Page 24 of The Perfect Distraction

The next day started out cloudy and rainy, and because she was stuck inside, she had way too much time to think. She knew the best way to get out of her head was to stay busy, so after breakfast, she made a to-do list. The first item on the list was housecleaning, which she abhorred. However, since her aunt was kind enough to let her stay there, the least she could do was keep the place clean. She ran the vacuum, scrubbed the bathroom she’d been using, and straightened her bedroom. The whole process took less than two hours and brought little satisfaction since she was the only one there to appreciate it.

On to the next item on her list: preparing some lesson plans for Joey. Now there was something she could really dig into. Teaching was her passion, and unlike housekeeping, it never felt like a chore. Her non-teacher friends couldn’t understand the appeal, and it was difficult to explain. But there was something so intrinsically satisfying about helping a child learn. She was a true believer in the phrase: To teach is to touch a life forever. In fact, she had a wooden sign with the saying hung on the wall of her classroom and another in her home office. Teaching was simply something that she loved to do.

She spent the next two hours on her laptop, reviewing lesson plans that she’d stored there and deciding how to tailor them for Joey. She even made a calendar for the next several weeks, and later, she’d go to the library and print it so she could give a copy to Colton.

Colton. She even liked the sound of his name—strong and masculine just like him. She sighed and shut down the laptop. This is ridiculous! I didn’t come here to find someone. I came here to get away from someone!

And then she started wondering when he might call her, or if. If she’d read things right, they’d both had a good time, but maybe things were different today. Since she wouldn’t be there for long, why would he even want to get involved? He didn’t strike her as the type of guy who was just looking for a fling. In fact, she got the distinct impression that he hadn’t dated much at all since his divorce. Maybe he was just lonely. Maybe he thought she was lonely, and he was just being neighborly. There were too many maybes!

Picking up her cell phone, she turned it over and over in her hand. There was one person she knew would set her straight, and so she dialed.

“Kelly Real Estate. Becca speaking.”

“Hey, Bec. It’s me.”

“Hi. Can you hold on a minute?”

“Sure.”

A few seconds later, Becca was back on the line. “Okay. I can talk now. What’s up? Are you okay?”

Beth laughed. “I got dumped at the altar. What more could go wrong? Never mind. Don’t answer that.”

“At least you’re joking about it now. Progress, right?”

Beth shrugged. “I guess so.”

“I don’t mean to rush you, but I only have a few minutes. I’ve got an appointment at one. Some of us have to work, you know?”

It was a common refrain from both of her sisters, and she didn’t take offense. Although, if a stranger said that to her, it’d be a different story. Funny what you let your family get away with.

“I went on a date,” Beth blurted out since she had limited time.

“With the hot dad?”

“Shhh. Keep your voice down.”

“I’m in the conference room. Nobody can hear me.”

“With Colton, yes.”

“How was it? Was he good with his hands?”

“Bec! He didn’t even touch me. Well, just briefly.”

“Damn! Tell me everything but be quick.”

Beth gave her sister a brief rundown of their evening, including the peck on the cheek even though she felt silly mentioning it.

“That’s great news! I’m so proud of you,” she said, which made Beth feel like a little kid instead of the older sister.

“You’re proud of me?”

“Yes! This is the first major step you’ve taken to get over you-know-who.”

“You can’t even say his name?”

“I’m still pissed at him.”