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“I know, honey. It’s just a shame what a waste it all turned out to be. Bryan really is a nice boy.”
She needed to change the subject. Talking about anything else was better than this. “So have you guys decided if you’re going to put the house on the market?”
“The for-sale sign is already in the yard.”
“So fast?”
“Yes. The first open house is this weekend.”
After hanging up, Paige shoved the conversation to the back of her mind. Bryan couldn’t ruin today. From time to time, men make mistakes.
Mistakes and choices were two very different things.
She pulled on jeans and a loose knit shirt. From the paperwork she’d received it looked like they’d be in and out of training for most of the day, but maybe she’d be able to stay late and start putting together her classroom. If so, that would be dusty work that included a lot of time organizing books on the floor. Jeans wouldn’t impress her coworkers, but they were the best option.
She’d walk to work as long as the weather stayed nice. Doing so didn’t leave her a lot of time for breakfast this morning, but it would help her save money to put into her dream-house account. Living with Maggie so far seemed fun, but Paige needed to prove to herself that she could make it without depending on anyone else.
The mouthwatering smell of baked cinnamon and frying bacon propelled her out of her bedroom. Grabbing her bag, Paige rushed out to the kitchen.
Flour and eggshells covered the large island in the center of the kitchen, and Maggie whirled around, grabbing muffins and restarting the coffee machine. She wore her curly hair clipped back.
An elderly woman teetered by the sink, loading dishes into the washer. Her nylons wrinkled around her ankles like elephant skin, and her flowered dress would make a queen bee envious. A silver waterfall of hair dived down her back.
Maggie noticed Paige and smiled. “Sorry about the mess. Breakfast is the busiest time around here. Every room is booked today with people trying to take in the last of the summer.”
“Right.” Paige laughed. “I forgot the whole breakfast part of a bed-and-breakfast.”
“I’ll see you after school.” Maggie backed through the set of doors that led to the hotel portion of the inn.
The old woman dried her shaky hands off on a kitchen towel. “You must be the pretty new schoolteacher that Magpie told me about. You’re going to be the one teaching Shakespeare and those sorts of books, right?”
“Yes, I’m Paige.” She extended her hand.
“Ida Ashby. I live right next door, and you’re welcome to pop by any old time.”
“Thanks. I better head out to the school. I don’t want to be late on my first day.” With the kitchen looking like a Tasmanian devil had spun through it on a tirade, skipping breakfast sounded like the best option.
“Wait one moment, dear, and I’ll walk halfway there with you.”
“Mrs. Ashby, there’s no need to—”
“And it’s just plain Ida, if you don’t mind.” Ida pulled her coat down from a peg by the back door, scooped up a bundle of flowers from the counter and motioned for Paige to leave with her.
Paige took a deep breath and followed after. The sound of Lake Michigan lapping against the shore worked the tightness from her muscles. She batted away the earlier conversation with her mother. Today she’d focus on new beginnings.
Ida looped her arm through Paige’s. The skin on her hands was thin and delicate like the finest tissue paper. “I like to come help Maggie sometimes in the morning when I’m feeling up to it. The poor dear is always taking on too much alone. I’m glad she has you for companionship, at least for a little spell.”
“Have you lived next door a long time?” Paige matched her longer strides with Ida’s shorter, slower pace.
Good thing she’d skipped eating at the inn. If Ida changed her mind and decided on walking the whole way to school, Paige might end up very late.
“Oh. Long enough. I came to Goose Harbor with my husband many years ago.” Ida unwound her arm from Paige’s and stopped as they approached a small bridge.
A metal railing bordered the sidewalk to protect people from falling off into the stream below. Water churned over rocks and surged down a path that led to a mill. The wheel of the mill slapped the water in a steady rhythm. Below the mill, the water pooled, creating a large pond where ducks squawked at each other and sunned themselves on the muddy shore.
Ida shuffled to the edge of the metal fencing. “Here’s the place. It’s kind of you to be company for me on my errand today.”
Errand?
Paige hooked her hand on the strap of her messenger bag and took a step backward. “Actually, I need to make sure I get to the school on time.”
“It’ll only take a moment.” Ida tugged a dead bouquet from the railing and handed it to Paige.
The dried buds crinkled in her hands. Paige peeked at her watch. Fifteen minutes until she needed to check in at the gymnasium.
Ida worked the fresh bouquet into the place where the decaying one had been. Her fingers shook, making her miss the metal rings a couple of times. “I leave new flowers here every week for my Henry.” Ida pressed her palms to her lips and kissed them. Then she fanned out her hands in a gesture that sent the kiss down the river. “He fell right here. We were on a morning walk and his heart failed him exactly where you’re standing.” Her voice grew softer with each word.
Paige cupped Ida’s hands. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Oh, it’s been years now.” Ida let out a long breath. “But I still miss Henry every single day. That’s how it is with true love, you know? It doesn’t go away just because the person does. Your heart just keeps right on waiting for them.”
If true love existed, maybe Ida was the only one to have found it. Because Paige sure hadn’t. And neither had her mother. Men like Henry no longer existed.
“I’m sure Henry was an amazing man.” Paige offered a reassuring squeeze.
“He served as mayor to this town for thirty-six years. A very good man. I know some people think I’m silly for leaving flowers here every week. Thank you for being kind to a crazy old lady.” Ida’s eyes filled with tears.
“No, thank you for letting me come along.” Paige bit her lip. She’d be late to work, but seeing Ida like this tore at the raw place in her heart where Paige stored her own hurt and pain. What would it be like to love someone like Ida loved her Henry? “Are you going to be all right? I feel bad leaving you here like this.”
Ida pulled a handkerchief from her purse and dabbed at her eyes. “Don’t worry about me. People see tears and get all flustered and want them to stop. But know what I say? It’s okay to mourn the life you thought you were going to have. You can’t heal if you don’t allow yourself that much.”
“As long as you’re sure you’re okay.”
Ida smiled, revealing a smudge of red lipstick on her front tooth. “Now, you better skedaddle on down to the school, and I’ll go on back and help Maggie clean up. If I made you late, just tell them you were humoring Ida and everyone will understand.”
Paige jogged into the parking lot with two minutes to spare. She joined the line of teachers near the end of the gymnasium.
A woman with spiked black hair, who looked about her age turned around and offered a smile. “I’m Bree. You must be the new English teacher.”
Maybe she looked as out of place as she felt.
Paige clutched the strap on her bag. “Am I the only new person this year?”
“Yes, and it’s been the talk among the teachers for the past week.”
They arrived at the temporary desk set up near the front of the large room. Portable tables and chairs arranged in four rows occupied most of the space in the gym. Paige and Bree each gathered a training manual and a teacher binder.
“Want to sit with me?” Bree snagged a table two rows back, near the edge.
“Definitely. I don’t like feeling like the only one here no one knows.”
“You’ll be fine.” Bree opened her binder. “I hope you slept well because these teacher-institute days are boring, but you probably know that from your last position.”
The principal strolled up to the microphone near the front of the gym. “This is your warning. We’ll start reviewing safety protocol in five minutes, so if you want to grab a bagel or coffee, I’d do so now.” In jeans and a hooded sweatshirt bearing the school’s name and a roaring panther on his chest, the man didn’t look his age.
Paige leaned closer to Bree. “In Chicago, I sat through a training with five times as many teachers crammed into a smaller room with no air-conditioning.”
Bree scrunched her forehead. “Well, that explains it. We knew whoever got hired must have amazing experience.” She jutted her thumb to indicate a woman seated in the back row. “Steer clear of Amy Lambert, okay? She works as a part-time aide and applied for your position. To say she was angry about getting passed over for the job would be an understatement.”
Paige peeked over her shoulder at Amy. The woman’s head was bent down as she read something on the table in front of her. Her brown roots showed along the part of her bleached blond hair. She wore a deep purple suit, which made her the best dressed person in the room.
A couple of teachers shuffled by with plates full of fruit and Danishes.
Paige pressed her hand over her stomach when it grumbled. “I think I’m going to go grab a bagel. Do you want anything?”
Bree yawned. “A cup of coffee would be great.”
When Paige made it to the back of the room she found a couple of onion bagels and a pile of energy bars. The bars looked like freebies that had spent the better part of a year stuffed in the back of someone’s filing cabinet. An onion bagel would have to do. Next, she made her way to the coffee machine.
“If everyone could please take your seats I would like to begin.” Principal Timmons’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker.
Paige snatched her plate and Bree’s cup of coffee and whirled around to rush back to her table.
Instead she smacked into the man standing behind her. Caleb. Of course.
Coffee splattered across his shirt and ran down her arms. Caleb yelped and all the papers he’d been holding fluttered to the ground.
The foam cup hit the floor with a loud, hollow thunk.
Was everyone staring at them? Klutz. That would be the first impression she made to all her coworkers.
Paige rapid-fire blinked. “I didn’t know you worked here.”
“So you pour coffee on me?” Caleb laughed.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Paige grabbed a wad of napkins and dabbed at his soaked oxford shirt.
Caleb caught her hand and held it. “Hey, I’m kidding. The coffee’s not even hot.”
“Still. Your shirt is ruined. Coffee doesn’t come out easy.”
“It’s fine.” His hand over hers was warm in a comforting way. She finally met his inviting chocolate gaze and he winked at her. A girl could get used to those eyes...lost even.
Except, Paige had promised herself she wouldn’t let another man into her life.
Breaking eye contact, Paige tugged her hand away from his and took a step backward.
She needed to be careful around Caleb. Much more careful.
Chapter Three (#ulink_ad5f0236-e0a9-5978-ad98-15e7b2d1f24a)
“Careful.” Caleb reached for Paige as she skittered backward into the table.
Her blundering caused a landslide of power bars to fall in a crescendo of crinkling plastic onto the gym floor. Her bagel bounced off the toe of his boot. He grabbed her arm before she toppled over, as well.
Coffee dripped down his side, and the front of his button-down was wet enough to wring out. Good thing the pot of coffee had been sitting out for so long that the liquid wasn’t hot enough to burn him. Or Paige for that matter.
“I’m such a klutz.” The woman turned toward him again. Paige froze when her crystal-blue eyes locked with his. She frowned, drawing his gaze to her lips. They had something shimmery on them that made them inviting.
He shook that thought away.
“We’ll have to stop running into each other like this.” He let go of her wrist.
She glanced over her shoulder and he followed her gaze. The entire room had gone quiet. All the teachers turned in their seats and stared at them. Some of them smirked and whispered to each other. There were gossips in the crowd and people who liked to cause trouble for fun. Most of them had grown up in Goose Harbor. While tourists were welcome with open arms in the shopping district, the locals weren’t always as cordial with newcomers when it came to the other aspects of town.
Something inside told him to step in front of the new teacher and block her from their scrutiny. Shield her from pain like he’d done for his wife, Sarah, and sister, Shelby.
Although a lot of good that had done them.
Principal Timmons cleared his throat over the microphone. “Caleb, I see you’ve met our new English teacher, Miss Paige Windom. She’ll be teaching freshman English and will also teach some of the senior level classes in our advanced-placement track.” Timmons pulled a stool over the floor, the metal legs clanking. “Everyone—Paige comes to us from the big city of Chicago, and I’m confident she’ll be an asset to our school.”
The woman’s cheeks turned a candy-apple red as the principal continued to talk.
Caleb reached around Paige and placed a fresh bagel on a paper plate and held it out to her.
“Peace offering?” he whispered.
“Shouldn’t I be the one making amends?” She worked her bottom lip between her teeth. “Are you sure the coffee didn’t hurt you?”
Caleb shook his head. “I was the one in your way.” He leaned closer. “I didn’t like this shirt anyway.”
Paige tilted her head. “Really? I thought you looked nice.” Then she eyed her shoes, as if they were suddenly the most fascinating things in the world. “I mean—dressed up.”
A chuckle rumbled in his chest before he had a chance to rein it in. “You know, if we don’t sit down they’ll never stop staring.”
“Right.” She spun around, but then turned back and touched his forearm before he could leave. “Would you be willing to do me a favor?”
Goose bumps raced up his arm. Probably just a reaction to the cold coffee on his skin.
“Sure.” Caleb crossed his arms.
Principal Timmons tapped his mic. “Does this thing work?”
“Please.” She studied her shoes again. “Don’t tell anyone about the other day.” Paige worked the bagel around and around in her hand.
“Of course not.”
She gave a quick nod and scurried to her seat beside Bree. Caleb leaned against the back wall of the gym.
