Page 12 of Touch of Heartache


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“Backbreaking?” offeredEddie.

“Skeevy?” said Jo, taking a sip from herdrink.

They were seasoned performers. Outside of this room, they were sure to offer words like “rewarding” and “enchanting” to anyone whoasked.

“Moist,” finished Cheryl, grimacing. She stood as DeShawn arrived at the table and exchanged greetings with everyone there. She pointed at Jo. “I’m Queen Animaliao next week, by the way. I don’t care if I end up with my hands all over yourboyfriend.”

“You can try,” said Jo, wrapping her hands around her boyfriend’s back. “But I’m going to be his Tildy Scoutcaretaker.”

Of course, thought Nolan. They always found a way to pair themselves together. DeShawn was their accomplice in thatmatter.

“Well, whoever’s in Ball Tildy better watch out for McGrabberson,” spat Cheryl, putting on her head. She waved her furry paw ateveryone.

“Next time that guy shows up,” said DeShawn, scowling, “I’m going to show him that Tildy Tapir has her own dreams—and they involve my fist in hisface.”

Nolan laughed. DeShawn wouldn’t do anything. None of them evercould.

When they were performing, they were in character. And Tildy Tapir lived in a world where groping just didn’t exist, so they all had to pretend they weren’t bothered byit.

* * *

Nolan wrappedhis shift for the day at five and took a quick shower to wash away the buckets of sweat. He knew Landon and Willow would be antsy, Willow watching the clock and promising their big brother would be there any minute now, but he hated making the drive home drenched in sweat. Even so, he knew there was little point in spending too much time drying off. Damp hair and a tinge of moisture worked to keep him cool in the humidity and would dry off within minutes anyway. Besides, when he started off in the extreme air conditioning of the Tent Tildy resort, his hair would practically ice over, prolonging the relaxing chill the dampnessprovided.

“See you tomorrow,” said Angie in the corridor where the men’s and women’s locker rooms met up. She’d showered, too, and had slipped out of her Tildy Scout outfit into a slinky black dress.Someone is hitting the town.Nolan missed those days. Before he’d been in charge of his siblings for most of the day, he’d been too young to do much other than loiter with friends at the mall or game at a friend’s all night. It’d been forever since he’d been on a date—at least a year. He hadn’t felt like dating anyone seriously since theaccident.

But even if he’d wanted to hit the town these days, who was there left to hit the town with? His high school buddies had all moved on to college and/or other parts of the country—a number had even gone to the college he’d had his own eyes on, had joined the fraternity he’d hoped to make the bulk of his college memories at. To tell the truth, he couldn’t even stand to look at their social mediaposts.

He was jealous. He didn’t want to be, he loved his brother and sister—and despite his irritation with him, his dad. But he still resented them needing him just a little. He even resented his mom for leaving them—as if she’d had any choice in thematter.

Sometimes he really hated himself for thinking suchthings.

“You have class tonight?” asked Angie, slipping a tote bag at odds with her nightclub dress over hershoulder.

Nolan nodded. “Not until nine, though. I have to get the kids home and fedfirst.”

Angie offered him a faltering smile. “You’re so responsible, Nolan.” It was supposed to be a compliment, he was sure, but the truth was, he didn’tfeelresponsible. It had all just sort of… happened. The summer after he’d graduated high school. He’d withdrawn from the college of his dreams and enrolled in a few classes per semester at the local community college instead. With the loss of their mom’s income, their family couldn’t afford to pay the bills, let alone offer any support for Nolan’s tuition. Tildy World offered a partial tuition reimbursement program for full-time employees going to school in-state, so it had just been the smart thing todo.

But Nolan was tired of doing the smart thing. “Thanks.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Have a nice timetonight!”

Angie had already fished her phone out of her bag and waved back at him, heading toward the employee parkinglot.

Nolan checked his own phone and jumped at the time. Landon would be beside himself by now and Willow probably wouldn’t be muchhelp.

He decided to take a short cut through the offices off-limits to the guests, or “campers,” he supposed his bosses would prefer he say. He made it through nearly without notice—other than that one administrative assistant old enough to be his grandma who always waved when he went by and shouted, “Hello, sweetheart!”—when he turned one corner and slammed into someone, sending a large cardboard box tumbling to the ground, markers and other coloring supplies spillingeverywhere.

“I’m so sorry!” said a woman just as Nolan shouted in surprise and then said, “Sorry!”

The woman was already crouched on the ground, flipping the box over and scrambling to pick up all the markers and pencils that still continued to roll across the narrow hallway. The top of her bright blonde head stood out against the deep navy of her blazer like a shining star amidst the deepest darknight.

Blonde hair. Dark blazer. Landon’s friend.Nolan got on his knees beside her, grabbing the escaped coloring instruments in fistfuls. “My bad,” he said. “I was rushing and I didn’t stop to look where I wasgoing.”

“No, I… I couldn’t see over the box.” She looked up. A large strand of her golden-white hair had fallen out from her tightly-wound bun to dangle over one of her alarmingly-blue eyes. She smiled, although she looked exhausted. “I don’t know these halls well enough yet. Oh, no, don’t—Please!” She reached out toward Nolan’s hand and winced as he dropped his handful of markers and pencils into the box. “I had that all organized.” She spoke quietly, but it was clear she was holdingback.

Raising his eyebrow, Nolan surveyed the hallway and the pencils and markers sprawled every which way. “I don’t think it’s organizedanymore.”

She laughed at that—an exhausted, if frustratedlaugh.

“Uh-oh! Looks like a classroom of toddlers made their way through here!” One of the HR workers, Brad, Nolan thought, appeared from behind him and gingerly put the toe of one of his shoes down in a small space clear of markers as he made his way through thehall.

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