Page 39 of Echoes of Temptation
Not that I mind, anymore. I’ve missed him terribly.
“How about this,” I say, breaking the silence. “Let’s let you both settle into your new routines for the next month then we can have an initial meeting to see if he and I are the right match. That’s so very important. But, I have to be completely honest with you. Teaching takes up so much of my time. Even after my students go home for the day, I remain at the school for another hour preparing for the next day’s lesson. I would need to invest a lot of time into Charlie’s individualized education and I wouldn’t want to give him anything but my absolute best.”
“I understand,” she sighs, her eyes sad.
“However,” I continue. “I’ve had a few non-verbal students in the past. This year, I have an eight-year-old non-verbal autistic boy who will be with me for another two or three years before he transitions to middle school.
Charlie is more than welcome, and able, to join my class next school year. I would like to meet him, regardless, but in my personal and professional opinion, Charlie needs to go to school. He needs social interactions. He will have a specialized support team that consists of way more than just me. We have an entire team that dedicates their lives to making school as smooth and as fun as possible for those students who don’t have it as easily as the others. He can be enrolled in speech therapy which can help him find ways to communicate. Please, reconsider. Send him to Harborbrook Elementary School. I happen to know the staff there and we would all welcome him with open arms.”
“Kingston,” Cortney sniffs a few seconds later.
“Yes, dear sister.”
“If you don’t marry this woman, I will.”
King tosses his head back and laughs. It’s the most honest and happiest laugh I’ve ever heard come from another person.
If there were any bricks still blocking my heart from this man, that laugh just broke them down.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I say, pulling my ringing phone from my school bag. “I need to take this. If I don’t answer this man he will just keep calling until I do.”
“Knox?” King laughs. “He does that to me when I’m on the job. He’s the main reason I turn my phone off.”
Cortney snorts her laughter before relaxing back on the chair.
“Hey, what’s up?” I answer.
“Okay, two things,” Knox says quickly. “We’re having a sleepover at your place tonight. I’m thinking Chinese food.”
“Oh, good,” I cheer.
“Second,” he continues. “King is on his way to your apartment right this very second with his sister. Quickly, jump in the shower and you can pretend that you didn’t hear him knocking when he calls to grump at you later. That’s another thing. He’s been talking about you. I mean, he always talks about you. All the freaking time. But, this time, he’s been talking about seeing if you’re ready to forgive him. That man freaking loves you, Maddy.”
“Knox,” I laugh as he continues to ramble. “He’s already here. They have been since I got home from work. And, secondly, he already told me about all of that as well. Now, breathe. I’ll see you guys tonight. I’ll order way too much Chinese so we can eat ourselves into a food coma.”
“Oh,” Knox sighs. “I got distracted. My bad. Alright. Yes. Food coma. See ya.”
“Having a party?” King asks.
“Yeah,” I confess. “Knox has been having some issues falling into his li…Uhm, relaxing, so he, Bitsy, and Sophie are coming over for a sleepover so we can try and help him.”
“That sounds like fun, baby,” King says, standing. “I’ll be back tomorrow around noon. Be ready.”
“Be ready for what?” I ask, following him and Cortney to the door.
“I’m taking you out for lunch,” he says casually. “Then we’re going to go to the clubhouse because the guys want to talk to you.”
“Oh,” I say, my heart racing.
“I’ll wait out in the car,” Cortney says. “It was nice meeting you, Maddy. I hope that we can meet up soon. I want to introduce you to Charlie so we can both get to know you better. You’re part of the family, after all.”
I go to tell her that I’m not really part of her family but the hopeful look on King’s face seals my lips tightly.
“Your sister seems like a wonderful person,” I tell King.
“She is,” he says. “Now, are you okay with all of this? With me?”
Is the one and only King feeling vulnerable?