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“Not bad. I mean, I’m not doing badly, I think. Grace is phenomenal.”
Unmistakable pride glinted in the man’s expression. “Yeah, she is. They’re lucky to have her. Too bad the principal is an asshole.”
Lincoln frowned. “I’ve heard he’s cutting her budget.”
“Yeah. He’s pushing sports big time, which’d be okay if it didn’t screw up other departments. He doesn’t like Grace because she’s battled back. As well she should.”
“Has it worked? Has she gotten what she wants?”
Ray shrugged. “Not so far as I know. Last fall, she was trying to establish a program between Bliss Cove and some rural schools, but Spruce shut her down. He doesn’t get that she has great ideas. She should be teaching at that Shakespeare Institute.”
“Where’s that?”
“England.” Ray shook more ketchup onto his burger. “It’s in the town where Shakespeare was born.”
“Stratford-upon-Avon?”
“That’s the one. She had a full scholarship offer from there for her master’s degree.”
“I thought she got her master’s at Skyline.”
“She did.” Ray reached for his beer and took a long swallow. “Turned down the scholarship.”
“Wait a minute.” Lincoln swiveled the stool so he was facing the other man. “Grace had a scholarship offer from the Shakespeare Institute, but she turned it down to stay at Skyline?”
“That’s what I said.” Ray narrowed his eyes slightly. “You’re surprised?”
“Well, yeah.” Lincoln rubbed his left shoulder. “Why didn’t she take an opportunity like that?”
“Didn’t want to move that far away, I guess.”
An unwelcome thought occurred to Lincoln. “Was there a boyfriend involved?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Did you tell her she should take the scholarship?”
“No.” Ray signaled to Grant for another beer. “Why would I? It’s her life.”
Lincoln shoved off the barstool. His chest was tight, like he couldn’t pull enough air into his lungs. “I gotta go.”
“Good talkin’ to you.” Ray took another healthy bite of the burger.
Grabbing his phone from his pocket, Lincoln strode outside. He stopped on the porch and searched the internet for the Shakespeare Institute, which turned out to be the most prestigious international program for Shakespeare studies.
Students not only studied Shakespeare in the context of his hometown, but also in conjunction with productions at the reconstructed, historic Globe Theater where so many of his plays had been performed.
Lincoln strode to his car. As far as earthshattering life decisions went, turning down a scholarship didn’t rank very high on the list. It also didn’t make a hell of a lot of sense.
Grace was so damnedgood. Why had she rejected the chance to expand her boundaries? Why hadn’t she given even more people all that she had to offer?
Without thinking too hard, he drove to her little clapboard cottage by the harbor. The place needed a coat of paint or probably new siding. A new roof. The wood around the windows looked rotted too.
Lincoln jabbed at the doorbell. A click sounded, and Grace pulled the door open.
“Lincoln! What are you doing here?”
He wasn’t entirely sure. “I need to talk to you.”
