted in his seat, the first sign of his discomfort. “I don’t want to get into specifics but the woman seemed concerned about your morals and how you carry yourself in the world. After some of the things I’ve seen on school grounds, I’m worried. How you act in the rest of the world reflects on this institution.”
“My morals? Principal Hendrix, I don’t know who would’ve called the school, nor do I know why. I work hard for this school. I buy my own supplies and show up for my students. I’ve barely used any sick leave. I’m a single mother who just started dating. I’m not doing anything immoral.”
He lifted his shoulders in a small shrug and held up his hands. “I don’t know what you’re doing that would cause this response from someone but I won’t tolerate it. Consider yourself warned. One more infraction and I’ll be forced to let you go. Do I make myself clear?”
Panic washed over me at his words. “Sir, I love my job. I don’t want to let my students down. I can’t control someone else calling the school, though. That’s unfair.”
“Lots of things in life are unfair, Miss Carter.” He clapped his hands together once and stood up. “If you’ll see yourself out, I have things to attend to.”
I stumbled out of his office feeling like the world under my feet was unsteady. I knew that Hendrix didn’t like me but I’d never imagined he’d fire me. I was good at my job. None of it mattered, though. He would happily get rid of me and we both knew it.
I didn’t ask the biggest question until I was alone in my car with my head resting on the steering wheel. Who the hell was calling into my job, warning them about me?
38
***Fiona***
Avery was riding his four wheeler in the driveway while I watched when Mallory pulled in. Before she got out of her car, two more vehicles parked behind her. Sebastian got out of his truck alone and Ryder and Jake stepped out of Ryder’s truck. They casually strode up the driveway to greet me and when I looked back at them in confusion, Ryder shrugged.
“We wanted to see you. It’s hard taking turns coming over. So, here we are.” With a smile, he pulled me into a hug and grunted. “You smell good.”
Before I could say anything, Mallory exploded from her car and came marching over. She wedged her way between the guys and I could see how furious she was by the shade of her face. She was blood red and there was a vein in her temple throbbing. “I got a call from a woman just before I left work. She had a lot of questions about you.”
I thought back to sitting in Hendrix’s office. “A woman, or women, called my school and warned them about me. Hendrix threatened to fire me.”
“Oh, this woman was asking all kinds of questions. She asked if I knew my sister was a gold digger and if I was aware of you sleeping around before meeting the guys.” Mallory turned her attention to the guys. “I don’t know which of your exes it was, but it was one of them. And they’re calling Fiona’s school, too? One of you needs to put a collar on that bitch and make it crystal clear that if she comes for my sister, I’m coming for her.”
I glanced back and saw Avery watching us. Swearing under my breath, I looked back at Mallory and shook my head. “Not in front of Avery. Also, you don’t know for sure that it was one of them…”
Ryder’s teeth should’ve been dust by how hard he was grinding them. “It sounds like something Sara would do.”
“Megan, too.” Jake gripped the back of his neck. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong, Aunt Mal?” Avery took my mind and tried to hang from it. “You never sound mad. Did your yoga go bad?”
I picked him up, just for Jake to take him from me and hold him. When I frowned at him, he shrugged and nodded at my stomach. Sighing, I looked back at Mallory. “Maybe we should go inside before the neighborhood hears all about everything?”
Sebastian gently took Mallory’s shoulders and steered her towards the house. “Come on, zen master. You really shocked me with that collar comment. I didn’t know you had it in you.”
She met my eyes and I could see a wave of emotions on her face. “I would do anything for my sister.”
I pretended that I wasn’t tearing up and led everyone into the kitchen. Without thinking much about it, I got out things to start dinner. I only stopped when Ryder took a package of pasta out of my hands and tossed it onto the counter.
“I’ll make dinner. It’s the least I can do since it seems like my nutjob ex might be trying to get you fired.” His face wasn’t as light as his words. I could see that he was just as furious as Mallory. He still forced a smile for me, though. “I am a chef, after all. Or have you not heard?”
Jake pulled out a stool and grabbed a bottle of water for me, all while still holding Avery. “Sit. I’ll get Avery set up with a game. He’s still trying to beat my high school on Mario but it’s not going to happen. No matter how much he crap talks me.”
