Fighting to Win_A Paranormal Shifter Romance Page 2

  “You sure are big on what’s appropriate and what’s not, aren’t you?” he asked with a smirk.

  “I have to be. I’m a teacher, and it’s my job to teach them how to react in different situations,” she snapped.

  “No, your job is to teach them math and English and shit. Teaching my daughter how to respond to stuff like that is my job.” His glare was as lethal as his fists.

  Holly glared back, her blood pressure rising. The way he looked right now would be enough to have a grown man backing down, but she wasn’t intimidated, and she had no plans to start.

  “You’re teaching her wrong. Violence isn’t the answer.”

  Face darkening, he leaned in and said, “And who are you to tell me I’m doing it wrong?”

  Swallowing hard, Holly shook her head and took another deep breath. They were getting way off track. He was a jerk, true, but she never got into arguments with her student’s parents, and she shouldn’t start now. One of them had to be an adult in this discussion, and clearly, it wasn’t going to be him.

  “I apologize if I offended you,” she said softly, swallowing her instinctive reply along with her pride. “I was wrong to say that. I just got caught up in the heat of the moment, because violence isn’t the answer in the classroom. But it won’t happen again.”

  He had the nerve to grin. “I’m sure the last part was true, but you don’t believe you’re wrong any more than you believe the sky is green.”

  She hadn’t expected him to be so perceptive. “It doesn’t matter what I believe. Shelby is what matters. Look, Mr. Gallagher, I understand you have your own lifestyle, and violence is a large part of that. It’s not my place to judge, but it is my place to point it out if it’s affecting Shelby. Teaching her that violence is the answer is only going to make things difficult for her as she grows up. She’s a very sweet child, and I’d hate to see her lose that.”

  “You’re right, it’s not your place to judge how I live my life. It’s not your place to judge how I raise my daughter or what I teach her. But for the sake of ending this discussion, I will tell you I never taught her to hit. Sure, she’s seen me and my friends train, but I don’t allow her anywhere around the actual fights. I’ve never talked to her about how to respond, and I’ve sure as hell never taught her how to fight.”

  He was telling the truth. She knew it.

  “I’m glad we’re on the same page. I’ve talked to Shelby about how what she did was wrong, but I think it’ll go a long way if you tell her the same, if you haven’t already.”

  “I said I haven’t taught her to hit, but I didn’t say I thought it was wrong. That kid had it coming, in my opinion.”

  “Excuse me?” she asked in disbelief. “How can you not see that her hitting another kid is wrong? It’s completely—”

  “Let me guess. Unacceptable, right? Mrs. White, that kid was making fun of her birthmark. Something she has no control over, and something she’s been tormented enough over. Her whole life, she’s been made to feel less than because of a mark on her face. How much of that is she expected to endure before it damages her self-esteem permanently? She shouldn’t be expected to take it.”

  “And she doesn’t have to,” Holly shot back. “But there are other ways of dealing with it.”

  He shook his head in disgust, and she’d swear he growled. “You can’t know what it’s like. You sit there, all perfect and beautiful, talking about how she should deal with everything, but you don’t know. Don’t know what it’s like to be mocked for your physical appearance. Don’t judge my daughter for something you know nothing about.”

  Holly stared at him, surprised. Perfect and beautiful? Hardly. Grabbing her cane, she pushed herself up and limped around her desk, taking satisfaction in the way his eyes widened when he saw her bad leg.

  “As you can see, I’m far from perfect. The skirt covers my leg, and I never wear anything that reveals it, but the cane and the limp are enough, don’t you think? Don’t talk to me about not understanding. I understand all too well. Kids can be harsh, that’s a fact. But I never resorted to punching one when I was made fun of, and Shelby doesn’t have to, either.”

  IAN STOOD FROZEN, STARING AT THE BEAUTIFUL woman before him. Mrs. White was defiant, and he liked the sparkle of satisfaction in her gaze. And he couldn’t begrudge her that. She’d just made her point, a thousand times over.

  Still unable to speak, he ran his gaze over her, taking her in again. She had blonde hair that fell to just below her shoulders, and her face was that of a classic beauty, reminding him of an actress from an old black and white film. Large blue eyes, creamy skin, high cheekbones, perfect lips. She was flawless. Tall for a woman, the top of her head came up past his jaw. That was unusual, since he stood a few inches over six feet.

  She wore a clingy pink sweater that hugged generous breasts, and an ankle length black skirt with pink and yellow flowers. He never thought he was a fan of the buttoned-up teacher look, but then, he’d never seen a teacher who looked like this. The whole package that made up Mrs. White was gorgeous.

  Shifting his weight as his tiger stirred in his chest, Ian dragged his eyes back up her body to her face, pausing and lingering on her long, elegant fingers. She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but there was a thin pale line where one should rest.

  Of course she was married. Her name was Mrs. White, after all. Disappointment flowed through him and he frowned. Why the hell he should care was beyond him. After the disaster that was Farrah, he vowed he was done with women, and he meant it.

  Realizing he’d been silent longer than was polite, and that she could take it the wrong way, he cleared his throat. Gesturing to her leg, he said, “I’m sorry.”

  Her lips curled. “Sorry for what? That my leg is messed up, or that you assumed I could never know how Shelby feels?”

  “Both, I guess. Look, I’ll admit I’m new to this day to day parenting thing. And maybe not getting onto Shelby for punching someone who made fun of her was wrong, I don’t know. All I know is I can’t stand to see her hurt anymore. She’s had more than enough of that. If reacting like that, reacting in any way, helps her or makes it end, I can’t see discouraging her from it. And I wouldn’t tell her to hit someone, but I wouldn’t know the first thing about what to tell her to do differently.”

  Her blue eyes softened, and for the first time, he noticed the hints of green in her gaze. They were gorgeous. Scolding himself for noticing another attractive attribute about her, he reminded himself that she was married.

  “I won’t ask what she’s been through, but I know first hand that kids are cruel when it comes to someone who’s physically different,” she replied softly. “You need to tell her to walk away and find a grownup who can help. Tell her that reacting in an obvious way, like she did, is just giving the other person power over her. Think of it this way—there are some kids, teenagers, people, who would see her react as she did, and then deliberately mock and tease her, even if they previously hadn’t, just to get that kind of reaction.”

  Ian absorbed the truth of what she said. He hadn’t thought of it like that, but he could see it happening, and that was the last thing he wanted. “I’ll talk with her. But I’m not going to deny that I’m proud of her for standing up for herself and not just allowing it to happen.”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to. I don’t care for the way she did it, but I’m proud of her, as well. You have an incredibly sweet, adorable little girl, Mr. Gallagher. And she’s slowly coming out of her shell. If I’m being honest, I was on the verge of calling you in for a meeting because of how timid she was. I love that she’s coming into her own, I just don’t love how she went about doing it with that whole situation.”

  “I’ll talk with her,” he promised again. “I made assumptions a minute ago. I judged you without knowing what you’d been through.”

  She softened. “Let’s call it even. I was judging you, too. I thought you were teaching her to react as she did. The fact that you fight—for fun, money, whatever—colored my judgment on the matter.”

  Not a lot of people would admit to that, and despite wanting to hold onto his initial dislike of her, he could feel it slipping away. “We’re even, then. Guess that’ll teach us both a lesson on judging. I better get out of here. Shelby’s waiting in the truck for me.”

  Turning to go, he paused when she said his name, looking back at her. God, she was so beautiful, it almost hurt to look at her.

  “I’m not sure if Shelby gave you the flyer, or even mentioned it, but there’s a father daughter dance next week. It’s a school-wide thing. It would be nice to see you there with her.”

  “No, she didn’t mention that.” Looked like Shelby was beginning a bad habit of not telling him things, and he was going to have to nip that in the bud. “A dance, huh? I’m not sure I’m a dance kind of guy.”

  “I can see that,” she acknowledged, eyes twinkling. “But maybe you could be one for just one night. I think Shelby would love it.”

  She probably would. “I’ll ask her if she wants to go. She might not have mentioned it because it doesn’t interest her.”

  “Fair enough. Let me get you a flyer.”

  Watching as she turned, grimacing and leaning heavily on her cane, he was overcome with a foreign urge to sweep her off her feet and carry her so she didn’t have to walk. Frowning, he shook his head once hard. He didn’t know where the hell that thought came from, but he didn’t like it.

  “Here you go,” she said, handing him a bright pink paper. “Ask her about it. And I really am glad you came in today, Mr. Gallagher. If you have questions, or need help with anything at all, please come to me. I’d love to help in any way I can.”

  Uncomfortable with the way his mind jumped to just how she could help him, he nodded
and forced out, “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Mrs. White.”

  He didn’t wait on a reply. He had to get out of there. He was lusting after a married woman, and he was disgusted with himself. He’d never wanted a woman as intensely as he found himself wanting Shelby’s teacher, and the fact that she was married didn’t seem to be registering to his body, his mind, or even his tiger. This wasn’t good, wasn’t good at all.

  He’d go to the dance if Shelby wanted to, but other than that, he needed to stay far, far away from this damned school. Hopefully, his daughter would be a model student from here on out. Because while he prided himself on his strength and willpower, he had to admit that if anyone could shake those and make him weak, it was Mrs. White.

  “EVERYTHING’S FINE, MOM, I PROMISE,” Holly said into the phone.

  “I wish you’d come home. You’re so far from us, and I know you. You’re probably going to work and straight coming home, not interacting with anyone other than your students. You need more than that, honey.”

  I’m interacting more than you know, Holly thought as an image of Ian Gallagher flashed through her mind. Uncomfortable with her thoughts, she cleared her throat and replied, “I’m happy here in Eagle Creek. I like my job and I love my students. I don’t want to leave.”

  “I’d feel better if you were closer. Wyoming is a long way from Texas.”

  “You mean you’d feel better if I was somewhere closer so you could keep an eye on me,” she replied with a smile.

  “I don’t understand what’s holding you there,” her mom said. “I worry about you being so far away and alone. I know that was Kyle’s hometown, so that’s where you two moved when you graduated college. But he’s gone now, and you never talk about having any friends.”

  Rubbing a hand over her brow, Holly suppressed a sigh. “If you came to Eagle Creek, you’d absolutely understand why I prefer it a thousand-fold over Dallas. Look, Mom, I need to go. I have papers to grade, and I still need to make dinner.”

  “All right, dear. Just promise you’ll give some thought to moving back home,” her mother said, just like she always did.

  And as always, Holly replied, “I promise I will. Bye, Mom. Love you.”

  Not having dinner yet was true, but she’d already finished grading papers. She just hadn’t wanted to listen to another lecture from her mom. They were becoming more frequent, despite Holly assuring her she was fine.

  She knew her parents, her mom especially, didn’t understand why she insisted on staying here. She and Kyle moved here just a few months after she graduated college. High school sweethearts, they’d been married for three years already at that point. They’d only been living here for a year when he unexpectedly passed away. At first, she stayed because she wanted to be close to the memories she had of Kyle. But she gradually fell in love with Eagle Creek, and she couldn’t imagine living somewhere else.

  Her mom was right about one thing, though. Holly never talked about friends, because she didn’t have any. She’d made a few when they first moved here, but after Kyle’s death, she let them slip away. And the friendships had been tentative and shallow at best, so they weren’t strong enough to withstand the grief Holly had been going through.

  Sometimes she missed having someone to talk to, but she never felt any great desire to make friends. Kyle had been her best friend and all she needed. She was the first to admit that after he died, it was a shock to find herself suddenly thrust into a world she knew little about.

  With Kyle, all she’d been able to see was him. She never had any desire to open her eyes and see who else was around her. She grew up sheltered, and being with Kyle had isolated her more. She knew it, but she hadn’t cared. She still didn’t.

  Kyle had been her everything—her lover, her friend, her protector. He’d kept all of life’s harshness away from her, and as a result, she’d been naïve to the reality of the world.

  Everything was easy for her. Her home life, her schoolwork, her love. Sure, she studied hard and put a lot of work into her education, but everything had been so easy.

  Sometimes she thought it was too easy, and the universe had been set upon correcting her view of life. She’d never had experience with tragedy or loss. No unrest, no drama. When Kyle died, she felt like she was being punished for having such a good life. For having too much happiness.

  Life had gone from being beyond Heaven to the deepest level of Hell in the space of a breath. Suddenly, she was trying to navigate this world alone, with no one to shield her or guide her. Maybe moving back home would have been easiest, but she couldn’t make herself. She’d just managed six months ago to sell the home she and Kyle bought together, and it’d been three years since he passed.

  From blissful to infinitely disappointed with life, in a heartbeat. Literally. When Kyle’s heart stopped beating, hers was broken forever. There was no coming back from that, but she’d made her peace with it. She had her days when the sadness still felt like it was crushing her, but for the most part, she was on the verge of content. And that was enough. Although having a friend might be nice. She just wasn’t sure she could open herself up to hurt again. Bad things happened every day, even to her, she knew that now. She couldn’t take another loss.

  An image of Ian Gallagher’s face floated in her mind again, and she groaned as she pushed herself off the couch. Heading to the kitchen in search of a dinner that didn’t require too much effort, she chided herself for thinking about him again. If she was going to take a risk on getting close to another person, it would be a friend. Not someone like Ian, who had the potential to mean more to her.

  No. No, he didn’t. Absolutely not, she told herself firmly as she took a thoroughly unappetizing frozen pizza out of the freezer. There was no man who would ever come close to meaning to her what Kyle did. No man she would ever have that connection with again, if she could even make herself take the chance on someone else. And she couldn’t. She didn’t even want to.

  She’d had her happiness. It was brief and over far too soon, but she’d had it, and it’d been so intense, so consuming, and more than her fair share. It was enough. It had to be.

  IAN WALKED OUT ONTO THE PORCH AND SAT in his favorite chair after his shower, exhaling in relief at being able to sit. His muscles were the satisfying kind of sore that only came after a good training session. He’d never admit it, but his meeting with Shelby’s teacher left him unsettled, and training had been his way of trying to work it, work her, out of his system.

  Mrs. White. Holly. Yeah, he’d looked up Shelby’s beginning of the year paperwork so he could learn her teacher’s name. Holly. It reminded him of Christmas, but it also just suited her. He didn’t know how he knew, because he barely knew her at all, but it felt right.

  Groaning at the direction his thoughts were going, he spotted Cammie walking toward the porch, grateful for the distraction. Lips quirking, he watched her basically waddle over. He’d never use that word in front of her, though. Cammie was tiny, and at nearly seven months pregnant, her belly was the biggest thing about her, and it was hard not to stare. He’d made that mistake once, and he swore his ears were still ringing from the tongue-lashing she’d given him.

  He wouldn’t risk another. Especially since she never forgot anything, and once the baby was born, she’d probably kick his ass. And she could, literally, tiny or not. Every shifter had a special gift. Some were mental, some were physical, and Cammie’s was speed. It was almost impossible to catch her. Add in a hormonal rage she would no doubt be feeding the whole time, and it made for a fight that scared even him off.

  “Ian,” she said curtly, lowering herself onto a chair.

  “Cammie. How are you?”

  “Miserable already. There’s no comfortable position I can get in, and my hormones are crazy. I’m up one minute and down the next. It’s frustrating.”

  His brow quirked in concern. “Is everything okay? I mean, is that normal? When’s the last time you and Alex went to that shifter obstetrician?”