Page 76 of Book of Love


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“Sure. He retired not long after Hank became principal.”

“I’m not so sure hewantedto retire.”

Grace blinked. “Have you talked to him?”

“Not yet. He moved to Phoenix last year. I’m thinking of giving him a call, though. Something fishy is going on.”

A knot formed in Grace’s stomach. Though she disliked Hank Spruce’s policies and unfairness, she hadn’t considered that he might be involved in anything outright unethical.

“What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know, but tips frequently turn out to be nothing.” Brooke grabbed the coffee-pot, and they started back to the dining room. “But you never know until you check them out. Hey, did you ever get that rural school program off the ground?”

“No.” Grace sat beside Lincoln, who patted her thigh under the table. “I was removed from the Outreach Committee. Yet another reason why Hank Spruce and I aren’t the best of friends.”

“What was the program?” Sam asked.

“I was advocating for more involvement between schools like Bliss Cove High and rural schools that have a lot less money and resources.” Grace reached for her coffee. “It would help the students, of course, but teachers at rural schools are somewhat isolated, so they also need a larger network to share resources and ideas. I was hoping the Outreach Committee could spearhead a regional program for both students and teachers, but…well, the school had other ideas.”

“Sounds like an endeavor the community could get behind too,” Brooke remarked.

“I’m going to bring it up again at the next school board meeting,” Grace said. “I’m hoping that one of the Outreach Committee members will still see the value of that kind of program.”

“I’ll be at the next meeting,” Brooke promised, taking her phone from the sideboard. “Gramps, too. You can count on us to ask the school board some pertinent questions. Hey, give me your phone number. We should also get together for a girls’ night out with Bee.”

Grace was pleased by the offer. She loved her small social circle, but it had been a long time since she’d made a new friend, and Brooke was clearly a woman who put her whole heart into friendships.

As the evening wound down, she told Brooke to please let her know if she could help with any information about the school policies. She and Lincoln headed back home.

Her suspicions about Hank Spruce buzzed like flies in the back of her mind. She wanted to talk to Lincoln about them, but she’d made it clear that administrative problems were hers to handle. None of the Real World Specialists were expected, or even authorized, to get involved in school issues. Lincoln was no exception, especially since he’d soon be returning to the “real world.”

Ignoring the ache in her chest, she said brightly, “Brooke tells me she and Sam are going to Italy later this summer for a vacation. She’s never been, and apparently he has a bunch of favorite places he wants to show her.”

“I’m sure they’ll have a great time.”

“What about you? What are your summer plans?”

He was silent for a minute. “I’m going back to Afghanistan.”

With a shake of her head, she turned to look at him. “You’re going back?”

“I was supposed to be there for two months.” Shadows passed over his face from the headlights of a passing car as he turned on to Sycamore. “I was there for two weeks.”

“When are you leaving?” An icy ball of fear formed in the pit of her stomach.

“Mid-June.” His mouth compressed. “I’d been hoping I could stay for the opening night of your play, but I have to go back for medical appointments and a few other things related to the military clearance. It’s a lengthy process, but a tight timeline.”

“Why did you go in the first place?” She tried to keep her voice even. “What were you going to write about?”

“I had an idea for a novel about a US soldier’s experiences in the war.” He pulled into the driveway of her house and pushed the car into park. “I’d become friends with an army major who’d done two tours in Afghanistan, and last fall I asked him if I could join his unit for a couple of months. I wanted to get insight into the military forces before plotting the story. Didn’t get very far.”

“But why do you want to go back?”

He gave her a faint smile and pushed the car door open. “So I can write the book.”

“You can’t write the book without going back?” Her spine suddenly tensed as they went into the house.

It was one thing to know that Lincoln Atwood the Famous Author sought big, risky expeditions to craft his stories. It was quite another to know thatherLincoln planned to jump right back into a war zone as soon as he left Bliss Cove.

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