Page 38 of Teacher’s Pet

“You know, I volunteer once in a while.”

Rachel smiled. “Go put on your uniform, and we’ll take pictures of you.”

The kids all hated seeing Abe leave, and it was hard to get them to settle back down. Wilda stayed until lunch, then she had to leave. On the way to the car, her phone vibrated. There was a message from Rachel, along with several pictures.

I think Milo was a bit jealous of his brother today. Enjoy the pictures.

As she scanned through them, Rachel sent another one.

Thought you might like this one, too.

It was a picture of Milo sitting on the porch with Frenchie in his lap.

Not all men need to wear a uniform to be sexy. Some just need to love their dog.

Wilda got into her car and looked at the picture for a moment, then sighed and started the engine.

She tried not to think about Milo on the way home, and when she arrived at the house, Mathias’ truck was in the driveway, and the landlord’s car was parked on the street. Wilda parked next to the truck, then went inside. She found the two men in the living room.

“Sorry. Am I late?”

Mathias shook his head, and the landlord looked at his watch. “I guess I was a few minutes early.”

Wilda stepped up beside Mathias. “What can we do for you?”

“I’m giving you your thirty-day notice. You’ll need to vacate the property by the end of March.”

Mathias took a step back. “Excuse me?”

“I’ve sold the house. The new owners, of course, will want to move in.”

Wilda glanced at Mathias, then turned to the landlord. “Thirty days? We haven’t even been here a month. There aren’t many rentals in town. We were lucky to find this one.”

“Yes, you were. But now, I’m afraid, you’ll need to find another.”

Mathias held up a hand. “You can’t give us a little more time?”

“Thirty days is all that’s required by the law.” He backed up, then headed for the door. “You’ll get your deposit back if you leave the place like it was when you moved in.”