My guts twist.
This woman’s work ethic is one of the most remarkable things about her. She’s fiercely independent, and she doesn’t want anything handed to her on a silver platter. But that’s not what I’m suggesting here. I just want my wife, who already teaches full-time and tutors year-round, to have a break from classes for the next six weeks. I don’t think that’s offering her too much.
And she certainly deserves it.
Still, I have to tread lightly. Loren’s barely adjusted to the idea of me helping her dad, so getting comfortable with me doing thingsjustfor her might be too much.
“If your days were free, though,” I say, “you’d have a lot more time with your dad while he adjusts to Havenwood. A flexible schedule on your end could be good for him.And who knows?” I hitch my shoulders. “You might even find a little breathing room of your own.”
She tilts her head. “The old put my oxygen mask on first theory?”
“Could end up better for him.”
The wordsfor himhover between us. Twice.
“Just something to think about,” I say. I don’t want to push. Or manipulate her. I just want Loren’s life to be a little easier than it’s been.
Sue me.
“Either way.” She rises from the counter. “I should probably go help my dad pack,” she says. “And then I’m tutoring this afternoon.”
I stand too. “I could join you after I meet with Dr. Dewey.”
“You want to join me at tutoring?” She cracks another smile. “Nowthatwould raise questions we aren’t prepared to answer.”
I push the stool back under the counter. “I meant packing,but you’ve got a point.” We covered our tracks with those kids at the theater, but none of us really discussed how to handle the fact that we’re legally husband and wife. “Are we planning to keep our marriage a secret as much as possible?”
“I mean, we don’t need to tell anyone else, right? Besides Sayla and Dex. And your mom. And her legal team. And Susan Pantsuit.” She expels a breath. “That’s more than enough leaks already.”
I rub my chin, considering. “People at Havenwood know, though, don’t they?”
“Just Joanna Parker,” she says, collecting our coffee mugs. “And thanks to HIPAA, she can’t discuss our personal details.”
My ribs tighten.
The broader world has no idea that Loren Cane Adams just made me breakfast. Or that we’ve fallen asleep on a couch together multiple nights in a row. Or that we’ve got matching wedding bands we don’t plan to wear. Because we’re only married in name.
Not emotion.
At least according to her.
“So no one at Stony Peak, then,” I say. “Not the students or the faculty? Administration? No one?”
She heads to the sink with our mugs. “Sayla and Dex will be coming back to school as newlyweds,” she says, flipping on the water. “If people found out we’re married too, that would be … so weird.”
“Yeah.” I shove my hands in my pockets. “So weird.”
She rinses the mugs. “There aren’t any restrictions on teachers being together in our district, so we don’t have to disclose our relationship to HR.”
Our relationship. I still like the sound of that way too much. “Right,” I agree.
She shuts off the water. “Anyway, it’s not like Judy Hollis isgoing to randomly corner us in the faculty lounge and ask if we eloped this summer.”
I press out a laugh. “True.”
“So, the best option is just to continue as we always have.”
“Totally. Best option.” I bob my head, even though she can’t see me.