Now he just had to convince her that she was, too.

“Well . . .” The teacher paused, thinking. She clasped her hands together and tapped them under her chin. “I mean . . . if it was me, I’d love a big gesture.”

“A big gesture?” Behind him, Hank could have sworn that Caleb leaned in.

“Yes. Not that flowers or dates aren’t great. They are. But it’s easy to run to the corner store and grab a bouquet of flowers, you know? Easy to make it seem like you put in effort when you really didn’t. A big gesture requires commitment, though. It requires planning. It shows that you know her enough to really understand her and what she likes, and it tells her that you’ve been taking the time out from your schedule to do this for her because she’s a priority for you, not an afterthought.” She gave him a rueful smile. “Just speaking from personal experience.”

“Sounds like,” he muttered, and Caleb nudged him from behind. He ignored that. “So . . . a big gesture.”

“Thought and effort are always appreciated,” she said with a little shrug.

She had a point. “What sort of big gesture, then?”

“You know her best. You have to decide.” Miss Mckinney beamed at him. “Becca talks so highly of you that I’m sure you’ll think of something perfect.”

Something perfect. Hell. He was going to have to give this some thought. But he nodded at her. “Well, I appreciate your time. Thank you, Miss Mckinney.”

“Please, call me Amy.” She smiled at both of them, her expression gentle. “And I really would love to meet Libby. We have a wonderful group of six children signed up for pre-K this summer, and I’d love for her to get some playmates her age. And it’s only half a day, so you don’t have to worry about her being gone for too long.”

“I . . . I’ll think about it.”

She gave a happy little clap, and he could have sworn that Caleb practically swooned behind him. “Please do,” she said excitedly, oblivious to his brother’s reaction.

Hank nodded and mumbled something about having a nice day, then hauled Caleb out of the classroom with him. He dragged his brother down the hall and out into the parking lot. Once they were there, he scowled at the man and gave him a strange look. “What’s gotten into your ass?”

“Nothing.” Caleb glanced back at the school, then at Hank. “You think she noticed me?”

“She couldn’t have missed you. You made weird noises and laughed like a donkey.”

He groaned. “I didn’t, did I?”

“You did.”

“Damn.” Caleb ran a hand down his face. “I just saw her and . . . my brain froze. I’ve never seen a more beautiful woman in my life. Have you?”