Page 20 of What Started In Deception

He sighed. “I’m not.”

“Uncle James and Will are good people. Honest people. There’s an explanation for all of this,” she reminded him again.

“That’s all I’m looking for. I’m just trying to get to the bottom of what’s going on. But if we’re going to do this…” He gestured between the two of them. “If you’re going to help me, I need you all in. It won’t work any other way.”

She swallowed.

“Are you all in, Lydia?”

She hesitated because she didn’t want to be. But she nodded because she didn’t have much of a choice.

He squeezed her fingers again. “Give me a chance. Be my girlfriend for the next few weeks.”

She closed her eyes as she blew out a quiet breath. “Okay.”

Ty stacked the last of the tiny tables and chairs in the corner by the cubbies as Lydia sat at her desk, filling out forms or typing on her laptop. She’d been quiet over the last couple of hours, mostly only talking when he asked her about the next task on her to-do list.

It was safe to say that this morning hadn’t gone well. His introduction to Camille had been less than smooth. Lydia was by no means a master of deception.

He sighed, worrying a little as he looked at her. He’d been optimistic after their meetup last night, but it was becoming clear that they had some serious work to do if they had any chance of pulling this off.

Lydia needed to be completely comfortable around him, which was currently a tall order when she saw him as the enemy. They weren’t going to get anywhere if he couldn’t gain her trust. Now seemed like as good a time as any to try to move them in the right direction. “What are you working on over there?”

She looked up from the stack of papers. “Report cards.”

He frowned. “Report cards in kindergarten?”

She nodded. “In a lot of ways, kindergarten is what you and I remember as first grade. It’s not just playtime and naps. In fact, there are no naps. We have a full curriculum.”

“That seems like a lot for little kids.”

“They do okay. I try hard to keep it fun. We have several wiggle breaks throughout the day.”

He nodded as she got back to work. “So, what’s it like? Being a teacher?”

“It’s wonderful.” A smile lit up her face as she looked at him again. “I love it. The kids are so bright and curious. Little sponges. I love that I get to fill their fantastic brains with all kinds of knowledge.”

He loved it when she smiled like that—when she forgot to be careful, which didn’t happen very often. “How long have you been at it? Teaching?”

Her smile dimmed. “It’s hard to believe that you don’t already know that. I’m sure it was in your ‘get to know Lydia Monroe’ packet.”

He nodded because it was true. “I know you went to Michigan State. I know you have a master’s degree in education with a specialty in literacy education,” he said as he moved to her side of the desk, leaning his ass against the edge. “But I want to hear about your life from you. I want to know you as much as you want to know me.”

She sighed as she nodded. “Okay. I just finished my seventh year.”

“And I imagine you’ll be back for your eighth?”

She nodded again. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

“I can understand that.”

Setting down her pen, she sat back in her chair as her shoulders visibly relaxed. “I take it you feel the same way about the FBI?”

He winced as he glanced around, making sure the doors to the hallway and Camille’s classroom were closed. “Yeah, I love what I do.”

“That’s good. It’s important to like your work.”

He nodded as he looked around at the empty walls and the furniture piled in the corner. Her once-adorable classroom now appeared cold and sterile. “What else can I do to help you around here?”