Love in the Dust: A Cowboy's Second Chance with a City Girl

Professional

I felt my heart thudding violently in my chest. It was wild and erratic seemingly reflecting my the chaos of my mind.

I knew I had to stop this, explain to him that this could not happen at least not here not right now, but the words won't come out. Instead, I found myself taking a small but significant step forward closing the distance just a hair.

His eyes seemed to darken even further at my action. His eyes drop to my lips before meeting my eyes again. The air between us suffocating with tension, the kind that made everything else fade away.

"Margaret," he whispered his voice a mixture of longing and restraint. He reached out his hand bringing it towards me but hovering near my face, like he wanted to touch me but was holding back, afraid of what might happen if he did.

I held my breath, I was waiting. And wanting... but he didn't close the gap. Instead he dropped his hand, a frustrated sigh leaves his lips. "We can't," he said, voice strained. "Not here."

I nodded, this words seem to break whatever spell he has me under  just enough for reality to creep back in, "You're right," I whispered. I'm fact it was the last thing I wanted to admit. Because I wanted it. Him.

He ran a hand through his hair as if he was extremely conflicted. Which I was  thankful for that as that's exactly what I felt. "But that doesn't mean I don't want  to," he said barely above a whisper.

We both stood there, inches apart, both of us caught in the same pull, the same need we both desired.

Finally, he stepped back, giving me room to breathe and most importantly to think. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said strongly but you can see the heavy emotions in his expressive eyes.

I nodded again as I was still unfortunately unable to trust myself to speak yet.
He turned on his heel and left, the door closing shut behind him. I stood there for a long moment, the heat of his body slowly fading as I stare at the empty space where he'd been.

My heart beat was still racing in my chest erratically and my mind was still going in circles. I knew that this was far from over, this was only the beginning.

The next morning, I woke up feeling a wave of unease. Sleep had been basically nonexistent, my mind kept reliving every thing, every glance, every word. I tried to push my thoughts of him away as I got ready for work, but it was no use. He was always there at the back my mind.

When I arrived at the school, I sat in my car in the parking lot, my fingers softly beating on the steering wheel. I could see his car parked a few spaces down, and my heart seemed to quicken at the sight of it. This was beginning to be ridiculous. We were both adults. We were both professionals. I couldn't let this... whatever it was, affect my job.

Taking a deep breath, I gathered my things and headed inside, mentally getting myself ready for the day ahead. The halls were pretty quiet, with only a few students walking around.I made my way to my class, the sound of my heels echo in the empty hall.

As I walked into my room, I glance across the hall, half-expecting to see him standing there. But his door was closed. I breathed a small sigh of relief and hurried inside.

I set my bag down and started getting my materials for the day, but my mind kept wandering. My eyes kept looking to the door, thinking he would walk in at any time.

Just as I was starting to feel a bit more relaxed, there was a soft knock on the door. My heart skipped a beat, and I turned quickly, half-hoping, half-dreading that it was him. But it wasn't. Instead, it was Lily on of my advanced sophomore students,

"Morning, Ms. Avery," she said. "I wanted to talk to yoU about the project I'm working on."

"Of course, Lily. What's on your mind?" I ask with a smile.

She started into an explanation of her ideas, her clear excitement was contagious. I found myself finally relaxing as I was caught up in her excitement, grateful for the distraction. We discussed her project for a few minutes, and for a while, I was able to focus on something other than the man across the hall.

But as soon as Lily left, the quiet returned, and so did my unease. I sat back in my chair, rubbing my head, trying to clear my head. I needed to stay professional. He was just a colleague. That was all.

I was startled out of my thoughts by another knock on the door. This time, it was him. He stood in the doorway, his expression guarded, his eyes looking mine.

"Morning," he said, his voice calm, though I could hear the tension.

"Morning," I replied, trying to keep my voice calm.

There was an awkward pause, neither of us quite sure what to say. The easy talking we'd shared before had been replaced by something heavier, something unspoken but undeniably there.

"I wanted to talk to you about yesterday," he said finally, stepping into the room and softly closed the door behind him.

I tensed, my heart quickening. "Okay."

He leaned against one of the desks, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, I know things got... intense. And I don't want you to think that I'm trying to make things uncomfortable for you."

I shook my head, trying to find the right words. "I don't think that. It's just... complicated."

"Yeah," he agreed, his eyes dropping to the floor for a moment before meeting mine again. "It is."

Another silence stretched between us, heavy with everything we weren't saying. I wanted to tell him that I couldn't stop thinking about him, that I wasn't sure how to do whatever was happening between us. But I didn't. Instead, I just sat there, feeling like I was teetering on the edge of something I couldn't control.

"We should keep things professional,"he said, though his tone made it sound more like a question than a statement.

"We should," I said, though my heart wasn't in it.

He nodded, as if trying to convince himself as much as me. "Right. Professional."

But there was something in the way he looked at me, something that made it clear that this was easier said than done.

He pushed off the desk, giving me a small, forced smile. "I'll see you around, Margaret."

"See you," I replied, my voice barely coming out above a whisper.

He turned and left, and I watched him go, feeling a strange mix of relief and disappointment. Keeping things professional was the right thing to do, but it didn't make it any easier. I knew we couldn't just ignore what was happening, but for now, we were both trying. And it was already proving to be a losing battle.

The day passed in a blur, each class a welcome distraction, but in the quiet moments, my mind wandered back to him. I could feel his presence across the hall, could sense the tension building between us like a storm ready to break. By the time the final bell rang, I was exhausted both mentally and physically.

As I packed up my things, I couldn't help but glance across the hall again. His door was closed, but I could see the light still on through the small window. I hesitated, my hand hovering over the doorknob, torn between the need to leave and the urge to stay.

Finally, I shook my head and turned away, deciding that it was best to go. I needed space, time to think, to figure out what the hell I was going to do. But as I walked down the hallway,