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Heidi offered Leah a beer and motioned for her to sit on a patio chair. “Not that I want to talk about work, but did you check your email today?”
“I hate to admit I check my work email on a Saturday, but yeah, I saw the faculty memo.” Leah took a swig of her beer then sighed. “Why would the U.S. Department of Education want to visit us?”
Heidi shrugged and made a perturbed face. “Must be because we’ve got a new facility here. We specifically designed with the future in mind. That’s why we have the grade-level classrooms arranged in pods around a common area and the makerspace labs. I think the government wants to see if we’ve done anything groundbreaking that will change the face of education and the world beyond.” Heidi flapped her arms out in a grandiose gesture.
“Have we?”
“Possibly. I mean, I like the new set-up, don’t you?”
“I love it. At the school where I taught in New York, we had the traditional long hallway with all the classrooms off it. Everyone closed their doors and did their own thing. It wasn’t awful, but the collaboration we have going on at Maplehaven between colleagues and students is pretty sweet. I’ve seen more creative thinking among the students.”
“Agreed.” Heidi tipped her bottle to her lips and drank. “I just hope some D.O.E. suit who has never taught a single student doesn’t want to come in and mandate a bunch of nonsense about how we use our space and arrange our curriculum. I like what we’re doing right now. The kids are learning, and I feel renewed and refreshed even though I’ve been teaching fourth grade for seven years.”
“It helps that the students and families are all so nice in Maplehaven.” Leah tapped her fingers along the side of her beer bottle. “I haven’t had to use my bitch voice once with the kids and every parent call, email, or meeting has been delightful.”
“Yeah, I often think the town’s name should be Mapleheaven.”
Kyle came back onto the patio, toting a large bread board with a long handle. Atop it sat a thick disc of dough that he slid into the brick oven. “The secret is to toast the dough a bit before adding toppings, but don’t tell anyone.”
“Who is she going to tell?” Heidi asked. “She basically only talks to me and I know all your secrets, baby.”
Kyle shot his wife a devilish smile as he went back into the house. He reappeared a minute later with a tray full of ingredients which he rested on the stone counter beside the oven.
“You need a hand, honey?” Heidi got up from her chair, but Kyle waved her down.
“I’ve got this. Sit and relax, my dear.”
Heidi blew him a kiss. “See, I’ve got him all trained and everything. Great, isn’t it?”
“Certainly seems so.” This little flicker of a feeling crackled in Leah’s chest. A feeling that said maybe she wanted what Heidi and Kyle had. The easy conversation, the comfortable familiarity, the obvious love they shared.
She’d almost had it. The real deal. Almost.
“Speaking of well-trained men…” Heidi put her beer bottle down on the table and gave Leah a pointed look. “I’ve shut up about Dakota, but I have to ask at least one more time. Nothing there? No interest?”
It would have been easiest to say she had no interest. That Dakota hadn’t caught her attention at all. That she hadn’t been rethinking brushing him off at the park two weeks ago when he’d been so charming on his bicycle. But she didn’t want to lie to Heidi.
“Is he really as great as he seems?” she asked instead.
The smile that bloomed on Heidi’s face told Leah she had revealed all her hidden notions about Dakota. Her friend wouldn’t let this go now. No way.
“Yes, he is. So is his family. This town was built by his ancestors, hence the Brenton name on so many things. The lake, the park, the sawmill. Plus, he’s got DNA that makes him delicious.”
“Who’s delicious?” Kyle had left the oven and was now standing in front of their chairs. He leaned over and took a sip of Heidi’s beer then tipped the bottle to finish it off.
“Hey, that was mine.” Heidi poked her husband in the stomach.
Kyle grabbed her finger and tugged her forward in her chair. “Tell me who’s delicious and I’ll get you another beer.”
“You are, honey. Tasty. Top to bottom.” Heidi ran her free hand up and down to encompass all of Kyle.
Releasing her finger, he slowly leaned forward and rested his hands on the arms of Heidi’s chair. “Nice try, Heidi, but you were not talking to Leah about how deliciousIam. That would be cruel because I’m already taken. By you. So who are you trying to convince Leah to believe is delicious?”
“Dakota.”
Kyle immediately straightened and snapped his fingers. “Oh, he’d be perfect for you, Leah.”
“Yeah, so I’m told.” She set her beer bottle on the table next to Heidi’s empty one. “If he’s so wonderful, why hasn’t anyone claimed him yet?”
