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“Hey, you’re good.” I laugh too. “Remembering names on the spot like that.”
She nudges my side with her elbow. “And Aubrey—and Audrey—aren’t on my ‘bad list.’”
I giggle more, loving the chance to joke with a fellow educator. We’re a crazy bunch.
“Truly, you should consider it.” She pulls her phone out of her pocket and unlocks the screen. “Here, take a picture of my contact info. If you think about it, and you’re interested, give me a holler, and I’ll get you connected with the school. Believe me, they really need someone on a short notice.” She holds her phone up and frowns. “The previous teacher had to move to Las Vegas. Ms. Henning’s sister passed away a week ago, and she’s helping her niece with it all. So sad.”
I pull my phone out of my pocket and take a picture of Sherry’s information. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Oh, she was shattered about it. But I know she’d be thrilled to know a good person like you would be taking her spot. She’ll want to know the students are in good hands.”
After a little more chitchat, I leave the shop. Meeting Sherry feels like fate, and I can’t help but walk back to Marian’s truck with more pep in my step. Third grade is similar to what I handled in second grade. If Sherry was asking me about my interest in fourth, it wouldn’t have helped. I’d need to get more certification. Third grade is right up my alley, and as I get into the truck to drive home, I mentally consider my background and résumé. My degrees fit, as do my excellent grades. I’m sure the Breckenridge’s school board would be pleased with my undergrad research, the volunteer efforts, and the extra-curricular programs I either helped with or organized at my previous school. The only thing I dread is having to put my former bosses down as references. If they are contacted, they’ll share the details of what they think of me, opinions all skewed by Jeremy’s word.
But maybe Lauren will have Caleb help with that. Libel. Slander. All of it. Maybe if Caleb directs his lawyers to look into it all, this local school board won’t hear that crap about me.
If the record is set straight, I see no reason why I couldn’t work here. I’d simply have to plan for the exams to eventually authorize me to teach in this state.
I drive home excited. It’s a cautious feeling though, because so much is on the line. It seems like a spontaneous solution, one I’ve needed. I can’t see myself going back to California. The more I am here, I realize the change of scenery is good for me. Instead of sticking with where I grew into adulthood—on my own without my parents—I’m going through a rebirth here. I’m growing into my future, like I told Sherry. Lauren is my anchor, and I’m eager to stay near her, and if I could teach, that environment would complete a sense of belonging and home for me.
But what about Dalton? Staying here to teach wouldn’t guarantee keeping him in my life. Colorado is closer to New York than California is, but it’s still far.
As I drive back to the Goldfinch, I’m vibrating with the energy to tell him about my chat with Sherry. I saw how mad he was when I first told him about how Jeremy prevented me from teaching. I know Dalton cares. Not only was he concerned, I knew from the beginning that I wasn’t fooling him. He’d sensed that I was lying, and he asked me about it upfront on our hike near the resort. He’ll be so thrilled to hear this news because even though he says he only wants a hookup, “for fun,” I can’t ignore the feeling that he really does care. That he would be happy to hear about something good coming my way.
I arrive at the bed-and-breakfast and park with one goal: to find Dalton and tell him the potentially big news. He’s the one I want to tell first, not Lauren, not Marian. I want to show him my huge smile and share this hope that’s making me light up inside out. Maybe it’ll be a good way to talk about us, and figure out what his opinions are about any future, long distance or not.
“Are you looking for Dalton?” Marian asks after I’ve walked through the Goldfinch for the second time and am about to search outside.
“Yeah. Do you know where he is?”
She nods and hoists a basket of laundry higher on her hip. “He just left for a fishing trip with Caleb.”
“To the water pools near the property?”
She shakes her head. “Nope. They’ll be gone for three days.”
Shoot. So much for my plans to tell him the good news as soon as possible.
Chapter 25
Dalton
When Caleb asked me to go fishing for three days, I figured we’d have the ultimate boys’ weekend. We went out on a boat and used rods to catch a few fish. We camped the one night it wasn’t raining. And we enjoyed a fire every evening. Surprisingly, though, we spoke about business too. A lot. We’ve shared so much in our lives like brothers. In our twenties, we partied hard. Our thirties seemed to be taking off with a more mature business approach.
He told me about his plans to relocate to Colorado and make Lauren and Marian his future. I shared about my ideas of stepping away from New York City. I liked his suggestions for broadening my foundation work, and he seemed to appreciate my advice about expanding his real estate investments, like the motel he wanted to turn into simple, smaller apartments.
I returned to the Goldfinch with a sturdier outlook on life. No matter what I decide, Caleb will continue to stand by me and support me however he can. A friendship like ours is solid, and I’m damned glad I came out here to spend time with him and get to know Lauren and Marian. And Aubrey, above all.
It’s startling when we drive up Meadow Lane and I think back to when I first traversed this rocky road. It feels like it only happened yesterday, but at the same time, it seems like it was so long ago. And now I’ve only got a week left here. A few meetings are waiting on my schedule, commitments mostly with boards for my foundations. They are gatherings and appointments I really can’t miss, as some of them are yearly check-ins that should not be dismissed. Still, the idea of leaving here bothers me. Despite the relaxation I enjoyed while fishing and camping with Caleb, I’m on edge as he maneuvers the truck past the spot where I “ran” Aubrey off the road that one day weeks ago.
“I know. This road is terrible,” Caleb comments as he glances at me. “But I’m not going to veer off the mountain.” He tips his chin at me, at where I clutch the handle on the door. “You don’t have to be that tense.”
The road is awful, but that’s not why I’m so uneasy. I know his opinions, though, and it’s unnecessary for him to repeat himself. The moment I tell him I’m not looking forward to leaving, he’ll grin and tell me to just stay out here with him, then go to the city as need be.
That idea sounds better and better every time I consider it, but old vulnerabilities are hard to ignore. I want to stay here because Aubrey is here. That’s the truth. But letting her completely into my heart represents a bigger threat.
What if she cheats too?
What if she loses interest and looks elsewhere?
