Ashlyn laughed.“Are you serious?”
I nodded, unsure why it was so funny.“That’s what she said.Why?”
“She’s Oscar’s sister-in-law.”
“Josh’s friend Oscar?”
Ashlyn nodded.“I’d be willing to bet Oscar and Josh have a lot more influence on her than Hannah does.”
“I don’t want a job because Josh tells someone to hire me anymore than I want to miss out on a job because Hannah tells her not to hire me.”
“Well, whatever you’re going to do, you need to decide soon because Josh is about to walk in.”Ashlyn slid her gaze past me to the door and pasted on a smile before she waved.
Josh opened the door and walked in.“Hey ladies.”
“Hey,” Ashlyn said.“I’m going to go take a shower so you two can talk.”
“Ash!”
She didn’t say anything else, just walked away, closing the bathroom door a second later.
“What’s going on?”Josh asked, his voice as tight as face.
I exhaled a long breath and nodded toward the water.“Want to sit outside with me?”
Josh nodded once.He was tense.Anxious.
I went to him and slid my arms around his waist.I rested my head on his chest.
He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around me.He held me close and exhaled, some of the tension leaving his body.
I pulled back and took his hand, leading him outside to where we sat in the mornings.
“Are you ending this?I thought you still had a little time before you needed to go home.”
“I’m not ending this, and I do have time.But it’s more than that.”
“Okay.What’s going on?”
“I met Hannah today.”
His eyebrows pinched together.His head jerked in question.“What does that…?Oh.She convinced you to end things with me.I get it.”
“No, you don’t.She tried to do that.I basically laughed at her when she told me you two reconnected when you dropped Evie off and you were getting back together.”
“That’s a lie,” Josh growled.
“I know.Or I assumed.That’s not who you are.But Hannah didn’t stop there.She…” I looked at him so I could see his reaction.“She threatened to block me from getting a job here.”
Anger was first, followed quickly by surprise, then joy.“You’re moving here?”
I exhaled and nodded.“I want to.I’ve applied for jobs in the area.I had an interview today at Amethyst Bay Elementary School.”
“Oscar’s sister-in-law is the principal there.”
“That’s what Ashlyn just told me.”
Josh dug out his phone.“I’ll call her and tell her to hire you right now.”
