Love Me Back (Amelia and Daniel) novel Chapter 236

Life didn’t seem quite so hectic anymore. Maybe it was because the company had reached a point where it ran itself, or maybe it was just that things were so sweet and easy with Porcelain Doll now, there was no need to push so hard.

Amelia didn’t know, and she didn’t care to.

Whatever was going on between the two of them, it had nothing to do with her, and she had no desire to let it pollute her peace of mind.

She dropped Ruby off at the entrance to the preschool. The teachers greeted them with their usual warmth, and Ruby’s homeroom teacher pulled Amelia aside to mention that there would be a parent-child sports day this Friday.

Amelia promised she’d be there, then drove off.

A few blocks down the road, she suddenly remembered the fuzzy little puppy Ruby had made for her friend. It was still in the bag on the back seat. Ruby had stayed up late last night to finish it, insisting she had to give it to her friend today, or she’d be breaking a promise.

Amelia turned the wheel and headed back to the preschool.

As she pulled up, a sleek black Mercedes van was parked out front. The automatic door slid open and out stepped a man with striking features, holding a little boy’s hand.

At a school where the tuition was sky-high, it wasn’t unusual to see polished, well-heeled parents—money, after all, could buy a certain kind of poise. But this man was something else entirely. He looked like he’d stepped off the cover of a magazine. Chiseled features, a model’s frame, and an air about him that made even the most glamorous moms stop and stare.

Several mothers, who were in the middle of dropping off their kids, couldn’t help but gawk.

“James, who’s this?” one of the teachers asked, taking James’s hand and sneaking a few glances at the newcomer.

The man replied with a gentle, cultured smile, “I’m a friend of James’s father. His family had something come up today, so I’m helping out.”

Even his voice was deep and smooth, the kind you’d expect to hear on the radio.

The teacher was practically swooning inside, but she pulled herself together when the man asked, “Has Ruby arrived yet?”

Switching back to professional mode, she answered, “Ruby’s already inside. Her mom dropped her off early this morning.”

The thought made Amelia feel worse than if she’d swallowed a fly.

She’d tried so hard to avoid any overlap, but fate was relentless. Now, her Ruby and Daniel and Violet’s child were going to the same preschool. Of all things, that was the one she could not stomach.

That night, after giving Ruby her bath, Amelia sat with her on the bed and brought up the topic of school.

“Ruby, do you like your preschool?”

Ruby’s voice was bright and clear: “I love it! I love Ms. Jessica and my friends. And now that the mean chubby boy left, I love it even more!”

Amelia paused for a moment. “What if I told you, there are other really nice preschools too? Would you be willing to try a new one?”

Ruby looked up at her, eyes wide and shining. “Mommy, are you going to change my school? Why?”