Page 64 of Made For You
Andrew: Again? WTF, Rory?
I wasn’t in the mood to deal with my brother, so I closed the message, heading out the front door when Franny sent a text that she was leaving her house.
At the school, Franny helped me rearrange the desks in the way I wanted, then we hung a few items on the bulletin boards. I knew that in high school I wouldn’t have a set number of students, so decorating my room was more or less just adding objects related to the subject I was teaching. I was certified to teach secondary school in both English and Mathematics—“overachiever,” my best friend called me. But the principal needed me to fill in the English spot when the previous teacher left. I was excited, since books and I went together like peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. It was far better than peanut butter and jelly.
Franny spent the better part of the morning learning everything she could about me and Talon and what we did the night before. Whatever anger she had toward me the night before had melted away, and now she was being the nosy best friend.
“Ms. Easterly, I was hoping I’d run into you today,” Liam Franklin said from the door that adjoined our two rooms.
“It’s Mrs. Beckett,” I said to him, loving the way the name sounded from my lips. “I got married recently. I’m waiting for the school to update my information.”
“Oh, apologies.” Liam adjusted his wire frames on his nose as he looked around my room covered in huge posters that looked like bookshelves I found online. I wanted the kids to feel like they were walking into an ancient library when they stepped foot into my class. When his eyes landed on Franny, I watched as he readjusted the glasses again and shoved his fingers through his blonde mane.
Stepping in, I said, “Franny, this is Liam Franklin. He teaches biology next door.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said. Franny was tall, but Liam was taller—something that was rare around Ashfield. “Are you new here?” It was an innocent question, since Franny and I both grew up in the area. It was rare we didn’t already know someone if they lived in town.
“I started working here three years ago, but I commuted from a town called Ainsley a couple of counties over until I found an apartment in town. I’m living above the ice cream shop.”
The two of them were still holding hands but no longer shaking. They were entranced as I stepped away, and I bet they barely even noticed.
“I love ice cream,” I heard Franny say as I stepped over to my desk and gathered my laptop. I’d spent the last month compiling my lesson plans, and I already submitted them to administration. Now, I just had to wait another three weeks for school to begin.
“Franny, I’m about done here.”
“Oh,” she said, her mouth downturned. Liam quickly suggested that maybe the two of them could go grab something for dinner.
I watched them proverbially ride off into the sunset as they followed each other out of the school and then out of the parking lot.
With the entire afternoon at my disposal, I decided to head to one of my favorite trails to use the camera Talon gifted me. Thankfully, I stowed a change of clothes in my car just in case I had the time today.
An hour later, I was standing at one of the peaks overlooking the town. It wasn’t the tallest or the most difficult, but it had a beautiful ledge that jutted out over the valley, showcasing the farms and the town in all its splendor.
I set up the camera in the same way I’d done in high school when I won my first scholarship with the image I captured. The only difference this time was there wasn’t a storm rolling in.
With a steady hand, I snapped one image over my head, to make it seem as if I was looking down on the valley from high above the tree line. Second, I settled on the ground and set up the view from the camera so that my running shoes framed the mountains and town off in the distance.
While I enjoyed the instant gratification of a digital camera, I loved the surprise of using film. You never knew what the outcome was going to be. You had to rely on your skill, your expertise.
I stored everything in my backpack and made the trek back down the hill. I was going through a mental checklist of items to pick up from the grocery store for dinner, when another call from Andrew came through. I’d ignored him long enough and took the call.
“Hello, Andrew.”
Chapter Seventeen - Talon
Despite the numerous arguments from family members over the week, Aurora and I had been able to push it all aside. She showed me pictures on her phone of her classroom. Something I could tell immediately she was proud of. She even showed me a picture of the teacher in the neighboring room who went out with Franny. Apparently, the two hit it off.
Kind of like Aurora and me.
Despite my better judgement, and the numerous times Dean told me to hold myself back, I was falling for my wife every day. It was hard not to.
Tonight was the charity event in Nashville, and Aurora and I drove up Friday evening to stay in the Penthouse Suite at the Central Wilder Hotel. We were hosting the event, which was a combination ball and charity auction. In years past, I never walked the red carpet, leaving my family members to do that part. This year, no one—except Gigi—knew I was even going to be in attendance.
As her favorite event of the season, she managed all the planning with our Wilder Hotels Team. She made sure to leave two place cards at her table that readWC1andWC2—Wedded Couple 1 and Wedded Couple 2. When I spoke to her this morning, she had been over the moon to meet Aurora. Luckily, none of the press had been able to dig up much onherexcept that her family were corn farmers in Tennessee. The only connections they reported on were with Colton and Nate, and then the two thriving businesses of The Easterly Event Venue and Show-Stopping Sweets.
Once those were mentioned, they became the focus of the articles. Aurora had told me she was thankful they spentmore time on her family than on her. She liked to say it was because she was boring, but she was anything but.
And as she stepped out of the bedroom in her dress for the event, I knew without a doubt the rest of the world would agree with me. The shimmery silver number fell down her body in a column, the bottom just barely touching the floor. Aurora stood a few inches taller than before. She usually came up to my chest, but she now stood at my neck.
