Dottie folded her arms. “I’m glad you could join us. It’s very important.” She turned to her husband. “Ralph, do you want to tell them?”
“Me? This is all you, dear. I thought you’d want to make this announcement.”
She huffed. “Oh, all right. Ralph and I are leaving.”
Nathan voiced what most were probably thinking, “That’s great. Happy trails. Can I get back to my apartment now?”
Jason held up one hand. “Whoa. I knew you guys were thinking about a change, but when is this happening? I thought you’d give me some time to find a replacement superintendent.”
Ralph clapped Jason on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. We wouldn’t leave you in the lurch. I found someone interested in taking over the maintenance job. And we won’t leave until you find someone else, if he isn’t exactly what you want. He sounds perfect though. Loads of experience.”
“When can I meet him?”
Dottie glanced at her watch again. “In about five minutes. I asked him to come by.”
“Well, this really doesn’t concern the rest of us,” Nathan said. “Can I get back to my program now?”
“Wait,” Roz said. She turned to Dottie and Ralph. “Where are you two going? I hope you have something else lined up.”
Dottie brightened. “Oh, yes. We bought an RV. We’ll be traveling the country, and I’ll be writing magazine articles for the travel industry.”
“Well, tarnation,” Gwyneth whined. “I was hopin’ y’all would be here to help me correct my grammar before I send in my sexy books. Now how am I supposed to make a livin’?”
“In other words,” Morgaine said, “congratulations. It sounds like a wonderful opportunity.”
Gwyneth shot her a look filled with hostility. “Y’all don’t have to correct my manners, Morgaine. I’m not your little prodigy anymore.”
Morgaine folded her arms and turned away from her cousin.
Merry jumped up and gave her husband’s Aunt Dottie a hug. “Yes, I think congratulations are in order. You’re going to make a wonderful travel writer.”
Roz added to the distraction. “And what a great way to see this big, beautiful country! Where will you start?”
“We’ll be starting in Bar Harbor, Maine, and driving southwest. We’ll crisscross the country over the summer ending in San Diego this fall. Then travel across the South during the winter and head to the Pacific Northwest next spring. Then we’ll drive the Trans Canada Highway until we arrive back here in New England the following autumn.”
“You’re going to miss two whole baseball seasons,” Jason said.
Ralph piped up, “Not if we’re near any of your away games. I’ll have to do something to keep myself occupied while Dottie’s working.”
Jason scratched his head. “I’d love to see a familiar face in the stands, but this is happening so fast.”
The doorbell buzzed.
“Oh, that must behim,” Dottie strode to the intercom beside the door and pressed the button. “Who is it?” she sang out happily.
The unfamiliar male voice said, “Jules Vernon.”
Nathan burst out laughing. “Jules Vernon! That’s not really his name, is it?”
“As far as we know it is,” Ralph said.
Nathan grinned. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
Dottie shushed him. “Come on up. We’re all gathered in 2B.” She buzzed the front door open. Pointing at Nathan, she hissed, “You behave. Or better yet, just go. You don’t want to be here anyway.”
Ralph opened his mouth to intervene, but Nathan held up his hand. “You don’t have to ask me twice.” He left the apartment door open and was heard cackling all the way down the stairs.
***
