Chapter One

      “Miss Ryken, you’ve got a new student.” The familiar voice of her school principal was warm but bore unwelcome news.

      Beth Ryken didn’t like surprises and a new student when the school year was two months from over wasn’t good news at all. Core standard evaluations still had to be met and time at the end of the year was always fleeting.

      Gathering her thoughts into a quick prayer for patience, Beth looked up but her gaze snagged on the tall man standing beside the principal. He was lean and mean looking in spite of the boyishness in his face. And he had short red hair. Not exactly a common combination. He also had an angular jaw and a strong nose that looked as if it might have been broken a time or two. Put him in a kilt and he’d be devastating to females everywhere.

      Cool gray eyes assessed her. The man didn’t look pleased by her perusal. Annoyed, maybe. Cynical, definitely, but not at all happy.

      Beth ignored those itchy fingers of attraction that scratched up her spine. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she focused on the boy standing in front of the man. Red hair like his father and the same colored eyes, which looked lost instead of cold.

      Beth melted. “Hello.”

      The boy gave her a hint of a smile aimed straight into her heart.

      “This is Nick Grey and his son, Corey. They just moved to the area,” her principal explained. “Beth Ryken is one of two second-grade teachers here.”

      “Welcome to LeNaro.” Beth held out her hand to the youngster. “Corey, I have the perfect spot for you next to Thomas. His table could use one more boy to make it even. We’re coloring tall ships right now and I’ll have Gracie get an extra page for you.”

      Corey looked up at his father for direction.

      He gave his approval with a quick nod while he released the hold he had on his son’s shoulders.

      Nick Grey did not wear a wedding ring. There wasn’t an indentation or even a white mark left behind by a ring. If he’d been married, it must have been a long time ago. The only jewelry the man wore was a bulky watch clamped on to his wrist.

      Typically, when dads dropped off their kids at a new school, it was safe to assume they were single, but something in Corey’s eyes hinted at sadness. Was there a custody battle going on?

      “Everyone, I’d like you to say hello to Corey Grey. He’s new to our school.”

      The kids mumbled their hellos and then quieted when they spotted Corey’s dad. Her students stared openly with awe, too. Mr. Grey’s hair wasn’t that red, so it had to be something else about the man. Like maybe how his pushed-up shirtsleeves revealed arms that were taut and whipcord lean. He reminded her of a power line that shot deadly sparks when snapped. Yeah, the guy looked a little dangerous.

      Corey slipped his hand into hers.

      Beth gave it a quick squeeze and led the boy toward the table and Thomas. “No backpack?”

      Corey shook his head.

      Beth glanced at his father before giving Corey a friendly wink. There was still a black one in the lost and found in the school’s office. He’d need something to carry his books and papers home. “We’ll get you set up.”

      Once the boy had been seated and introduced to his tablemates, Beth turned her attention back to Nick Grey. Not hard to do. Something about the man invited long looks.

      But Nick watched his son with steely concentration before resting his unsettling gaze upon her. “I’ll be back to pick him up after school.”

      “Whoa, wait.” Beth held up her hand. “A little more information would be good.”

      Nick cocked his head toward Tammy, her principal. “She can fill you in.” Then one more glance at his son. “I have to leave for an appointment.”

      Not quite rude, but terse came to mind, and authoritative. Was he military? The only military base nearby was a Coast Guard air station in Traverse City twenty miles south. Long commute, but maybe he wanted his son in a small school setting.

      Beth reached a hand out to Nick. He was a good few inches taller than her, a rarity since she hovered near the six-foot mark. “Okay, well, nice to meet you, Mr. Grey. I’m sure we’ll talk more once your son settles in.”

      Nick looked at her offered hand a moment before accepting it. “Sounds good.”

      First Beth registered his strength and then the warmth of his skin as his hand gripped hers for a firm shake. But looking into the man’s eyes was what made her breath hitch. He really looked at her, as if delving down deep to see who she was. Not that he could possibly know with only one look but Beth still shivered.

      And then he gave her a nod, let go and left.

      Beth blew out her breath with a whoosh. “What was that?”

      Tammy laughed. “Odd man.”

      Odd didn’t quite cover it. Beth’s heart still raced. “So what’s the deal here?”

      Tammy shrugged and lowered her voice. “Pretty vague, really. Mr. Grey showed up early this morning with his son and his medical records and filled out the paperwork for admission. There’s no Mrs. Grey—she died a year ago. The boy’s maternal grandparents are listed as the second emergency contact.”

      Beth’s heart twisted. Corey Grey lost his mom at a tender age. Yup, sad story. Poor kid. She watched as he quietly colored his paper. So far the boy kept to himself with little interaction with his tablemates. Even bubbly little Grace Cavanaugh couldn’t pull Corey into conversation. Was he shy? Or something else?

      Beth continued to stare. Corey wanted a crayon, but he waited for Thomas to put it down before reaching for it. “What about testing?”

      “Let’s see how he does over the next couple of weeks, and then we’ll meet and discuss a plan of action with the school counselor.”

      Beth nodded. Tammy was an excellent principal with an elementary teaching background. LeNaro Elementary School prided itself on meeting its students’ educational needs first and foremost. They didn’t push kids through the lower grades if they weren’t ready to move on. If extra attention didn’t work, they often recommended a student be held back. Not a popular approach, but the bridge between first and second was a big one. Preparation for third grade with its state standards testing was bigger still.

      Beth had a bad feeling about Corey Grey. Loss of his mother plus a tight-lipped father and a new school usually added up to trouble for a seven-year-old. She’d have to keep a close eye on the boy. It wouldn’t be hard to do. The kid had already stolen her heart.

      Still, Beth needed to review the previous school’s assessments before making any assumptions, but her gut feelings usually turned out correct. In Corey’s case, that wasn’t a good thing. Her guess was Nick Grey wasn’t the kind of man who’d take bad news about his son very well.

      She rubbed her arms as if a cold breeze had blown into the room. Nick Grey might be a difficult parent to deal with, but she’d find a way to figure it out. She always did.

      * * *

      At the end of the school day, Nick climbed