Page 149 of Chosen Road

“Because I feel guilty! I have everything, some of these kids have nothing or next to nothing. And Bill keeps putting the responsibility on my shoulders. If I don’t do it, I don’t know if he will, and it kills me that some kid isn’t getting what they need because I won’t look, and he won’t work!”

“It’s a lose-lose situation. If you go back to what he wants you to do, you’ll be exhausted and overworked. If you don’t, you’ll worry that nothing is getting done.”

“Exactly.” I held up one finger. “But! I am pushing to keep my weekly peer review meeting going, so hopefully that will help. I’m also making it clear to my younger colleagues that my door is open.” I brightened. “And you know what? Kelly and Jennifer, who are also experienced, extended the same offer.”

“That’s great!” He squeezed my hand. “You’re making a bigger difference than if you just carted the files home every day.”

“Yea!” She smiled happily.

Gus

“Tell me something good.”

“I have a meeting with Nick tomorrow and then I hope to be done dealing with the entire situation.”

“This is your good thing?” She quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

I chuckled. “Yea, I guess it is. It’s been weighing on me, more the fact that she approached you at the bookstore than anything else, but I want her to know on no uncertain terms that this bullshit has to end.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask for your bad thing if that’s your good thing.” She twisted her lips to the side, then looked at me sideways. “Tell me something bad.”

“My subdivision is closing, and Nick wants me to come back to the office.”

Her mouth rounded into a perfect circle. “Oh.” She paused. “Hmm.” Her eyes darted back and forth, looking around. “Okay. So. This is a trigger.”

“I bet. I’ll keep my same assistant, though I’m pretty sure he’s getting ready to fly the coop.”

She nodded, rolling her lips between her teeth. “Okay. Um, okay.”

I lay my hand alongside her face. “We will figure it out. It won’t happen for another six weeks. We’ve got lots of time to make a plan.”

She visibly relaxed. “It’ll be okay. Six weeks is lots of time to get used to the idea. And… I trust you.”

“It’s a solid decision, sweet baby.”

Chapter 50: Nothing Else Matters

Amber

First thing Wednesday morning, I received a summons to meet with Bill. As soon as I walked into his office, he got straight to the point.

“Your peer review program isn’t working.”

I sat down heavily in the chair across from him and did not miss the look of satisfaction that crossed his face.

“Why are you so bent on killing this? I spoke to everyone last week and they were all in favor of continuing.”

“That’s what they’re telling you. It’s not the feedback I’m getting.”

Would he out and out lie? I ran through the list of my colleagues who attended the last meeting. Not one showed anything less than enthusiasm. If I was going to challenge this, I needed to be sure. Should I go around and talk to everyone again? Uncertainty plagued me, the familiarity of it almost slipping past undetected. I looked up at him.

“That’s not true. Call a meeting right now and get it all out in the open.”

“I don’t need to do that,” he hissed.

“No, you don’t. But you are afraid to do it.”

He steepled his fingers beneath his chin. “You’re not cut out for this position.”

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