It Started with a Crush by Piper James

Chapter One

Sage

Iwas a hot mess this morning.

The power went out at some point in the middle of the night, resetting my digital clock, which meant my alarm didn’t go off when it was supposed to. I always set an alarm on my phone as a backup, but I’d been so exhausted last night after spending the whole day prepping my classroom, I’d totally forgotten. Which meant I overslept.

Then I’d wasted precious minutes running a straightening iron through my hair, only to have it immediately frizz up the second I set foot outside. The storm that knocked out my power had left a fresh wave of ungodly humidity this morning, leaving my skin sticky and my hair…well, it was very quickly pulled up into a messy bun on top of my head.

So glad I spent fifteen fucking minutes straightening it this morning.

Minutes I could’ve spent enjoying a cup of hot coffee at my kitchen table. Instead, I filled a travel mug and rushed out the door so fast, I forgot to make sure the lid was secure. I hadn’t even taken a sip when I arrived in the school parking lot and grabbed my things from the passenger seat with one hand and the mug with the other. As I climbed from my car, the cup tipped and the coffee spilled out, splattering against the asphalt and all over my new white tennis shoes.

So I was a messy, coffee-stained, under-caffeinated jumble of nerves by the time my students arrived and started to file into my new classroom.

The space was new, but not the faces. The school administration moved me from second grade to third, so I’d taught most of these kids last year. I smiled as I greeted them, their bright, shiny expressions making me forget my bad morning. They always had that effect on me, though.

I really loved my job.

A new face straggled in at the end, and I greeted him with an extra-warm smile as he shuffled toward my desk. He handed me a slip of paper from the office as his brown eyes darted around the room nervously.

“Hi, Daniel. I’m Miss Barlow,” I said gently.

“I know,” he said, his gaze finally settling on me. “Aunt Annabelle said you’re really nice, and I shouldn’t worry.”

“Well, she was right,” I said. “You have nothing to worry about. Go ahead and find an empty seat.”

I watched him search the room, and my heart warmed as Tyrell Howard waved him forward and patted the empty seat next to him. Daniel’s pace quickened, his expression relieved as he slid into the chair at Tyrell’s table. I smiled at them as they introduced themselves and got acquainted.

Daniel Perry was my best friend Belle’s new nephew. She married the boy’s uncle a few months ago in a scheme to trick her father, but the joke was on both of them when they actually fell in love with each other. Now, they’re blissfully happy, living their best lives like it had always been meant to be.

While I had met Belle’s husband, Ryder, I’d yet to meet his brothers—Ethan, Noah, and Chase, who was Daniel’s father. Both times Belle had tried to get us all together, something had come up and we’d had to postpone.

The four brothers owned a construction company together called Perry Brothers Construction and had moved to Red River from Los Angeles to renovate a ranch home they’d inherited. They’d only intended to stay here temporarily—they’d fix up the property, sell it, and go back to California—but with Ryder marrying Belle, I had no idea what the others planned to do.

They’d be here for a while, at least, considering Chase had enrolled Daniel in school.

As I watched the boy interact with the students around him, I was impressed. He seemed to be a bright, well-adjusted kid who made friends easily. Most of the time, the new kid was shy and nervous, but not Daniel. He had several boys leaning toward him as he flipped the pages of a book he held in his hands…something about insects and lizards.

I knew from Belle that Daniel’s mother had died in childbirth, and Chase had raised him on his own with the help of his brothers. And from what I could tell so far, they’d done an excellent job.

The bell rang, and as I walked across the room to close the door, the students settled in their seats to wait quietly. Giving them a smile, I headed back to the front of the classroom.

My day may have started out shitty, but it was getting better by the minute. I loved my job, and I was eager to start this year off on the right foot. This was my happy place—helping these kids discover their strengths and interests by keeping the curriculum fresh and entertaining—and I thrived here.

Well…most of the time.

“Miss Barlow?” Timmy Madison called out, his hand shooting into the air.

“Yes, Timmy?” I responded, internally flinching.

The kid had a penchant for asking the most off-the-wall and, sometimes, inappropriate questions.

“Why does your hair look like a bird’s nest today?” he asked, pointing to the messy auburn bun I hastily tied my hair into on the car ride over.

A few giggles echoed through the room as several students covered their mouths with their hands. Timmy stared at me unapologetically, a smirk on his adorable freckled face. That boy was going to grow up to be a comedian, no doubt about it.

My gaze moved to Daniel, who was staring at Timmy with wide-eyed disbelief. While the rest of the kids were used to Timmy’s jokes and my good-natured acceptance of his sense of humor, Daniel wasn’t. And I was sure he was mortified by his classmate’s apparent disrespect. I didn’t see it that way—Timmy always expressed himself through humor and tended to shut down completely if reprimanded. So I humored him unless he took it too far…which was rare.

“Because a blue jay got lost in the storm last night and needed a safe place to sleep, of course,” I answered, garnering another round of giggles.

Daniel’s gaze slid from Timmy to me, and I shot him a wink. His little body relaxed, the tension draining out of him as he realized I wasn’t mad. I called for the class to settle down, and the room quieted with two-dozen sets of clear, focused eyes watching me with rapt interest.

Yep. It was going to be a good year. Time to get it started.