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“Take her out, too. Take her around … well, shoot. I was going to say to see your friends. But you don’t have any, do you?”
He let out a short laugh. “Thanks.”
“No. I’m not trying to be mean. It’s just, you don’t see anyone anymore, do you? You should call Bentley, but wait, he’s single, too. Get the gang out. Take her to Molly’s. You know what Molly’s like, she’ll welcome her into the fold. Sorry, I’m not trying to tell you how to run your life – or your relationship. I’m just thinking of Becca. Grady told me that she doesn’t have any friends here. She’s all on her own. I’ve wanted to invite her over but it’s weird because she’s Ava’s teacher. But if you’re going to make a go of it, if she’s going to want to stay here after the school year ends, she’s going to need to have a life here. And as awesome as you are, I mean a life with other people in it – you know, girlfriends she can turn to. It’d be all too easy for her to feel even more isolated if she’s living in the big house with you and doesn’t know anyone else.”
“Yeah. You’re right. Thanks, Hannah. Listen, I’m going to have to go.”
“I didn’t piss you off saying that, did I?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that I thought I saw the Range Rover coming back.”
She laughed. “Okay. I’ll let you go. And don’t think I’ve forgotten that you never answered my question about if you’re in love with her. It’s okay, you don’t need to.”
“Why not?”
She laughed again. “Because you are. If it wasn’t obvious enough from everything else that you’ve said, I should have known just by the fact that she’s driving the Range Rover – you don’t let anyone drive it.”
Jacob chuckled. She had a point, even if he hadn’t realized it before. “Okay. Talk to you soon.”
“You will. If you don’t call me, I’ll call you.”
“Don’t I know it!”
Chapter Fourteen
“Are you almost ready for Monday?”
Becca looked up and smiled when she saw Janet Rivers poking her head around her classroom door.
“As ready as I can be. I thought I only needed to do a few things this morning, but with the meeting and then deciding to rearrange a few things, I’ve been here all day. How about you?”
The older woman laughed as she came into the classroom. “I am. You’d think that after all these years I’d have a system worked out, but there’s always one more thing to do than you realize. I’ve been here all day, too. I’ll be glad to get home and put my feet up. I plan to do that as much as I can this weekend – in preparation to face the little horrors again on Monday.”
Becca laughed. She knew that Janet didn’t mean that. She loved the kids, and the kids loved her. The parents did, too, and some of them had been in Janet’s class when they were kids themselves.
“What about you? I know you won’t need to take it easy. Are you doing anything exciting this weekend? You and your new beau?”
Becca froze. She hadn’t said anything to anyone about Jacob. It wasn’t like she was trying to hide it – she wished she had someone shecouldtalk to. It was just that the other teachers were older and apart from that, she didn’t think that Jacob would like to be the subject of gossip – especially not the kind of gossip that Becca imagined would come if people knew that she’d moved in with him so quickly. She didn’t think that ten years was much of an age gap, but she knew that it might raise some eyebrows.
Janet smiled kindly. “Sorry. I’m not being nosey. It’s just that I know you’re all on your own here. I wanted to make sure that you’re okay. To let you know that I’m here for you if you want someone to talk to.”
“How … how do you even know?” Becca felt safer to start with a question of her own than to say something that might give too much away.
Janet smiled again. “Don’t worry. I think I’m the only one who does know. It’s just that I know Jacob – and his brother and sister quite well. They all came through my class when they were children. Jacob’s a good boy.” She laughed. “A good man, now. I couldn’t help noticing that whenever you’ve come into school this week, you’re driving his car.”
“Oh. Yes. Mine died.”
“I’m sorry to hear it.”
“Thanks. And, well … Jacob’s letting me borrow his.”
Janet nodded. “That’s good of him. As I said, he’s a good man. But I don’t think he’s so good that he’d give you the use of his car if the two of you weren’t close.”
“No. We … we’ve been seeing each other.”
“So I gathered. And really, Becca, I’m not here digging for gossip. I just wanted to make sure that you’re okay. I like Jacob, but he is a good bit older than you are. Are you happy? That’s all I really want to know. Because if you’re not, you can tell me.”
Becca grinned. “Aww, that’s so sweet of you. Thank you. And … I’ve never been so happy! You’re right. He is a good man. He’s wonderful. And he’s so good to me.”
