Her gaze swept over the property. “If not for my discount from work, I’d never be able to afford it, but I love this place. It’s why I can’t quit.”
“Are you thinking about it?”
She chuckled. “No, I love my job, but just saying.”
“It’s a nice benefit.” He slid out of the driver’s seat and stood to his feet. “Where’s the oil?”
“I set it behind my trunk.” She pointed in that direction. “Do you want to eat first? I made a pot of chicken noodle soup.”
The mention of soup brought awareness of the air’s chill. “That sounds great.”
“I have a fresh loaf of French bread to go with it.”
“You made it?”
Her hearty laugh said it all. “I stopped by the boardinghouse this morning to see Hunter, but forgot he had a speaking engagement this weekend.”
“How’s he doing?” He’d always liked Phoebe’s only brother but wished Hunter had made better life choices for the sake of his parents and siblings.
“Amazing.” She shot a contented grin before walking toward the front door.
Walking beside her, he shortened his strides. “Who is he speaking to this week?”
“A crowd of teens at a youth rally Elijah organized.”
“The one advertised in church?”
She pushed open the door and answered over her shoulder. “Yes. Eli and Trixie took a group of thirty teens from our church, and they’re expecting over five hundred to attend from across the state.”
“That’s incredible.” He followed her inside and closed the door behind him.
“Hunter’s nervous. It’s the largest crowd he’s spoken to yet, but they need to hear his message. Especially with homecoming at school next week.”
A shudder coursed through him. “It scares me when I hear students talk casually about their weekend parties. Sometimes I think I’m just old, but then I remember my high school years and see a huge difference between our generations.”
She nudged him in his ribs. “You’re twenty-eight, not exactly an ancient relic.”
“Might as well be for how well I relate to my students.”
“Whatever.” She strolled to the stove. “You’re the cool teacher.”
His own laugh caught him by surprise, causing him to choke on it. “Says who?”
“Trixie and Elijah have mentioned several times that the youth group admires you and your name comes up often in a good way when they talk about school.”
He crossed his arms, letting the compliment sink in. “Interesting.”
“You sound so doubtful. Even if I hadn’t heard it from my sister, I could see last night at the auction how much the students respect you.” She lifted the lid from a pot and dipped a ladle into the soup.
“Maybe they actually do listen behind those blank stares I get during class.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself. You listen to them and care about them. That goes a long way with teens.” She stirred the soup then lifted the ladle for a sniff. “Perfect.”
“Being a teen is hard. Sometimes they need a break and a moment of grace.” He drew in a long breath, letting the savory aroma tickle his nostrils with pleasure. “If a student forgets their homework, I’m not going to berate them. If they fail a test, I’ll work with them until they understand the material. If they need to talk about home life, then I’ll listen.”
“That’s what makes you different. Being a teacher is your calling, not a job.” Several drops of broth splashed over the bowl’s edge when she transferred the soup from ladle to dish.
He reached for a dishrag by the sink and handed it to her. “Speaking of jobs, are you ready for the big movie star arrival?”
