The Lucky One(36)

“Nana told me you’re a teacher?” Logan inquired.

Beth nodded. “Second grade.”

“How’s your class this year?”

“It seems like a good group of kids. So far, anyway. And I’ve already had seven mothers sign up to volunteer, which is always a good sign.”

Moving past the kennel, they approached the small trail that led to the creek. The sun had dipped below the trees, casting the trail in shadow. As they walked, thunder boomed again.

“How long have you been teaching?”

“Three years.”

“Do you enjoy it?”

“Most of the time. I work with a lot of great people, so that makes it easier.”

“But?”

She didn’t seem to understand his question. He pushed his hands into his pockets and went on.

“There’s always a ‘but’ when it comes to jobs. Like, I love my job and my colleagues are first-rate, but . . . a couple of them like to dress up like superheroes on the weekend and I can’t help but wonder if they’re nuts.”

She laughed. “No, they really are great. And I do love teaching. It’s just that every now and then there’s a student who comes from a challenging family background, and you know there’s nothing you can do for them. It’s enough to break your heart sometimes.” She walked a few steps in silence. “How about you, though? Do you like working here?”

“Yeah, I do.” He sounded sincere.

“But?”

He shook his head. “No buts.”

“That’s not fair. I told you.”

“Yes, but you weren’t talking to the boss’s granddaughter. And speaking of my boss, do you have any idea what time we’ll be leaving tomorrow?”

“She didn’t tell you?”

“No. I figured I’d ask when I dropped off the keys.”

“She didn’t say, but I’m sure she’ll want you to train and exercise the dogs before you leave so the dogs won’t get antsy.”

They’d come within sight of the creek, and Zeus plunged ahead into the water, splashing and barking. Logan and Beth watched him frolic before Logan motioned toward the low branch. Beth took a seat and he joined her, carefully preserving the space between them.

“How far is Greensboro from here?” he asked.

“Five hours, there and back. It’s mainly on the interstate.”

“Do you have any idea when she’ll be coming home?”

Beth shrugged. “She told me a week.”

“Oh . . .” Logan seemed to digest this.

All worked out, my foot, Beth thought. Logan was more in the dark than she was. “I’m getting the impression Nana didn’t tell you much about this.”

“Just that she was going and I was driving, so I’d better get my license. Oh, and that I’d be working this weekend.”

“That figures. Listen, about that . . . I can handle things this weekend if you have things to do—”

“It’s no problem,” Logan said. “I don’t have anything planned. And there are some things I haven’t had a chance to get to yet. Just some little things that need to be fixed.”

“Like installing an air conditioner in the kennel office?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of painting the door trim and seeing what I can do to get the office window to open.”

“The one that’s painted shut? Good luck. My grandpa tried to fix it for years. He once worked a whole day on it with a razor blade and ended up wearing Band-Aids for a week. It still wouldn’t open.”

“You’re not filling me with confidence here,” Logan said.

“Just trying to warn you. And it’s funny because it was my grandpa who painted it shut in the first place, and he had a whole storage shed full of just about every tool you could imagine. He was one of those guys who thought he could fix anything, but it never quite worked out as well as he’d planned. He was more of a visionary than a nuts-and-bolts kind of guy. Have you seen Ben’s tree house and the bridge?”

“From a distance,” Logan admitted.

“A case in point. It took Grandpa most of one summer to build it, and whenever Ben goes there now, I cringe. How it’s lasted this long without blowing over I have no idea. It scares me, but Ben loves to go there, especially when he’s upset or nervous about something. He calls it his hideout. He goes there a lot.” When she paused, he could see her concern, but it lasted only an instant before she came back to him. “Anyway, Grandpa was a prize. All heart and soul, and he gave us the most idyllic childhood you could imagine.”

“Us?”

“My brother and me.” She gazed toward the tree, the leaves silver in the moonlight. “Did Nana tell you what happened to my parents?”

He nodded. “Briefly. I’m sorry.”

She waited, wondering if he’d add anything else, but he didn’t. “What was it like?” she asked. “Walking across the country?”

Logan took his time answering. “It was . . . peaceful. Just being able to go where I wanted, when I wanted, with no rush to get there.”

“You make it sound therapeutic.”

“It was, I suppose.” A sad smile flickered across his face, then was gone. “In a way.”