Page 14 of A Future in the Bay

She laughed as he took the tray from her. In addition to the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, there was a bowl of carrots, a side of ranch dressing, and a chocolate chip cookie.

“You want to sit down on that bench and talk about the renovations while you eat?” she asked, pointing to a wooden bench that was splashed with colors as if several kids had hurled cans of paint at it at the same time.

“Sure. You want some of my carrots?” he offered.

“No, no, you eat those. I already had my lunch.”

Isaiah sighed, since he wasn’t fond of carrots, but he couldn’t help grinning at his sister’s playful banter.

They sat down on the bench together, looking out across the playground. It was a sunny day, and the spring was getting warmer, making it pleasant to be outside in the sun. Nearby, birds chirped in tree branches which rustled in a light wind.

“It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?” she said, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

“Just gorgeous,” he agreed. “How are classes going?”

“Fun! Except one bad thing happened this morning. I had a kid—well, uh, lose their lunch so to speak, during class this morning, but their parents came to get them and take them home. I’ve been texting the mom and it sounds like it was just food poisoning or something and the kid will be better soon, so that’s good.”

“That is good.” There was a short pause, and then he said, “If it happened during the morning, wouldn’t it be losing their breakfast then?”

She shook her head at him, laughing.

“Well, I hope that kid feels better soon,” he said, taking another chomp out of the sandwich. “Now tell me all your hopes and dreams about this playground,” he said with his mouth full.

Grinning, she began to tell him where she wanted him to place everything. After he felt clear about all of her instructions for the playground, they talked more about the indoor renovations for the school. Isaiah smiled to hear how enthusiastic his sister was about the school. He was glad that he could be there to help her improve a place that she loved so much.

“Do you think you’ll be able to get all that done in time?” she asked nervously.

He laughed. “Of course! Stop worrying about that. Make me a list of what our priorities are, just in case, but that all sounds more than manageable.”

She pursed her lips. “Okay. Thanks, Isaiah.”

“You still look nervous,” he teased.

“Well—” She bit her lip, chuckling. “I know how optimistic you are. I’m just wondering if maybe you’re not really calculating all of the time you’re going to need properly. Like, taking trips to bring the lumber here, things like that.”

“I already got all the lumber,” he said proudly. “I brought it over in my truck the other day.”

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. “I would have liked to see how you managed to get all of that lumber in your truck at once.”

“It fit—but I have to admit that while I was transporting it, I nearly had a run-in with the new doctor.”

“You got injured?” she asked in concern.

“No.” He laughed. “I was backing up too fast and I almost hit her car. Almost!” he added as Olivia’s eyes widened.

“Well, I’m glad it was all okay!” Her brows rose, curiosity clear in her expression. “I didn’t know we had a new doctor in town. That’s great news. What’s she like?”

“Very pretty,” he blurted, and immediately regretted his honesty when his sister’s smile turned into a mischievous grin.

“Oh, she is, huh?”

He felt as though the tips of his ears might be turning a little pink, but he was determined to ignore the feeling. “Just… you know, objectively. She’s a woman around our own age, not an old man or anything like that.”

“Right. Because the only way to tell me that she’s a younger woman instead of an old man is by saying that she’s pretty.” Her lips twitched as if she was hiding a smile.

He wrinkled his nose at her and kept talking. “She seems like a fish out of water here, I have to admit. She’s got ‘city’ written all over her. You know, she seems on edge and in a constant hurry. That type of person. Everyone in Blueberry Bay is relaxed—people here know how to take things easy. She seems pretty out of place here.”

“Well, you’re new too. You’re also a fish out of water.”

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