Page 109 of The Perfect Distraction

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Three weeks later

“I’m so glad you’re here!” Beth said as she threw her arms around her sister.

“Me too. Wow! This place looks great!”

“I know. Set down your things, and I’ll give you the grand tour.”

Brooke had called her a couple of days earlier and asked if she could come for the weekend. She rarely got weekends off, and Beth had been thrilled that she’d chosen to spend it with her.

She led Brooke through the house just like she had Becca, and Brooke oohed and ahhed over all the updates.

“I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve been here. It’s just like I remembered, only better!”

When they went into the sunroom, Beth realized she’d left her laptop open, and she quickly stepped in front of it. She’d been doing some research before Brooke arrived and had forgotten to close the tab, but it was too late.

“Harbor Springs Public Schools?” Brooke said with raised brows.

“That’s where Joey goes,” she said dismissively.

“I figured, but what does that have to do with you?” And then Brooke’s eyes widened to mammoth proportions. “Ohmigod! Are you moving here?”

“Shhh!” Beth said, glancing toward Colton’s house.

Brooke followed the direction of her eyes and then looked back at Beth and smiled. “You’re considering it, aren’t you?”

She shrugged. “I was just curious if they had any job openings.”

Brooke plopped down on a cushiony chair and settled in, making it obvious that she wasn’t going to let this go. Beth took the chair across from her, the one that offered an unobstructed view of Colton’s back deck. It was Friday evening, and she knew he and Joey were home. She’d planned on introducing Brooke to them later, after they’d had a chance to catch up. But first, she’d have to endure her sister’s interrogation.

“You’re serious about him, aren’t you? Does he know?”

“Know that I’m serious about him?”

“No. That you’re thinking of moving here?”

Beth sighed and shook her head. “Not exactly. I never expected this to happen. I came here to lick my wounds, not fall in love. But it happened, and now I can’t imagine living without them.”

“I understand,” Brooke said, looking down at her hands.

It struck her that Brooke was in love too, only her situation was much different. Kyle was already taken. Before she could ask about him, Brooke popped her head back up.

“Do Mom and Dad know about this?”

“No. I haven’t told anybody because I’m not even sure myself. There’s so much to think about before I up and move—my job, my house, our family.”

“We’d all miss you, but we’ll support whatever decision you make. You know that, right?”

Beth nodded and willed herself not to cry. She’d been doing a lot of that lately, and she wanted it to stop. If she was going to do this, she’d have to be strong, and knowing that her family was behind her would help.

“Even if I did move, it probably wouldn’t be until next summer. I’m not giving up my teaching position without having another job lined up.”

Brooke nodded, and her eyes brightened. “At least we’d have someplace cool to visit. And it’s not that far away.”

Beth smiled at her sister’s optimism, knowing that some of it was for her benefit. In any case, she felt better just having her there to talk to. So far, she’d avoided the topic with Colton, wanting to give their relationship more time before she broached the subject. But with only two more weeks to go before she’d be returning to Clarkston, the topic of her leaving had been coming up more frequently.

“Enough about me. What’s new with you? How’s your job going?”