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  Assisting Aimee

  by Susan Stoker

  Aimee O’Brien has harbored a not-so-little crush on her school’s new first-grade teacher since the beginning of the year. Tall, muscled, with long hair and a beard, and a penchant for wearing silly ties to amuse his students…the man is too gorgeous for words. As the PE teacher, Aimee’s wardrobe consists of casual gym clothing not likely to catch anyone’s eye. So no one is more surprised than her when Tony makes his interest clear.

  Tony Santoro’s time in the military directly influenced his new choice of career—and his choice in women. He’s looking for someone of substance, and Aimee has far more to offer than just her adorably disheveled look. He can’t wait to see what’s hiding under those sweatpants and tees—but he might have missed his chance. The very day he finally works up the nerve to ask Aimee out, is the day unspeakable violence explodes in the school.

  Trapped in the gym, Aimee and Tony will have to work together to get out with their lives…and the lives of the dozens of students trapped with them.

  Author Note: In this story, Aimee and Tony deal with a threat that’s all too real in today’s society; the subject matter may be too sensitive for some readers.

  Table of Contents

  Assisting Aimee

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Discover other titles by Susan Stoker

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Aimee O’Brien smiled as she walked into Gerry Linkous Elementary School. Several of the students waved at her and some even gave her a hug as they passed. Growing up, she never aspired to be a physical education teacher, but now that she was, she couldn’t imagine ever doing anything else.

  She probably should be more concerned about cutbacks and losing her job, since many school districts across the country were cutting nonacademic programs, such as physical education and music, but the principal, Jane Allen, had reassured her she was doing everything possible to make sure the nonacademic programs were safe.

  “Hey, Aimee.”

  Aimee looked up into the brown eyes of the one man she couldn’t get out of her head. From the first day she’d met him, she’d had the hots for him. Tony Santoro taught first grade and had been hired that year. Aimee had heard several of the teachers complaining about the fact the school district had hired a male teacher, but as soon as they saw him, they changed their tune.

  Tony was tall, probably around six feet or so, had long dark hair he kept pulled back in a sexy-as-hell bun, and had a full beard. If Aimee met him in a back alley, and if he was wearing ratty jeans and a leather vest while straddling a Harley, she might have been terrified, but every time she’d seen him, he’d been impeccably dressed. During school hours, he wore slacks and a long-sleeve shirt and tie. He wore a suit jacket every morning, but usually took it off before starting his day.

  Every single day.

  He never deviated from his professional dress.

  The only time she’d seen him wearing anything else was at the school’s annual fundraising carnival.

  Aimee had to admit that jeans and a polo shirt had never looked sexier. He filled out the worn denim in all the right places, and she could make out the hint of a tattoo on his chest because of the open buttons on his shirt.

  Not only was he pleasing to the eye, but he seemed to be a gentle and good guy at the same time. At first, she wasn’t sure about him. In her experience, good-looking men seemed to know they were good looking and acted as if they were God’s gift to women. Sometimes they surprised you, but more often than not they weren’t interested in a long-term relationship.

  It was the way Tony treated the kids and fellow teachers that made Aimee want to get to know him better. He had the patience of a saint, never raising his voice to any of the students in his class, even when they were misbehaving. He smiled at all the teachers, was unfailingly polite, and all Aimee could think of was breaking through his courteous demeanor, seeing him lose that iron control of his.

  She’d heard he used to be in the military, and she had no idea how he’d gone from the battlefield to the classroom, but obviously he had…and he was good at it. But that nagging curiosity in the back of her head wouldn’t quit. She could see the passion just under his calm, controlled appearance, and couldn’t help but be intrigued by it. Aimee had had more than one dream about him showing her his true colors.

  In bed.

  Over and over.

  Until she was a puddle of goo on the mussed sheets.

  It was becoming an obsession, and it irritated Aimee. She doubted she’d ever catch his eye, not when there were so many other single, beautiful teachers vying for his attention. The other day Aimee had walked in on Marci Ringfield standing inappropriately close to Tony, running her finger up his chest and flirting as if it was an Olympic sport. Aimee had apologized, dropped her gaze, and backed away quickly. That encounter made her realize that regardless of how much she might daydream about sweaty sheets and kinky sex, and no matter that she swore she saw a gleam of interest in his eyes…it probably would never happen.

  She wore shorts or sweats to work every day. Her T-shirt and ponytail were standard work attire for her. Playing with the children and running around with them required her to be comfortable. It wasn’t as if she could impress Tony with fancy work clothes, but it wasn’t just that. She loved playing with the kids, and was usually a sweaty mess by the time Tony’s class arrived for gym class every other afternoon. Her plain brown hair, scraped knees, and five-foot-two height made her feel like just another kid around him most of the time.

  “Someone forgot their coffee this morning.”

  His words abruptly brought Aimee out of her thoughts. She had a bad habit of getting lost in her own head at inappropriate times, and she flushed, embarrassed that Tony might have thought she was ignoring him.

  “Sorry, I was thinking about my lesson plans for the day, and don’t worry, I’ve consumed more than enough caffeine to get through the morning.” The statement about the lesson plans was a small lie, but he didn’t have to know that.

  They were standing near his classroom door; it was only a few doors down from the gym where Aimee spent most of her time.

  “I was wondering if you—”

  “Miss O’Brien! Mr. Santoro!” The childish voice screeched at a volume more appropriate for an outside game of tag than a narrow hallway inside an elementary school.

  Aimee wondered what Tony was going to ask her, but didn’t have time to dwell on it as one of her favorite students, Annie, grabbed her around the waist and gave her a big hug. Aimee knew Annie’s mom was a struggling single parent, but she was doing something right because Annie was smart, funny, and always worried about her classmates more than she did about herself.

  The little girl was a tomboy down to her toes. She loved getting dirty and had no problem going toe-to-toe with the boys, not only in her class,
but those in the older grades as well.

  “Good morning, Annie,” Aimee told the little girl. “I see you’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning.”

  “Uh-huh,” she responded, letting go of her and turning to give Tony an equally exuberant hug, then turning back to Aimee. “I can’t wait until gym today…you said last time we were going to do the obbystick course like the soldiers on the base do and I’ve been practicing and I can’t wait!”

  Aimee laughed and ran her hand over Annie’s head. “Obstacle course, and you’re right, we are doing that today.” Since a lot of the children’s parents worked at Fort Hood, the Army base nearby, Aimee decided to make a game of running the kids through a modified obstacle course. So far, the classes that had gone through it seemed to really enjoy it. Aimee got a lot of satisfaction out of making exercise and being healthy fun.

  “Yay!” Annie screeched, then waved at them both and tore down the hall toward her classroom.

  “Whew, I swear some of the kids make me tired just watching them,” Aimee breathed, smiling while watching Annie half run, half skip down the hall to her classroom, forgetting for a moment she’d dreamed about being naked in bed with the man standing next to her.

  Tony chuckled. “Agreed. I wish I had half the energy they do sometimes.”

  Aimee grinned shyly up at Tony, noticing how once again he’d managed to look sexy but respectable at the same time. His white shirt looked as if it’d been freshly ironed that morning, and his tie with the snowman from the movie Frozen on it somehow made him look more masculine, rather than silly or wimpy. His long hair was in its customary low bun at the back of his head and Aimee swore she could see herself reflected in his shiny shoes.

  Rubbing a hand self-consciously on her track pants, knowing she looked as though she just rolled out of bed compared to him, she told him honestly, “You look nice today.”

  “Thanks.” Gesturing to his tie, he said, “I figured in honor of the snowstorm up in Montana today, I’d wear this tie.”

  “It’s cute.”

  He shrugged a little self-consciously. “Cute. Yeah. You know what, at the end of the day, sometimes I forget I’m wearing some of my more colorful ties, and it’s not until the lady at the checkout counter smirks at me that I remember.”

  Aimee almost reached out and stroked his chest over the tie, but restrained herself just in time. “I like it. Your students love you and love your choice of ties. Every time they come in for gym, I hear all about which one you’re wearing that day. You’re doing a great job here, Tony.”

  She swore she saw the man blush, but didn’t comment on it. There was no way he didn’t know how much his students liked him.

  “Thanks.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t sure I’d be accepted when I first started. You don’t see too many male elementary teachers these days. Especially not my age.”

  “You’re what, eighty-seven?” Aimee teased.

  “Brat.” Tony grinned. “Thirty-two, if you must know.”

  “Oooh, you’re ancient. Almost retirement age.”

  There was a small pause in their conversation, and Tony just stood there smiling at her, as if he was waiting for something.

  “What?” Aimee asked, putting her hands on her hips.

  “I told you how old I am, it’s your turn.”

  “Oh no, don’t you know it’s rude to ask a woman her age?”

  “I could guess.”

  “Good Lord, don’t do that. That’s worse than asking. I mean, if you guess too high, I’ll feel bad because you think I’m an old hag. But if you guess too young, I’ll be crushed because you see me as too young for you or something.” She hadn’t thought about the words coming out of her mouth until his response.

  “I don’t think you’re too young for me, and from what I can see, you’re definitely not too old either. In fact, I think you’re just about perfect.”

  Aimee didn’t know what to say. Had Tony just told her he was attracted to her? He went on before she could blurt out something embarrassing like, “Yes, please take me to bed and do any wicked thing you want to me.”

  “I feel comfortable in guessing that you’re twenty-eight.” When she didn’t say anything, Tony pressed, “Am I right?”

  She nodded, but narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “Yeah, but was that really a guess? You sounded way too sure of yourself.”

  He laughed outright, and Aimee couldn’t do anything but stare at his mouth. Every time she talked to him, he became more and more attractive.

  “You got me. I heard Jane talking to another teacher about how lucky they were to have you here. That you were only twenty-eight, but it was as if you’d been doing this your entire life, even though you just graduated two years ago.”

  Aimee felt a need to explain for some reason. “When I graduated from high school, I thought I wanted to serve my country and all that.” She waved her hand to illustrate all that. “I was quickly disillusioned and realized all the rules and regulations that went into military life wasn’t for me. I’m more of a free spirit and tend to make decisions on the fly. I didn’t particularly like to be told to do something that I felt was the wrong decision. Not to mention my height wasn’t exactly conducive for looking tough. I was made fun of more in Basic and at my first duty station than I ever was growing up. So I did my four years, then used my GI Bill to go to school and get my teaching degree.”

  “Good for you. The kids love PE. I’ve never seen anything like it. I would’ve guessed that most kids hate running around and exercising, especially in today’s digital age. But every single student I’ve talked to thinks you walk on water and they’d happily do suicides until they dropped if you asked.”

  Aimee felt herself blush, but brushed over his praise. She wasn’t comfortable with it, feeling as if she was only doing her job. “Thanks. You were in the Army too, weren’t you?” Aimee regretted the question as soon as it left her mouth, because Tony’s entire demeanor changed. It was if a curtain fell over his expression, as it turned blank.

  “Yeah. I did some time.”

  Wanting to make it right, but not knowing exactly how, Aimee did what she usually did—jumped in with both feet. “I’m sorry if I brought up some bad memories, but still, thank you for your service. I know a lot of people had it tough…my time in was boring in comparison. I was never deployed and feel kinda like a poser as a result. But seriously, thank you.”

  Tony ran his hand over his head and shifted uncomfortably in front of her. “No, I’m sorry. That part of my life doesn’t hold the best memories for me. I enjoyed the camaraderie and helping people who were simply trying to live their lives.”

  Aimee tilted her head at him, considering her next words.

  “Go on.”

  “Go on, what?” she asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

  “Ask me whatever it is that’s knocking around in that brain of yours.”

  Aimee laughed a little self-consciously, but asked what she’d been thinking, knowing she probably wouldn’t get another opening as good as this one. “How’d you go from there to teaching? I mean, I know how I did it, but I don’t expect you were mopping up pee from a party the night before in the barracks and decided enough was enough.”

  She honestly didn’t think he was going to answer, classes were going to start soon and they both had prep they had to do, but finally he took a deep breath and looked her in the eye.

  “I was in the middle of the most intense firefight I’d ever been in. We were pinned down in the ruins of a building by insurgents. One of my buddies was lying behind me with a bullet hole in his head. He had been talking to me one second, and the next he was dead. Bullets were flying, civilians were screaming, kids were crying…it was absolute chaos. I peeked out from behind the wall, and saw a kid, around ten or eleven, lying in the middle of the road. He was on his back, arms outstretched on either side of him, staring up into nothing. A leather satchel was next to him, with books falling out of it.”

  Tony
sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Aimee almost regretted asking, he was obviously stressed, but it was the relief she saw in his eyes at being able to talk about it that made her nod and put one of her hands on his arm in support.

  It seemed to be what he needed to continue. “The kid was on his way home from school and got caught in the middle of a hail of gunfire. He didn’t care about the Americans or the political climate. He was going about his day, trying to learn, when his life was cut short. I decided right then and there, if I got out of that fight alive, that I wouldn’t reenlist when my time was up. I wanted to atone for that little boy somehow. I wasn’t completely sure I wanted to teach, but it seemed to be what I should do.

  “I started taking online classes the second I got back in the States after that deployment. From the first time I stepped foot inside a classroom during my program, I knew it was what I was born to do. I love teaching…seeing a kid’s face light up when they finally ‘get it’ is the most rewarding thing I’ve ever seen in my life. It won’t bring that boy back, I know that, but it helps to know that I’m helping shape kids in some fundamental way. Maybe they’ll look back and remember what Mr. Santoro taught them someday.” He shrugged a little sheepishly. “Or maybe they’ll look back and think I was the biggest dork of a teacher they’d ever had.”

  “I seriously doubt that.” Aimee smiled up at him. She could tell he was being completely honest, and his story was as amazing and awe inspiring as it was heartbreaking. The more she learned about this man, the more she liked him. They’d talked a few times over the last few months, but this was the most…intimate they’d gotten. And it felt intimate. Even though they were standing in the middle of a hallway with people all around them, she could tell that Tony seemed to enjoy talking to her. It made her feel a sliver of hope that maybe, over time, he might be interested in more.

  The noise level in the hallway rose as more and more children began to arrive. “Thank you for sharing that with me. I was impressed with how well you were doing before, but now that I know a little more about you, I’m even more so.” She looked around, then back at Tony. “I have to get going. I have Mrs. Nooncaster’s kids this morning…you know how crazy they are,” Aimee said with some regret.