A waitress came to their table, and they all ordered.Then Hazel sat back in her chair, content to participate in non-business talk.
“Where are you living?”she asked Craig.
“I’m renting a house in town from Blake Loomis,” said Craig.“If I like it, I may buy it from him.He recently bought it to fix up.”
“That sounds interesting.You’ll love living in town,” said Hazel.“Of course, small-town living has its quirks.”
“I’m fine with any of it.I came out years ago and am comfortable with myself.”He flashed her a smile that lit his dark eyes, and Hazel returned it.Craig seemed like a very nice man.
###
That evening, Hazel sat at her kitchen table making notes about the day’s activities and what she intended to work on.She was pleased by the way Mike and Ross had encouraged her to do her own thing, only checking in with them when it was necessary.
Her cell phone rang.Her mother.
“Hi, Mom.I’ve been meaning to call you.I said I would, but time has slipped away.Let me tell you what I’ve been doing.”
“I hope you’re getting ready to come home and spend the summer with your father and me and, of course, Elliott.”
“That’s what I want to talk to you about,” Hazel said.“I have a new job.I’m no longer teaching and have started working at the new Sports Center here in town.It’s a much bigger operation than it sounds.They have every kind of sports facilities available, along with classes and children’s camps.As you can imagine, summer is a very busy time for us.”
“Whoa!Wait a minute.No longer teaching?What happened?You know how I feel about the importance of your teaching.It’s so respectable.”
“I agree, but the school needed to eliminate a third-grade teacher, and because I was hired last, I was the first to be let go.And as it so happened, I’m excited to be doing a different kind of work for more money and with the same benefits.”
“Did you say Sports Center?What kind of job is there for you?You haven’t played tennis since high school,” her mother said testily.
“I’m their new administrator,” Hazel said proudly.“It gives me a chance to use my organizational skills and a lot of creativity.I’ve just started, but I love it already.”
“It might be an opportunity to meet a lot of young men there,” said her mother.“Your cousin, Marla, has just announced she’s having her second baby.Your aunt is ecstatic.”
“Mom, you know I’m not ready to settle down, and certainly not with Elliott.”Hazel couldn’t, wouldn’t say why.It was up to Elliott to come out on his own.She’d do nothing to hurt him.He was kind and sweet to her.
“Do you have some man up there you’re not telling me about?”her mother asked slyly.
“Yes,” blurted Hazel, tired of this old game.Too late, she realized she might’ve made a bad choice.
“Oh, in that case, let me know when I can come visit and meet him.In the meantime, I think Elliott is planning to come to Lilac Lake.This way, he could see for himself.I’m so glad we had this chance to talk.Now, who is the lucky man to have your attention?”
Hazel froze.She needed to pick someone who had no interest in her but who might be willing to play along.She mentally raced through her list of single male friends and suddenly knew who that might be.
“His name is Mike.Mike Dawson.”
“Excellent,” said her mother.“Such a pleasant-sounding name.Now, tell me what he does.”
“Mom, I’m not ready to talk about him,” said Hazel firmly.“You don’t want to jinx it, do you?”
“No, you’re right.Just let me know when I can fly up there,” said her mother.“Oops!Here’s your father.He’s taking me to dinner at the club.He says hello.You and I will talk later.Love you.”
“Love you too,” said Hazel, feeling sick at the thought of the lie she’d told her mother.It was sure to come back and bite her in the behind.
CHAPTER FIVE
When Hazel went into the Center the next day, she had every intention of speaking to Mike about her horrible predicament.But every time she went to the office at the opposite end of the corridor to hers, Tracy was with him.
By afternoon, Hazel was a wreck, holding it all inside.
She went to Mike’s office, catching him there after he’d completed a private lesson.
