Golden Trail (The 'Burg #3)(141)
Layne cut her off. “It was okay.”
She stared into his eyes. “You sure?”
He dipped his face closer to hers and whispered, “Baby, they were eatin’ it up.”
She instantly blew off his compliment. “It’s a good class. Those kids are bright.”
“No, Roc, you’re a good teacher. Those kids might be bright but you make it interesting and I reckon you changed a few lives in there today, or at least the way they look at things.”
“You think?” she whispered.
“Oh yeah,” Layne whispered back.
She smiled, eyes bright with dimple and, f**k, but he wanted to kiss her.
“You need to negotiate a new contract, sweetcheeks,” Layne informed her and she burst out laughing then tilted her head down and pressed the top into his chest above her hands before she leaned back and looked up at him.
“Guess what?” she asked, the laughter still playing about her lips.
“What?” he asked back, watching her mouth.
“Adrian Cosgrove called in sick Monday and yesterday,” she stated and his eyes went to hers.
“Yeah, you told me.”
“Well, he didn’t call in sick today.”
Layne’s brows shot up. “No shit?”
She shook her head. “No shit. You haven’t heard?”
“Been busy, baby.”
“Then you should call Colt or Merry and get the lowdown because he barely stepped in the door when the principal called him into his office. Then, about five seconds after Principal Klausen suspended him, Chris Renicki and Marty Fink arrested him for assault and battery.”
Layne grinned. “Day’s lookin’ up.”
Rocky grinned back. “Definitely.” Then her grin faded and she stated, “He’ll make bail.”
Layne shook his head. “Don’t worry, Roc, Paige and Seth will stay where they are until they’re safe. They’ll be covered.”
She nodded and asked, “Did Jas call you during lunch?”
“Nope,” Layne answered. “Everything okay?”
She nodded again and said, “Yeah. Apparently Tripp negotiated a double date.”
“Come again?”
“He asked Giselle if she’d ask her parents if it was okay, after football practice but before Youth Group, if Giselle could go out with Jas, Keira and him for pizza and then Jasper could take her home and they said yes.”
Layne smiled. Jas was right. Religious or not, the parents had caved.
“Why are you smiling?” Rocky asked.
“Nothin’, sweetcheeks.”
She let it go and announced, “That means I’m heading home tonight.”
Layne’s smile died. “Why?”
“The boys won’t be at your place, you told me you have to work late and then you’re staking out Gaines’s car so you won’t be there and as much as I like Devin, without you and Jasper and Tripp running interference, I don’t know if I could take a night of mostly full on Vera while waiting for you to come home.”
It was definitely time to have another chat with his mother.
“Roc –”
“Anyway,” she interrupted him. “It feels like I haven’t been home in ages so it’ll be good to go through mail, make sure no lab experiments are fermenting in my fridge and watch something other than football and cop shows.”
“There’s something other than football and cop shows?” Layne asked and she smiled.
“Yes, celebrity dance contests,” she answered, Layne tipped his head back to look at the ceiling and tipped it down when he felt her press close. “I’m kidding, sweetheart. I hate those shows. I much prefer football.”
His hands gave her h*ps a squeeze, the bell rang and her head turned to the side.
“Key,” he said quickly and she looked back at him.
“Sorry?”
“Drop your extra key at my house or in the mail slot in the door to my office. Text me where you put it. I’ll come over when I’m done and spend the night at your place tonight.”
She looked to the side again as the noise the kids were making unsupervised got louder and then back to him.
“You sure?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“What about Jasper and Tripp?”
“They’re not kids anymore, sweetcheeks, and anyway, Vera and Devin are there. Devin can have a bed. He’ll be f**kin’ thrilled.”
She looked to the side again and whispered, “I have to go.”
“Roc. Key,” he ordered on a squeeze of his hands at her h*ps and she looked at him.
“Mail slot at your office. Just in case Devin isn’t home when I stop by.”
Yep. He definitely needed another chat with his mother.
“Right,” he said.
She made to move away from him, repeating, “I have to go,” and Layne released her.
“Baby,” he called when she’d walked three feet away and she turned back. “You owe me a make out session.”
She grinned. Then she disappeared.
Layne found the backstage door and headed down the side hall to the corridor and then to the office where he signed out and made nice with all the office ladies, keeping them sweet because he figured, with Rocky working there, one day he’d need it.