“Nothing. I was just thinking about the upcoming holidays. Thanksgiving. You know, turkey, stuffing, all that.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of it.”
She chuckled awkwardly. “Hard to believe it’s tomorrow, huh?”
“Hard to believe.”
“Dad’s having us over for dinner around one o’clock. Then football, of course. You know, the usual. What about you? What are your plans?”
Ah, she was worried about him. No way would Shelby Thatcher be all right with anyone being alone on Thanksgiving. And if push came to shove, she’d invite him to join her family—even if it was bound to start World WarΙΙΙ.
“Patrick invited me over for supper.” It was true, sort of.
And well worth the fib when Shelby practically sagged with relief. “Patrick.That’s great. That’ll be fun. I hear he’s a great cook—Melanie Phillips used to date him and she raved about his skills in the kitchen. Do you cook much?”
That was the most words she’d said since the boating fiasco. “I’m good for the basics, but that’s about it.”
“Well, you’ll be in great hands with Patrick.” The bell out front tinkled. She glanced over her shoulder, then back, offering him a smile. “I should get back upstairs.”
As she slipped away, a lonely feeling swept over Gray. He hadn’t been able to find a restaurant open for the holiday, so he planned on a turkey sandwich, semi-fresh from the deli, and a generous slice of the pumpkin pie he’d already bought from the bakery. Close enough.
Chapter 33
Eleven years ago
As Gray drove to work on Saturday, a fog of despair enclosed him, obscuring everything outside himself. He had finished high school under a cloud of scrutiny, and though his final grades placed him as salutatorian, he was stripped of even that honor because of his so-called cheating record.
His grandma went to the school and “gave them what for.” She insisted they offer him a different test. But her demands went unheard. The decision had been made. There would be no Warner Scholarship. No free ride to college. And his reputation, such as it was, sank to an all-new level.
Shelby tried to comfort him. Tried to encourage him. But his future seemed so bleak that her words just deflected off him. Worse yet, he could tell Mr. Thatcher doubted his innocence. In recent weeks the man had begun warming up, chatting sports and college courses with Gray when he was over at the house. Now there was a marked coolness to his demeanor.
But Gray couldn’t focus on that. He needed to reevaluate, make new plans. If he wanted a degree it would mean night school or online courses while he worked at the hardware store. He would have to mooch off his grandma another eight years or so and save every dime he made for school.
That would mean staying in Grandville long term. And he’d thoughtthings were bad before the cheating incident. News spread far and wide. He was cast as desperate and greedy, trying to steal from Brendan Remington, the worthy athlete and scholar, what was rightfully his.
Graduation was yesterday but Gray hadn’t gone. He never wanted to see those people—students or faculty—again. His grandma and Shelby tried to convince him to go, hold his head high. He’d done nothing wrong. But what good would that do?
And as it turned out, he didn’t have to worry about working at the hardware store anymore. When he got to work, Mr. Lang shoved a copy of theGrandville Gazettein his face.
Gray zeroed in on the article’s headline: “Grandville Student Stripped of Warner Scholarship After Caught Cheating.”
Gray’s face filled with heat as Mr. Lang berated him. He didn’t need some low-life cheater working for him. Gray could steal product or rip off the customers when he wasn’t looking—probably already had. Best he find someplace else to work, and good luck with that.
As Gray stormed from the building, anger clawed him from the inside out. It was all so unfair. Why did bad things always happen to him? He should’ve known better than to think he could have it all. When would he ever learn?
He got into his sweltering truck and punched the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. An idea had been whirling in his head since he’d left the principal’s office that last day of school.
Just an errant thought.
An impulsive reaction.
But the notion lingered in the back of his mind this past week as he believed himself at rock bottom. But now he’d lost his only source of income. Who else would hire him when the whole town believed he was some kind of cheater? A chip off the old block. A bad seed. He had to get out of this town—and he wouldn’t wait years to do it.
Gray pointed the truck toward Huntersville and accelerated.
Shelby checked her phone. She’d texted Gray a couple hours ago about the newspaper article, but he was at work now and she likely wouldn’t hear from him until afterward. Since he was eighteen the article had included his name. He must be devastated.
The past week had been so awful. She’d kept a smile on her face through the graduation ceremony yesterday. Through the open house her dad had planned for her. She mingled and hugged and chatted her way through it all, somehow pretending everything was normal.
