Bex shuddered, thinking of what could happen if Michael decided to go to them with his suspicions. Hopefully he respected her enough to talk to her before doing anything drastic, even if they weren’t on the best of terms these days.
Brooke frowned, realization dawning. “Wait, is the politician the one you dated?”
“Yep.”
“Whoa.” She shook her head. “Didn’t see that coming. I wouldn’t have thought politicians were your type. But then, I’ve never seen you date, so I’m not sure why I thought I knew what your type would be.”
“Wesley was very charming, and I was young and impressionable.” She liked to think she’d have the good sense not to get wrapped up in a romance with a man like him these days. She shrugged one shoulder, glancing over to make sure Michael was out of hearing range. God forbid he hear them gossiping. “I don’t have a type these days. I made a promise to myself not to introduce any man to Izzy unless I knew he’d be around for the long haul, and I haven’t met anyone I was even vaguely interested in enough to make an effort. It’s not like I have much free time.”
“Fair enough. Wait.” Brooke’s eyes lit up. “You datedWesleyBriggston?”
Bex sighed. She hated when people had that reaction to him.
Brooke leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Are you talking about New Zealand’s youngest prime ministerial candidate? The man whom half of the nation is in love with? You datedthatguy?”
“That’s the one.” She placed her hands on her hips. “He’s not all he’s cracked up to be.”
“Holy moly.” Brooke bounced with excitement. “Why didn’t I know this?”
“I don’t like to advertise it.”
“Oh.” She stilled, flushing. “Sorry. It didn’t end well?”
“Not even a little bit.” Although no doubt Wesley didn’t realize that. For all that he could charm the panties off nearly every woman he encountered, he was oblivious to many things. His parents had sheltered him. Given him anything he wanted and laid out the red carpet wherever he went. He probably thought they’d parted as amicably as the situation would allow. He likely hadn’t realized the anger that simmered inside her at the situation he’d put her in: backed into a corner where her options were to abort the baby she’d already come to love or go up against the powerful Briggston clan. She doubted he’d thought of anything except the most expedient way to make the problem disappear. Sure, he’d been disappointed by the end of their relationship, but hardly heartbroken.
“Is it…” Brooke hesitated. “Is it a secret? Would you like me to keep it to myself?”
“Yes, please.” She trusted her friend, but the fewer people who knew about the connection between her and Wesley, the better. Surely, something Michael said or did would give the game away soon enough, but there was no need to speed the process along. There was always a chance Michael would have her back, but she was afraid to hope. He may have been willing to express ideas or morals contrary to the Briggston family ethos, but when the rubber hit the road, he’d been as well under Wesley’s thumb as the rest of them.
She sighed, the anxiety like an anchor dragging her under. What would she do if he tried to force her hand?
At this point, she really didn’t know.
Chapter Seven
“Perhaps you canclear something up for me,” Michael said to Shane Walker as they fixed coffee in the staffroom during the morning break. He’d just finished a conversation with a difficult student that seemed to go nowhere and needed to distract himself. Perhaps even gather some useful information. “Rebecca Cane. She teaches, runs a gym, and sells art. Seems like an odd combination.”
Shane raised an eyebrow, and leaned a hip against the counter. The guy gave the impression of being absent-minded and a little clueless, but Michael suspected he was sharp as a tack. “Was there a question in there somewhere?”
Michael shrugged. “Why does she do it all? How does she have the time? Didn’t someone tell me she has a daughter?”
Shane sipped his coffee, and Michael winced. The drink was still steaming. “Bex is a single mum, so she has to work multiple jobs to get by. She’s not getting financial help from anyone else.”
Michael frowned. If Bex had taken a payout from his mother, surely she wouldn’t need the extra money. Something worth pondering. “Her daughter’s dad isn’t in the picture?”
Shane pushed away from the counter and led the way to the ring of faded couches where teachers gathered when they weren’t on duty. Choosing one as far away from anyone else as possible, he gestured for Michael to join him. “Is there a reason you’re asking about Bex?”
“I’m her boss, and I’m curious about her,” he lied through his teeth.
Shane’s eyes narrowed behind his glasses, and he tugged a hand through floppy hair. “This isn’t professional though, is it? You’re interested in her.” When Michael started to deny it, Shane cut him off. “Don’t worry, I won’t mention it to anyone. You’d hardly be the first, but Bex doesn’t date.”
Despite himself, Michael was intrigued. “How do you know that?”
Shane set his coffee on the nearest table and gave Michael his full attention. “She and I are the only single parents with primary school age children in the bay. We look out for each other. When her parents are busy, I’m her go-to sitter, because I rarely do anything outside of home. If she were dating, she wouldn’t want her parents to know, so she’d ask me to watch Izzy. That simple.”
Bex didn’t date. He struggled to believe that. She’d always been such a passionate person, with so much to offer a man, but he’d sensed that she’d changed and perhaps this was a by-product of that. “And Izzy’s dad?”
He wanted to know what she’d told people about Wes.