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“What are you doing all the way back there?” Gladys Akon asked me as she shoved her walker to the Fan Club’s usual table at the front.
“Wanted a change of scenery.”
Millie Tomson laughed. “Honey, there’s no way the scenery is better back there. None of us have had a backside worth looking at in decades.”
“Speak for yourself,” Gladys said, fluffing her hair, which resembled a puff of cotton candy swirled to perfection. She pulled a mirror from her purse and started applying bright pink lipstick with a shaky hand.
“Sit wherever you want, dear,” my neighbor Mrs. Adams said, taking a seat at the table with them. “I bet she’s using us to shield his hotness,” she added in a whisper loud enough for me to hear, but not loud enough for Esther.
“His hotdog?” Esther Mensch said. “Oh no. Theo is a fine young man. He won’t be flashing his hot dog.”
“His hotness,” Millie screamed as Mr. Fitzwilliam strolled through the door.
“Why thank you, Millie. You’re looking stunning yourself.”
“Sit down, you old coot,” Millie said. “I wasn’t talking about you.”
Mr. Fitzwilliam waved to me before taking his usual seat in the middle. My old principal and neighbor, Mr. Twillings, arrived next and grabbed a stool beside Mr. Fitzwilliam after nodding to me.
I glanced at the wall clock and twisted back and forth on my stool. In the year I’d taken Theo’s classes, he’d never been late. Not once.
The door opened at exactly 7:00 pm, but it was Wilson. He looked at our usual table in the front, next to the Fan Club, then scanned the room until he found me in the back. Everyone started talking at once when they realized Theo was officially late.
“Hey Poppy,” Wilson said kissing my cheek. “Where’s Theo?”
“No idea.” I woke my phone to check for any missed texts or calls. Nothing.
“I’m sure he just got held up,” Wilson said, groaning onto the stool beside mine. “How’s the sculpting going?”
I shrugged.
And because Wilson was such a rare gem, who never tried to get me to talk unless I wanted to, he quickly changed the subject. “I bought one of your snowflake cookies at Karma yesterday. It was almost too pretty to eat, so I took a picture and enjoyed every crumb with my tea last night.”
Wilson smiled at me and for some reason I wanted to burst into tears. He was the closest thing to a grandpa I’d ever had, and I wasn’t the only one who loved the man like family. The town’s beloved pharmacist was citizen of the year my entire childhood. Now he alternated the honor with Lauren, who seemed on a mission to save every damaged animal and person within a ten-mile radius of Peace Falls.
After my dad died, Wilson checked in on us often and helped out as much as Mom allowed. I was only nine at the time, so it wasn’t until years later that I learned his wife had died in childbirth decades before I was born, and his newborn daughter only lived a few days after. He never remarried, which broke my heart even now since he clearly enjoyed being around people. Wilson patted my hand, but didn’t say anything, proving once again what a treasure he was. We waited in companionable silence until the door flew open.
The moment Theo stepped into the room, I knew something terrible had happened. Apparently, so did everyone else. All chatter ceased. Theo’s eyes darted around until they found mine. I rose from my stool and walked to him while everyone stared. So much for keeping my distance. He might as well have snagged a hook in my fishnets and reeled me in.
When I reached him, he gripped my hand and led me into the hall. His fingers felt clammy in mine, and his chest rose and fell in short bursts. As soon as the door closed behind us, hepulled me into a tight hug. His full lips and short beard brushed my neck as he nestled his face against me. My core clinched like it always did on the few occasions he’d touched me, but even as my body reacted to the nearness of his, I knew this was a plea for comfort. He cuddled Skye when he felt panicked. I made a mental note to consider later how I felt about being interchangeable with Cal’s dog.
“Breathe with me,” I said, rubbing my hands up and down his back. His heart hammered against my ear as he exhaled in frantic bursts, which despite the circumstance, felt so good on my neck my breathing became rapid. I kept rubbing his back and forced my breaths to slow. After a few moments, his breathing steadied as well.
He’d never held me this long. At best, I could count on a brief hug, a teasing sample of his strong arms and stomach-fluttering pheromones. He surrounded me now like the sepal of an unopened flower. Even though I was comforting him, I’d never felt so protected. I wanted to stay locked in his embrace forever, but I knew it’d only last until he felt calm.
“I’m good now,” he said. He dropped his arms, cleared his throat, and straightened to his full height, an entire foot above my measly five foot, two inches, taking my arms with him. I pulled them back and tilted up my head.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I need to start class.”
“They can wait.”
“We should have started five minutes ago,” he said, turning toward the door.
I wiggled between him and the doorknob and opened it first. “All right, listen up. All y’all know each other, so we’re cutting the usual ice breaker. Instead, I want you to sketch something you think you draw well, then something you struggle to draw. Idon’t care if it’s a pair of stick figures. Sketch pads and charcoal pencils are in the closet. Any questions?”
“Are you teaching the class now?” Principal Twillings asked.