Stella cued her into her lack of response to Travis. “Geez, Mom. You could at least tell him how you’re doing. I mean, he saved your life.”
Janie felt the blush race up her neck and cheeks and silently swore. “Oh sorry. I’m a little out of it. I think I’m doing fine. Stella told me Dr. Marshall wants me here for the night to make sure my temperature is back where it needs to be.”
Travis nodded. “Probably a good idea. I checked your temp once we got off the water and you were below ninety-five, which means you were hypothermic. You look much better now.” He reached over and casually rested the back of his hand on her forehead. “Feels about right now. Not a science, but a good guess,” he said with a half-grin.
If she thought she’d felt a jolt before, his brief touch sent a prickle of awareness up her spine. A wash of heat suffused her, and her low belly fluttered when she met his eyes again. She managed a nod. “Well, that’s good.”
Travis looked down into Janie’s eyes, which he couldn’t say he’d ever gotten close enough to see. He supposed they were hazel, but they were simply stunning. A soft green flecked with gold and nutmeg brown. Against her porcelain skin and glossy brown hair, they stood out. Her cheeks were stained pink, making him itch to let his hand slide down her cheek. He couldn’t say why, but ever since he’d pulled her out of the water, she’d been hovering at the edges of his mind. He’d seen her around for years, but knew her only in passing. How he’d missed the fact that she was flat out gorgeous, he didn’t know. This afternoon, during the windy ride back to Diamond Creek, he’d walked her into the small cabin on the boat and wrapped her in blankets. He’d sat with her and the others who were also dripping wet from their dip in the bay. In the course of his life, he’d sat with many people who’d been rescued from one situation or another and he’d never experienced the intense protectiveness he felt for her. Something about her called to him.
Disconcerted, he let his hand drop from her forehead, stepped back and slipped his hands into his pockets. “Well, just wanted to stop in and see how you were doing.”
“Thank you for finding me and getting me out of the water,” she said.
He shrugged. “No problem. Just glad I happened to be there. I was on the water taxi in front of you guys.”
“Do you know what happened to the boat?”
“They’re pretty sure the hull caught the edge of some rocks on the way out of the docks over there. Leak started slow and then once the waves picked up, it tore the hole wide enough to bring water in fast.” His mind spun back to the moment he’d tugged Janie into the raft. The second her eyes locked with his, all he’d known was he had to make sure she was safe. That was his job, but the feeling behind it was more than that, and he didn’t quite know what to make of it.
She nodded slowly. “Thanks again. I don’t remember much other than being dragged over the side of the raft.”
Travis nodded, wrestling with the desire to remain in the room, but thinking it didn’t fit given the low-key nature of their acquaintance. He caught Stella’s eyes. “Make sure she stays warm.” He gave a little wave and forced himself to leave the room.
Chapter 2
“Danny! Sit down. Now,” Janie called, her tone edged with a gentle warning.
Danny Rivers immediately sat down. From the front of her first-grade classroom, Janie could see him practically vibrating in his seat. Danny tested her patience every day, but his saving grace was he was a sweet little boy. He had way too much energy and the classroom was an obstacle course for him. In her years of teaching, Janie had learned that the current world of education, one of testing and more testing, wasn’t for every child. Danny loved to learn, but he was a tactile learner and needed to move around a lot more than she could allow for the most part. It was too distracting to the other kids. She tried to be as creative as she could with children like him, but some days, he just had to sit down and listen. Like today when someone from the fire station was coming to do their yearly talk about fire safety for the kids.
Janie scanned her small classroom—fifteen first graders, a hodgepodge of personalities who brought her so much joy. Danny was wiggling madly, but he was staying in his seat, so she took that as a win. “Okay kids! Our visitor today is a fireman, and we need to listen and ask good questions. Can we do that?”
Fifteen heads bobbed up and down. Janie smiled widely. “Awesome! Hold tight while I see if our visitor is here yet.”
She stepped to the classroom doorway and glanced out, only to see Travis Wilkes striding down the hall beside the principal. Her breath hitched, her pulse rocketed, and her hand flew to her chest. Every year, the fire department sent someone here for these talks, but they never knew who it would be. She hadn’t even considered it might be Travis. Oh my God. Stop it. He’s just a man. A really sexy man, but just a man. You’re all weird because he kind of saved your life. It’s like some weird bonding thing. It’ll pass. Her little pep talk didn’t do much good when Travis and Principal Turner reached her.
“Janie, we have Travis Wilkes here today for the fire safety presentations. I was hoping you wouldn’t mind being his guide for the day. I’ve asked one of our subs to sit in with your class after he’s done here,” Principal Turner said with a smile.
Janie knew she didn’t have any choice in the matter. She liked her boss, she really did. Nancy Turner had been a teacher in Diamond Creek for twenty years before she became the principal. She navigated the political waters of running the school, while trying her best to advocate for funding and policies that supported the students and teachers. But right now, Janie really didn’t want to be the gracious host for Travis. He made her pulse run wild and unsettled her inside. Yet, she knew it would seem odd if she tried to avoid it. She normally had no trouble behaving like a polite human, but Travis tongue-tied her. Like now, all she could do was nod. When Nancy’s eyes narrowed, Janie realized she must seem off. With a mental shake, she nodded more firmly. “I’ve met Travis before. Nice to see you again,” she said, catching his eyes, those damn gorgeous blue eyes. “I’d be happy to take him from class to class today.”
“I’d love a guide. I’m solid on fire safety, but can’t say I’ve ever known what to do with more than a few kids at a time,” he said with a wry grin.
Nancy stepped back. “You’re in good hands with Janie. I’ve got a meeting to get to. Thank you both.” She spun on her heel and walked briskly down the hall.
Janie looked up at Travis. The moment his eyes locked with hers, her breath hitched and her pulse, which she’d barely gotten under control after the initial shock of seeing him, lunged again. She took a shaky breath and gestured to the door. “My class is one of the smallest, but you’re starting with fifteen. That’s five times more than a few.”
Travis’s mouth stretched in a slow grin. “I gotta admit, I’m damn glad you’ll be with me. I had visions of kids running circles around me all day.”
His uncertainty somehow eased her own wild anxiety. “How’d you end up doing this if kids make you nervous?” she asked.
“I lost the coin toss,” he said with a shrug.
A laugh bubbled up. His rueful honesty was endearing. When she looked over, Travis’s shoulders were shaking, his eyes glinting with mirth. “Laugh all you want. Little kids are a mystery to me.”
“Come on. We’ll start you off easy.”
Without thinking, she slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow, which she instantly realized was a mistake. She could feel the corded muscles of his arm under her hand. His warmth and strength were like a pulsing power. Her entire body tightened. She knew it would seem strange if she yanked her hand away, so she decided to bluster through the moment. She tugged him through the door into her classroom. Just as they stepped inside, Danny sprung up from his seat. “Watch! I can run to Ms. Stevens’ desk and…”
She released Travis’ arm. “Danny! Back in your seat. We all know you can race to my desk and back super fast.”
Danny froze and spun in her direction. He looked so tempted to finish what he’d set out to do. She could practically see the little wheels turning in his brain. His eyes landed on Travis. “Hey! Are you a firefighter?”
Travis glanced to Janie. While Danny might not have cued in to her warning, Travis did. He kept silent, his lips quirking when she looked to Danny again.
“Danny, of course he’s a firefighter. You already knew that. You have two choices: sit down right now and get to stay for his talk, or take a time out for three minutes in the back.”
Danny scurried to his desk, his brown hair flopping over his forehead when he sat down and wiggled his bottom in place for emphasis.
Travis followed Janie to the next classroom of wild children, marveling at her ease with them. She accompanied him to ten classrooms by the end of the day. Danny, the little boy who could barely sit still in her class, remained the most amusing highlight of the day with his antics. He’d asked question upon question, ending with another offer to show Travis how fast he could run to Janie’s desk. Janie adroitly managed all of the children throughout the day with a mixture of warmth and firm guidance.