Page 25 of When Cardinals Appear

“Well”—Nate’s shoulders visibly relaxed—“I enjoy working on cars. And you know my dad wanted me to take over. When I finished my associate degree at the community college, I switched to a trade school to study automotive technology.” He shot me a look. “Besides, I didn’t have a lot of money, and not going to a West Coast school saved me a bundle on student loans.”

Heat crept up the back of my neck. We were treading dangerously close to that elephant again. I thought fast, hoping to steer the conversation back to safe subjects.

“I’m sure your dad was happy to keep the business in the family.”

“Of course he was.” Nate rolled his eyes. “He wasn’t planning on retiring immediately. I was going to transition into the role over time. But then he had his heart attack.” He shook his head. “Following old dreams didn’t seem as important anymore.”

I turned toward the window and choked on a sudden onset of tears. I understood what he meant. Sometimes, the line between my dreams and what Mom wanted for me blurred. Guilt stirred inside my chest, and I snuck a quick glance at him. I wondered what Mom would say about my spending time with him. I didn’t really need to ask because Mom had made her feelings about Nate clear. Her words echoed in my head. Promise me you won’t settle here. Promise me you’ll build your life as far away from this town as you can. Don’t make my mistakes, Lanie.

“You said you made your peace with my mom,” I blurted out suddenly, forgetting my plan to stick to safe subjects. “What did you mean by that?”

“Nothing,” he responded a little too quickly. He meticulously pulled into the parking lot of the school and avoided my gaze. “It’s not important.”

Before I could press the issue, he climbed out of the car and moved around it to open my door. His chivalry distracted me. When I stepped onto the pavement, he offered his arm again, and I took it gratefully, sliding the bag of donations onto my shoulder. The parking lot was plowed and salted, but the temperature had dropped below freezing the night before. I suspected black ice blended in with the pavement, and the last thing I needed was to slip and fall.

“What are you donating?” I inclined my head toward the folder in his hands.

“Coupons,” he said with a wry grin. “Free oil changes, tire rotations, stuff like that.” He nodded at my bag. “What about you?”

“Some old knickknacks of my mom’s that Steven and I don’t want and that don’t have much value anyway.”

When we reached the entrance, Nate held the door open, and we walked to the auditorium. The buzz of activity grew louder as we drew near, and a wave of nostalgia came over me. Nate and I had spent most of our relationship there. Over in the back corner, Nate had asked me to be his girlfriend. And the stage was where we’d shared our first kiss. I tried not to focus on those memories, but as I looked around the room, they were impossible to ignore. Nate tensed beside me. Was he remembering our time together as well? I shook my head and forced myself to focus. Trudy had taken over the stage and was directing people left and right to set up. School was closed for the Martin Luther King holiday the next day, which made that the perfect time to host the fundraiser, right before the new semester started.

“Lanie! Nate! Thank you so much for coming,” Trudy exclaimed when she saw us. She rushed over and gave us each a brief hug. “What’d you bring me?”

Nate handed her his folder. “Coupons, as requested.”

Trudy flipped through it quickly and beamed. “Thanks, doll.” She turned to me.

“I’ve got some old figurines of my mom’s and a few other trinkets that may spark some interest.” I pulled out a few statuettes. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring much because we have to wait for the appraiser, but I thought this would help.”

“It’s perfect,” Trudy assured me. “I’ll set these up over here. Feel free to have a look around.”

“Do you mind?” I asked Nate. When he gave me a questioning gaze, I hurried on. “We don’t have to stay if you have somewhere to be.” I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.

“I’m free as a bird.” Nate gave me a slow smile that made my traitorous heart skip a beat. “We can stay as long as you like.”

I wandered around the different tables, noting Trudy had been busy that morning, setting up the area for bids. Homemade crafts were on one table, jewelry on another, and various other businesses had donated coupons like Nate did. Bea’s Diner had donated a free dinner date, complete with a three-course meal, prime seating, and bottomless sodas. A laugh bubbled out of my throat before I could stop it. Nate had won a similar date for us during our senior year. We’d gone together on Valentine’s Day, and it had been a fun evening, despite the cheesiness of the location.

“Something funny?” Nate asked.

“Just remembering a simpler time.” I pointed at the coupon.

“Right. That was a fun night. They tried to make the diner seem like fine dining, but they didn’t quite pull it off.”

I looked up at him and saw the same wistfulness that filled my chest. My breath caught in my throat, and I spun away. The elephant had returned.

“Nate, it’s nice to see you,” a voice said behind us. We turned to find a petite older woman with a plump face and salt-and-pepper hair.

“Mrs. Carlisle, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you to school on a Sunday?” Nate asked.

“Thought I’d help with the fundraiser one last time before I retire,” she said. “Ah, Lanie, how are you, dear?”

“I’m well, Mrs. Carlisle.” Oh no.

“I’m glad I ran into you,” Mrs. Carlisle continued. “I understand you’ve finished your degree in special education.”

I gave a wary nod. I knew where the conversation was going, and my stomach churned with dread. A quick glance at Nate’s clenched jaw confirmed he was following it to its natural conclusion as well.

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