Seasons change, Juniper mused, watching as a teacher carefully removed the last of the turkeys, her movements precise and methodical.

Daniel’s head angled towards her, his undivided attention making her suddenly aware of every breath she took. That feeling when he looked her over… it wasn’t casual observation. It was recognition… or… And she wasn’t sure she’d given him permission for that, to see past what she let everyone else see. The warmth that spread through her chest was laced with something sharper, more unsettling. This is dangerous, some part of her whispered, even as another part leaned into it.

Throughout the day, the tension between their professional focus and personal undercurrents was palpable. The elementary school setting added a layer of warmth and innocence, a measureable contrast to the intensity of their legal battle ahead and the growing attraction between them.