Page 7 of Wanting You

“I know, but…”

“And you said the other kindergarten teacher was Teacher of the Year? Sounds like she’d be a great person to work with! You’ll learn a lot from her, and before you know it, you’ll be getting a classroom of your own with the age group you really want.”

Nodding, he looked over at his mother. “Mom? What do you think?”

Michelle Westyn smiled before reaching for his hand and squeezing it. “I think you’re going to do a wonderful job. You’ve always been a great leader and someone who has a heart for teaching. I think those kids are going to love having you as their teacher!”

He felt himself blush at the praise. “Thanks.”

They finished dinner and cleaned up together before Tanner found himself in his room alone. Picking up the latest Steve Berry book, he got comfortable on his bed and settled in for a relaxing night of reading. Talking with his folks really put his mind at ease and as much as he had been putting pressure on himself to find the perfect job, they were right. It would come in time, and this was only the first step.

So tonight, he could relax. Tomorrow morning, he’d make sure that he was up early so that he could hopefully be the first person Principal Kincaid talked to.

Sweetbriar Ridge might not be a place he’d ever heard of before, but he had a feeling it was going to be a great place to spend at least the next year.

And who knows? Maybe Sweetbriar Elementary was ready for a new Teacher of the Year.

“It’s always good to have a goal,” he said confidently as he opened the book to chapter one. “And it’s even better to achieve it.”

Chapter Two

School was going to start in a little over a week, and Chloe was totally ready to go. She still hadn’t heard back from Kimberly, but she was going to talk to Principal Kincaid later today when she went in to start setting up her classroom.

In the meantime, she was meeting Ashlynn for breakfast over at Books & Beans.

She arrived early—because she was always prompt—and went inside to chat with Billie and Jade and see what kind of goodies were in the bakery case today.

“Hey, Chloe!” Billie called out as soon as she walked through the door. “I thought you were starting work on your classroom today.”

Moving over to the counter, she smiled. “I am, but Ash and I are having breakfast first. Do you have time to take a break and join us?”

“Um…maybe? I’ve got some stuff in the oven, but once it’s all out, I’ll try to come sit for a little while.” She pointed to today’s cakes and cookies. “What are you in the mood for today? A muffin? Pound cake? Scone?”

“Hmm…” Leaning in, she looked at everything and wished she could sample it all. “I think I’m going to go with a chocolate chip muffin please. And some tea.”

“You got it!”

The bell over the door jingled, and Chloe turned and saw Ashlynn coming in with a big smile. They hugged before her sister frowned at the bakery case. “Still no chocolate croissants? Seriously, I’ve been lobbying for them for like…a year! Come on, Bill!”

Their older sister gave her a stern look. “You are literally the only person in this entire town who has ever asked for chocolate croissants. Everyone else loves what’s on the menu. If you want one so bad, maybe you can figure out how to bake it yourself!” Then she spun away and stormed off to the kitchen.

“Wow, someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” Ash murmured. “Jeez, I mean…it was just a suggestion.”

“You didn’t even say good morning or even hello to her. You just started complaining about croissants.”

“Because chocolate croissants are delicious! And if other people were given that option, they’d rave about them too! It’s like nobody listens to me!”

“Okay, let’s change the subject,” Chloe suggested before frowning. “Although now we need someone to finish our order. Billie was making mine…”

Just then, Jade stepped out of the kitchen, smiling at them both. “Hey! I’m guessing one of you pissed off the baker?” she teased.

“Um…”

But she waved them off. “It’s okay. She’s been a little tense today, and I’m not sure why.”

“So it really wasn’t my fault,” Ash reasoned.

“Well…”

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