“Oh! It’s original,” I gasped, instantly falling in love with the white-painted building. Back here were a church, the schoolhouse, and a huge park with a children’s play area. “Can we go inside?” I asked.
“Sure.” Vortex pulled some keys out of his pocket and dangled them in front of me. I grabbed them, dashed up the six steps, and entered.
“Oh, wow,” I gasped. It was beautiful. The big building had a small entrance hall with an office and a place for children to hang their coats and bags. They would have to pass through a door which needed a thumbprint to open and into a narrow corridor. There were two classrooms.
“One is for kids under kindergarten age, and the other is for kindergarten kids. We have a school bus to take children over that age group to Rapid City for schooling, although we’re also considering Black Hawk.”
“I love this,” I said, gazing around the room with its wooden floor and white walls. “But there’s no furniture.”
“No, we decided to let the teachers or nursery nurse choose it,” Vortex replied.
I closed my eyes, already imagining where to put things.
“What are you thinking?” Vortex asked.
“I’d make that a cosy corner. Beanbags, cushions, and soft furnishings, use them for story time. I’d have white wooden shelves with colourful boxes along that entire wall. I’d hang a chalkboard in the middle of that wall, place a whiteboard on one side, and a digital screen on the other. Additionally, I would instal a pull-down cinema screen for treat days.
“Round tables, where kids can group up to work, and I’d also have a couple of storage closets at that end for workbooks and stationery. My desk would go there, just off to one side, so I’m visible but not threatening.”
“You decided that quickly.” Vortex chuckled.
I smiled as I gazed around one more time. “This would be my dream job,” I said.
“The playground in the park backs onto the schoolyard. It also has a high fence and a gate at its boundary with the park. You can lock that public gate during school hours, and the kids can play safely.”
“Perfect.” I sighed and walked out. I’d be damn lucky to get a job somewhere like Merritt. My luck was proving bloody awful lately.
Chapter Eight.
Vortex
It was nearly one p.m. when we returned to the clubhouse, and I was annoyed. The Feds were meant to have taken Amy’s statement an hour ago, but they had not arrived yet. That really pissed me off, especially considering the news of Nathan Coleman’s death. The media was speculating on it being suicide, which I had to admit made sense. The poor guy had lost everything.
Meadow had served lunch, various wraps with soup, and Amy and I helped ourselves. I wasn’t surprised when Drew wandered in, as he’d an open invitation to eat here.
“How’s it going?” he asked Amy as he sat down.
“Thanks, I’m coping,” she replied. “Not exactly a sheriff’s uniform.”
Drew laughed. “No, the town’s not open yet. I have the uniform and will wear it when the town opens. For now, jeans and a shirt are acceptable. I’m not wrestling drunks yet.”
“Do you expect to do that often?” Amy asked, concerned.
“Yup. We’re going to get the assholes who go camping and trout fishing and get drunk. I’m still trying to find a deputy,” Drew replied.
“No luck?” I inquired. It had taken us ages to fill the sheriff’s position. Wasn’t surprised that Drew was struggling with the deputy role.
“None. Although Inglorious said I can deputise any of you, if need be.” Drew smirked, and I flinched.
“Rule me out. I’ve enough on my plate,” I shot back quickly.
As we chatted and ate our meal, two things happened simultaneously. The clubhouse door banged open, and a tall man walked in and dropped a duffel on the floor. He looked around and moved aside as a woman barged past him. Holy crap.
Her eyes narrowed, and I didn’t know which problem was the priority. Cowardly, I tackled the first.
“Didn’t believe you’d ever set foot on Unwanted Bastard territory again,” I stated, getting up. His head swivelled, and his gaze focused on me.
“Didn’t think you would either,Vortex. See you’re wearing the VP patch. Easily bought, were you?”
