Betsy Amant - Her Family Wish

Abby’s eyes lit with anticipation from her seat in the front row, and Hannah smiled at her as she began her presentation. “Everyone knows lighting in photography is important. But sometimes too much light can actually be a bad thing.” Hannah held up a sample shot, where the flash had washed out the entire picture.

Abby sat on the edge of her seat, eyes following Hannah’s every move and drinking in each photograph as she went on. Too bad the rest of the kids weren’t as interested, though as Sophia had said, there was a definite change from Monday. At least they gave each photo Hannah passed around the room a cursory glance.

“Last week, Abby asked a question about lighting when taking a picture with a phone camera.” Hannah collected the last of the pictures that had been passed around and slid them back in their protective folder, then pulled the handouts she’d prepared from an envelope. “I’ve made you all a list of tips to practice when you go home. Next week let me know if you think you took better pictures based on this advice.” The kids accepted the handout, several of them looking longingly at their backpacks or purses where their phones nestled, turned off via school rules.

Sophia stood and pulled her own phone from her purse. “How about we take a few shots now with my phone and we can put Ms. Hart’s guidelines into practice.” The kids cheered, all vying to be first.

A knock sounded on the closed door a moment before it opened. Hannah looked up as Jude stepped inside, and her earlier hesitations flooded her body in full force. She took a deep breath and tried to keep a natural smile on her face. Maybe if she ignored the awkward conversation from Monday, he would, too.

Although it’d be a lot easier to ignore him if he didn’t look so good in that gray pinstriped suit.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he called above the din of the students chattering excitedly as Sophia divided them into groups of four. “I was hoping to speak with Ms. Hart before my three o’clock meeting.”

Hannah’s heart stammered in her chest. Her? Why? Sophia shot her a puzzled look, appearing equally confused, but gestured for her to go ahead. “I’ll handle this. We’ll show you what we’ve accomplished when you get back.”

Hannah reluctantly met Jude in the deserted hallway, keeping her eyes down and feeling way too much like a student in trouble. The door clicked shut softly behind her and she crossed her arms, waiting for him to speak first. With her luck, she’d unknowingly offend him again. She didn’t want to get on the school administration’s bad side, especially when she wasn’t even a certified teacher. When the students had started actually growing interested in what she’d taught today, something shifted inside her. She didn’t just want to teach them—she needed to. Needed to feel productive, needed to feel like she was making a difference.

Needed to be needed.

“You look like Terrence McAllister did when I busted him last week for sneaking off campus.” Jude shook his head with a smile that slowly relaxed Hannah’s stiff position. “Am I that intimidating?”

She couldn’t help but offer a small smile in return. “Maybe it’s the suit.”

He laughed, the husky sound melting the last of her nerves. “I’ll be sure to have a word with my tailor.” His grin faded at the corners, and his deep blue eyes took on a serious sheen. “I’m sorry I made you uneasy the other day. I let a personal matter affect my reaction to your generous offer, and I apologize.”

Such formal wording—was that how he always spoke, or was that something he hid behind? Would be interesting to find out, to get to know him well enough to discover his quirks.

She certainly had enough of her own.

But then again, did she really want to get to know someone like Jude better, someone she could apparently offend so easily and never understand why? He’d apologized, so maybe it hadn’t been her fault after all. Maybe he just didn’t like receiving something—even something like photography services—free. A lot of men would take that as a slam on their pride. Still…

Hannah waited for more details, but he didn’t offer them, leaving her with only more questions. She rescued them both from the silence that was inching toward awkward. “I guess we’ve all been there at one point or another. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

“No, it was my fault alone.” Jude shifted positions, casually resting his weight against the tiled wall. The motion sent an enticing wave of spicy cologne Hannah’s way, weakening her knees. Pathetic. Had it been that long since she’d been in close proximity to a man?

Actually, yes. Sad, but true. Hannah bit her lower lip. She shouldn’t go there. It would accomplish nothing. Jude was trying to right a wrong, nothing more. No way did he feel the attraction that threatened to level Hannah’s legs out from under her.

Not when she looked the way she did.

“I’ve been concerned about a school issue, and the stress from— Well, I overreacted. No excuses.” Jude hesitated and Hannah looked up, searching his gaze, eager to see his secrets but not sure why it mattered so much.

She looked away as a rush of warmth heated her stomach. Though she wasn’t on the payroll, Jude was still an authority figure, and she had no business teasing herself with what would surely be a dead end. If only… But no, she couldn’t go back down that road. She’d traveled it enough in the months after her car accident.

“Thanks for saying so.” She drew a deep breath, forcing herself to meet his gaze briefly before pretending great interest in the bulletin board on the wall. Then she realized she’d provided him with a full view of her scarred cheek, and she quickly turned the opposite way.

Jude’s gaze followed her motion, and a flush rode an unwelcome passage up Hannah’s neck. Definitely a one-sided attraction. He had no reason to be drawn to her, and a jagged, three-inch reason not to.

Hannah straightened her shoulders, determined not to let him see her vulnerabilities. It would get them nowhere. “If that’s all, I better get back to the class.” A roar of laughter burst from inside the classroom, and Hannah took that as her cue. She reached for the knob, and Jude held out one hand as if to stop her before letting it drop back to his side. The traitorous blush claimed new real estate on her neck and chest and she forced herself not to look away, to hold her ground. She had nothing to be embarrassed about.

Unless he could read her mind.

Head tilted, Jude’s eyes searched hers before resignation released her from their navy blue hold. “All right. Then I guess I’ll see you around.”

Hannah nodded once before slipping back inside the classroom.

Not if she could help it.

Chapter Three

A gust of October wind sent myriad crimson and gold leaves skittering past Hannah’s feet. She adjusted the settings on her Nikon and squinted through the viewfinder. Perfect. As soon as her eleven o’clock appointment arrived at the park, she’d set the siblings up on the low branches of this oak and be able to catch the last of the morning light.

A car door slammed from the lot behind her, and Hannah turned in time to see what had to be the McDuffy family rushing toward her. The teenage girl, Sarah, if she remembered correctly, held her hands up to protect her spiral-curled hair from the wind, while the younger boy—Adam?—hurried toward her, carefree. Hannah waved and smiled, never tired of seeing what a few years in age and gender could mean for priorities.

A second girl hurried behind the first, and once they cleared the shadow of the pavilion, Hannah blinked. Abby. But not the braided, plaid Abby. This one had on subtle makeup and was dressed more like her friend in trendy jeans and a sparkly layered top.