Erin’s hands tensed on her coffee cup, but she merely gave the older man a nod.
Leland’s mouth softened into a faint smile. “Good, then. We’ll get back to you, say…by the 25th of the month?”
“How about the 18th, right here. We’ll have more time to take action—especially if we need to petition for a special election.”
“We’ll try.” Jill waved and headed for the door. Arnold and Leland followed, leaving Erin sitting in the booth, an elbow propped on the table and her forehead resting in her palm.
Connor hesitated. “Headache?”
She started, then gave him an embarrassed look. “I, um, thought you’d all left.”
“On my way.” He grabbed the back of his chair and shoved it toward the neighboring table. “Ambitious plans you have here. For a newcomer and all.”
“It’s my job, and I need to do it well.”
The determination in her voice was unmistakable, and he thought back to the evening he’d stopped by the cabin. He’d seen the kids and her, but no evidence of another adult. Certainly not a second car. “Your husband…”
“My ex is back in Wausau.” Her mouth quirked at one corner. “Enjoying midlife freedom with a girl half his age, who probably ought to take a closer look at the kind of guy she ‘won,’ bless her.”
Connor cleared his throat. “It can’t be easy for you, so far from town—with a full-time job and three kids. If you need to break the lease on your house…or if you want to be closer to town…”
“Actually, I couldn’t be happier.” She briskly tucked her documents and calculator into a portfolio, dropped a five-dollar bill on the table and slid out of the booth. Standing in high heels, she barely came up to Connor’s shoulder. “Thank you for joining us this morning, Doctor.”
She gave him a brief, businesslike smile and strode for the door without a backward glance. If he’d had a communicable illness, she couldn’t have seemed more eager to escape.
Shaking his head, he made his way through the crowded room. She didn’t need to worry.
Stephanie’s family had shunned him ever since her death, and he had no wish to reestablish a connection with any of them now. He had no intentions of starting any personal relationships, either. He’d been down that road already, and it sure hadn’t been a success.
Erin was simply a link to his past, nothing more.
GRACE RUBBED THE BACK of her neck as she stepped out of the pharmacy department, pulled the door shut and started down the administrative hallway toward the front desk. Another long day…and she felt it in every joint. At the door of George’s old office she slowed to glance inside, then stopped and rapped on the frame when she saw Erin at her computer.
“It’s four-thirty—don’t you usually head home now?” The girl looked drawn, and Grace’s bone-deep instincts for mothering kicked into high gear. “This will all wait.”
Erin looked up at the clock on the wall. “Guess I’d better. The kids have been home for a half hour already.” She closed out of the Excel program on her screen, shut down the computer and retrieved her purse from a file drawer. “They called me the minute they got home, but I still don’t feel comfortable having them there alone for very long.”
“They’re what—fourth and fifth graders?”
“Tyler’s in first, Lily’s in fourth and Drew is a fifth grader.”
“So they should do okay then—lots of kids manage alone for a while if their parents work.”
“It still makes me nervous. Until yesterday I was taking them to and from school, but Drew totally rebelled over that. He said he’d taken care of his brother for years just fine, thank you very much, and that they all thought the bus would be fun. So yesterday, we tried using the bus after school—and the driver left them out way down on the highway.” Erin shuddered. “Heaven knows who could see them out there, alone—and the walk home is a good mile. That’s too far for Lily.”
Remembering that fragile child, with her awkward limp, Grace nodded, feeling instant sympathy for the young woman shuffling the papers on her desk into some semblance of order.
“So the bus driver agreed to take them right up to our door from now on.” Erin stuffed some files and her planner into a battered leather briefcase, then gave an agitated wave of her hand. “We’re giving this idea a trial run—but the first sign of trouble, and they’ll be going to a sitter after school.”
“There could be another option.” Grace studied her thoughtfully. “Do you know Jane Adams, one of the nursing assistants on third shift? She has five kids including a daughter who’s a senior in high school, and her husband is disabled. I’ll bet Haley could use some extra spending money. They’re good people. Trustworthy.”
Erin’s face lit up. “Really? I’ve been asking around, trying to find a dependable high school student, but haven’t had any luck. They’re all either busy with after-school activities or have jobs already.”
“I remember those days well. It’s hard to find good sitters—and then they finish school, leave town, and you have to start all over.”
Erin cocked her head slightly, then faint color washed into her pale cheeks, and Grace chuckled. “No, you’re right. I’m still ‘Miss Fisher,’ but I had dozens of foster kids over the years.”
“That’s amazing.” Erin’s voice was filled with admiration. “You’ve been a busy woman.”
“And enjoyed every minute. I’m past those days, though. Raised my last set of kids a few years back, and now I’m looking forward to retiring from here soon.” Ignoring the wave of loneliness that always rushed through her at the thought, she gave an offhand shrug. “I might do some traveling—and go see some of my ‘chicks.’ They’ve moved from coast to coast now.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
Ah, yes…wonderful. But what about the days and weeks and months after that? The years? “Jane is on the schedule tonight—I’ll put a note on the time clock for her,” Grace said briskly. “They haven’t had a phone for a while, but it should be back in service soon. Jane could check with her daughter and then call you from here.”
Giving her a grateful smile, Erin fished her car keys from the depths of her purse. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“No problem. You’d be doing Haley a favor, I think. That family doesn’t have it easy.” With a nod of farewell, Grace started down the hall toward her office, thankful that she still had her beloved job. The hustle and bustle of busy days.
What on earth would she do with her life when she had to retire? She’d never been one to sit idle, and she had no one left to share those interminable years ahead.
A brief, poignant image flashed through her head, of the one man she’d always loved.
Maybe…
But who would ever imagine that Grace Fisher, Director
