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“And?”
“And I have a lot of peace about turning in my resignation. And doing the bookstore fulltime. And Grandma reminded me that the store is mine to do what I want with—and that she knows I’d be happier there.”
“So what’s stopping you?”
“I’m going to have to fire the daytime staff at the store. None of them work a ton of hours, but I know I can’t afford to keep them. I feel bad.”
That was fair. School teachers never really had to fire anyone, but I’d given my share of Fs. I never enjoyed that, but it had to be done when the work wasn’t right. “I get that. But sometimes you have to do what’s right, even when it’s hard. What if they’re ready to move on to something else but they haven’t because they saw how badly you were shaken in December?”
“I guess that’s possible. I did hire them as seasonal help.” Megan drew in a noisy breath. “All right. I’m putting in my notice tomorrow.”
I grinned. “Good for you. Your last day will be…?”
“Um. Hang on, let me put you on speaker.” The tone of the call changed. I grimaced. I hated speaker phone. “I have to look at the calendar. I probably shouldn’t leave on a Tuesday, right?”
“You can, but it’s weird.”
“The twenty-seventh is a Friday.”
“Do that.” It was still two weeks. And Fridays made easier ending days than Tuesdays. “You can let your employees know you won’t need them after the twenty-eighth and then start fresh on Monday.”
“I can. And I will.” Megan’s whole tone was brighter. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I’m going to hold you to it this time.” Because this was the second time we’d talked through plans for her to quit and move to the bookstore full time. Megan had used the whole mess with Whitney and her sister to get out of it in December. But now there was no excuse.
If only it was as easy to figure out my own life as it was to organize someone else’s.
* * *
“Megan saidyou had a good lunch yesterday.”
I raised an eyebrow at Austin’s greeting as I closed his classroom door behind me. “Happy Monday to you, too.”
Austin shook his head, but offered a grin. “Yeah, yeah. So? You going to be Mrs. Youth Pastor?”
I winced. “Let’s not ever call whoever Luke marries that. Okay? That’s…awful.”
Austin laughed. “You’re not wrong. I didn’t really think it aloud before I said it. But I also deduce that you’re dodging the question.”
“Not dodging. We had a good lunch.”
“And?”
I dragged a desk closer to his and sat before unpacking my food. “And the trip to Mexico at spring break sounds like it’ll be really focused on service and spiritual development.”
He cocked his head to the side, and I looked away from his scrutiny. “No beach trips?”
“Not one.” I unwrapped my sandwich and took a bite. I wasn’t in the mood for ham, but it was what I had. So I’d choke it down.
“You’re going to make me volunteer, aren’t you?”
I heard the teasing in his voice, but it rubbed me like coarse sandpaper. “No, Austin. I’m not. If you don’t want to help out, then you shouldn’t. Go on back to the Caymans and spend your break sunning yourself on the beach.”
I scowled down at my lunch a moment before sliding it all back into my lunch bag. “I’ve got some programs to grade. I’m going to skip our little chat today.”
“Hey.” He stood and followed a few steps behind me.
I ignored him and hurried through his door, out into the hallway. I heard him say my name, but didn’t turn.
