Page 58 of When Cardinals Appear

“Lanie McAllister speaking.”

“Hello, Lanie. This is Principal Wilson. Is this a good time to talk?”

“Yes, this is a good time,” I replied, trying to keep the apprehension out of my voice.

“Good. I’m calling about the special education position. We were very impressed with your credentials and would like to offer the job to you.”

“Oh, wow! Thank you,” I breathed.

“Now, I understand you already have a position you’re considering, so I wanted to give you all the details and then give you time to make your decision. Does that sound fair?”

“That works for me.”

“While you wouldn’t officially be in charge of the students on your own until next year, we’re hoping that if you accept the position, you’d start working with Mrs. Carlisle in April so she can train you. The county has granted us a special dispensation to pay for both of your salaries during your training.”

I listened as the principal continued detailing the salary and the expectations, nodding along even though Mrs. Wilson couldn’t see me. I asked about a start date and was told they would be flexible.

“Before you decide, I’d love to have you work with our students on the Presidents’ Day play. Mrs. Carlisle has done a wonderful job with the kids each year, and it would give you an opportunity to see what working in our school would be like. It’s completely optional, of course, but I encourage you to think about it.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea. When are rehearsals?”

“After school from three to five. I’ll send you an email with the official offer letter and all the details.”

“Great! Thank you so much,” I said. As I hung up the phone, the first person I wanted to tell was Nate, but I stopped myself.

Was it fair to share the news with him when I hadn’t made up my mind to accept? Wouldn’t I just be getting his hopes up if I later decided to go to California? As much as I wanted to tell him, I decided to take some time to really consider the offer. Then, if I did decide to accept it, the news would be that much sweeter, as it meant I was staying.

My phone chimed again, and I hated how my heart leapt into my throat when I thought it was from Nate. Instead, my father’s name popped up on the screen.

We need to talk. Dinner? 6?

With a sigh, I confirmed I would be there, already dreading the evening. We needed to hash things out, especially since I’d be living with him for the foreseeable future, but that didn’t mean I was looking forward to the conversation. He texted me the address of a restaurant outside of town, and I returned to the cleaning with a churning stomach.

Hours later, the carpets were drying, and a knot formed in my belly as I prepared to meet my father. I picked out a simple dress and yanked my hair into a tight bun. A quick dash of lip gloss and mascara, and I was ready to go. After tossing my keys, wallet, and phone into my purse, I headed out and climbed into Mom’s car. It ran a lot smoother since Nate’s shop had done so much work on it. I knew it would fetch a good price when I sold it, but at the thought of that, I felt a hollowness in my chest. Little by little, I lost more pieces of my mother.

As I pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, I searched for Dad’s car. It sat near the entrance, and I smiled ruefully. He probably arrived early to find a good spot. Max McAllister was a predictable man. I parked in the best spot I could find and went inside. He sat at the bar, nursing a beer.

“Hi, Dad.” I gave him an awkward hug.

He grunted what passed for a hello and led me over to the hostess stand. “My party is here, and we’d like to be seated.”

“Wonderful,” the hostess said. “Right this way.” We followed her to a booth in the back of the restaurant. My chest constricted at the distance between us and the rest of the diners. Did he request that spot because he expected a heated conversation?

“Thank you,” he said as we slid into our seats.

The hostess nodded and scurried away. I wished I could follow.

“How are you?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

He waved his hand. “No need for pleasantries. You know why we’re here.”

“To have a nice dinner?”

“Don’t play dumb, Lanie. We both know that we need to finish our discussion about your choice to leave.”

I took a deep breath. Neither Steven nor my father knew that I’d even interviewed for the local position, let alone that they’d made an offer. I’d kept it from Steven for the same reason I hadn’t texted Nate that afternoon—I didn’t want to get his hopes up. But my father would take it as a win, and I refused to give him that satisfaction, especially since I’d yet to make up my mind.

“I’m not sure what’s left to discuss.” I kept my tone light and my eyes on my menu. “We’ve both made our feelings very clear, but as it’s my life, I get the final say.”

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