Class Act: A Coach/Student Romance
Class Act: Chapter 30

“I DON’T KNOW WHY I had to leave my car,” Emery grumbled. “Abe, what kind of surprise is this?”

“A good one.” I slowed down in our new driveway and parked, acting all nonchalant, like my stomach wasn’t churning and my heart wasn’t pounding. This was it. What would he think of our new home? “And we’ll go back for your car, I promise.”

“We’re there already?”

“Yes.”

“I have to say, Abe, when you blindfolded me and helped me into the car, I got all excited that something kinky was going to happen, but something tells me that’s not it. Is it?”

He pouted, and I chuckled, flexing my fingers, which still ached from punching his father earlier. I needed to tell Emery about that, but first I would show him the house. If he was happy enough, he might not be upset that I’d done something I might regret later.

I reached across the console and unbuckled his seat belt, then kissed his cheek. “It’s better than that. Trust me.”

“Better than sex with you?” He turned his head toward me. “Now I’m really curious.”

“Don’t peek.” I hopped out of the car and hurried to his side because I didn’t trust him not to. He was too precocious. I opened his door and guided him from the car.

Emery held on to my wrist, his grip tight. “Abe, will you tell me what it is already? Did you get me a puppy?”

A puppy? He had never said anything. “You want a puppy?”

“My dad never allowed me to have one, though I begged. I always thought I’d get one as soon as I left him.”

Note to self: Get Emery a puppy.

“Maybe sometime soon when we’re not too busy with school and work. You shouldn’t leave a puppy at home alone for so long.”

“True. Can I look now?”

I stood behind him and worked at the knot at the back of his head, but as impatient as Emery was, he just yanked it down. My hands stilled on his shoulders.

“Surprise.”

“Abe? What’s this?”

“It’s our new home.”

“Our home?” Emery took two steps forward, then halted like he didn’t believe it.

“Yes.” I closed the gap between us. “I talked to my friend Lynn, and she told me this house was available on short notice. As if it was waiting just for us.”

Emery slowly turned to me, his face white. “You mean I get to live here?” he whispered.

“Yes, it’s your home, Emery. Our home. You never have to worry about where you’re going to sleep or if you’ll make it to the shelter in time for—”

Emery threw himself at me and hugged me hard. “Abe! Oh, Abe, what did you do?”

“I got us a house, baby.”

He tilted his head back and looked at me with watery eyes. “I want to believe it, but I’m also scared it’s not true.”

“I can show you the lease.” I brushed at the tear that rolled down his cheek. “In fact, we’re going to add your name to it, so you never have to doubt whether this is truly your home.”

I walked back to the car, but Emery caught my arm. “No, I believe you. I just can’t believe you did this in such a short time. And—and a house, Abe! I thought maybe a small apartment but a freaking house.” He laughed and hugged me again, his head on my chest. “You gave me a home.”

Emery snuggled against my chest, and I held him tight against me. I should have done this a long time ago—given him a safe place. “When I told you I’d do right by you, I meant every word. But don’t you want to look before you get all excited? Inside needs a lot of work. We don’t have any furniture and—”

He grabbed the back of my head, shot up on his toes, and kissed me. I kneaded his lower back and moved my lips over his, then sucked his tongue inside my mouth. He pulled back, laughing. “It’s our first day on the block, and we’re already giving our neighbors a show.” He turned serious, his eyes full of so much love. How could I have walked away from this boy? “I don’t care about what it doesn’t have. You gave me a home. That’s all that matters. We can work on the rest. I’ll get a job and help with everything, I swear.”

“You don’t have to.”

He shook his head. “I want to. This is our life. I want to contribute too. Be my own man.” He brushed a hand through my hair. “I know how much you’re giving up for me, Abe. This hasn’t been easy for you, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure that you never regret it. For giving me a chance to love you despite what everyone may say.”

“How can I ever regret you?” I cupped his face. “The only regret I could ever have is if I let you walk out of my life. If it’s selfish of me to want your love and to make you happy, then I’ll just be the most selfish man to walk this earth.”

He slipped his arms around my neck, and his radiance quelled any guilt, any shame, any anxiety I might have had about being with him. To make him smile like this every day would be enough for me. My purpose was eliciting that smile and keeping it on his face.

“I, Emery Cannon, promise to love you, Abe, with all my heart,” he said softly. “I promise to work hard to make you proud and one day take care of you the way you take care of me now.”

My heart clenched, and I tightened my arms around him. His vow might have sounded simple. We had no audience, no witnesses, no piece of paper to sign, no object to symbolize our commitment, but none of that was needed. His words formed a ring around my heart, and unlike the one on my finger, this wasn’t so easily removed.

Emery had never asked me to take my wedding band off. I released him and slipped the ring from my finger, then dropped it into my pocket.

“Abe, you don’t have to—”

I placed a finger on his lips. “It’s not that I have to, but I want to. Shall we check out our home?”

“Yes!”

He grabbed my hand and ran to the front door. Laughing, I had no choice but to follow him. As soon as I opened the door, he dropped my hand and sped off like a little kid on his first trip to a toy store. He zipped from the kitchen to the living room to the second floor, his excitement over such a simple cottage house so real it warmed my heart.

This was the sort of realness I’d been missing. Teresa had been right when she chastised me for lack of ambition. I never wanted an enormous house and tons of money in the bank. I taught because I loved it. I coached because I enjoyed the game. As ironic as it seemed, the fancy corporate parties Teresa had insisted on attending never mattered to me. Our family time did.

Now Mandy was my family. And Emery.

For Emery, this simple cottage was his home. I could understand his feelings, given the threat of not having a roof over his head, but he was my home. He was the warm hearth at which I wanted to rest every day.

If only Mandy would understand. If I had any regret, it was the way she was hurting right now. I clenched my fists.

Please come around, Mandy. I love him so much. One day when you replace someone who makes your heart beat the way Emery does mine, then you’ll understand.

How could I stop my heart from beating?

“Abe, I love it!”

I smiled and climbed the stairs. I found him in the bigger of the two bedrooms, lying on the floor with his arms and legs spread.

“I see you’ve claimed this one as our bedroom.”

“Yes!” He got to his knees and wrapped his arms around my legs. “Abe, I love you so much.”

“None of that.” I helped him to his feet. “Remember, you promised to take care of me when I’m old and not shove me into a rest home.”

Emery scowled and hit my shoulder. “How can you make jokes about that?”

I chucked his chin and dropped a kiss on his nose. “I’m just kidding, sweetheart.”

“Well, don’t kid about that.”

“You’re sure you like it?”

“Can’t you tell?”

Yup. If his sparkling eyes didn’t tell me, the wide smile on his face would.

“All right, then. We need a lot of things, so let’s go shopping.” I frowned. “I doubt they’ll be able to deliver a bed tonight, though. Maybe you should stay in a hotel for a couple of days until we get everything delivered.”

Emery shook his head. “We’ll just spread blankets on the floor and sleep. It’s not for long, and besides, it’ll be fun with you.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded.

Emery was fashionable and could be extravagant, but the simplicity of his heart was so obvious. And I loved it. It also made me want to give him the best of everything.