Breaking the Rules (4 page)

He brought the cap back up in time to see her last sway of the hips leave the front door.

Mother of
— What's with the mixed signals? Forget the not breaking rules nonsense — he wouldn't let her get away with that lie. She wanted him. He was sure of it. Now he had to figure out a way to reel her in. It'd been a long time since he had to pursue a woman, but he still had some tricks up his sleeve. Breaking her rules could be the fun he'd been missing for too many years to count.

He grabbed the check and yelled across the room. “Jason, let's go get that ice cream. I feel a sudden need to cool off.”

Hope smiled up at the sun as she made her rounds between all the games. Screams and whoops echoed behind her as she left the baseball game and watched the volleyball coach gather his team. Students lined up at the sign-up table and cheerleaders prepped on the grass by the water fountain. She waved at a crowd of parents huddled around the sidelines. Happiness filled her. The first Friendly Games Morning event was a success.

She shielded her eyes as she saw two new figures walk around the gym corner. Both Jason and Colin wore athletic shorts, t-shirts and matching Yankees baseball caps. Father and son look-a-likes. Something tugged at her heart. She took in Colin's tempting male physique — lean legs and the tight biceps under his shirtsleeves.

She smiled and approached them as they neared. “Well, if it isn't Dr. and Jr. Calaway. Glad you made it.”

Jason grinned back. “Hi, Ms. Robinson.”

The clear-cut lines of Colin's profile called out as he examined the area. “It looks like a good turnout.”

She tore her eyes from his face before they both saw her staring. “We're still short on parents to play in the relay races in thirty minutes. Are you up to it?”

Colin shrugged. “Sure.”

“Dad, I'm going to go get us some water. Be right back.” Jason ran toward the refreshment stand.

“So, what are these relay races?” Colin crossed his arms and his green eyes sparkled. Everything else around them disappeared for an instant, which caused her nerve endings to tingle.

She cleared her throat, held the rim of her hat and looked up into his face. “Just silly games. You know, like a three-legged race, that sort of thing.”

His eyes gleamed. “Sounds like a ploy to make parents look like awkward middle schoolers again.”

She laughed. When another parent stopped by to say hello, she stood up straighter and pulled her chin up. “Uh, good to see you, Mr. … ”

Colin shook the man's hand. “Andrew.” He looked at Hope. “Mr. Green.”

Of course, Colin knew the other parents. She forgot she was the new one around here, not him. “Yes, how are you doing, Mr. Green?” She shook his hand and then stepped back.

Anytime someone else came near them, a wave of apprehension swept through her. She had the exact feeling the night before at the pizza place. Her insides danced a tango — a sensual dance, with a rose hanging out the side of her mouth — and her emotions converted to a girly girl waiting for her heart to be carried away on the magical white horse. Both images did nothing for the adept attitude she needed to establish. Did these other people buy it? She looked around to find something else to do and to gain some distance; it was best if she steered clear of the man next to her.

Before she could leave, Colin grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. “Still getting to know people, right?”

She blinked back at him, pulled away and held her sweaty hands together. “We have three hundred students in middle school, so you can only imagine.”

He nodded, glanced around and then leaned down to whisper, “Um, about last night. I'm sorry if I seemed a bit forward. It won't happen again — unless you want it to.”

Was this a question? A shiver of panic almost overtook her. She wanted to say yes, but knew better. She inhaled a breath and smiled. “I'm glad to hear we're on the same page. No more of that nonsense.” There. She avoided the question and answered it at the same time. Right?

His eyes didn't leave hers. “Nonsense?” A slow smile built on his lips making Hope lightheaded. Why didn't he look away? Why couldn't
she
look away? She didn't know if she should be relieved or flattered.

“Right.” She tugged her hat as if she were a cadet in the army.

“So, what's with the hat?” He scratched his jaw and grimaced.

She laughed and tightened the grip on her head. “You mean my Red Sox cap?”

He squinted his eyes and shook his head. “Yeah, it's a shame.”

“I could say the same about you.” She pointed to his Yankees hat, the same one he wore at Luigi's. “I went to Boston College, so of course I'm a big fan.”

He squirmed. “And here I thought you were a nice woman.”

Hope laughed. Even though they were on separate sides of the baseball field, she enjoyed his teasing. A warning whispered in her head.
Be careful.
But damn-it-to-hell, her body relished in the playfulness. And if she were honest, her mind enjoyed the smart-ass in him, too.

Every time he made her laugh, a warmth seeped through her veins. She usually prided herself on being serious, and it was nice to let the walls fall for a second or two with him. And Colin had a way of making her feel okay about that. Maybe she didn't have to keep herself together all the time. She could just … be.

Jason ran up to Colin's side. “Here's your water bottle.” He turned to Hope and pulled his own hat down. It was cute to see them do the same mannerisms.

“So, Jason, what games are you going to play today? Volleyball and baseball just started, but basketball will start in an hour.” She listed off the sports on her fingers.

He shrugged toward his dad. “Basketball sounds good.”

She avoided looking at Colin and continued to talk to Jason. The event was about her students, right? Not about Mr. Flirty standing too close next to her. “Too bad we don't have swimming today. I hear you're a great swimmer.”

Colin grabbed Jason's shoulder and squeezed. “One of the best in the county.”

“Can't wait to see it. Why don't you two go sign up?” She pointed toward the table by the fountain. “I'll see you at the relay races.”

Both smiled in agreement and walked away.

Jason turned to his dad and she heard him say, “She's nice, but too bad about her hat, huh Dad?”

“Maybe we can still lure her from the dark side.” Colin put his arm around Jason's shoulder and they continued to walk off.

Like father like son.
Hope snickered under her breath. She should turn her head and talk to other parents, but she couldn't take her eyes away from the two. Why did she feel such a strong connection to Colin?

“What are you staring at?” A voice from behind startled Hope and she turned to see Kelly, her best friend and a teacher, approaching. “Or should I say
who
?”

Heat crept up her neck and her cheeks. Panic overwhelmed her. She wouldn't be able to disguise her feelings around Kelly, someone she'd known since college. She bent down to pretend to tie her shoe. “Nothing.”

“You met Colin already then?”

Nothing got past Kelly, even when they were in college. The gal had a sixth sense. Hope glanced around for an escape. A student with a question? A teacher who needed help? Nope. She faced her old friend and swayed on her feet. “He's Jason's father, so yeah.”

“He's hot, isn't he?” Kelly nudged Hope in the side. “You know he's single.”

Time to clear the air. She opened her stance, placed her hand on her hip and sighed. “I know his story. I also know he is a
parent
.”

Kelly fanned the air. “You know, he's Tim's good friend. You're bound to see each other outside of school.”

She wasn't about to blurt out that she didn't need Kelly's husband to see Dr. Calaway outside of school, that they had dinner together last night, even though it wasn't planned.

“You better stop right there, Kelly. You know I'm trying to settle myself as the new principal here. I don't need to be sidetracked, especially after what happened back in Virginia.”

Kelly frowned, but another parent came to talk to Hope before she could say anything more. She couldn't let Kelly know she was extremely attracted to Colin or that she already met with him three times, and each time she felt like a schoolgirl on crack. Because Kelly wouldn't let her forget it. And she had to.

• • •

Colin left Jason with his friend, Kyle, near the grassy area where the cheerleaders performed and reached the football field just as the PE teacher and swim coach, Dave Hunter, announced the relay races were about to start. He looked around and saw couples everywhere.
Couples. Great.
Colin slipped his hands in his pockets as his throat tightened up. He checked his cell phone to see the time and wished like hell he worked at the hospital today, a place where he always felt comfortable. But here he turned slowly in place as he looked around at all the parents. Parents, as in plural — two — not one like him.

Dave announced, “Find your partner and line up.”

What the hell? If he'd known this was going to be a husband and wife thing, he wouldn't have signed up. And why didn't they tell him at the signup table? His heart raced as he surveyed the area around him. There must be divorced people around. A loner like him? But he only saw pairs.
Forget it!
Thinking he could just step out without being noticed, he turned to escape when Hope approached him.

“Want a partner?” A thoughtful smile curved her mouth.

His shoulders dropped as relief overwhelmed him.
Shit, yeah.
“Thanks.”

She stood next to him in her damn Red Sox hat wearing cropped workout pants and a gold t-shirt with the school logo on top. He licked his lips and remembered the night before at Luigi's trying to clean her shirt. He needed to shake the memory away before the hardening in his pants became visible to everyone; so he put his hand on her back and led her to where they needed to be.

They stood at the edge of the field indicating the start line, and she tightened her ponytail behind her hat. “Sorry about that. It really was inconsiderate. I'll talk to the coach.”

He shrugged. “No problem. I appreciate you stepping in.”

Using a megaphone, Dave bellowed out, “The first game will be the three-legged race. My assistants will give you a rope to tie your ankles together. The goal is to run to the finish line on the other end of the field.”

Hope took the rope another teacher handed her and gave it to Colin. “Have you done this before?”

“Maybe as a Boy Scout.” He crouched down to tie the rope just as Hope did the same, and they bumped heads.

“Ow.” She jerked up. “Sorry.”

He laughed and rubbed his forehead. “Great, I got stuck with Ms. Frequent Flyer for my partner.”

“Hey, I'm not that bad.” She rubbed her head and then smiled. “Besides, I know a doctor if something happens.”

He laughed, grabbing the edge of his hat. “I aim to please.” He held up his hand to signal stop and stooped lower to tie their ankles.

When he popped up, she asked, “Do you always wear that hat, Yank?”

He reached up and touched it. “It's my lucky charm. How about you? Don't you have a school cap to wear instead?”

“Actually we don't. I should look into that.”

“Better than that crap.” He winked. Maybe having Hope as his partner wasn't such a bad idea. For some reason, he always had fun around her. He felt different … lighter than he had in a long time. And he loved to hear her laugh, especially knowing he was the source of it.

Dave announced, “Okay, folks. We're going to start in thirty seconds.”

Colin bent down and rubbed his palms together. “Okay, we need a plan.”

“Competitive, huh?”

He ignored her question and thought about what they had to do. “We need to find a rhythm.” He put his arm around her shoulders and bent her down in a starting position. The smell of her damn rosy perfume permeated his senses and he almost leaned in closer to nip at her ear.
Stop it, Colin. You just gave her your word that you wouldn't flirt anymore.
He shook his head and braced himself for the race. “I'll count one, two, and we'll start with our outside foot.”

“Ready. Set,” Dave yelled. “Go.”

“Let's go,” Colin said. “One.” But before they shifted together, she moved their “third” leg, which wiggled them off balance, causing him to hold on to her waist and pull her closer to balance them. “Hey, I said start with the outside foot.”

“Right. Right.” She glanced down at his hand on her and back up. “Let's go … One.”

“No, I count.” He lifted her chin with his fingers. “Okay?”

“Yeah.” She nodded and licked her lips.

“Let's try again. One.” This time they moved together. “Two. One. Two. Good.” He looked at his competition from the corner of his eyes. “We're catching up. A little faster. One. Two. No. No.” Then they fell. Him on top of her, Hope — the principal.

He let his body devour hers against his only for a moment. Her legs were trapped between his own, the rope tugging at the third leg between them and his arms were by her side. She placed her hands on each of his biceps and her eyelashes fluttered against her cheek. She cleared her throat, he liked to think she was pretending he didn't affect her, but he saw her eyes darken and her face glow.

Remembering where they were — in the middle of a game on the football field — he sat up and pulled his cap down. “Crap. Okay. Let me move.”

As he tried to lift himself off her, Hope moved the opposite direction and elbowed him in the nose. A burst of pain shot through his entire body as he doubled over moaning.

“Ow!” He bent back further and pulled her with him since they were tied together and now she lay on top of him. He held his nose and closed his eyes.
Damn, it hurt.