“Don’t patronize us, Mister Mayor,” Bitsy snapped. She leaned to one side and peered around him. “Logan Becker, is that you under all that hair?”
“That beard could house wildlife,” Olive mused.
Logan opened his mouth to respond but then thought better of it and focused on his work boots.
“We want to make sure that Celine and her family are adequately taken care of,” Bitsy said. “Your parents were pillars of our community. They showed up, they volunteered, they gave to the town.”
“And you disappear,” Gail muttered.
Olive joined in on the criticism, though she softened it with a wink. “And not in a mysterious, sexy way,” she said. “Your vibe is more …” She tapped her chin. “Grumpy sasquatch.”
Logan snorted behind me.
I forced myself to smile. The move made my facial muscles ache. “I keep my head down. Lots of work to get done on the farm.”
“And that,” Bitsy said, “is why we’re watching out for you.”
“You are a treasure, Bitsy,” Gabe said, using his professional tone. “Always watching out for everyone.”
“Oh I’m not watchingoutfor you, Mayor,” she said, lifting her chin and giving us a better view of her ever-present pearls. “I’m watching you. There’s a difference.”
Gabe grimaced, but he wiped the expression away quickly.
“We want that kind woman and her kids to thrive here,” Bitsy went on. “I’ve heard she’s a wonderful teacher.”
“What an asset to the community,” Olive chirped.
“So don’t scare her off with your grumpy bad moods.”
“Not a problem,” I said.
I’d already promised myself I’d stay far away from Celine and her kids. As long as they stayed away from my farm equipment, I’d probably never see them. I had almost two hundred acres across the two farms, so it should be easyto keep my distance, and as always, I had plenty of work to keep me busy.
“Okay, then.” Olive clasped her hands in front of her chest. “I think he’s been adequately warned, hasn’t he, girls?”
With a final tense smile, I hightailed it for the door, desperate to get back to the farm and a sense of normalcy.
Chapter 7
Celine
The day before the first day of school always filled me with jitters.
On top of that, I had so much to get done. Ellie was angstier than usual and headed to the combined junior high and high school across the street from the elementary where Julian and Maggie and I would be.
It hurt my heart, making her bounce around during what were really tough years to be a girl. In another universe, she would be painting her nails and chatting with friends about how the first day of seventh grade might go.
Instead, she was the new kid.Again.
The kid from a broken home. The kid whose dad was in jail.
With that thought bouncing around in my head, I emptied the dryer and carried the basket of fresh laundry up the stairs.
I felt much more at ease with where Maggie was at. Sheloved school and was too busy finishing her summer reading list to really get anxious about starting in a new school.
Then there was Julian. Stella—Ms. Stone—had sent a detailed visual schedule, as promised, and we’d been reviewing it every day since.
She’d also sent photos of the school staff, and Julian had memorized all their names. And more than once, he’d counted the number of steps between his classroom and mine and knew exactly how long it would take to get to me.