Forever With You (Bayou Dreams Book 5) Read online

  These days it was only on the rare occasion that she allowed herself to think about Braylon’s suicide. Wallowing in the tragedy wouldn’t bring him back. It wouldn’t give her girls a safe, stable home. The smart thing—the healthy thing—was to keep the good parts of his memory alive for both Cassidy and Kristi, and try her hardest to forget Braylon’s tragic end.

  But, God, it was hard to forget.

  When it came to moving on, Leslie could only hope that one day she would find the strength to do it.

  Unbidden, Gabriel’s enticing smile strolled across her mind’s eye.

  How would she know when it was time to move on? How could she be sure? Was there something that would magically click in her head? Had it already clicked? Was that what those sensations she felt whenever she was near Gabriel was all about?

  There was a danger to exploring this attraction that had sprung up between them, even if they’d vowed to be discreet. For the past two days she had tried to come up with an excuse to renege on her decision to get involved with him. But, as Gabriel had pointed out when Leslie had emailed him yesterday, there was nothing in any rule book that stated that a parent and a teacher could not date.

  And, if she were honest with herself, she didn’t want to back out. For the first time in longer than she could remember, Leslie felt electricity flowing through her veins. Just knowing that a handsome, sweet, thoughtful, sexy man was interested in her caused her skin to pebble with goose bumps.

  “You’re considering dating a child,” she said, lowering her head to her knee.

  Okay, technically, he wasn’t a child; he was very much a man. But he was still Cassidy’s teacher. What if word got out about them seeing each other? Would it be too weird for Cass? What if her classmates made fun of her? Cass had just started to come out of her shell after being terribly shy because of her birthmark. Leslie would never forgive herself if she somehow managed to set her back.

  She could not do this to her little girl. As much as it pained her, she would have to tell Gabriel that she’d made a mistake. She couldn’t allow her own needs to come before Cass’s well-being.

  Stretching out on the bed, she ignored the nauseating feeling that settled in her stomach and tried to convince herself that she was satisfied with the decision she’d made.

  Chapter 5

  Leslie stared at the wooden gavel that, for the better part of her tenure as PTO president, had only been a showpiece. Tonight, she’d used it more than she had at all the other PTO meetings combined.

  “Order, ladies and gentlemen, please,” she called. “We must have some order if we’re going to accomplish anything tonight.”

  For the most part the meeting had been civil, except for a contingent of parents who seemed hell-bent on ridiculing every single word that poured from Gabriel’s mouth. Leslie didn’t know if it had to do with his age, or if it was due to his being seen as an outsider, but she was shocked at the level of disrespect being lobbed his way.

  Yet, despite the blows he’d taken, he’d held his own.

  Leslie studied him as he responded to a rather nastily posed question about the new zero-tolerance bullying policy he’d implemented.

  “What you call bullying, I call kids just being kids,” Richard Lewis said. “How are kids supposed to build a thick skin if all they have to do is go running to the teacher every time they get picked on?”

  “I agree with Richard,” another parent said. “Mandatory suspension for a little harmless bullying is ridiculous.”

  “While I respect your right to hold that viewpoint, I don’t agree with it,” Gabriel said. “Take it from someone who has been height-challenged for much of his life—bullying is not harmless. Despite the fact that I was better on the basketball court than most of the kids in my school, I was still bullied because I wasn’t six-two by the eighth grade. That stuff sticks with a kid much longer than any of you seem to realize.

  “The students here deserve the safest learning environment that we can provide, and having to deal with a bully isn’t safe. If it goes on long enough it can affect their ability to concentrate in the classroom, as well. I cannot sit back and do nothing if I know a student under my watch is being bullied.”

  There were grumbles from the audience, but Leslie also noticed quite a few parents nodding in agreement.

  Leslie had never had sympathy for bullies, but this matter took center stage after she learned that Cassidy had been teased because of her birthmark. She’d vowed to be impartial, but when it came to this particular subject Leslie was unapologetically in favor of the zero-tolerance policy Gabriel had implemented.

  The discussion finally turned to the issue that had necessitated the meeting in the first place: the school’s annual Lock-In. Leslie sat in awed admiration as she watched Gabriel throw a preemptive strike that took the wind out of the majority of his detractors’ sails.

  “I understand there was a rumor that I wanted to cancel GEMS’s beloved Lock-In. Let me start off by saying that this is one-hundred-percent false. I understand the importance of the Lock-In, both to the PTO’s annual fund-raising goals and to student morale, but it’s the student morale that I am looking to boost.

  “The discussion that was overheard between myself and Principal Williams wasn’t about cancelling the Lock-In. It was about adding learning-based games and activities and using them as a way to better prepare the students for the end-of-the-year state test. We can call it a Lock-In/Learn-In.”

  The murmurs got louder and had a much more positive tone.

  “That’s all well and good, Mr. Franklin, but honestly, the kids here work hard enough during normal school hours,” Janice Taylor said. “The Lock-In is supposed to be fun.”

  The smile that pulled at the corner of his full lips did all kinds of wicked things to Leslie’s pulse.

  “Call me crazy, but I happen to believe that learning can also be fun,” he said. “In fact, it should be fun. Take, for instance, the entrepreneurial booth Mrs. LeBorde is planning to set up. The students will be responsible for selling some of the snacks at the Lock-In/Learn-In. It’s just one way that we’ll be able teach a number of life skills like counting money, shouldering responsibility and being business owners.”

  The positive murmurs escalated along with some very enthusiastic head nodding.

  Leslie had lived in this town long enough to recognize when something momentous was taking place before her very eyes, and to see how quickly Gabriel had won over this crowd was downright historic. As he continued his explanation of the various programs he’d proposed to Principal Williams, more and more parents fell in line. Janice even started a sign-up sheet, encouraging parents to volunteer for the Lock-In/Learn-In on the spot.

  Leslie was in awe. Gabriel had this previously hostile crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.

  And then, in five little words, everything went to hell.

  * * *

  “What about this merger business?”

  Gabe stiffened with the shock of being caught completely off guard. He stood before the auditorium of parents whose faces were slowly starting to register alarm.

  “What merger?” one of them asked.

  “I heard that the school board wants to shut this school down and send all the kids to school in Maplesville.”

  The torrent of outrage that surged through the auditorium left Gabe breathless and filled with the sudden need to be anywhere but here. How in the hell had news of the merger gotten out? And who had said anything about closing the school?

  Damn small towns and their rumor mills.

  “How exactly are the students supposed to get to this new school?” one parent asked. “Are the bus drivers going to do double duty, bringing the elementary kids first, then following their same route to pick up the middle-school kids and drive them out to that new school?”

 
; “I don’t see why we need to break the elementary and middle schools apart. They’ve been combined for as long as I can remember,” another parent said. “And what will this mean for the school mascot? Will they be the Maplesville Mustangs or the Gauthier Cubs?”

  “Forget the mascot names—what about the name of the school itself? Is it going to have Gauthier in it or Maplesville?”

  “Okay, okay,” Gabe said, holding up both hands. “Can we calm down for just a second?”

  He looked to Leslie, but she didn’t appear in any mood to bang her gavel on his behalf. She looked as upset as the other parents.

  Dammit! This was not how he wanted her to find out about the merger. It wasn’t how he wanted anyone to find out. He and Principal Williams had discussed their strategic plan on how to introduce the idea to the community just yesterday. How was he supposed to gain the trust of parents if they thought he and the other administrators were keeping secrets?

  “I know everyone has questions, but at this time I’m not at liberty to discuss anything regarding the potential merger,” he said.

  The crowd erupted again in a cacophony of angry outbursts, railing over the closure of the school. Many of the parents he’d had on his side just a few minutes ago were now shooting fire.

  Gabe ran a hand down his face. He looked over at Leslie, afraid of what he would find staring back at him. But she wasn’t looking at him; her focus was on the crowd and trying to calm them down.

  “Order, please,” she yelled while finally allowing her gavel to kiss the wooden table. “I know this is a change of events that no one anticipated, but if Mr. Franklin doesn’t want to discuss it with us, we can’t force him to.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to discuss it,” he quickly interjected. “I was asked to keep it under wraps until Superintendent McCabe makes an official announcement.”

  His explanation didn’t mollify the crowd one bit. Not that he was all that surprised. If he were in their shoes he wouldn’t have been satisfied with that weak-ass excuse, either.

  “We’ll just have to take this to the school board,” Leslie said. “They cannot close this school without a good reason, nor without first discussing it with the community.”

  “Wait,” Gabe said. He could at least clear up this one major inaccuracy. “Let me make one thing clear. There are no plans to close the school,” he said. “I can assure you, whoever said that got it wrong.”

  “It’s not as if they haven’t tried to close it before,” Mrs. Taylor said. “We’ve heard the school board’s sob story about the lack of money in the school system and how much would be saved if the children in Gauthier were bused to the schools in Maplesville. We’ve fought this fight and we are not fighting it again.”

  “Damn right!”

  “Tell ’em, Janice!”

  “Again, no one is talking about closing the school. GEMS will remain open,” Gabe said.

  “If they’re not closing the school, exactly what are they doing?” another parent called out.

  Gabe grimaced before he repeated, “I’m not at liberty to say.”

  The crowd reacted exactly the way he’d anticipated they would, exploding in another round of angry outbursts.

  How had this turn into such a disaster so damn quickly?

  He’d been in such a good place just a few minutes ago. People had started to listen; some had even started to agree with him. Now it felt as if he was right back where he’d started, with the entire community against him.

  He had to get control of this situation. If parents marched into the school-board office complaining about Mr. Franklin this and Mr. Franklin that, he could kiss that permanent assistant principal position goodbye.

  Gabe could not allow that to happen. He’d already envisioned the look on Mr. Caldwell’s face when he gave him the news during their monthly Skype chat. He’d already started searching for a nice, safe used car for Daniela for her high school graduation present, and he’d printed applications for three different private schools for Elias to attend in the fall.

  He had to figure out a way to make this right. There was too much at stake.

  “Give me a day to talk this over with Principal Williams and Superintendent McCabe,” Gabe suggested. “I’ll let them know that parents have questions.”

  “We have more than just questions,” Mr. Lewis said. “We have opinions. A lot of them. And we don’t need you to talk to the superintendent for us. We’re the ones who put him in office. McCabe works for us. We can talk to him ourselves.”

  Leslie banged her gavel again. “Okay, folks,” she began. “I know everyone is concerned about this merger or school closure or whatever it is, but storming into Mr. McCabe’s office with pitchforks isn’t the best way to get our voices heard. I think that we, as a board—” she held out her hands to encompass the people sitting with her at the head table “—should get together and evaluate everything that has been said tonight.”

  Gabe fought back a wave of apprehension as Leslie called the meeting to a close without acknowledging him. He couldn’t really blame her for not having his back on this. He’d lied to her—a lie of omission was still a lie. He didn’t expect her to join him in this quagmire he now found himself in.

  At least her cool and calm demeanor had mollified the crowd. Gabe was grateful for that, at least.

  The parents, including Leslie, filed out of the auditorium, talking among themselves and completely ignoring him.

  Damn. Could this have turned out any worse?

  Gabe made his way out to his car. He waved good-night to a couple of parents still loitering in the parking lot, but only one returned the gesture. This was bad. This was more than bad; it was horrific. He wasn’t back where he’d started in terms of gaining parents’ trust; he was in a far worse position. Parents who had liked him—who had trusted him—were now against him.

  As he opened his car door, a pearl-white compact SUV pulled up alongside him. The passenger-side window descended and Leslie called out to him from inside the car.

  “Can we talk for a minute?” she asked.

  Gabe braced his arm on the window ledge. “Are you sure you want to be seen talking to me? There are a few people still out here. They may think we’re conspiring together.”

  “Gabriel, please get in the car,” she said. “I’ve been dealing with the people here in Gauthier a lot longer than you have. I can handle whatever they dish out.”

  Gabe hesitated for the briefest second before opening the door and sliding onto the passenger seat.

  Leslie’s eyes remained forward, both hands wrapped around the steering wheel. She released a heavy breath before turning to him and saying, “First, I need you to be honest with me. What exactly is going on with this merger? Are they planning to close the school?”

  “Absolutely not,” Gabe said.

  “Are you sure? Because there’s been talk about closing the school before. The only reason it has never happen is because the parents here fought like crazy to stop it. You have to promise me that this merger isn’t just a pretty way of saying a closure.”

  “I promise you, Leslie. GEMS isn’t going anywhere. Well, the elementary school.”

  Her brow arched.

  Gabe rubbed the bridge of his nose and released a weary sigh. The cat was out of the bag now; there was no need to keep this from her any longer.

  He told her about the pilot program in conjunction with the department of education and how the new combined middle school would be a model for schools around the country.

  “You still look skeptical,” Gabe said.

  “Honestly, it sounds fantastic,” she replied. She shook her head. “But this school board has a track record. You have to understand something about life in Gauthier. We’re a small town with an even smaller population, so we’re often handed the short
end of the stick. I’ve seen it happen time and time again. Gauthier gets passed over for towns that have more clout. But the one area we will never allow anyone to shortchange us is our schools. We only want what is best for our kids.”

  “Leslie, you have to know that I want the same thing. I have dedicated my life to educating children. My sole purpose here is to improve the lives of the students at GEMS. I promise you that I will never let anything get in the way of that.”

  Her expression softened as a gentle smile appeared on her lips.

  “I believe you,” she said. “I’ve seen you in action. I know that you have the students’ well-being at heart.”

  Relief melted into his muscles. “Thank you for believing me, Leslie. I was so afraid that what happened tonight would ruin things between us before they even got started.”

  Her forehead creased in a frown. “About...us,” she said.

  “No,” Gabe groaned.

  “Gabriel, I have to consider how this would look if news of us being together got out.”

  “It won’t. I told you, I can be discreet.”

  She pulled her full bottom lip between her teeth, worry haunting her beautiful face.

  Gabe took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Leslie, please don’t shy away from this. I’m willing to go along with whatever you want this to be—just let it be something.”

  The moments that passed as she stared at him were some of the most torturous of Gabe’s life.

  “Well, if you’re up for it, why don’t we get some coffee coffee?”

  His face broke out into a smile. “It would be my pleasure, cariño.”

  Chapter 6

  “So, let me get this straight. The Jazzy Bean, Lizzie’s Consignment Shop and Pizza Mania didn’t exist two years ago?”

  “Nope.” Leslie shook her head as she sprinkled sweetener through the steam billowing from her coffee mug, her lips tilting in amusement at Gabriel’s shocked expression.

  She perched an elbow on the tabletop, making sure to avoid the rough patches of worn laminate. A faint mixture of strong coffee and greasy fried chicken hung in the air of the tiny roadside diner where, for the better part of the past hour, Leslie had filled Gabriel in on a number of interesting facts about Gauthier.