Page 86 of The Headmaster’s Rule

“What’s taking you guys so long?” Juliana asks pointedly from across the room, and the moment shatters.

What am I doing? I’m here to do a job, not lust after the headmaster. I can’t let myself get distracted like that. This fundraiser, Safe Harbor, the respect of my peers really matters to me, and I can’t lose sight of that. I need to find a way to be with Theo while staying focused on my work.

He tears his gaze from mine, striding purposefully across to the group. I quickly dump Paige’s brownies onto a plate and scuttle back, heart racing.

“Sorry.” I set the plate on the table as I rejoin the group and pick up my binder, holding it nervously to my chest, gazing around the assembled circle of colleagues and friends. “Thanks so much for meeting today, guys.”

“No problem.” Juliana takes a bite of brownie. “You got me out of that mind-numbing assembly.”

Her father shoots her a stern look, which she plays off with a good-natured grin. I take that as my cue to get started.

“As you know, the fundraiser is less than a month away, and there’s still a lot to do. More than I can manage without additional help.”

“But you’ve done an amazing job,” Theo interjects, a little too quickly.

Heat crawls up my neck. While I appreciate the support, I don’t miss the way Danny’s brows rise at Theo’s praise. Juliana shoots her father a look, and he clears his throat, glancing down to adjust his cuff.

“Thank you,” I say, leafing through my binder as I pray for the warmth in my face to dissipate. “So, I thought we could use today to establish roles and clarify deadlines.” I pull out copies of the timelines, including a detailed list of tasks that still need to be completed, and hand them around the group.

“We’re not holding the event at Ocean Vista,” Rowan notes.

I glance at Theo, and he nods. “We’re going in a different direction this year. We wanted to do something more closely tied to the school and the cause.”

Rowan turns the paper over, as if searching for more information. “And what’s the theme of this year’s event?”

“I’ll let Miss Hart take the lead on that one.” Theo slides me a look, doing his best to keep his face neutral, but I catch the twinkle in his eye.

“Thank you, Headmaster Wright.”

Danny’s amused gaze slides from Theo to me. “No need to be so formal, guys.”

“Sorry,” I say, flustered as I turn back to Rowan. “Uh, we haven’t nailed that down yet.”

Juliana flicks a lock of blond hair over one shoulder. “Whatever it is, it needs to be super elegant.”

“It needs to be relevant to the cause, Juliana,” Theo replies, followed by an eye-roll from his daughter. She recovers quickly with a smile, but I catch a flicker of something underneath, as if she’s used to him shooting her down.

I nod. “Whatever we choose needs to convey the idea of creating a safe space, of anchoring students in tough times. That’s what this night is really about.”

“What about something like ‘Harbor Lights’?” Paige suggests.

Theo looks at me, waiting.

“I like that.” I smile. “What are you thinking?”

“I know,” Juliana cuts in. “Lanterns, fairy lights, soft blues and golds, nautical-inspired decor, that sort of thing.”

Paige nods in agreement, and I can already see it; the tent on the lawn, glittering under the fairy lights, blue and gold centerpieces on the tables, student artwork that captures the coastal feeling of the town.

“And the tagline,” Danny riffs, reaching for a brownie with a grin, “A guiding light for student wellbeing.”

“Yes!” I feel a zing of excitement as the event starts to come together. “That’s perfect!”

“It’s a strong concept,” Theo agrees, stroking his beard in a calm, measured manner. “Remember, the message needs to be clear. We don’t want donors leaving with more questions than answers about what Safe Harbor actually is.”

Paige glances up. “Have you announced the cause yet?”

I shake my head. “We’re still finalizing it, but we’ll present Safe Harbor to the donors and wider community at the fundraiser itself.”