Page 118 of Teach Me Your Ways

She rolled her eyes. “Contradictory statement.”

“Okay, I want to get you naked and fuck you until both of our toes curl and we are seeing stars. What’s the acronym for that?”

I saw a flash of surprise and heat in her eyes. Her tongue darted out and licked her upper lip. Oh yeah, I knew exactly what she was thinking.

“Okay. That works for me. But why don’t we start with dinner tonight? I promised Sophie we would have a picnic on the beach before the weather turns.”

“You want me to tag along?” I asked.

“If we’re going to be seeing each other and we can’t see each other when we’re at school, then it’s going to be at my place or yours. And I do have a kid that I only get to see a few hours every evening, so if you want to hang out with me, sometimes it’s going to be a package deal.”

“I’d like that.”

“Are you okay with the fact I have a daughter?”

“I am,” I said. “I want you, Cece.”

“I have to go. I am picking up our picnic meal. Mom has been busy all day and I’ve been wrapped up with my work, so, lazy picnic.”

“Can I come with you?” I asked. “Turns out my schedule is clear for the next few days. And if this doesn’t go the way I hope, I’m going to have a lot of free time.”

“It’s going to be fine,” she said. “I know it.”

“Then I am going to believe you.”

We stopped at a grocery store and bought fried chicken, potato salad, and a fruit platter. I added soda, bottles of water, and cupcakes.

When we got to the house, Granny was loading up the car with folding chairs and a blanket.

She stopped what she was doing and looked from me to Cece. “Did you win?”

“I just got the text,” I said. “Cece saved my job.”

“You got the news?” Cece asked.

“Yep. Seraphina Reese texted and said she’s looking forward to seeing me on Monday.”

We all climbed into Granny’s car. Cece and Granny insisted I sit in the front seat because I had the longest legs. We carried all the gear down to the beach and got set up. It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t hot. Sophie was wearing a pink bathing suit and immediately grabbed her bucket and tools to build a sandcastle.

I watched Sophie dig into the sand and had the thought that she was a natural-born archeologist. Cece sat beside me on the blanket, her legs tucked under her, a soft smile on her face as she watched her daughter.

Sophie looked up at me with a bright smile. “I’m making a castle. Wanna help?”

“Absolutely,” I said, scooting closer to her. “What’s the plan? Moats? Towers? A drawbridge?”

“All of it!” she declared, handing me a plastic shovel.

I got to work, digging a trench around the castle while Sophie focused on the towers.

Cece started to spread out the food. The smell of fried chicken wafted through the air, and my stomach growled in response. “Sophie, it’s time to eat.”

Sophie chattered on as we ate. Granny asked a few questions about the hearing. Initially, I got the impression she didn’t care for me, but she seemed to be warming up. I couldn’t give a shit what the board thought. My concern was getting Granny and Sophie to approve of me. Their opinions mattered. I didn’t know where this thing was going, but with Cece, it felt different than it had with any other woman.

And I wouldn’t let her go.