Read Online Forever With You (Bayou Dreams Book 5) by Farrah Rochon - Free Book Online
Authors: Farrah Rochon
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Family Life, Dreams, Louisiana, Interracial, African American, Single, Mother, Students, scandal, Daughters, younger man, widowed, Bayou Town, Principal, Dedicated, Sizzling, Distruction
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future. And it could. If the higher-ups in the main school-board office thought he was alienating parents, they wouldn’t hesitate to pull this interim-assistant principal position right from under him.
“I’ll send an email to the other officers on the PTO board tonight and see what day would work,” she said.
Gabe’s shoulders sunk with gratitude. “Thank you.”
He reached for her hand but pulled back. He was still feeling the effects touching her soft skin had caused during their encounter in his classroom. He didn’t want to invite the kind of reaction touching her again could possibly evoke.
Yet, Gabe couldn’t stop himself from staring at her, even though he knew she might deem it inappropriate while they stood in the middle of the school cafeteria, surrounded by at least a dozen parents and school staff members still lingering.
He
should
stop, but he couldn’t. Not even if his life had depended on it.
There was a warmth to her, a light that radiated from her compelling eyes. It pulled him in, made it impossible to do anything but look into their rich brown depths. He just could not look away.
Finally—
thankfully
—she did it for him.
She glanced toward the door. “I’ll be in touch,” she said.
“Great,” Gabe replied.
Don’t say it.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Dammit. He’d said it.
Gabe braced himself for her reprimand. He experienced a mixture of confusion and encouragement when it didn’t come. Was she softening toward him? Had she finally decided that he was an actual person and not just her daughter’s teacher?
Should he go for broke and ask her out?
“Good night, Mr. Franklin,” she said. And, as if she sensed what he was on the verge of doing, she quickly turned and walked out of the cafeteria.
Gabe ordered himself to look away, but it didn’t work. He just continued his inappropriate staring for several moments after she had exited the cafeteria.
Once the school had been emptied of parents and faculty members, Gabe found himself in Mr. Williams’s office, sitting in a tweed chair that he would bet was as old as he was. Principal Williams occupied the matching chair opposite his, while Superintendent McCabe perched on the edge of the desk, a clear assertion of his position of authority.
Gabe tried to read the body language of both men, but he was getting nothing. Of course, he’d never been demoted before, so he wasn’t sure what signs he should look for.
The superintendent leaned forward and clasped his fingers together.
“It’s pretty late, so why don’t we just get to it,” he said. “Now, what I’m about to share with the two of you is strictly off-the-record until the official announcement is made, but since it affects your schools—and careers—I thought you should know about it.”
Gabe held his breath, preparing himself for the blow.
“I’m sure you both have seen the progress that’s been made on the new high school being built on that land the school board purchased on Highway 421 between Gauthier and Maplesville.”
That was not exactly how Gabe had expected this conversation to start, but anything that didn’t begin with
we’ve hired a new assistant principal
was okay with him.
“The facility is one of the most advanced designs in the country,” McCabe continued. “Eighty percent of the school will run on solar energy, there’s an on-site water-treatment plant and the technology in the classrooms will blow your minds. We already have school administrators from around the country asking for permission to tour it.”
“What does this have to do with GEMS, Patrick?” Principal Williams asked.
“This is the exciting part.” The superintendent rubbed his palms together. Such drama. “I was approached by the Department of Education about a program they want to test. They would like Maplesville’s and GEMS’s middle-school students to be a part of the pilot study. The plan would combine the middle schools in Maplesville and Gauthier
“I’ll send an email to the other officers on the PTO board tonight and see what day would work,” she said.
Gabe’s shoulders sunk with gratitude. “Thank you.”
He reached for her hand but pulled back. He was still feeling the effects touching her soft skin had caused during their encounter in his classroom. He didn’t want to invite the kind of reaction touching her again could possibly evoke.
Yet, Gabe couldn’t stop himself from staring at her, even though he knew she might deem it inappropriate while they stood in the middle of the school cafeteria, surrounded by at least a dozen parents and school staff members still lingering.
He
should
stop, but he couldn’t. Not even if his life had depended on it.
There was a warmth to her, a light that radiated from her compelling eyes. It pulled him in, made it impossible to do anything but look into their rich brown depths. He just could not look away.
Finally—
thankfully
—she did it for him.
She glanced toward the door. “I’ll be in touch,” she said.
“Great,” Gabe replied.
Don’t say it.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Dammit. He’d said it.
Gabe braced himself for her reprimand. He experienced a mixture of confusion and encouragement when it didn’t come. Was she softening toward him? Had she finally decided that he was an actual person and not just her daughter’s teacher?
Should he go for broke and ask her out?
“Good night, Mr. Franklin,” she said. And, as if she sensed what he was on the verge of doing, she quickly turned and walked out of the cafeteria.
Gabe ordered himself to look away, but it didn’t work. He just continued his inappropriate staring for several moments after she had exited the cafeteria.
Once the school had been emptied of parents and faculty members, Gabe found himself in Mr. Williams’s office, sitting in a tweed chair that he would bet was as old as he was. Principal Williams occupied the matching chair opposite his, while Superintendent McCabe perched on the edge of the desk, a clear assertion of his position of authority.
Gabe tried to read the body language of both men, but he was getting nothing. Of course, he’d never been demoted before, so he wasn’t sure what signs he should look for.
The superintendent leaned forward and clasped his fingers together.
“It’s pretty late, so why don’t we just get to it,” he said. “Now, what I’m about to share with the two of you is strictly off-the-record until the official announcement is made, but since it affects your schools—and careers—I thought you should know about it.”
Gabe held his breath, preparing himself for the blow.
“I’m sure you both have seen the progress that’s been made on the new high school being built on that land the school board purchased on Highway 421 between Gauthier and Maplesville.”
That was not exactly how Gabe had expected this conversation to start, but anything that didn’t begin with
we’ve hired a new assistant principal
was okay with him.
“The facility is one of the most advanced designs in the country,” McCabe continued. “Eighty percent of the school will run on solar energy, there’s an on-site water-treatment plant and the technology in the classrooms will blow your minds. We already have school administrators from around the country asking for permission to tour it.”
“What does this have to do with GEMS, Patrick?” Principal Williams asked.
“This is the exciting part.” The superintendent rubbed his palms together. Such drama. “I was approached by the Department of Education about a program they want to test. They would like Maplesville’s and GEMS’s middle-school students to be a part of the pilot study. The plan would combine the middle schools in Maplesville and Gauthier
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