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contemplating whether to answer it. “I’ll take this in the other room. If it’s about the fundraiser, it could take a while. Why don’t you two get to know each other better while I’m gone?” Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she smiled at both of them before withdrawing to the other room.
    Tony moved to the tiled counter and placed his cup in the sink. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say she had that phone call planned so she could leave us alone together.”
    “She wouldn’t do something like that, would she?”
    Tony faced her. “I learned long ago to never underestimate my mother.” He chuckled. “Since I haven’t bothered to find a partner for the contest, she’s made a point to parade almost every single female in the county past me. I’m guessing you are her last-ditch effort.”
    His words stung. Ella attempted to shrug it off, but she couldn’t let it slide. “I’ve never been considered a last-ditch effort by anyone, least of all a total stranger—”
    His eyes widened. “Whoa there. Slow down. I didn’t mean it the way you took it. I’m sure you’d make someone else a great partner.”
    Just not him.
    If only she could get her hands on his tickets, she’d be better off finding someone else to dance with. An out-of-towner—someone she’d never see again—would be more desirable. Someone incapable of stirring up such an influx of emotions.
    She’d learned a long time ago to hide her imperfections from the world behind a veil of cloth, no matter how high the mercury rose. Her mind spiraled back in time. She recalled being a little girl and fighting her way toward the back bedroom to try to save her mother and brother. The fire had engulfed the mobile home quickly. When part of the ceiling fell, it hit her outstretched arms. Later, in school, numerous kids had made pointed comments about her ugly scars and avoided her because she was different. She’d learned quickly to keep her scars a secret.
    “You’re wrong about your mother.” Ella wanted to make sure to drive home this one point. “She invited me here so I could return something of Johnny’s. I doubt she’d try to fix you up with me, especially since she doesn’t even know me.”
    “Yes, she would. She loves playing matchmaker, but I refuse to play along.”
    “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not interested in a relationship.” When his eyes filled with skepticism, she added, “Not with you or anyone else. I already have enough to deal with.”
    “That’s good to know. I’ve got to go.” He pushed the back door open and walked away.
    He didn’t have to sound so pleased about her lack of interest in him. Ella pursed her lips as she glowered at his retreating figure.
    She had moved to this out-of-the-way town with every intention of leading a quiet life. Here, no one knew her or her past. She was just Ella Morgan, schoolteacher. And it’d stay that way, provided she got her hands on the money to save her home from ruin—
    The contest prize!
    She’d been so distracted, she’d nearly forgotten about the tickets.
    She couldn’t let Tony walk away.
    “Hey, wait.” She tore off after him.

 
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
    T alk about a narrow escape.
    Tony turned the corner of the house and stopped. But now he had another problem to deal with. He yanked the ominous envelope from his back pocket. This wasn’t his first correspondence from the school. A band of stress tightened around his chest as he scanned the brief, hand-scrawled note. Johnny’s grades showed no improvement.
    The paper crinkled in Tony’s fist as his back teeth ground together. None of the study guides or flash cards had helped. A drastic step was needed to snap Johnny out of this downward spiral.
    “Tony! Wait.”
    He lifted his head just as Ella bounded around the corner of the house. She barreled straight into him. The force of the collision caused her to stumble backward. He instinctively reached out. His hands gripped her waist, pulling