Who was he kidding?
Keaton wanted classes to be over with before they even began. Don’t get him wrong. He loved teaching, but after being on tenure track at an elite university in Los Angeles, his dream of becoming a full-fledged professor was about to come true. He’d submitted his dossier months ago. Now all he had to do was wait until the end of fall quarter for the official tenure announcement to be made.
Professor Keaton Andrews.
He tapped the tips of his leather shoes against the carpet under his desk. His body, however, remained ramrod straight. His posture as perfect as ever.
Anyone glancing into his office would assume he was hard at work, the quintessential professional—the way he’d acted since he stepped foot onto campus to fulfill his dream six years ago.
Nothing, however, would speed up the approval process, so he’d better get back to work.
Keaton focused on the timeline. It still wasn’t right.
The phone on his desk rang.
He startled, nearly knocking over his water bottle. No one outside the university used the landline number. He picked up the receiver. “Keaton Andrews, Scandinavian Studies.”
“Hi,” a friendly female voice greeted him. “It’s Lilia. Dean Fredricks would like to see you.”
“When?”
“Now.”
That was…unexpected. But one didn’t keep a dean waiting. Keaton had learned that his second day there.
He jumped to his feet. “On my way.”
Keaton saved his file, straightened his bow tie, adjusted his suspenders, and ran his fingers through his hair. He considered putting on his jacket, but the building was warm enough with the temperatures in the low eighties. As much as students paid in tuition, one would think working air conditioners would be in every building. That wasn’t the case.
Three minutes later, he approached the dean’s assistant’s desk. “Should I go in?”
Lilia motioned to the office behind her. The door was ajar. “He’s waiting for you. When you’re finished, I want to see photos of Rex.”
“My sister sent me new ones.”
Thinking about Callie’s Lab mix brought back memories of the weeks Keaton had spent in Silver Falls, Washington, this summer. He’d attended Callie and Brandt’s wedding in July and stayed through mid-August to dog-sit his canine nephew while the newlyweds honeymooned.
He planned to return during winter break for the holidays. Nothing like a white Christmas in a quaint small town where everyone knew his name.
“Rex gets cuter every day.” Not that Keaton was biased. The dog was the best. “I’m his favorite uncle. Not even Garrett will replace me.”
Garrett, his middle brother, lived in Silver Falls now.
Lilia tsked. “Sounds like you need your own dog.”
Callie had mentioned the same thing. Her aunt-in-law Margot, however, hinted Keaton needed a girlfriend.
Both were wrong.
Keaton dated occasionally. But his focus was his career. At least until the official tenure announcement came out. “Maybe for Christmas.”
A way to celebrate the holidays and tenure.
NjordorMagnimight be a good name for a Norwegian Elkhound. Forget one of those tiny, ankle-biter types. He wanted a dog who could keep up with him during walks and hikes.
“You know.” A mischievous expression formed on Lilia’s face. “Halloween’s next month. You could get a dog costume and pass out candy with him or her in a doggy costume to the trick-or-treaters.”
A pet came after tenure. He wasn’t changing his plans. But Lilia didn’t need to know that. “Kids don’t come to my apartment building so I stopped buying candy.”
