“Hey,” she said softly through her smile.

“Hey,” he replied and tore his gaze off her dimple to look in her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Wanted to watch you do your thing,” Layne answered.

The smile faded but her lips parted and she stared up at him with something in her eyes he couldn’t quite read.

So he guessed.

“Baby, I was only there for ten minutes. I didn’t –” he started to explain but she cut him off on a whisper.

“You wanted to watch me do my thing?”

Layne studied her face, still couldn’t read it so he kept explaining. “You made me want to reread that book and the way you did it made me appreciate it in a way I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t loved it so much. You told me you were teaching it and…” Layne stopped talking when she looked down and to the side and he lifted a hand to curl it around her neck. “Roc.”

Her head twisted back, her eyes locked on his and she whispered, “Jarrod didn’t discuss my kids, my work, none of it. He had zero interest. None. And you’re spread so thin it’s a wonder you aren’t transparent and you find the time…”

She suddenly trailed off, bent to the side, dislodging his hand and looked around him as he heard the sounds of kids entering the auditorium.

“Up front, center, first three rows,” she called to the kids. “Kayla, do me a favor and tell folks when they come in. Mr. Layne and I need a minute.”

“Sure, Ms. Merrick,” Kayla called back and Layne wasn’t sure what was going on in Rocky’s head, even though he figured it was good, but he was fucking thrilled the “Ms. Merrick” thing had caught on.

Rocky grabbed his hand, her fingers wrapping strong around his and she tugged him down the aisle and along the front of the seats. She kept hold of his hand as she led him up the steps at the side of the stage and then ducked backstage with him.

When they were out of eyesight, she stopped, kept hold of his hand and stepped into him so their bodies were nearly brushing.

“Okay, well, it goes without saying if a hot private investigator can’t make out with me at a football game, I can’t lay one on a hot private investigator in the school with my class assembling fifty feet away so you’ll just have to make do with the knowledge I really, really want to make out with you right now, Tanner Layne,” she announced and he grinned as he stifled a laugh.

He dropped her hand and put both of his to her hips, bringing her the inch forward he needed for their bodies actually to be brushing while he murmured, “Sweetcheeks.”

She rested her hands on his chest and asked, “Was it okay?”

“Was what okay?”

“The lesson. There’s just so much to say with that book, you can’t get to it all so I have to melt it down. I mean, we could talk about it for a month and not –”

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, fuck, 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 hips 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 fuckin’ 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 hips 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.

Layne was headed out the front doors when he heard his name called and he turned to see Nick Fullerton jogging down the hall toward him.

“Heard you were in the school. Glad I caught you,” Nick said when he made it to Layne.

“Hey Nick, everything all right?” Layne asked and Nick grinned.

“Yeah, got promoted officially to head coach today,” Nick answered.

Layne shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations. Way you called the second half of the game Friday, they made the right choice.”

“Thanks, man,” Nick was still grinning. “Anyway, been spendin’ the last coupla days in Adrian’s office, goin’ through stuff. Just wondered if there’s a reason Jas isn’t talkin’ to the scouts. He decide he’s not goin’ to college or something?”

Layne felt the muscles in his neck contract. “What?”

“Scouts,” Nick said. “From Ohio State, Illinois and Ball State. They’re interested in Jasper. They know he’s got the goods even if he isn’t handling the ball. He’ll make all-county and, he performs under me, maybe all-state. He doesn’t have great grades but he’s scored high on the SATs and he’s a class officer.”

Layne felt a muscle jump in his cheek before he said low, “Nick, far’s I know, Jasper hasn’t heard word that any scouts have come forward and declared interest. We knew they were scoutin’ but nothin’ after that.”

Nick stared at him hard.

Then he said, “I’ll return some calls.”

“Obliged,” Layne murmured, Nick nodded and turned to jog back down the hall.

Layne watched him for three beats until his neck relaxed and his temper was under control.

Then he turned and walked out the door.

* * *

“Merry, you been dodgin’ me for three days. You get this, you call me. I don’t hear from you by tomorrow, I hunt you down,” Layne growled into his phone and snapped it shut.