My Friday starts off the same as the last few days of my suspension.

I grab some takeout from Gracie's Place, head over to Shane and Travis' with hot food and coffee, and the three of us work on the improvements to the ranch.

There's a lot that needs to be done, but I think we can probably manage it in about a month. The fences and paddocks have some weak points that need to be shored up. The siding on the stables needs a good pressure wash and then a new coat of paint. The stalls could stand to be refinished, and the latches are a little rusty. The whole place needs to be cleaned up, with gopher holes filled in and cacti removed. A proper trail needs to be mapped out, and we need a guide out here to determine the riding difficulty and place trail markers. We also need to buy properly trained horses, learner's tack, and safety equipment, and we need to hire some actual riding instructors.

It's an exhaustive list, but we're slowly checking things off it. Today we're tearing out half-rotted fence posts and replacing them with new ones, then if there's time we'll pressure wash the stables. Shane's already scheduled a trip to a farm just outside of Lexington this weekend, and he thinks we have a pretty good lead on some patient, well-trained horses.

I owe them both, not just for all of their help, but for keeping me distracted.

We can't spend all hours of the day working, though, and around midday, we break for sandwiches. Sitting out on the porch, I find myself checking my phone. There's a new text, and my brow furrows as I see it's from Riley.

Riley: Watch this

No context. No indication whatsoever about what 'this' is, just a link to a video with a nondescript title and a blurry, still shot of a group of people.

I open up the video, and immediately I recognize the people in the frame. Julie, Robbie, and Curt. What are they…? Wait. I recognize the place, too. They're all in Maria's office.

Are they in some kind of trouble? Why would Riley send me this?

I push play, and immediately I hear Julie start speaking.

"I'm sorry we ambushed you, Principal Vasquez, but we're here to talk about Mr. Morrison's suspension," she says.

The camera swings to Maria. At this video quality, I can't really read her expression. "I'm always happy to hear the opinions of my students, though I might have appreciated this more if it didn't feel like a courtroom drama."

She looks pointedly at Riley. The camera shakes a little—I'm guessing Riley shrugged—and she says, "Just for posterity."

"Mmhmm," Maria says. "State your case, Miss Peterson."

"Mr. Morrison is the single best teacher at Glen Springs High School. His students have the highest test scores, the highest graduation rates, and the most engagement with what they're learning. I remember things he taught me from years ago just because he's able to make it feel like you're there; like it actually matters," she says.

I just stare at the video, slack-jawed. I have no idea what's going on or why it's happening, but the fact that Julie of all people would speak to the principal on my behalf just blows me away.

"I see you've done your homework," Maria says. "What about you three? Do you agree?"

"Mr. Morrison's class was the first time I ever got an A on something I turned in," Robbie says. "He spent extra time with me every day for two weeks so I could understand everything and write a good paper, and earlier this year he helped me with an essay on my college application, too."

A smile touches my lips. Robbie's a good kid; he just gets overwhelmed if there's too much going on at once. He needs time to process ideas, but once he does, he's unstoppable.

"I hate history, but I still passed," Curt says, short and sweet, "and going out to the ranch… it's like one of the only things I look forward to."

"I haven't had Mr. Morrison as a teacher for all that long," Riley says from behind the camera, "but he always makes me feel like what I say and what I think matters. Like I'm not just some random student."

I swallow past a lump in my throat, my gaze riveted to the tiny screen.

"I'm well aware that Mr. Morrison is an excellent teacher," Maria says, "but that was never in question here."

"Right. The ranch. None of that happened on school property, and Mr. Morrison got written permission from each of our parents, along with emergency contact information. He makes sure we're safe and careful with the horses, and there hasn't been a single accident in months of riding."

This is all… I don't even know what to think of it. It's like Julie put together an entire case in my defense, and now she's presenting it with a confidence I always knew she had in her.

Maria’s gaze lifts to someone out of the frame. "And what's your take on all of this, Mr. Frazier?"

My heart leaps into my throat, my breath stops, and I stare so hard at the screen, it might just break. Riley swings the camera around, and I see him. David.

And as soon as the camera turns on him, I know he was the one who orchestrated all of this. He wouldn't have been there otherwise. Honestly, the fact that he's there now is… baffling. The David I knew wouldn't have wanted to rock the boat.

"My take is that… I'm the reason he got suspended in the first place, and I think it's time for me to say something. Yes, Mr. Morrison and I were dating. I cared… I care very deeply for him."

I let out a shaky breath, my heart squeezing on those words. Some cynical side of me tries to cut in—to tell me that's not what he really means—but I just can't listen to it right now.

"But it was never going to interfere with my daughter's education, or the way I raise her at home. I can promise you Jake didn't treat Riley any differently because of our relationship."

"Nope," Riley puts in, "trust me. Same assignments, same tests, same grading scale as everybody else."

Maria sits forward in her chair and laces her hands together, letting out a sigh. I know that routine. That's what she does right before she's about to deny one of my crazy requests.

"I can tell Mr. Morrison is well-loved. Believe me, you all aren't alone. But the rules are in place for a reason. I'm sorry. The suspension stands."

Impassioned pleas follow, and eventually I hear David corral the kids and lead them out of the room. As the video draws to a close, Riley turns the camera around on herself and makes a face.

“Well, that was a shit show."

And then it cuts off, and I'm still just staring at the screen. Staring at it so intently that I don't realize I'm not alone. I haven't been alone this whole time.

"Soooo…" Travis starts, in a tone I've come to know all too well. "David organized a bunch of teenagers to fight for your job?"

"Looks that way," I murmur, stunned.

"What the hell are you still doing here then?"

And that is probably the best question I've ever been asked. Apologizing to Shane and Travis—who are practically shoving me off the porch—I grab my coat and point my truck toward David's.

* * *

My heart pounds as I head up to his house, taking the path in fast, sure strides. I rap on the door, that fluttery feeling spreading from my stomach to everywhere in my body as I hear him call from inside.

This is it. This is the moment I finally take a chance; face down the risk of being rejected a second time. Because either way, David's worth it, and I honestly can't fight the truth any longer.

He pulls open the door, a bewildered look on his face. "Jake?"

"Riley sent me the video," I say, breathless despite how little physical effort it took to walk up here.

"Oh," he says with a frown. "Yeah, I'm sorry we couldn't—"

I don't let him finish. Something in me just needs to convey why I'm here in the shortest, most undeniable way possible. So I step forward, take his face in my hands, and kiss him.

He's still at first, and for a moment, dread starts to dampen that hope I've let build in me. But then he kisses me back, and it's like we were never apart. His lips meld to mine, move with mine, and we find our way back to each other in the best way possible.

"Well, hi to you too," he says after we part, his voice a touch deeper. His brow knits, and he says, "I don't understand. If you watched the video, you know we failed. We weren't able to get the suspension lifted."

I laugh softly, taking another step closer so I can rest my forehead against his, my thumbs stroking along his cheekbones. His own hands slide cautiously to my shoulders, then around my back.

"I don't care about the suspension, David. It'll be over in another week."

"But…"

"I don't care about the suspension," I repeat. "I care about you. You went through all of that, got all the kids together just to confront my boss. Why?"

David looks down briefly before he lifts his green eyes to mine once more. "Because I thought maybe if I could get your job back a little early, you'd forgive me for being such an idiot." He lets out a breath, and his hands come up to cover mine. "I never should have sent you away. I was… freaking out, and I didn't realize how much… how much I needed you."

A swell of emotion rises in me, overflowing into my expression. "Been there, done that."

David laughs, but his eyes stay on mine. He's searching for something, hesitating, his lips parted like he wants to say more.

This time, I think I know what it is, and I decide to take that leap for us both.

"I love you, David. I know that may be too much for you right now, but it's how I feel, and I'm tired of keeping it to myself. I want to be with you, no matter what we have to do to make it work. I want to be a part of your family, if you'll let me."

I can feel that panic starting to take hold; that fear that's written so deeply into my soul that it's hard to shake it. But as soon as I utter the words, David's gaze softens, and I can see he's not going to reject me.

"I love you, too," he says, his fingers lacing with mine. "I never thought I'd say that to anyone again, but it's true. It's been true for a while, I think. And Riley and I… we'd love to have you as part of our family. I'm pretty sure she'd lock me out of my own house if I didn't find a way to make it up to you, so…"

I laugh, then lean in to kiss him again, pure joy coursing through every part of me. I've spent so much of my life fending for myself, keeping those closest to me at a distance.

But this is it. I can feel it with every fiber of my being as I kiss David. This is what I've been longing for; what I've needed all this time.

A partner who'd go through hell and back for me.

Or at least down to the principal's office.