“Finally telling me something about you.” Melanie gave a small smile. “I like getting to know you.”

  Esther stepped away, clenching the report card tightly in one hand while smoothing down the front of her light pink button-up blouse. Melanie couldn’t help but follow the trail of her fingers. Without another word, Esther walked out of the classroom and left Melanie speechless. Standing perfectly still, Melanie watched her go. There was something about Esther she couldn’t put her finger on, but she liked it, and she wanted to dig deeper.

  It took every ounce of control Esther had to make it through the rest of her conferences that day. As soon as she showed the last parents out, she grabbed her satchel and walked out of the school. Every muscle in her body was tense. Every nerve was on fire.

  She couldn’t believe she had stooped so low as to break down in front of Melanie. She couldn’t believe she had allowed herself to show that much emotion. Cursing herself as she threw her bag into her car, she sat in the driver’s seat and put her forehead to the steering wheel, a loud sob erupting from her chest.

  Embarrassment swept through her. All because Skip couldn’t keep his commitments. Which she knew. That was the worst part. He never showed up when he was supposed to. That had been why Anthony missed his open house. Cursing again, Esther slammed the heel of her palm on the steering wheel.

  With the burst of energy out of her, she rolled her shoulders, stared straight ahead and drove to the daycare to get Anthony. She couldn’t let him know how upset she was. She couldn’t let him know anything that had happened that day—and hopefully Skip hadn’t told him that he was supposed to go to the conference instead of her.

  Esther had become the master of withholding certain information in the hopes that Anthony wouldn’t get upset. As soon as she had him, she drove home. They shared a loud meal where Esther recounted everything Melanie had said, uplifting his spirits, and she lived into his joy and excitement.

  They spent a good hour talking about Halloween and what exactly he wanted to dress up as. Esther had tried to avoid that conversation since it was, unfortunately, Skip’s weekend to have him. Hopefully the ass would actually take the kid trick-or-treating this year instead of what he did last year, which was to buy a bunch of candy and leave him home with a sitter while he went out to get drunk with a new girl.

  Esther barely contained her frown as she thought about it but caught herself just in time. After she lay with Anthony until he fell asleep, she snuck out of his room and snagged her cellphone, calling the one person she knew would understand everything.

  “Hey, sis!”

  Esther couldn’t resist the smile that blossomed. “Hey, Carissa.”

  “How’s my favorite nephew doing?”

  Chuckling, Esther stretched out on her couch and moved the throw blanket over her legs. “Well, so far he’s a straight-A student.”

  “Really?”

  “And I think he’s the teacher’s pet, if you ask me.” Esther smiled at that. She’d thought it before, but if there was one thing she took away from her conference with Melanie other than her own stupid outburst, it was that it may very well be true.

  “It sounds like there’s something else.”

  Leave it to Carissa to be able to read her like a book. Esther had gotten so good over the years at hiding everything from everyone, including herself, that she hated when Carissa was so observant. “I…Skip was supposed to go, and he told me about two minutes before the conference that I had to do it.”

  “Jerk.” Carissa hissed before groaning. “He’s such an ass. I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah.” She sniffled. “But that’s not the worst part. I mean it is for Anthony, but the worst part is that I kind of had a breakdown during the conference.”

  “Kind of?” Carissa prodded. “What’s kind of a breakdown?”

  Esther’s cheeks heated as embarrassment filled her again. She’d left school as quickly as possible to avoid Melanie, because she knew Melanie at that point. She would come and find her, she would make her talk again, and Esther really didn’t want that. She didn’t need people prying into her drama.

  “Esther.”

  “What?”

  “What happened?”

  “She asked about Skip, kind of. I guess she didn’t realize I was Anthony’s mom. I don’t know how. I’m not on his school forms, which is good to know. I’ll talk to the principal about that tomorrow and get my name on everything.”

  “Skip left you off?”

  “Apparently.” Esther frowned. She hadn’t even been mad about it. It was absolutely the sort of stunt Skip would pull, and she was so used to them by that point that she half-expected them. How pathetic was that? “But, I broke down and yelled at her.”

  “You yelled at her?”

  “Don’t sound so surprised. I have emotions, you know.”

  “Yeah, and you usually shove them into a dark corner so no one can see them, including yourself.”

  “Well, I couldn’t help it this time.” Esther stared at the curtains covering the dark windows she hated to see. “I may have said something about what kind of father Skip is. I shouldn’t have, but, ugh, the man infuriates me sometimes.”

  “Most days, I think. Or just by breathing.”

  “Yeah.” Esther scooted farther down on the couch and curled up. “Do you think she’ll think poorly of me?”

  Carissa didn’t answer right away, and Esther didn’t know why. Her big sister had always been forthcoming with her thoughts, so for her to be quiet was unnerving.

  “Carissa?”

  “Why did you tell her?”

  “I don’t know. It’s been really stressful this year, and I…I don’t know.” She’d been asking herself that question since it happened.

  Carissa clucked her tongue. “Do you, by chance, feel comfortable with her?”

  “No. The woman won’t leave me alone.”

  “I know, but you said Anthony loved her.”

  “He does, but that doesn’t mean I do.”

  “Esther, listen to yourself.”

  Esther stopped. She played everything back through her head, everything she’d told Carissa and everything she hadn’t. Did she find Melanie attractive? Yes. And it annoyed her to no end, but that didn’t mean she trusted Melanie. Except, maybe she did. Maybe Anthony’s trust in Melanie was enough to sway her.

  “No.”

  Carissa laughed lightly. “I think you like her, as much as you deny it.”

  “I don’t.”

  “Don’t lie to me, at least. You can lie to yourself all you want but don’t lie to me. You like her. It doesn’t mean you have a crush on her, but there’s something about her that you like and that you trust, whether you want to or not.”

  “That’s crap.”

  “It’s not!” Carissa laughed again. “Oh my God, you’re an idiot. I love you, Esther, but sometimes you’re so damn dense. You can’t close everyone in life off. You know that.”

  “That’s what I have you for.”

  Carissa sighed heavily. “But I’m not there. I live two states away, and I can’t talk to you every day. Find someone who can. I’ve been telling you that for years, and if this Melanie is that person, then let her.”

  Esther ground her teeth together, pondering the idea. She still didn’t like it. And she was pretty sure she didn’t want to give in to it. She was still mad about earlier that day and figured she should probably let Skip have an earful, but she didn’t have the energy for a phone call with him. In fact, she rarely did any more, and she only talked to him when she absolutely had to. She’d even stopped bringing up problems.

  “I’m going to go to bed.”

  “Yeah, sure, avoid it.” Carissa’s chuckle rang through the phone again. “I’ll talk to you this weekend, okay? I want pictures of Anthony in his Halloween costume.”

  “I promise.” Esther closed her eyes after she said her goodbyes. In the silence of the room, in the quiet of the late hour, she wondered what it would be like to have a friend, someone more than just Carissa. Would it help? Or would it be a disaster like everything else in her life?

  Chapter Nine

  Melanie leaned over the counter in her bathroom and played up the makeup on her eyes. Avery had taught her a very specific way to do it that would make her eyes seem bigger, and while she’d struggled with it the first three times she’d attempted it, she managed it the fourth. Score one for tenacity.

  She laughed at the thought. Chris had told her that was one of her best traits, but Melanie wasn’t so sure any more. She’d gone to see if Esther was around after conferences on Thursday, before conferences on Friday, and even after on Friday. Yet each time she was nowhere to be found. Eventually she gave up and came home.

  She wanted to make sure that Esther was okay. After her explosion in the classroom, Melanie was sure she was licking her wounds—even though she didn’t need to feel as though she had any, at least not from Melanie. It was clear there was still a whole lot of trouble between Esther and her ex-husband. She’d seen it so many times throughout her years teaching, but at least Esther had seemed to make sure Anthony wasn’t involved in it, as much as she could anyway.

  That was a feat that deserved applause in and of itself. Esther, from what Melanie had seen, was doing an amazing job raising a very energetic and extroverted kid, something Esther seemed to be the complete opposite of. They were an odd combination, and strangely enough, Melanie couldn’t see anything of Esther in how Anthony looked. She never would have guessed in a million years they were related.

  Frowning, she finished the swipe of her makeup and pressed her hands down the sleek black dress she had brought out from the stash in the back of her closet. She usually saved it for funerals, but it had been so long since she’d worn it that she’d worried at the last minute it wouldn’t fit. She’d been in luck, though.

  She’d already talked to Ella, which was fast becoming a three-times-a-day thing, but that day it would only be twice, morning and evening. She smiled. Ella was such a worry wart. She was the kid of her brood who had the most anxiety about anything in life. She was already worrying about every complication under the sun that could happen in pregnancy. Melanie had not been prepared for that, but at least with Becky on board, they could tackle Ella’s nervous energy together.

  Glancing out the window, she was glad to see Skip’s sleek black truck pulling up, right on time. She grabbed her purse and stepped outside before he could even get to the sidewalk, and locked her door. He grinned at her, holding out his arm so she could take it as they strolled to his vehicle.

  “You look marvelous tonight,” he whispered, his voice dripping with lust.

  Melanie shivered, though she couldn’t tell right off the bat if it was a good feeling or not. She hoped he didn’t think she was a one-date kind of girl, because it had been at least fifteen years since she’d been on a proper date. She needed to work into these things—although he didn’t know that part either.

  “Thank you,” she answered.

  He helped her into the truck, and she was just finishing with her seatbelt when he slid in next to her and put a hand on her thigh. That seemed to be his preferred method of staying in physical contact with her.

  “I thought we might go back to the same restaurant as before, maybe try to do this again with just the two of us.”

  “Sure.” Melanie sent him a sweet smile. He had worn a suit and tie that night, and the light browns of his tie matched the amber color of his eyes. “That sounds like a good plan.”

  They made small talk while he drove. Melanie let herself out of the truck, even though Skip tried to race around to open the door for her. They walked inside, being seated almost immediately. Sometimes she supposed it was nice to be known throughout town. Other times, she preferred her quiet life.

  Melanie sat with her back to the door and took the offered menu. She already knew what she was going to order. She’d almost gotten it the last time but had opted for something else.

  Before the waiter could even come back with their drinks, she heard a child scream with enthusiasm, “Daddy!”

  She turned sharply at the sound, but she didn’t have to. She knew who it was. Anthony bounded around the table and threw his arms around Skip. Melanie’s breath stopped. Her heart raced as her eyes widened. She should have seen it, but Skip’s graying hair threw her off. Their eyes. They had the exact same eyes.

  Melanie didn’t dare turn. She knew who she was going to see. Esther would be betrayed, shattered, and broken. Melanie was so scared to look. Anthony hadn’t moved his face from Skip’s chest. Even he didn’t know that she was sitting there.

  Everything happened in slow motion. Esther came around the table, turning to see who Skip was sitting with, her gaze falling on Melanie. Shock echoed into those cool gray-blue eyes before they hardened with something Melanie couldn’t read. How she wished she could. She couldn’t speak. Her entire mouth was dry, so parched that her tongue was stuck.

  She wanted to tell Esther how sorry she was, how she was so stupid that she hadn’t known. All she could do was shake her head and stare into Esther’s eyes. Misery washed through her. Nothing could have ruined their tentative friendship more than this. Nothing could have been more of a disaster. Now that she knew—shifting she looked at Anthony who gaped at her.

  “Ms. Przybyla?”

  “Hey, Anthony.” Her greeting lacked her usual joy at seeing him.

  He looked from her to his dad to his mom and at all of them again. He looked scared, as if someone was going to snap. Melanie wanted to comfort him, but with both Esther and Skip there, it was not her place. She nearly cried. She should have just gone to Ella’s that weekend. Anything would have been better than this.

  “I didn’t know,” Melanie finally whispered, aiming the comment at Esther, not Skip. Her first concern was Esther after Anthony, she needed Esther to understand what was happening, how in the dark she had been. Probably her own fault, but she needed Esther to know she didn’t mean to hurt her.

  “Anthony,” Esther stated sharply. “We need to go.”

  “But, Ms. Przybyla is here.”

  “We need to go.” Esther took hold of Anthony’s hand, her knuckles turning white as she gripped him so hard. Melanie was cold and clammy. She tried to stand up quickly, but Esther was faster. She dragged Anthony toward the door and was gone in a flash.

  Melanie turned on Skip, staring at him. “You’re Anthony’s dad.”

  “You’re his teacher?”

  Well, at least both of them were in the same boat. Melanie gnawed on the inside of her lip, seeing Skip in a completely different light than she had five minutes ago. “I think you need to take me home, and if not, I’m going to call myself a ride.”

  “Melanie, we can work through this.”

  She clenched her jaw. “No, I don’t think we can, nor do I want to. It was odd enough you being on the school board, but this…I won’t do that to Anthony.”

  Melanie stood up, grabbed her purse, and walked out of the restaurant without looking back. What the hell had she been thinking? Dating was a disaster, obviously. She should just stay single for life.

  Reaching the parking lot, Melanie saw Esther drive by. She glared the entire time. Melanie sighed, tears stinging her eyes. That was the worst part about all of this. With any other teacher, she would have been able to laugh it off in a year or two, but Esther? They’d just started to find some sort of even ground, and now Melanie had no doubt that was off the table.

  She didn’t stay, not wanting to see if Skip would follow her out. Reaching into her purse for her phone, Melanie walked toward home and away from disaster. She dialed the one person she knew she could count on. Chris.

  Esther couldn’t contain herself this time. Anthony was so confused, but she didn’t have the heart to try to explain it to him. Instead, she told him to find a toy to play with as she went into the bathroom, shut the door, and turned the shower on. She would have to make him dinner, but that could wait another thirty minutes while she had her meltdown in the protection of the water.

  Stripping down, Esther stepped under the steaming hot spray and closed her eyes as tears slipped down her cheeks, disappearing down the drain. She had never expected this. Anthony had finally opened up about Skip’s newest girlfriend and how much he didn’t like her, and only to find out that it was Melanie the entire time?

  But wait…Melanie had said she didn’t know. How could she not know? Her heart raced as she clenched her fist and pushed it against the wall. If Anthony wasn’t home, she would have been pounding it, sobbing out all the hurt she was feeling. She hadn’t gotten over her outburst at school the other day, the kind way Melanie had handled her, but this. This was…Esther didn’t even have words for it. For the betrayal that shattered her heart.

  She knew Anthony would feel it too, as soon as he figured out what was going on, he would know that exact same feeling, and she couldn’t stand to have her little boy go through that. Clenching her jaw until it hurt, Esther turned under the spray and closed her eyes. Why did Skip insist on taking everything nice from her?

  The man was a narcissist to the core, and she’d dealt with him enough over the years to know she would never escape it, but wasn’t at least one thing safe in her life? Wasn’t one damn thing hers? She didn’t want Anthony over there if Melanie was going to be there. He couldn’t be hurt that way when it ended, and it would end.

  Skip would screw anything that walked and was female. She’d found that out the hard way. In fact, she was pretty certain the longest relationship Skip had ever been in had been with her, when they’d tried to make it work because she was pregnant. She’d denied his cheating for so long until she couldn’t, and even then, she’d just dealt with it for another year because she was so afraid.

  He had threatened to take Anthony from her. He had threatened to ruin her budding career. He had taken everything from her. Her ability to trust, her ability to make rational decisions, her ability to sleep at night without being scared.