Tessa Teevan - Inflame

Extending my hand, I introduce myself. “You’re in luck. You’re looking at the one, but probably not only, Lucy Dawson.”

His large hand takes hold of mine, shaking gently until I squeeze hard. A chuckles rolls through him, and he grips my hand harder, giving me a real man’s handshake.

“A pleasure, Ms. Dawson. Lily was right. I wish my second grade teacher had been as beautiful as you. Then maybe I’d have done a better job with my multiplication tables,” he tells me, giving me another wink as well as a panty-melting smile.

Silly butterflies roll through me as I spot the dimples in his cheeks, and I have to look away for a moment to regain my composure. Stop being ridiculous, Lucy, I scold myself. He’s just a sexy soldier, not Jensen freaking Ackles. Although, he does kind of look like a younger version of him.

Before I can respond, the kids start entering the room, having been led back in by my teaching assistant, Veronica. She’s smiling at me, but then her eyes go wide when she see Lily’s dad.

“Who is that?” she mouths, pointing at him behind his back. I slowly shake my head, not wanting to alert him to her question.

All of a sudden, Lily runs across the room, wrapping her sweet little arms around the soldier’s legs. “Kale! You made it!” she exclaims, and immediately I wonder why she’s calling him by his first name.

Montgomery crouches down so he can give Lily a big hug, and I melt. There’s something about watching fathers with their daughters. A bond between a little girl and her daddy is one of life’s sweetest treasures—one I never got the pleasure of experiencing. So when I see something like the sight in front of me, my heart warms.

Standing up, he grabs ahold of Lily’s hand and walks towards me. I crouch down right in front of Lily.

“Hey sweetie, I think you told your daddy the wrong day. Bring Your Dad to School is next week, silly,” I tell her, ruffling her hair.

Lily looks at me with a confused smile. “Really? Oh, man, that blows!” she says, causing me to laugh out loud before giving her father a stern look.

“I wonder where she learned that language,” I tease him accusingly as I stand back up.

He hold his hands up and gives me an innocent grin. “Hey, I have nothing to do with that. Blame her dad,” he says, confusing me.

“Wait. What? Her dad? Isn’t that you?” I ask, and he shakes his head.

“Ms. Dawson, now you’re the silly one. He’s Uncle Kale, not Daddy. Duh,” she schools me, reminding me of myself at that age with her sassy, I-know-more-than-you attitude.

Placing my hand on my hip, I look down at her. “Well, excuse me. Why don’t you introduce us then, Lily?” I suggest, and she grins wide.

“Ms. Dawson, this is my daddy’s friend Kale. He’s my godfather, and I’ve known him since I was a baby. Kale, this is Ms. Dawson. Isn’t she pretty? I told you she was,” she insists, causing him to give her a sly smile.

“Lily, you weren’t lying. She’s as pretty as a picture,” he agrees, and I blush, something I’m not used to men making me do, yet he’s made me do it twice already.

Apparently satisfied with her introductions, Lily leaves us and goes to her seat to rejoin her friends. I watch as he leans against my desk, appraising me, and I am suddenly wishing recess had been a whole lot longer.

“If you’re a family friend, why are you here for Bring Your Dad to School Day? Or well, what you thought would be?”

He smiles ruefully, looking back at Lily, and I’m guessing it’s to make sure she’s far enough away.

“Her dad’s away on deployment, and her mom’s not around. Her grandmother takes care of her, so I promised Xavier, her dad, I’d look out for her while he’s gone. I pop in a couple of times a week to check in, and it just made sense that I’d stand in for him at school.”

So you know how my heart melted at little girls and their dads? Apparently little girls and stand-in dads are even sweeter, because I’m about to swoon right out of my high heels. Once again, the no-more-men thing slips right out of my mind. And then I feel like an idiot when I remember that Lily’s grandmother informed the school about her father. I swear, one sexy smile and I lose my damn mind.

“That’s very noble, Kale. I’m sure Lily, her grandmother, and her father appreciate it. I hope we didn’t ruin your day and you can still come back next week for the actual Bring Your Dad to School Day, even if you are just a surrogate,” I tell him, secretly wishing he’ll agree to grace us—well, me—with his presence in seven days.

“Why, Ms. Dawson. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you want me to come back,” he says, grinning at me, and it’s irritatingly cute that he picked up on it.

Not skipping a beat, I plaster a wide smile on my face. “For Lily’s sake, of course, Sergeant Montgomery.”

He pushes off my desk, standing up straight. “Right, Ms. Dawson. See you next week,” he confirms as he turns and walks towards the door. He stops before he’s about to exit and looks back at me. “For Lily’s sake.”

Before I can respond, he’s out the door, and I can only stare after him. It’s not until Veronica clears her throat that I realize I have twenty-two sets of eyes looking at me, waiting to be addressed. Glancing back at the board, I’m thankful that I spent the first half of recess putting math problems up. I shake all thoughts of Kale Montgomery out of my head and proceed to spend the rest of my day with a bunch of rowdy seven-year-olds, trying but failing to get him off my mind.

Kale

IT’S BEEN seven days since I met the infamous Ms. Lucy Dawson, the teacher Lily’s been raving about for weeks. She wasn’t lying when she said she was pretty. I’d been picturing Mrs. Clifford, the old, witchy woman who loved giving me demerits when I was kid. I’d liked pulling the hair of Molly Mortimer, the cute little redhead who sat in front of me. She always wore her hair in pigtails, and I figured she was asking for it. Old Mrs. Clifford didn’t agree, and I was sent home with multiple letters asking my mom for parent-teacher conferences. Unfortunately for Mrs. C, my mom thought it was a way of expressing myself and that the only thing wrong with it was that it might be hurtful to Molly. Instead of punishing me, she made me apologize and forced me to take Molly vegan cookies every day for a week. Seven-year-olds aren’t really into the whole ‘love Mother Earth’ thing, and needless to say, Molly never did warm up to me.

When I walked into what I hoped was Lily’s classroom and saw shapely, toned legs propped up on the wooden desk, I nearly did a double take. She wasn’t muscular by any means, but I could make out the toned calf muscles. Unfortunately, her legs were clasped together, so I couldn’t get a peek under her skirt. I know—pervy. But hey, I’m a young, single dude. If I get a chance to look between your legs, I’m going to do it. That’s the God’s honest truth.

She looked entirely too relaxed to be a teacher. My little sister Kalli’s also a teacher, and I swear she’s always frazzled. The young blonde in front of me looked anything but that. She looked peaceful, content, and I couldn’t help checking her out. She was in a pencil skirt that was tight around her legs. At least that’s how it looked with them propped up on the desk. Her blonde hair fell in curls, spilling over her shirt, covering her breasts. As I drew closer, I took in her features, and I couldn’t help the small smile that spread on my face when I spotted the freckle on the tip of her nose. Freckles? Yeah, they’re my weakness. Clearing my throat, I called out a greeting.

I didn’t mean to scare her, but when she landed on the floor, I had to struggle not to laugh. I know, male chivalry is totally dead. Regardless, as I watched her eyes trail up my body, I held my hand out for her. I suppressed a grin as her eyes met mine, and I knew she was checking me out. I’m a few months out from a deployment and have no interest in starting anything, but I’d be more than happy to have a few rolls in the hay with this woman before heading overseas.

When I realized she thought I was Lily’s dad, my goddaughter did me proud by shutting that thought down immediately. Her beautiful green eyes glazed over, and she blinked twice, as if trying to erase a thought. I almost cheered when I saw the grin spread over her face as I explained who I was.

I replay the rest of the exchange in my head, and I have to slow my eager pace as I walk into the school, hoping she’s been waiting for this for a week, just like I have.

As I walk into the classroom, my heart slightly falls when I don’t see her. A young raven-haired woman is introducing a parent, and I slip into the back, not wanting to interrupt. I see Lily. She grins wide at me, waving, and I wave back. That girl. I’ve been fortunate enough to know her since she was a baby, having been right there alongside Xavier when her mom left town. We’ve been best friends, battle buddies, and brothers ever since, and I’m fortunate and proud to be Lily’s godfather.

“I thought military men were always on time,” a low whisper sounds from behind me. Turning, I see Ms. Dawson, and I don’t hide the fact that I’m checking her out.

She’s in a flowery dress, flowing down to her knees. The bare sleeves show off her tan arms, and she crosses them, effectively lifting her breasts in the process. I have to look away before she catches me staring. Instead, I’m drawn to her face. Since her hair is up in a clip, I’m given free rein to study her features. Her green eyes are even bolder than before, and I wonder if she spent extra time this morning on her makeup, knowing she was going to see me.

Hey, I grew up with sisters. I know way too much about this makeup shit, and I can tell when someone’s gone all out. Lord knows my sister Kalli always did.

Seeing the freckle on the tip of her nose causes me to grin, and she sucks in her bottom lip when I do. I know I shouldn’t be hot for teacher, but I can’t help it. I totally am.

“Got caught up in the line of duty, Ms. Dawson. Apologies. Won’t happen again, ma’am,” I say in a Southern drawl, almost wishing I had my beret on so I could tip it at her.

“I guess I’ll forgive you. Just this once. But next time, you’ll have to see me after school, Sergeant Montgomery,” she responds teasingly, and the sound of her sweet voice does something to me.

“No, ma’am. I’m more than willing to accept my punishment now. I guess I’ll see you at the end of the day,” I promise and grin when I see a pink flush spread over her face. She quickly walks away from me, moving to the front of the class so she can introduce dad after dad.

I don’t skip a beat when she introduces me, and my heart warms when Lily grabs my hand, eager to show me off to all her friends. My heart slightly breaks for Xavier, knowing he should be here, but I do my duty and stand in for him whenever I can. All this time spent with Lily has me reevaluating my whole not-wanting-to-settle-down stance, but seeing as how I’m leaving the country in the next few months, I have no room to be thinking that way. I’m just glad he’s going to be home not long after I have to leave Lily. After having helped raise her since she was just a baby, I know I’m going to miss her so damn much. I don’t know how the fuck parents in the Army leave their kids. Lily’s not even mine and I’m already dreading not seeing her a few times a week.

The kids ooh and aww over my war stories, and I don’t miss the way Ms. Dawson is clinging to every word. I may have made myself sound a little more badass than I actually am, but that’s what these kids like to hear. No one will ever know they’re little white lies, right?

By the end of the class, I’m reluctant to leave, but Ms. Dawson makes it clear that sharing time is over. Begrudgingly, I give Lily a hug and head out.

Fortunately, it’s the end of the day and I know school is about to be dismissed. I normally don’t stick around for a woman, but something about her has me waiting. I watch as the bell rings and kids pour out of the school. I spot Lily and she gives me a wave as Anna, her sweet-as-can-be grandmother, picks her up. I wave back then lean against my car to wait. For her.

When she walks about of the building, I grin as the wind makes the skirt of her dress flow. Loose strands of hair become detached from her clip, and I watch as the wind whips them around her face. She keeps trying to push them back behind her ear, but it’s no use. Too distracted to notice me, she almost walks by without giving me a second—or well, even a first—glance. I whistle and immediately feel like a tool. You know that lame high school jock who rests up against his muscle car, whistling at the cheerleaders? Yeah, that’s me right now, and I inwardly cringe. The damage is done, and I decide to just go with it. Maybe she’ll think of me more like Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles.