Page 67 of Along Comes Trouble

TESSA

T oday’s the day.When I get home from work, I have a phone interview with a school in Colorado. It’s a good school, in a good town. Small, like Brookside and Bliss, but the curriculum looks solid and the test scores are excellent. I could be happy there. In time .

My students have been agitated today. Spring fever is a real thing and I’m feeling it as much as they are. For every time I catch a kid staring out the window, I catch myself doing the exact same thing .

“Ms. Morgan?” Claire Carmichael sticks her hand in the air and I swallow back the hurt I feel every time I see her .

“Yes?”

“Can we go outside today?” The rest of the class perks up at the question and I check the clock. We’ve already had recess and I can’t imagine what Rhonda Thompson would say if she found out I took the kids outside on a whim, but, my days are numbered at this school. What does it really matter ?

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Claire.” I let out a long sigh as the classroom voices its agreement. “We’ll take our reading nook time outside in the courtyard .”

I lead them through our science lesson, a sense of sorrow landing on my heart. I like it here at Wildland and I really don’t want to leave. Yet, I can’t imagine staying. After science, I call the office to let them know we’ll be outside for twenty minutes, and then direct the students to get their coats. The sun is bright, but it’s chilly and I’d hate for anyone to get too cold .

When we step outside, a strong breeze moves through my hair and I pause, my face turned toward the sun, a small smile pulling at my lips. Sometimes, when everything is wrong and the world seems out to get you, it’s the simple things that matter most. There’s joy in sunshine. Happiness in birdsong. Serenity in the rustle of leaves in the wind .

* * *

T he restof the day passes easily enough and by the time I pull out of the Wildland parking lot, I’m almost looking forward to the call with the school in Colorado. I have forty-five minutes to get home and prepare myself and, while I’m tempted to stop and get a coffee, the last thing I need is to caffeinate myself just in time to get nervous. I’d be smart to head straight home and mentally prepare .

When I pull into my parking lot, my heart jumps into my throat. There, parked right in front of my door, is a giant black truck with monstrous mudding tires. Leaning against the truck is a man in a ball cap, his long legs crossed at the ankles, his arms folded across his chest. I don’t remember to breathe until I pull into the spot beside him and then my pulse goes crazy, taking my lungs with it. My chest heaves and my mouth goes dry. It takes concerted effort to make myself get out of the car .

“Colton?” I ask as I stand .

He lifts his hat and runs his hands through his hair. “Hi .”

“Hi.” My God, it’s so good to see him. I want to throw myself into his arms. It physically hurts me to be this close to him. I take an uncertain step toward my apartment .

Colton pushes off his truck. “Can I talk to you ?”

Yes.

Please.

Yes.

Talk to me .

Touch me .

Hold me .

Want me .

“I have to get inside. I have a call in a couple minutes.” I check the time on my watch only to realize I don’t actually wear a watch .

“This won’t take long.” Colton smiles and I’m done for. How can I say no to him ?

“Sure. Yeah. You want to come inside ?”

He follows me to the door, and everything feels so wrong. There shouldn’t be space between us. I shouldn’t be afraid to touch him. I shouldn’t crave his touch as much as I do. A crazy thought pushes to the surface of my muddled mind. I could tell him. Tell him I don’t want to have children if I can’t have them with him. That I realized how much he means to me and that I don’t care what the future holds as long as it’s with him .

I swallow back the thought because that’s not fair of me. Not now. Not after all this time. Who knows why Colton’s here? It certainly isn’t because he needs to hear how crazy I am without him. My key slides into the lock and I step inside my apartment .

At least I think it’s my apartment .

Flowers cover every surface. So many flowers. Trays of cookies and brownies cover my dining table. I stand in the entryway and blink .

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