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“Thanks. I need it.” I shifted in my seat. “How’s married life?”
Whitney’s cheeks pinked prettily and she laughed. “Wonderful. Beckett is thriving. He called Scott ‘Dad’ the other day. I nearly cried. It was a moment.”
“Aw.” I put my hand over my heart. Beckett was a sweetheart and I was glad he was settling in nicely with the little family Whitney and Scott had created for him. “Is Scott enjoying working for himself now?”
“Eh. Sort of.” Whitney wiggled her hand side to side. “It’s still an adjustment. And his parents are pressuring him to bring Beckett down to them so Scott and I can go on a more formal honeymoon. Something more than the long weekend we took right after the wedding.”
“Why don’t you?” If I’d married a billionaire? I probably would put my foot down and demand a month in Europe. Because, come on, money had to have some perks.
Whitney sighed. “Neither of us are sure about leaving Beckett.”
“So take him. Take Scott’s folks. Then the two of you can get away for a little while here and there but still see Beckett.” There were solutions, if she and Scott really wanted to find them. “I’d volunteer if I didn’t have to teach.”
Whitney chuckled. “Maybe in a little while. It’s nice being home and getting our routine established. But spring break, maybe. Or Easter? Down the road. There’s time to travel.”
“Buthoneymoon.” I fluttered my eyelashes at her. “Doesn’t that make a difference?”
Whitney gave a sly smile. “Not so far.”
I laughed and held up my hands. “Fine. TMI.”
She snickered. “You’re the one pushing for details.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I looked over toward the door as the bells jingled again. A group of kids from my high school wandered in, and I fought a groan. That was the biggest problem of the small-town-in-the-burbs vibe of Old Town. There was no escaping my students.
“Want to go hide in the back room?” Whitney lifted one eyebrow and jerked her head toward the back.
“Yeah. Let’s do that.” I grabbed my coat and ducked down behind the bookshelves, following Whitney to the relative safety of Megan’s office.
I was fairly certain my students knew I didn’t have a serious relationship with anyone. I heard the under-the-breath comments when kids saw me and Austin together, too. But I just wasn’t in the mood to hear them laughing about Ms. Jones in the bookstore on a Friday night.
I wasn’t embarrassed to be a nerd, but I didn’t need my face rubbed in it either.
* * *
Nerves twistedin my stomach all through the Sunday morning service. I’d overthought my outfit for so long, I was almost late. And now? I was still overthinking. Was this about chaperoning? Was it more? Both? Neither?
Ugh. It wasn’t as though I’d never dated before. I’d had a steady boyfriend all through college. In fact, I’d thought he and I would get engaged senior year and married when we graduated. Turned out he was more interested in my roommate and had been using me to be near her until he could work up the courage to ask her out. So okay, I’d had abadlong-term relationship. But still.
I knew how to date.
Megan’s elbow jabbed my ribs as she stood with everyone else for the closing song. I dragged my thoughts back to reality and joined them.
When the service was over, Megan grabbed my hand. “You can bail, you know, if you need to.”
“I’m fine. I appreciate your concern.” I rolled my eyes. “If that’s what it is.”
“Believe it or not, that’s exactly what it is.” She slung her arm over my shoulders and squeezed. “You’re nervous. I was giving you an out.”
“I thought I was hiding it.”
She studied me. “Maybe to people who don’t know you like I do.”
I’d take it. “All right. I said I’d go help stack chairs.”
“Seriously?” Megan started to laugh.
“What? He has to do it. It’s part of his job, and he was nervous about making me wait.”
