Teach Me The Ropes

“Claire’s a good girl,” I shared.

“Are you?” he asked. Or that was what I
thought he’d asked.

I frowned, I lifted my hand to my
forehead to shield my eyes from the sun as I looked up at him. Had I heard him
right? “Excuse me?”

He gripped my shoulders and turned me, so I wasn’t blinded. Then he cleared his throat as he dropped his hands away.
“I’ve never seen you here before. Are you new?” His voice was deep and rumbly.

When I took a deep breath to answer, I
picked up his scent. Pine and woods and strong male.

“Yes. I’ve been in town about two
months.”

He offered an absent nod. “I’d have
remembered you. God, that hair.”

I touched my hand to my head. Blushed. I
had wild red curls, and they were pulled back with a tie at my nape. Nothing
tamed them no matter how hard I tried. Since I only had the hand dryers in the
women’s room at the community center to dry it, it was worse than ever.

He reached out, tugged on a tendril that had escaped and stared at it as if mesmerized. I’d been picked on for red hair growing up, and I wasn’t sure if he was poking fun or pleased.

“It’s red,” I said.

He grinned, met my eyes. “It sure as fuck
is.”

It’s red? Seriously? That’s what
came out of my mouth? I glanced away, feeling like a complete idiot.

He dropped his hand and tucked it into
the front pocket of his jeans.

“Where’d you come from?”

“Colorado, but I moved to The Bend for
the job.”

I wasn’t going to elaborate any more than that. He didn’t need to know about Tom or the shitty klepto roommate or the
fact that I was broke. And pretty much homeless.

“I’m Sawyer Manning.”

He held out his hand. I stared at it for
a second then shook it. The zing I felt had me whipping my head up to meet his
gaze. His grip was warm and firm, and I could feel callouses against my palm. I
had no idea what he did to make all the money Delilah mentioned, but he didn’t
sit behind a desk.

“Kelsey.”

“Anyone ever told you you’re beautiful?”

His voice was soft, and the words took a
second to sink in.

Was he… was he flirting with me?

“Anyone tell you you’re too forward?”

I tugged my hand, trying to get it back
from the handshake, but he wouldn’t let go. He grinned.

“Um, I—”

Tanner’s mom arrived, and she waved to me as the little boy ran to her at the gate. I tugged once more, and he released
my hand. I waved back to both of them before they left, but my thoughts were on the very big, very sexy guy beside me.

“Since you’re new, why don’t I show you
around town,” he said.

I blinked at him then came out of my hot
guy induced stupor. Just because he was cowboy calendar gorgeous didn’t mean he
wasn’t a jerk. I’d been burned once before. I wasn’t having that happen again.

The Bend was small. Really small. If
he knew Tamara’s mom since they were kids, that meant he was from here. Knew
everyone. I wasn’t going to be the other
woman. My mother might not have cared about a guy’s relationship status
before she shacked up with him, but I did.

Besides, if I lost my job at the
preschool, I had no idea what I would do. I was sleeping in the building’s back
room. A short-term arrangement. The preschool’s owner, Irene, had offered for
me to stay at her house when she’d learned about my situation, but after one
night with three elementary school kids—one who’d put peanut butter on my nose when I was sleeping—plus two dogs and a blind parakeet, I’d asked if I could make use of the small cot until I had the money I needed for an apartment deposit. She’d wanted to do more for me, but I wasn’t going to inconvenience her or be beholden. I didn’t have money, but I had my pride. The way I was saving, I hoped to be in an apartment in a few more weeks.

I’d been stupid before, and that was on
me. But no longer. I stepped away from Sawyer Manning and shook my head. I’d
done nothing wrong. I had my eyes wide open this time. He was the asshole. God, he was a total player! Picking up women on the playground while his daughter was on the swing? I couldn’t decide if Tom had been worse keeping his family a secret and stringing me along or this guy, blatantly asking me out while I fully knew he had a child. A wife. At least he
wasn’t a liar. But still...

I could only imagine what he thought of
me. A slut? Worse, a home wrecker? Had he worked his way through all the women in town who knew him?

Crossing my arms over my chest, I tipped up my chin. Met his gaze. “No.”

“No?” he asked, his eyebrows going up and disappearing beneath his hat, seemingly shocked at my answer. “You sure because I grew up here and know all the secret spots.”

If he weren’t married, I’d love for him
to show me all the secret spots. On
my body. But since he was, his words only pissed me off even more.

“I said no,” I replied then glanced
around to ensure no kids were nearby. “If you need me to be more clear, how’s
this? No. Fudging. Way.”

Turning away from him, I caught Sarah
Jane’s attention and gave her the signal that it was time for me to leave for
the day. Since I was crashing in the preschool’s back room at night, I opened
in the morning and someone else closed. She nodded then gave me a little wave
and I fled inside.

I was so keyed up I was shaky. Tom had
done a number on me, but this guy? God, he had nerve. There was a big dick in
his pants, but he had balls too. Really big ones.

How did I keep attracting assholes? What
the fuck was wrong with me? I opened one of the high cabinets in the back room, the one the kids couldn’t reach, and pulled down my purse.

A hand settled on my shoulder, and I
shrieked.

“Look, I’m sorry I—”

I processed the voice, the words, in the same instant I just reacted. Maybe it was everything I’d been going through, maybe Sawyer Manning had been a trigger for all the shit I’d pushed
down that had happened because of Tom. The fallout I was still living through
now.

Or maybe he was just a dick.

I spun on my heel and kneed him in the
balls. He bent at the waist, dropped to his knees, then tipped over onto his
side in a fetal position on the industrial carpet. His hands cupped his crotch.

“Oh shit,” I whispered as he groaned from the floor. I glanced at the door, hoped Sarah Jane didn’t come in with any of the other kids, or Claire in search of her dad.

My breath came out in pants, my
adrenaline pumping. I stared down at him, noticed the way his face had turned
white and couldn’t miss the wheezing coming from his lungs. I hadn’t meant to
knee one of the preschool’s clients in the balls. I’d just acted without
thinking. In anger.

This was bad. Really bad, even though he deserved it.

This was what I’d wanted to
do to my ex. Hit him where it counted, but I never got the chance.

“I’ve had enough of guys like you,” I
said, setting my hands on my hips. He was clearly in misery. Served him right.
“Try your flirting shit on someone else.”

Grabbing my bag and keys, I stormed out
the front door. I’d taught Sawyer Manning a lesson, but had I learned one too?
The hard way, like losing my job and where I slept at night?