Before that she’d had to deal with two minor injuries that had happened during their programs this week—and all the insurance paperwork that went along with them. Nancy had been a great help guiding her through the process. She’d known her job would entail this kind of work; she just hadn’t known it would absorb her entire day.
Hopefully this week was just an aberration. Nancy had told her that once she finished the necessary office work during the week, she would go to the activity sites and oversee the sports programs and their coaches.
But it seemed as though there was no time for that unless she worked beyond the forty-hour workweek. And since she was on salary, that hardly made sense. Despite that, she’d stopped by various activity sites each evening this week to get the lay of the land. And also to eke a little enjoyment out of her job.
It was already nearly six o’clock and she’d just finished the office work. She’d planned to stop and observe the adult volleyball league tonight, but her brain was fried. She’d been under fluorescent lights all week. Her stomach gave a hard rumble. She’d brought in food, thinking she could work through lunch and free up some time to catch the afternoon senior yoga session. So much for that.
The office was quiet as she exited the building. Nancy and her assistant had already left for the day. Jenna locked up and headed to her car. On her way home she stopped at a drive-thru because she hadn’t had time to shop for groceries this week.
After parking her car she made her way to her apartment, breathing in the scent of hot pavement as the sounds of passing traffic filled her ears. She missed the smell of the ocean and the sounds of the breeze rustling the tree leaves. She missed the local restaurants where she could pop in and spot a friend or neighbor. She missed the glorious sunrises, the windswept beaches, the shimmering bays. She missed the sight of wild ponies grazing in the salt marshes and the familiar rock of her kayak.
Jenna shook the thoughts away. She’d made her choice. She had to make the best of this.
Once inside her apartment she devoured a salad with cold chicken while she caught up on sports. When the Braves recap came on, she turned it up. They’d just swept the Phillies in a three-game series. She grabbed her phone to text Tyson, a ready smile on her lips.
Then her smile wilted. She kept forgetting they were taking space from each other. She put down her phone, that familiar sinking sensation weighting her stomach.
She hated this. She missed him so much. He was the one she talked sports with. This summer he’d become the one she talked toabout everything. And now she was just supposed to quit him cold turkey?
Her insides ached. She wanted to tell him about her disappointment with her job and hear his encouragement. She wanted to share about her visit with Gordon and the way he and her mother had patched things up. There were a dozen things that happened on any given day that she wanted to tell him. And that didn’t even touch on how much she missed being held in the safety of his arms.
She hated not knowing what was going on in his life. Was his health back to normal? Was he running calls again? What had become of the bet with his brothers? Of the situation with Marissa?
Did Tyson miss Jenna as much as she missed him? Or was he hanging out with Britt here and there? Possibly testing out the idea of a reconciliation?
No.She would not go there.
She scrapped the rest of her salad, then put this morning’s dishes in the dishwasher. This week she’d taken Sofia’s advice and made an appointment with an online counselor. It wouldn’t be easy, but she had to work through her fear. Trust that she was strong enough to get through it. Sofia’s belief in her buoyed Jenna’s spirits. She was already getting glimpses of the truth: Tyson was the right person—but she had to deal with her own issues to make it the right time.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She dried her hands and told herself it wasn’t Tyson. But her heart didn’t listen. It thrashed around as she checked the screen.
Disappointment swept through her at the sight of Miss Molly’s name. Even so, Jenna managed a small smile as she greeted the woman. “Well, hello, Miss Molly. How are you?”
“I’m doing all right, I suppose. And how are you doing, dear? All settled into your apartment and new job?”
“I guess you could say that. Although it might take a little more time to get my feet under me.”
“Well, there’s a learning curve with every new job. I’m sure you’re doing great.”
“I haven’t had any complaints yet at least.” She pictured Miss Molly pushing her glasses up with a slender finger and suddenly missed her and everything about her old job. She could almost hear the water rippling against the pilings and the flag pole’s hardware pinging in the breeze. “How’s the business going? How’s Mr. Paul? Catch me up on everything.”
“The business is doing great. You know how it is in July.”
“I remember. Your busiest week is yet to come.” Pony Penning Days was absolutely crazy. Everyone wanted a peek of those beautiful wild ponies emerging from the water in glorious fashion, and the channel view was unbeatable.
“We’re gearing up for it. Paul’s helping out where he can, but he’s got that bad back, and as you know he’s not so great with customers.”
“He can spray down the kayaks like a pro, though.”
“That he can.” Miss Molly cleared her throat. “Listen, honey, I don’t want to take up too much of your time. But there’ve been some recent developments with my daughter Lisette.” Her tone was sullen.
“Oh no. What’s wrong?”
“That surgery she had didn’t take well. She’s going to need permanent help with the children.”
“Oh, Miss Molly, I’m so sorry. Will she be okay?”
“She’ll be all right, but she won’t be able to manage on her own while David’s at work. So Paul and I will be moving to Asheville as soon as possible.”
