Stay: Changing Tides, Book 1 Read Online Free PDF

pulled the door wide, bringing her closer into the circle of his arms. “My son is starting school here in the next couple days.”
    She slipped out from the airless space next to his chest and struggled for an easy tone. Hoping she wasn’t too obvious, she stole a peek at his hands. The presence of a wedding band would nix this attraction immediately. But she found his fingers bare. So not married—or not wearing a ring—and a son. She wondered what the story on the mother would be. “Oh. How old is he?”
    “Sixteen going on forty.”
    “Sounds like a typical teenage boy.” Sixteen? The math refused to settle. “You don’t look old enough to have a son that old.”
    “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He smirked. “I’d just turned eighteen when he was born.”
    So he was thirty-four. They reached the classroom then and she stopped next to the resource room door. Reaching for her bag, she quickly decided pointing to it would be better than taking the chance of touching him. “I’ll take that now. This is my stop.”
    His gaze held hers for a moment. “Hmmm. This could be interesting.”
    He handed over the bag and before she could ask what he meant, Gigi Bentley’s high-pitched squeal interrupted.
    “Bracken Elliot, you handsome thing. Come on in.” She waved him into the room before turning on Abby. “I’d hoped you would be here early.”
    “Why?” Abby looked at Gigi, her supervisor of one day. She’d liked the woman instantly and was confused by her obvious frustration.
    Gigi sighed. “I wanted to update you on the Elliots, but it will have to wait until I get back. I’m on a plane in two hours for a family emergency, and it will be a week or so before I get back. Be careful. They’re broken. Jonathon’s transcripts from Hatten should be here any day,” she whispered cryptically. “Let’s get this meeting started.”
    Abby braced herself. Go figure. Brack’s son was her student? God, fate, luck, Murphy’s Law? Whatever conspired against her had decided on a full measure of sadistic irony. And Gigi would be leaving her on her own with them. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Chapter Four
    Introductions were made, and Abby got her first look at Jonathon. If he’d resembled his father more she’d swear they were carbon copies. As if the man wasn’t in her thoughts enough, now she’d have a daily reminder of how damn good looking he was. But where Brack sat in rigid attention, exuding self-assurance and control, his son slouched in his chair, eyes almost hidden beneath the rim of his ball cap. He had an earring in each ear and the straw-straight ends of his shoulder-length hair looked to be a strange shade of blue.
    Mr. Abrams, the school’s headmaster, sat to Jonathon’s right with Brack on the boy’s left. Gigi ran the meeting with the efficiency of a seasoned pro. She knew her stuff, and Abby felt more and more uncertain of her qualifications as the meeting dragged on. Jonathon was deaf. He’d refused implants to aid his hearing, and he’d been in trouble at his old school. Now, the special education team wanted to place him in mainstream schooling with minimal assistance.
    Jonathon ignored all the people around him. An interpreter sat at the opposite side of the table, and she signed quickly as each person spoke, but Jonathon ignored her as well. After a moment, Abby realized everyone was quiet. She glanced up to find them all looking at her expectantly.
    Gigi leaned forward. “I asked what you think, Abby.”
    Letting her gaze wander back to Jonathon, she laced her fingers together on the table. “I think we should ask Jonathon.”
    Brack sat up straighter at her statement, his gaze shifting between her and his son. After a moment, he clasped Jonathon’s shoulder. When his son looked up, he pointed to Abby.
    Jonathon responded with a belligerent flick of his hand.
    “What?” His single sign was spoken by the woman interpreting.
    An odd correlation at best, but one Abby would have to