“You are a special woman, so it would have to be something big.” He cupped his chin in his hand and drew his brows down. “Maybe we’d fuel the plane and fly down to Panama City Beach, Florida, for the afternoon and evening. Walk in the warm sand and have seafood at Jimmy Buffett’s place.”

“So, I’m special”—she smiled—“or is that just a pickup line?”

Might as well go for broke and tell her exactly how he felt. “You, Jayden Bennett, are more special than any woman I’ve ever dated,” he answered. “And on that note, the rain has almost stopped, so I’m going to jog to my house and get a shower. See you at breakfast.”

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Until then, good night, lovely lady. Sleep tight. I’ll see you at breakfast.”

“I’ll be the one behind the buffet line in a white apron.”

She sounded as breathless as he was, and he liked it a lot.

He released her hand and stood up. “You rock that apron,” he said as he walked away.

He sucked in lungsful of the night air. Nothing smelled as fresh and clean as the earth after a hard rain, unless it was the scent of whatever lotion Jayden had rubbed into her hands that evening after her shower. He hummed an old Travis Tritt tune, “Love of a Woman,” but he couldn’t remember all the lyrics, so when he got back to his room, he found it on YouTube and listened to it while he took a shower.

He dreamed about dancing in the rain with Jayden to that very song. He woke himself up at midnight singing the lyrics with Travis about a man being his woman’s hero.

“I want to be Jayden’s hero,” he muttered as he rolled over and went back to sleep.

Chapter Seventeen

July Fourth arrived in a blaze of heat and glory, but not much changed at Piney Wood Academy that Saturday. The sirens sounded before daylight. The girls lined up and did their new routine, which included jumping rope and using stretching bands to strengthen their muscles, and then they were off to walk a mile out to the second marking post and back before breakfast.

As usual, Novalene was the first one in the dining hall that morning. “You do know that since Mary isn’t coming back, you can schedule the girls from each cabin to have kitchen duty instead of just whenever you ask them,” she told Jayden.

“I kind of like doing it myself.” Jayden pulled a pan of blueberry muffins out of the oven. “I’ve always been selfish with my kitchen. Even as a teenager, when I cooked, I wanted the room to myself.”

“Well, anytime you need cleanup or serving help, I’m volunteering myself or my two girls,” Novalene told her. “What are we having this morning?”

“Oven omelets, hash browns, biscuits, and these muffins for dessert,” Jayden answered.

“Sounds wonderful. You’re doing a fine job of taking over for Mary. I’m glad you came instead of Skyler. I can’t imagine her stepping in and doing the cooking, but then I damn sure wouldn’t want the job, either,” Novalene said.

Diana entered the room, poured herself a cup of coffee, and topped off Novalene’s before she sat down. “I’ll add my thanks to Novalene’s. I called about a job that I applied for on the internet. I didn’t want to tell y’all before I heard back for fear I’d jinx it. They’re sending someone up from Del Rio to interview me next week. Keep your fingers crossed. If I get the job, this will definitely be my last year to come to Piney Wood, but before we all split seven ways to Sunday and leave, I want y’all’s contact numbers so we can stay in touch.”

“What kind of job is it?” Jayden asked.

“I’d be working at a security firm that hires ex-military to do contract work like protecting famous folks or dignitaries. It pays three times what teaching does. I get to carry a gun, and the benefits are amazing, plus I’ll have no paperwork or smart-ass students to deal with. I’ll have to undergo a six-week fitness program, but I’m willing to do that to get the job. At my age and with my years of experience, I can freeze my Texas retirement.”

“Sounds to me like you’ve made up your mind,” Jayden said.

“I have if they hire me. I’ll give my notice as soon as I know, and if everything works out, I’ll go to work for the firm on Monday after we leave here on Saturday. I’m really excited.” Diana blew on the top of her coffee and then took a sip. “That leaves you and Novalene to teach the newbies the ropes next year, Jayden.”

“Oh, no!” Novalene threw up both hands. “Y’all leave me out of this. I’m not teaching anyone jack squat. This is my last year here, too. Everything runs its course, and I’m tired. It’s time for me to hang up my Moonbeam Cabin cap and go home, drive fast, and listen to Elvis.”

“Y’all are leaving and yet trying to talk me into staying,” Jayden said.

“Honey, you belong right here,” Novalene said. “You’ll wake up and see what we’re seeing pretty soon. We’re ready to move on, but you should move in.”

“Got any proof to back that up?” Jayden asked.

“Just that we can see the chemistry between you and Elijah,” Diana said.

“I’m changing the subject.” Jayden smiled. “Before y’all throw in the towel, will you tell me if we celebrate July Fourth here?”

“We always have,” Diana answered. “We spend the day as usual, but at dark, Elijah will put on a fantastic fireworks display for the girls, and then he brings out the watermelons and slices them into wedges. The girls eat them without forks and have a seed-spitting contest. He’ll tell them all about it after breakfast so they can look forward to it, but if even one of them gets a demerit today, all the fun is off. You can bet they’ll be on their very best behavior.”

“Speak for your own girls,” Novalene said. “Keelan and Bailey just might do something stupid so none of them get to have fun.”

“Rita will kill them both if they do,” Diana said.

The girls filed in and most of them headed straight to the end of the line and got a bottle of water, guzzled it down, and then came back for food. That three-mile hike must have gotten to them. Ashlyn tossed her empty bottle into the trash, slung an apron over her head, and tied it in the back, then put on a pair of gloves. “I’ll help dish it up so we can get through the line faster. It’s our day to clean the stalls, and we’re worried about Dynamite, so we want to hurry up and go see about him.”

“What’s wrong with Dynamite?” Jayden asked.

“He’s been off his feed for a couple of days, and when we walk him, he goes real slow.” Ashlyn slipped a hash brown onto Keelan’s plate and got one ready for the next girl in line.

“I want two of those,” Keelan said. “I’m starving this morning. There’s nothing wrong with that horse. I cleaned his stall yesterday and he was fine.”

“I walk him every day, and I know more about horses than you do.” Ashlyn put another hash brown on her plate and turned to Tiffany, who was in line behind her. “One or two?”

“Two,” Tiffany answered.

Keelan shot them both a dirty look and moved her tray on down the line.