My mouth hangs open like a mounted fish. “Allof it?”
“Yup. I didn’t want anything that came from my marriage, so I figured the best thing to do was to have some fun.”
“Did you?” I’m shocked she would do something so impulsive. From what I’ve learned about Allie since getting to know her better, she seems like she’d be the fiscally conservative type. She did just make that comment about pizza being better for the budget, after all.
“I had a wonderful time,” she tells me proudly. “I stayed a full month, and I went to seven countries.”
I’m not sure how to respond to that. I go with, “I’m impressed. I don’t think I could travel the world alone.”
“You’d be surprised how much courage can stem from utter and total heartache.”
It’s not that I pity Allie as much as I’m angry anyone couldhave ever treated her like her ex-husband did. “What was your favorite country?”
“Scotland. And not for the beautiful scenery and architecture like you might think.” She explains, “I love the accent. I barely understood a word anyone was saying, but the sheer musicality of their speech kept a constant smile on my face.”
“Scots do sound very lyrical,” I agree. “Personally, I love an Indian accent. Whenever I call support for my computer, I’m positively entranced by the sound of the technician helping me.”
Allie laughs. “I feel like a stereotypical American, because I really don’t know what they’re saying.”
Once our waiter delivers our wine, I lift my glass and toast, “To coming home.”
Allie taps her glass against mine. “I never thought I’d live in Elk Lake again but I’m not mad about it.”
“And you’re going to raise your family here.” I say this more to ascertain her intentions than as a statement of fact.
“At the very least, I’m going to try to adopt a baby here,” she confirms.
“I predict that once you do, you’ll be hooked on raising her in known territory.” I don’t know why, but I see Allie as a girl mom. I picture lots of bows and tutus in her future. The image puts a smile on my face.
“I know I’ll have an easier time affording a house here,” she says.
“Compared to Chicago, it’s dirt cheap to live in Elk Lake. But of course, there’s nowhere near as much to recommend it.”
“Don’t be a snob,” Allie tells me. “Elk Lake is perfectly lovely.”
I raise an eyebrow in challenge. “Did you think that before you decided to adopt a baby?”
I can tell she’s trying hard not to smile. She ultimately loses her battle, and says, “I did, although not as much. I suppose there’s a place for every time in your life. And Elk Lake worked out well for me growing up.”
Taking a sip of my wine, I consider her words. I like that she didn’t say there’s a time and place for everything. She said there’s a place for every time. As I contemplate this, I wonder if maybe Allie and I both being in the same place at the same time is a sign that we’re meant for something more than friendship. Although how that could be with our vastly differing plans is anybody’s guess.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ALLIE
I’m surprised by how much fun Noah and I have tonight. It’s not that we don’t always get along great, but the more time we spend together, the more I really like him. Over dinner, he tells me about his life in Chicago, and he sounds almost wistful in his description. It’s abundantly clear that’s where he sees his future.
“Why in the world didn’t you just find another school to teach at there?” I ask him. “There must be dozens of them who would have wanted you.”
“There probably were,” he says. “But my nose was so far out of joint by being demoted that I wanted to get as far away from my old school as I could. When I heard about the coaching position here, I figured, why not?”
“There’s something about home, isn’t there?” I ask. “I mean, I never wanted to live in Elk Lake again. I was going to bust free and prove that I wasn’t a small-town girl. But look at me—I’m back, too.”
Noah wipes his mouth one last time before putting his napkin aside. “At least you’re in your own place now. I’m still in the house I grew up in.”
“I was with my parents for over a year,” I remind him. “It’s a testimony to how bad a shape I was in that I lasted that long.”
He looks at me with an expression of shock. “You don’t get along with them?”
