Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
K athy loved teaching, but the last few days, with just the teachers and administrators, were a balm. She finished all her work, did her required administrative reports, cleaned her room, took down the decorations, and removed her personal items. The janitors would paint the room, polish the floors, and make any minor repairs that were needed to get the small school into shape. Kindergarten through high school seniors used the one sandstone building. She taught multiple levels, as did the rest of the teachers. The pay was adequate. She’d never be rich, but then again, what made a person rich wasn’t money. It was the relationships they had. Her parents had taught her that, and she believed it down to her toes.
She pulled her truck into the parking slot in front of Allison’s bakery and headed in. “Hey!” she called to Allison, who wasn’t in the front of the store.
Allison came to the door, wiping her hands. “Hey, yourself! What are you doing here?” She looked at the large clock above the door. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
“The last day of school was yesterday.”
“Damn, how did I miss that?” Allison laughed. “Are you going to go to Bunco on Saturday?”
“I am. I love that game.” Kathy leaned against the counter. “But I love visiting with everyone more.”
“Speaking of love …” Allison raised her eyebrows. “How are you and Barry getting along?”
Kathy could feel her face heat. “He’s wonderful.” And yeah, her voice was breathless. She didn’t care. Allison was one of her best friends, and she wouldn’t tease her about how she felt about Barry.
Allison smiled at her. “I’m so happy for you. Is he … Hell, how do I ask if he’s not as uptight as he used to be without making it sound weird?”
“Just like that.” Kathy laughed at her. “He’s doing a lot better.” She was still floating about six inches off the ground from running into him that morning. “He’s been working hard over the last six months.”
“With Doc Wheeler, right? He’s really good.”
“He is.” Kathy laughed. “Barry fusses about the appointments, but he goes every Friday, and now he knows when he needs an extra session and calls for it. The change in him has been nothing short of wonderful. Now everyone can see the sweet man that I always saw.”
“It was kind of hard to see at first.” Allison widened her eyes, and they both laughed.
“Maybe. He was kind of feisty.”
“Prickly, testy. A bit rude?” Allison added.
“Okay, okay, yes, but he’s nothing like that now.”
“Well, I’m glad. I need to get out of this bakery every now and then and see people.”
“You do! I haven’t seen you at the diner in … months.”
“Right? Oh, did you hear the latest tea?” Allison waved her back. “Let’s get some coffee.”
“What gossip do you have?” Kathy followed her back to the tiny area that held two chairs and a coffee pot.
“Edna Michaelson has another Bigfoot picture, or so she says.” Allison poured her a cup then put in some creamer and sugar.
“I know!” Kathy’s laugh bubbled over. “I saw it this morning. But, girl, I couldn’t tell what it was. It could have been a Bigfoot. It was weird. The thing was all covered in … Well, it could have been fur. It wasn’t really in focus.”
“The one she had last time was way far away.” Allison sat down with her. “That woman, I swear, she’s got to have some type of situation brewing.”
“Well, it keeps her motivated and doing things. So as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, I say live and let live.” Kathy took a sniff of her coffee. “Oh, this smells good. ”
“Cinnamon,” Allison said as she took a sip. “I love the smell of adding cinnamon to the grounds.”
“Where did you learn that?”
“Brian.” Allison put her cup down. “How about a loaf of bread to take home?”
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Kathy put her hand on Allison’s arm and stopped her from leaving. “Sit down and spill.”
Allison groaned but plopped back down in the chair. “There isn’t really anything to say.”
“Oh, really? I think there’s a whole lot to say! Like, who’s Brian? How did he teach you to put cinnamon in your coffee, and why haven’t I heard about him before?”
Her friend smiled a bit. “Brian is a friend of Alex and Kayla’s.”
Kathy nodded. She loved Kayla and Alex. The woman was Phil Granger’s niece and owned the seamstress-slash-clothing store next door to Allison’s bakery. “But how did you meet him?”
“I met him a long time ago. When he first got out of the military, he came up here to talk to Doc Wheeler. Kind of like Barry.”
“Jeremiah is wonderful, but you’re not going to distract me. Go on.” Kathy leaned forward.
“We talked a couple of times back then. He’s, well, he’s huge.” Allison shrugged.
“Huge? You mean … fat?”
Allison snorted out a laugh. “God, no. He’s tall and muscled, tatted up, and a biker. ”
Kathy blinked. “A biker?”
Allison nodded. “What I meant by huge is he kind of, like, consumes all the air around him. You know what I mean?”
Kathy narrowed her eyes. “Not really.”
Allison sighed. “Okay … so, when he’s around, there isn’t room for anything else, you know? He’s opinionated, strong-willed, and bossy.”
Kathy sat back. “Oh, you mean he’s just like you.”
Allison’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
“Oh, I love you, girl, but you have to know that about yourself, right?”
Allison huffed. “I’m not bossy.”
Kathy crossed her arms over her chest and looked at her friend.
“What?” Allison stood up and grabbed a towel from the coffee cart, folding it. She glanced back at Kathy and then groaned again before plopping back into the chair.
“You like him.”
“He doesn’t live around here. He lives in Rapid, and no, he’s too bossy. And that take-it-or-leave-it attitude of his. He just thinks it’s going to be his way or the highway.”
Kathy lifted an eyebrow. “I have a feeling you’re leaving something out.”
Allison fiddled with the towel in her hand. “He asked me out, so when I was down in Rapid, I took him up on it. We had a great time. He’s smart and … well, sexy. The tattoos … ”
Kathy wasn’t going to let her stop. “But …”
“He said he’d heard all about my issues with Ken.” Allison’s chin went up in the air. “He had the nerve to tell me that while a relationship was a two-way street, any woman he dated wouldn’t be able to pull him around by the nose.”
Kathy let out a surprised bark of laughter and slapped both hands over her mouth. Allison’s eyes narrowed at her, and she stood up, leaving the room.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Kathy laughed as she followed her friend.
“You sound sorry,” Allison mocked her from in front of the oven.
“You’ve got to admit, he has your number.”
“It isn’t my number.” Allison crossed her arms and leaned against a pristinely clean stainless-steel table. “At least I don’t want it to be my number.”
Kathy walked over to her friend and hugged her. “I know, sweetie. I know. If you like this guy, you should go for it.” She released the hug and held Allison at arm’s length. “We’ve talked about this so many times. You were miserable and didn’t know how to act other than doing what you’d always done. Maybe this time, you should just see how things go without trying to drive the relationship. I can tell you that’s where I am with Barry. He’s leading because he needs to. But you know what? I know deep in my soul that if I needed or wanted it, he’d share that responsibility with me. ”
“Well, the ring-in-the-nose comment ensures Brian wouldn’t be willing to share.” Allison sighed.
She wasn’t going to let her friend off the hook. “Not true. Just because he won’t be led around doesn’t mean he won’t commit to a relationship. You don’t know.” Kathy dropped her hands from Allison’s shoulders. “Wait … that’s it, isn’t it?”
Allison frowned at her. “What?”
“A relationship. That’s what you’re afraid of. You were afraid of it with Ken. You’ve driven away every guy who has ever asked you out a second time or walked away from them. Are you afraid of being in a relationship?”
Allison rolled her eyes. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”
Kathy shook her head. Allison would never admit to it, not in a million years. “Okay, fine, if you aren’t afraid of a relationship, why not go out with him again?”
Allison dropped her eyes. “Because he hasn’t called me. And the last time he was up here to see Alex and Kayla, he didn’t stop by.”
Kathy grimaced. “Ouch.”
“Yeah.” Allison sighed. “And …”
Kathy dipped her head, catching Allison’s eyes. “And?”
Allison shrugged. “I liked him, but I messed it up.”
Kathy sighed and grasped at straws. “Then maybe you should call him.”
“And say what?”
“Well, that depends on what you said to make him go silent.” She held up a hand. “I’m not going to ask what that was unless you want more free advice.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ve had my fill for today.” Allison smiled at her.
Kathy moved to hug her friend. “I love you, girly. Sometimes, you are your own worst enemy. Anytime you want to talk about this, I’m available.”
“Thank you,” Allison whispered as they hugged. “Now, how about some sourdough?”
Kathy laughed and released her friend. “Yes, please.”