The Princess and the Principal (The Rebel Royals 5)

Ron’s embrace had been so warm, so inviting. It had felt so good to be held, and by someone, whom she knew had only her best interests in heart. In fact, her heart was racing at the memory of being in his arms.

Wait? In his arms? That made it almost sound intimate.

It wasn’t intimate. He was Ron. Her buddy. Her friend.

Her buddy who had grown into a fine young man - emphasis on fine. Her friend whose gaze had slipped down to look at her lips. He’d looked at her and talked to her like she was the only person in the world. And when he’d asked her to dinner, her heart had actually skipped a beat.

It was madness. It was insane. He was Ron. Her heart should not be skipping a beat at Ron.

But it had.

But she couldn’t date Ron.

He was the principal at her daughter’s school. And he was her best friend. And it was too soon after her divorce. And he was a man. And she’d sworn off men for the rest of her life.

Plus, she was certain Ron wasn’t interested in her that way. He’d just been paying attention to her like he always did. He’d looked at her lips before. He’d hugged her before. It meant nothing.

Ron was a great success. Meanwhile, Kylee had been brought low just as everyone had warned her would happen if she continued on with Jason. Ron had achieved all of his dreams. Meanwhile, Kylee was just getting started, ten years late.

But it would be nice to have him as a friend again.

“You thinking about Principal Kidd?”

Kylee glanced over to see her daughter smiling with that mischievous glint in her eyes.

“His eyes totally lit up when he found out you were my mom. Just like Scooby Doo when he sees a Scooby Snack.”

Really? Just like Scooby Doo?

“Now your eyes are going all Scoobied.”

Kylee gave herself a shake and began clearing away dishes. “Ron -Principal Kidd and I… we’re just friends.”

“Best friends?”

“We used to be.” Kylee turned on the faucet to wash away the excess jelly from a plate.

“Maybe now that you’re older, you could be more?”

Oh. Oh no. Oh no, no, no.

Was that what the mischievous look was all about? Was Molly trying to play matchmaker between her mom and the principal? Kylee had to nip that in the bud.

But by the time she’d turned around Molly was gone. She’d have a talking-to with her daughter soon enough. Because dating, much less marriage, was the last thing that was on Kylee’s mind.

Chapter Six

Ron hated faculty meetings. He’d hated them when he was a teacher. He hated them even more as an administrator. Even now, when he was in charge of running the meeting, he wanted to be anywhere but in the school conference room.

He was constantly buried in paperwork, on the phone with concerned parents, getting an earful from teachers and their needs, facing issues with the school building itself, and then there were the kids. He’d rather be actively participating in any of those other activities than being trapped in an endless meeting.

Thankfully, the meeting was coming to a close. The teachers were all itching to get on the road before the rush hour hit. But when Mrs. Steen rose, a collective sigh rang around the room.

“We need to begin preparing for the state standardized tests,” said Mrs. Steen.

Jaws tensed, strained temples were rubbed, and tired eyes were rolled. For once Ron wasn’t the bad guy in the room. There was a perception that when a teacher left the classroom to join the Main Office they were going to the dark side. As if now he was on the wrong side of The Force. But they were all on the same side with the same goals; to be a force for good for the children of their community.

Aside from the common ground of wanting their students to succeed, most teachers had little appreciation for standardized testing. The current state and national testing systems were more of a comparison made amongst schools than an assessment of student achievement and areas for improvement. So, in essence, the teachers were being tested.