Or for something else to break.
Chapter 10
Celine
“You’ve got to come.” Callie begged, snagging a cookie from the tray Stella had baked and left on the table in the teacher’s lounge.
I’d dropped the kids off at music, then come in to refill my water bottle. If I’d known she’d corner me, I would have used the filling station on the other side of the building.
“I don’t have time to read.”
“Doesn’t matter,” she said easily. “It’sNoBook Club. Reading isn’t required. But you need to meet people. Trust me. It’ll be good for you to take a night off.”
Socialization wasn’t in the cards for me. At least not anytime soon. “I have no childcare.” And my kids weren’t the type that I could leave with a random teenager recommended by a coworker.
“Sure you do.” Stella waltzed into the room, bringing her sunshiny warmth with her.
“Stell, you have no idea how much I needed this,” Calliesaid, mouth full of cookie. “The twins clogged the sink with their homemade slime, and I’ve been craving sugar.”
“I’ll babysit,” Stella said. “Julian is already comfortable with me, and I can bring over the new sight word games I picked up for my classroom. He can help me test them out.”
A pit formed in my stomach in response. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
She shrugged. “Then good thing you’re not asking.”
“Don’t you want to go to the club?” I asked her.
“I go sometimes.” She picked up a cookie. “But I know everyone already, and I’m tired of answering questions about you. Trust me, the town would rather you go.”
“But—”
“Looks like the problem is solved.” Callie clapped once. “Good. There are so many people I want you to meet.”
I had full confidence in Stella. She was an educator but also an all-around amazing person, and my kids were fully in love with her.
The problem was me. Was I ready to leave them? And what would I do at this No Book Club? I was the least interesting person in this town. An entire evening of awkward small talk was not my idea of fun.
But Stella left before I could turn her down, and if it wasn’t clear she’d made up my mind for me then, it was when she showed up at six thirty, a wide smile on her face.
A teacher through and through, she arrived with a tote bag full of games, crafts, and ingredients for cookies.
Everyone, including Ellie, was smitten, not one of them looking my way when I said goodbye.
Was it weird to be jealous? And maybe a little hurt that they were so eager to get rid of me?
I started the engine, but rather than drive away, I closed my eyes, engulfed in panic. For so long, leaving hadn’t been an option. A break from my duties would bring either punishment or danger.
With a deep breath in, I rested my head against the seat. We were safe now. The kids were in good hands, I was going out to meet people. It was what I should be doing. And exactly what I’d wanted when moving here. A fresh start. A normal life.
But my nervous system had not caught up. It took another two or three minutes to calm my racing heart. Then with shaky hands, I drove into town.
Parking was easier than I thought, and I found myself lingering outside the restaurant a few minutes before the meeting was set to start, looking down at the sundress I was wearing. It was a hand-me-down from Chloe. She’d given me a closet full of clothes after I’d left Donny. Since the time I hit puberty, she’d been smaller than me, but in recent years, I’d shrunk quite a bit. Stress was to blame for the most part, but the intense workouts played a part too, and I couldn’t give them up. Running was the only thing that quieted my anxious brain.
The garment was pretty and had probably cost a fortune, but my face suddenly heated and I wished I’d worn something simpler. I couldn’t pull this off. Who was I kidding? But I was here now, so I might as well get this over with.
I hadn’t been to the Drip Line yet, so as I walked into the bar-slash-restaurant off Market Street, I surveyed the sights. The walls and floors were dark wood, and the lighting wasn’t much brighter. The windows were fogged a little, and theinterior was decorated with pumpkins, gourds, dried corn, and fairy lights.
The chalkboard menu was quirky and cute, highlighting several fall menu items. The place was intimate, the vibe easygoing. Like the kind of bar I would have enjoyed in a former life.
