But Brooke needed you.
“Uncle Nate is a cop. He knows who the bad guys are,” Walker says, coming to my rescue.
Gotta love the unconditional love of a child. I chuckle and focus on the conversation again, asking the students what they should do if someone who isn’t direct family comes to pick them up from school as a way to assess that they remember what we’ve already discussed in the workshop.
As they get into the conversation, my eyes move to Lizzy again. She’s bent over grabbing something from a drawer so I only see the curve of her back and shoulder, and yet that’s intriguing. Everything about her is alluring, even the most unattractive part of a body.
A back or shoulder could be sexy. Naked soft skin that I can skim my lips on until she’s shivering and breaking out in goosebumps.
“Deputy?”
I clear my throat and look back at the kids, unsure who called for me. My heart’s racing at the vision in my mind, and it’s what I’ve been avoiding all this time. Lizzy Andrews has the sweet innocent look to her with those blue eyes and shy smile that drives me fucking crazy because I know I’m not good enough for her and yet I want to be.
Not to mention my boss is her godfather, and Sheriff will likely have my balls if I do anything to her.
It’s why I put distance between us on Saturday. We were getting too close, too familiar, and it’s a safer bet to admire her from afar. It may have seemed like I was watching the concert after we danced, but my attention was completely on her, the way she danced and laughed and sang along.
I wanted nothing more than to stalk back to her, wrap my arms around her curves, and spin her around until she was so dizzy that I was all she saw clearly.
“Deputy Moore, are you okay?” Lizzy’s voice beckons me.
“Yes, of course.” I nod and look at the students again who are staring at me as if I’ve lost my mind.
I know, kids, I totally have.
I finish off the lesson distracted and pack up my things to go on to the next group of students. Lizzy doesn’t even acknowledge me as I leave. She’s been avoiding me all week, and I know it’s intentional because she’s unsure of how to act. I can read it in her body language. I don’t blame her though.
“Deputy Moore.” The principal stops me in the hall.
“Hi, Mrs. Sanders.” I nod.
“I’m glad I saw you. We’re preparing the spring festival that will take place the following weekend, and I’m hoping you might be able to work the event,” she informs me.
“Okay. I’ll just need the times of the event and anything specific you’ll need from me,” I tell her.
“The planning committee will help you with that. You can talk to Ms. Revilla or Ms. Andrews since they’re in charge of the committee.”
At the mention of her name, I already know who I’m going to talk to. It’ll be the perfect opening without having to make things awkward. Not only that, but Ms. Revilla is clingy as hell every time I go into her class or run into her. I have no desire to be in that position with her. Somehow, her hands always find their way to my biceps.
“Thank you, I will,” I tell Mrs. Sanders and head toward my next class, thinking how I can get Ms. Andrews alone.
For work…nothing else. Definitely not to see how smooth the skin on her shoulder is or the way my stubble might scrape it possessively.
When I finish working, I head to Lizzy’s classroom.
“Uncle Nate, you’re here! Ms. A said you’d probably come get me when you finished so she brought me back to the class,” Walker says excitedly.
I close my eyes when he uses the nickname I came up with when we were doing homework.
“Yeah, I need to talk to your teacher a sec. Wait for me here?” He’s sitting at a desk, looking at a book.
“Okay.”
Lizzy’s narrowed eyes are aimed in my direction as I approach her. She crosses her arms and tilts her head.
“What can I do for you, Deputy?”
“Mrs. Sanders told me to talk to you about the spring festival since I’ll be the deputy working it.” I widen my stance and place my hands in my pockets.