Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 85569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85569 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 428(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“You’ve just arrived in town a few days ago, haven’t you?” her father asked.
I nodded.
“May I ask why you moved over here from New York? It must be a huge change.”
“It is,” I replied smoothly. “But I wanted the slower pace and a more practical education for Anya.”
“You made the right choice,” he approved. Then he took my hand in his and extended a most unusual invitation.
“Are you free tonight by any chance?” he asked.
“I guess so,” I replied, surprised by the question.
“Would you like to join me and my daughter for dinner at our home?”
Behind me, I heard Montana gasp with surprise. He must have heard it too but he continued as if he had not.
“It’s nothing official. We won’t mention school matters whatsoever. It’s just our way of welcoming you to our little town. We’re a close-knit community. We watch each other’s backs.”
My old self would have made up an excuse and politely refused, but that part of me was gone. I took the decision to move from the bustling, never-sleeping heart of New York to a sleepy small town because I believed it was the only way for me to effectively monitor and control my surroundings. There was no better surveillance system than the human equivalent of a goldfish bowl where everybody knew everybody and intruders were instantly obvious. The sooner I embedded Anya and me into this community the sooner we would become part of it, and anyone coming from outside of it could be considered with suspicion until proven harmless.
I could feel the waves of anger emanating from Montana, as I replied, “Of course. It would be a pleasure to spend an evening at your home.”
“Good,” he replied energetically and shook my hand once again.
His daughter hated my guts, but there was something sincere and inviting about him and I warmed to him. He was definitely a guy I could go out and have a few drinks with.
Chapter 24
Montana
“What?” The girls' jaws all dropped open. It would have been funny if I wasn’t so churned up inside. We were sitting on the picnic bench in the garden for lunch. The kids were scattered around in groups having the sandwiches they had prepared themselves.
“What-,” Kelly started, sounding absolutely confused. “His daughter is here? Right now? He’s a parent here? Like an actual parent?”
I nodded morosely, and I slipped a potato chip into my mouth.
“Oh my God. So he’s the guy who was doing all the renovation work on Duck’s Pond,” Natalie deduced.
“So is he like a stalker?” Pearl asked. “I mean, you have to consider that he is giving stalker vibes if he’s suddenly so close to you.”
“He’s not a stalker,” I groaned. “He just brought his daughter here.”
“Now that you mention it, is she even really his daughter?” Pearl asked. “Maybe she’s a paid actor in all of this, and he really just came after you.”
“I really think he came here because of you,” Pearl said in a hushed voice.
“Stop it, you guys. Him being here has absolutely nothing to do with me. Dad said he’d already enrolled his daughter here last term, but he couldn’t get here before that.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t believe in coincidences. This is fate,” Pearl declared.
I gave her a dry look.
“Going to the Chapel and we’re gonna get married,” Kelly sang and the others snickered.
“I’m leaving,” I said exasperated by their antics, but they pulled me back down.
“Stop being so serious,” Natalie scolded. “But let us get serious about this though. I mean, now that he’s here and his daughter is in our school, how do you plan to navigate this potentially explosive situation? Are you going to use your Aikido technique?”
Another bout of laughter followed.
“No,” I said with a long-suffering sigh, “I’m not bringing any drama into school and definitely not my classroom with his kid’s welfare at stake. We’re going to keep it all very professional. Strictly teacher and parent relationship.”
“Look,” Kelly said. “We’re all adults here. Trust me, everything can be navigated easily when clear boundaries are set.”
“That’s what I’m saying,” I said.
But she shook her head. “No, we’re not saying the same thing. Your boundaries mean ‘don’t go there’, mine is a bit more porous. ‘Go there outside work hours, in your free time’. You’re just behaving this way because you’re pissed that he didn’t call. But think about it. Life is short. Why deprive yourself of clean good fun? Why not keep it going with him? I certainly would. You say it was the best night of your life so why blow out the flame when it’s still burning so bright, why not let it die out naturally when all the wax is gone? At that time, you can both mutually agree to revert back to a strictly professional relationship as teacher and parent?”
“Wow,” I looked at her. “Are these kinds of sticky personal matters usually this easy for you?”