Spring Rain

  Copyright © 2018 Aliyah Burke

  Cover illustration copyright © Covers by K

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system-except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the Web-without permission in writing from the publisher or author. The unauthorized replication or allocation of any copyrighted work is illegal. File sharing is an international crime, prosecuted by the United States Department of Justice and the United States Border Patrol, Division of Cyber Crimes, in partnership with Interpol. Copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is punishable by up to five years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000 per reported instance, and seizure of computers.

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

  Published by: Sensual Romance Publishing

  Spring Rain

  By

  Aliyah Burke

  Blurb for Spring Rain

  Sometimes new things are discovered when honoring past memories.

  Caitlyn Schneider loves teaching music even if she is considered a bit of a rebel in the school. On her own time, she enjoys hiking parts of the Appalachian Trail. What she doesn’t expect to find is a man who she’s been unable to forget since he appeared in her classroom.

  Rip Walls is a cop, K9 handler, and most importantly, a single father. With his son almost being expelled, the last thing he needs is a sexy distraction, one who his son actually likes, even though she’s not one of his teachers.

  A chance meeting with her while he’s out training with his partner and he realizes he can no longer ignore the spark of life she has brought to him. But while the passion is strong between them, will it last once they’re back and amongst the rest of the world?

  Dedication

  Thanks to DH for the unwavering support.

  To the readers, as always, y’all are incredibly amazing, thank you for everything.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  About the Author

  Additional Books by Aliyah Burke

  Chapter One

  “I don’t know what else to do, Simon. He keeps going at this rate and he’s going to get his ass kicked out of school. Then I’m going to kick his ass for that.”

  Rip Walls pushed a hand through his shaggy hair and cracked his neck as he sat in the parking lot of the school where he was supposed to meet his son’s teacher.

  His cousin Simon Frederick cleared his throat on the other end. “Have they given you any options or suggestions?”

  “Yes, the latest one was stay home and be there for him.” He clenched his fist. “Because I love being away from him.”

  “Come out here to the Ozarks and work for Richard at Fox’s Metal Works. I know Richard would be thrilled to have another dog handler on staff.”

  He turned his gaze to land on his Giant Schnauzer Abel. The dog rested without a care in the world in the back of the large SUV, well aware if he were needed, the call would come. Right now, he slept, uncaring about the nerves pouring through Rip. Abel wasn’t a dog who reacted to every single response his own body gave out but looked for certain cues.

  Stressing over his son’s impending expelling...apparently wasn’t one of them.

  “Maybe I will. You sure he’d be okay with me?”

  “You’re prior military and law enforcement. Yes, he will be. I’ll put a bug in his ear, so think about it. This may be the change you need, to get away from the memories there.”

  The wind swirled the snow around outside the Yukon and he nodded. “I will. I have to jet, so I’m not tardy for the meeting with the principal.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time,” Simon joked. “I know how you were in school.”

  He joined in, grateful to have something to smile about. Lord knew, this visit wasn’t anything he would put on that list. “Thanks. I’ll let you know how this goes.”

  “Good. I’ll look forward to your call.”

  Seconds later, he was alone with his own wayward thoughts. Another glance to Abel and he opened the door. “I’ll be back, boy.”

  Abel yawned and flopped over on his side. This was their vehicle, not work, so the dog remained so much more relaxed.

  Zipping up his bomber jacket, he hurried through the increasing snow. “So much for spring,” he muttered, yanking open the school door.

  Twenty minutes later, he walked down the hall to a different part of the school where the principal told him his son would be waiting for him, after reminding him once more that the teachers had more than one student and couldn’t devote all of their time to a child set on creating distractions and problems. Steps echoing as he moved through the building, he stutter-stepped when a low, husky lilting laugh emerged from one room and wound around him. It set parts of him afire that had been dead for years.

  “Are you for real, Ms. Schneider?”

  This was a twofer in the shock department. The voice that was so potent to him and that his son was engaging with her, by all appearances, without any of the anger he’d just got finished being told was there all the time.

  “I am, Mr. Walls. That was the first time I was kicked out of school.”

  Who is this woman and why is she talking to my son about her first time being kicked out? I thought my son was supposed to be with a teacher.

  “So it happened more than once?”

  Rip growled low in his throat. His son getting the idea it would be cool to continue to miss school isn’t anything he wanted to deal with on top of the other issues alive between them.

  This woman, whomever she was, this Ms. Schneider, shocked him with her response.

  “Unfortunately, yes. I was kicked out of three more schools after that. And it wasn’t worth it. I didn’t like school and I wanted to be anywhere but where I was, but not having that, not having the friends and learning, I was even more miserable.”

  “Did they tell you to talk to me?” Defiance crept in his tone and Rip reached for the door refusing to have his son be disrespectful to a woman. Surely some of the manners he had while growing up still remained somewhere inside that churlish attitude.

  “No. I don’t work that way, Mr. Walls. You’d know that if you ever took one of my music classes. I’m a straight shooter kind of teacher. May I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.”

  Rip could hear the reluctance in his son’s tone. His cop mind automatically went to his son being seen as a suspect and being questioned without his permission or without him there. He began to step in the room to stop the interrogation when she spoke again.

  “I see you outside at recess sometimes, listening to your headphones. What kind of music do you have in your playlists?”

  “You’ll laugh at me.”

  Rip easily imagined his son standing there, arms crossed in defiance, lips turned down as his brown hair fell forward over one eye.

  “Never,” she insisted immediately. I love music and I’m always on the lookout for new artists to try. Simply wondering if you have any suggestions for me.”

  The squeak of his soles came before more silence. “I don’t like heavy metal, like my shirt may suggest. I have people telling me what I should listen to, who the hottest bands are and all of that.”

  She grunted. “What do you like?”

  Rip found himself falling under the sway of her lilting voice, ready to tell her what kind of music he enjoyed as well. Which quite honestly, wasn’t something he listened to much at all.

  “I like classical. It calms my mind.”

  “I completely understand that. Bach does that for me. I’m not into Beethoven, I like some but not all. Who do you like to listen to?” Pure curiosity lined her tone, not something fake to try and get someone on their side. But he could hear her practically leaning closer to his son, waiting for his response.

  “Chopin and Tchaikovsky are two of my favorites.”

  “Nice picks. One of my all time favorites is Puccini and Nessun Dorma. The depth of emotion that I feel when it plays, well... it can’t be measured. But I do love some of those lesser known composers as well. Soundtracks and well, pretty much anything. It touches me and I never have to explain why I like it. And you shouldn’t have to either, correction, you don’t. So, regardless if you love classical or even heavy metal. Don’t ever let anyone try to make you feel less, because of that choice. Music is subjective and you need to nurse the sound that moves you.”

  “I wish my father felt that way. He doesn’t seem to think that music is important.”

  Rip blinked and desperately thought to a time he would have ever told his son this. And the fact his boy was opening up to this woman, well, it bore more looking into.

  “Well, if you ever have to wait for him again, you are most welcome to come hang out in here and we can listen to whatever you want.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Schneider.”

  Rip cleared his throat and knocked on the door before opening and entering the room. It was good-sized, like most music rooms he’d been in. While there weren’t that many, but he had been in a few in his day. “Ian?”

  His son shot too his feet, expression sullen and defensive as if he knew he was in trouble for making his father come down and have a talk with the principal.

  “Wait in the car.”

  “Hello, Mr. Walls. I’m Ms. Schneider, the music teacher.”

  She slipped between him and his son, drawing his eyes to her. A move he knew to be protective and he wondered why she was that way toward his boy.

  It wasn’t just her voice that killed him. She was beautiful. A stunning heart-shaped face dipped in toffee. Her black hair was pulled up and away from her face, allowing him to see the shape even better. Sparkling brown eyes met his.

  It took him a moment to realize she was holding out her hand to him. He gripped it before she could pull it away and remove the opportunity to touch her.

  He shoved his lust for her into a box and slammed the lid on it before planting his size thirteen steel-toed boot on the entire thing, determined to ignore the trouble, waiting for him.

  “Ma’am,” he said. He didn’t want to release her but did and loved the slight flush her skin took on as she clasped her hands in front of her.

  Snapping his focus back to his son, he jerked his head toward him then the door.

  Ian shouldered his bag then with a final look to Ms. Schneider, headed out of the room while his shoulders drooped as if he carried the entire weight of the world on them.

  “May I have a word with you, Mr. Walls?”

  “About?”

  She cocked an eyebrow at his sharp tone before she scowled at him. “Never mind. I can tell you’re too busy for anything else. Have a good day.” She whirled around and went back to the desk in the corner.

  What’s her problem? “What?”

  “I said good day.”

  Hell, if she’d stomped her foot and pointed at the doorway he wouldn’t have been surprised. He allowed himself a moment to trail his gaze over her curves. She was a woman you would know you were holding, not all straight angles but curves and softness. The way her skirt hugged her ass, he was momentarily jealous.

  “Good day, Ms. Schneider.” He walked out of the room before he did something stupid like kiss the woman, just to see if that shine on her lips tasted of something fruity, minty, or sweet. Or if it was just clear and he was able to taste her.

  A thought that took his mind down a road he really didn’t need it heading down.

  Ian waited just around the corner, the defiance and anger in his expression set his own on edge.

  “You and I need to have a talk,” he told his son.

  “Whatever,” the boy said and struck off down the hall, leaving him to follow.

  Things had been so much easier when Janet had been alive. The home life had been better. Everything had. Right up until the day that drunk driver took her from them both and sent them into this vortex he’d been unable to find a way out of at this point.

  No words were exchanged as he drove them back to the three-bedroom two bath ranch they had in town. Rip had plenty of things he wanted to say but each time, he noticed Ian’s earphones were in and he left him alone.

  There would be plenty of time for them to talk when they got home.

  Two weeks later he was in the same situation, walking down the hall toward the music room because his son had once again gotten into trouble. This time he was in uniform and was on edge, the principal irritated the hell out of him.

  “You need to keep your voice down.”

  That command came from one Ms. Schneider, he knew the voice well for it haunted him in his dreams. The only time he could allow himself to lower his guard and experience what he wanted from her in real life. Her touch on him. Her body against his.

  Her.

  “You know it makes perfect sense why he likes you. You’re one who causes problems as well Cait. Never one to toe the line.”

  He narrowed his eyes, this man to be so familiar with her and to sound so dismissive.

  “What makes sense is that I treat him like a human being. Not the scourge of the earth. He’s a boy. A lost boy and your way, along with the rest of his teachers, isn’t working. I don’t know try being nice to him. Ian is a smart boy and not half as contrary as you make him out to be. You just are lumping him in and treating him as if he’s horrible. You should be ashamed of yourself, trying to consider yourself a teacher. Oh, you don’t have permission to call me Cait.”

  “You don’t know what it’s like to have him in your classes.”

  “I’d love to have him in my classes. He’s a smart boy who needs some guidance, sure, but he’s wonderful and smart. This is where the fault lies on you and the others.”

  “Says the woman who doesn’t have him in her classes.”

  “As soon as he takes music, I will. Until then, I will do whatever I can to help him because y’all seem content to let him suffer your own prejudices. I’m done talking to you. Go away.”

  A door opened and shut.

  Rip picked up his pace and turned the corner to run directly into a tall man with a hawkish expression. The anger on the man’s face, smoothed away instantly and he smiled.

  “How can I help you Officer?”

  “I’m looking for Ian Walls.”

  He pointed to the room to his right. “In there. Is he being arrested?”

  “No. I’m his father.”

  The man paled and nodded, recovering quickly. “He’s a great boy, we love having him.”

  “Thanks.”

  Fucking liar.

  Squaring his shoulders, he stepped into the music room once more, more than ready to see her.

  Today his woman was a vision in medium blue and white. Her skirt did things to her he wanted to. It wasn’t fair, his cock was going to punch free of his uniform pants. Thankfully his BDU’s were a bit thicker material and he didn’t think she could see the wood he was spouting.

  “Ian,” he said. “Ms. Schneider.”

  Her tone wasn’t any warmer for him than it had been for the other teacher. “Mr. Walls.” It softened decidedly when she addressed his son.

  “Goodbye, Mr. Walls.”

  αβ

  A month later...

  Caitlyn Schneider stretched and inhaled deeply as she looked around at the wilderness. She loved it out here. This was her Easter weekend and she always spent it hiking along the Appalachian Trail. It was the memory of her father who’d taught her to love the outdoors as he had. While he’d been alive, they never went a year without spending some time along the trail. As he got old and sicker, the walks grew shorter and shorter, but they never skipped.

  Sometimes, she hit areas she’d gone on before but this time, she was taking her full time and moving along it a bit more. No tent, she intended to stay in the shelters built by volunteers along the route.

  Spring was her time, as it made her feel alive. And closest to him.

  Adjusting her pack straps, she began walking, destination already in mind. She figured if she pushed hard, it would take her about four hours to get there. It was bright and early in the morning and she had no intention of pushing hard.

  One earbud in, she settled into her stride. She paused to take pictures of the new growth and just enjoy the majesty that in her eyes couldn’t be matched.

  Taking her time, she still made it to the shelter in the early afternoon. Some rain clouds were rolling in and she felt grateful she hadn’t taken much more time than she had to get to her destination. She moved from the trees to the shelter and gazed up at the Roan Highlands that she’d be heading for tomorrow.

  Weather permitting.

  The shelter was actually an old barn that had been retrofitted to be a waystation. It could comfortably fit twenty people, but as it was so early, right now, she was the only one here. She would prefer to keep it that way. She climbed into the second floor and shrugged out of her pack before rolling her shoulders, easing some of the tension that always came on day one of her hiking. Especially when it had been a while that she’d been out.

  Bending at the waist, she plucked her canteen from its hook and enjoyed a nice refreshing drink. As she was returning it to its place, the sky opened up and the rain began. For a few moments, she stood there staring out at the difference in the landscape.

  She couldn’t even see up to where she’d been looking previously as the clouds were so low and dark between her and there. The weather shifted and she rubbed her arms before digging back into her bag for her jacket.

 

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