Chapter 15
Justin
I pull my truck up to the middle school.
While classes are out for the summer, there always seems to be a few cars.
Devan says the janitorial staff is painting walls and replacing carpet squares.
And then there are people like her, working to set up their classrooms. With the newer schedule, summer break isn’t as long as I remember.
Students will be back in the building by the end of July.
That still gives Devan a little over six weeks to make her room exactly what she wants.
Yes, over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking, mostly on the phone, which she said is new for her. I’m curious what else is new for her. Checking my phone, I see the text message she sent earlier.
“COME IN TO THE SCHOOL. I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING. TEXT AND I’LL COME OPEN THE DOOR.”
Unable to resist, I send a reply.
“TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO SHOW ME.” Winking face emoji.
Devan doesn’t take the bait. She replies.
“ARE YOU HERE?”
Instead of texting, I hit the call button. Devan answers on the first ring. “You are old. No one calls.” Her voice is light, sweet, and enthusiastic, so I’m going to ignore the comment about my age.
“I’m in the parking lot.”
It’s great to hear the happiness in her voice. Last week, when she first visited the school, she was devastated that her classroom was an empty shell. Even the posters and charts she’d seen at the time of her interview were gone.
“I’m headed toward the front doors,” she says.
Stepping out of my truck, I glance around the parking lot.
At this time of evening, the paved lot has few cars.
And the nearby baseball field has only a sparse number of kids on it.
While part of me is ready to make things official with Devan, as of yet we’re keeping our relationship a secret. In a small town, that’s no easy feat.
Peering through the glass doors, I catch the last few seconds of Devan’s approach.
She positively bounces down the hallway and through the first set of doors.
Her stunning smile brightens to a radiant glow as she pushes the bar on the outside door.
Her cheeks are pink, and her long hair is in one braid that goes down the middle of her back.
She’s wearing a spaghetti-strap sundress that shows less leg than her shorts a few weeks ago.
With her flat sandals, Devan is easily ten inches shorter than I.
Opening the door, she cranes her neck until I see the soft suede of her eyes. “Hi.” Her volume is low and sexy.
“Hi,” I say, my voice coming out huskier than usual.
“You’re all cleaned up.”
She is right.
After I got done working, I took a shower and even shaved. Today I spent most of the day working on our old tractor. My nails became filthy with grease as I got the tractor’s timing back on par. Getting a new tractor isn’t an expense I want if we’re considering buying the Dunn farm.
It’s odd but that possibility isn’t something Devan and I have talked about. Mostly, I’m afraid she doesn’t know that her dad is considering selling. I don’t want to be the one to tell her.
“I figured you deserved the showered version.”
Devan grins. “I’ll take any version. The showered one smells good.”
Yes, I added a splash of cologne.
I’m dying to cup her cheek and taste her sweet lips. Looking around at the empty offices, I consider my next move.
Before I can do anything, Devan reaches for my hand. “Come to my room.”
“I wish you were inviting me to your bedroom,” I whisper. My comment gets me a side look and a smile.
Devan leads me through the different hallways.
This is only my second time to her classroom, and in a few minutes, I’m hopelessly lost. I would need a compass and the GPS on my phone to make it back to the front doors.
Honestly, all my personal memories of middle school have been lost. It’s like the entire file folder has been deleted.
If I wasn’t certain I’ve lived in Riverbend my entire life, I’d think a new school had been built.
It hadn’t. Renovation and additions have taken place.
The temperature is too warm, no doubt saving money on the air conditioning.
With each step, I feel perspiration form on my skin.
“Look,” she says, motioning into her classroom with her arm.
I take a step inside. Two large fans circulate the warm air, creating a breeze. The desks have all been arranged with the big one at the front of the class.
No longer are the walls bare. There are bright posters with diagrams of cells, and inverted triangles with scientific and biological classification.
The bulletin boards that were empty are covered in brightly colored papers.
As I turn, I see the bookcases that were filled with only dust now hold textbooks.
“Damn,” I say, making a complete circle. “Miss Dunn, you amaze me.”
“I contacted Mrs. Scudder. Remember her?”
My head shakes. “I swear I must have slept through middle school.”
Devan smiles. “She used to be the head of the science department. She retired a few years ago. Since John Jacobs took everything from the classroom, I wondered if she saved anything. Mr. Sams wasn’t happy that it was all gone.
” Her nose scrunches. “I don’t think Mr. Jacobs left on the best of terms.”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
“It sounds like it was kept quiet.”
“Cory is my friend,” I say. “Why wouldn’t he tell me?”
Devan puts her fist to her hip. “Why would he? Do you tell him when something goes wrong on the farm?”
“I tell anyone who will listen.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I laugh. “I get it. None of my business.” My eyebrows move up. “Do you have the dirt?”
“Only rumors and I’m not going to be the one to spread them.
Anyway, not only did Mrs. Scudder have materials, but she was excited to get it out of her house.
” Devan practically floats to the front of the room.
“And I found this website where I can download a pdf of posters. I then can have them printed for half the cost of the catalogue price and printed in any size.” She motions toward the bookcases.
“Mr. Sams found the textbooks. Mr. Jacobs had stuffed them in a custodial closet.”
“There is definitely a story I need to learn.”
Devan comes closer, taking both of my hands in hers and looking up at me. “The only story you need to know is that the new science teacher is getting excited for her first class. And nervous.”
“You’re going to be amazing. I just know it.”
“I want to make the students love science as much as I do.”
“Now, the rest of the summer you’re free to…” I have a long list of things I’d like her to do.
“No,” she says, shaking her head. “The textbook company has guides and lesson plans, but I need to go through each one. Did you know that nowadays, the entire semester syllabus is supposed to be online before the first day of school?”
“I didn’t.” It’s not a lie. I have no idea what teachers do.
“I could simply post the one Mr. Jacobs used, but I need to be sure it covers all the standards, and I want to give it my personal touch.”
I squeeze her hands. “With your touch, it will be perfect.” Letting go of her hand, I lift her chin, pressing a soft kiss to her sweet lips. “Dinner?”
“An official date? The diner on Main?”
“No.” I quickly add, “Not because I’m not ready to make this public but because I have other plans.”
Her face tilts as her brown eyes glisten. “What plans do you have, Justin?”
“A picnic. I thought we could drive to the quarry pits. Find a secluded spot, and…” —I lift my eyebrows— “eat.”
Devan looks down at herself. “I’ve been working all day. I’m hot and sweaty and?—”
“The most beautiful girl I know.”
The pink hue in her cheeks reddens to a rosy glow. “Let me call my mom. I don’t want her to expect me for dinner and I don’t show.”
“Is that a yes?”
“You packed a picnic?” she asks.
“I did. I can’t promise it’s great. If it’s not edible, we can stop and get something.”
“But you packed it?”
I nod. “I couldn’t ask my mom to do it. She’d ask questions.” I let out a sigh. “This may come as a shock, but I’m not exactly known for my romantic gestures.”
Devan pushes up on her toes and brushes my lips with hers. “Yes, Justin Sheers, I will go on a picnic. I can’t wait to see what you packed.” Her hand goes over her stomach. “I’ve been working here since before lunch. I’m famished.”
“Maybe we should go someplace closer.”
Her gaze goes out the windows. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the quarry pits. And it looks like a beautiful night.” She sits behind the big desk at the front of the class.
While Devan looks more like a student than the teacher, I sense her pride and eagerness to take the role.
As she speaks to her mom, I turn another full circle.
The back of the classroom has small stations with sinks, places for students to conduct their own scientific experiments.
In moments like these, I forget about our difference in age.
The annoying little girl has bloomed into a strong, intelligent, competent woman.
“…bye, Mom.”
“Are you ready?” I ask.
Devan raises one finger and quickly sends a text message.
“Jill or Marilyn?” I ask, wondering which friend she contacted.
“Jill,” she says with a grin. Grabbing her big bag, Devan leads me toward the door. “Who is your cover?”
“I don’t have a cover,” I answer honestly. “My folks don’t ask. They probably think I’m with a list of different guys. And no one else keeps track of my coming and going.”
Devan locks the door to her classroom. I follow her lead, hoping we won’t need GPS to make it back to the front doors. When we get to the parking lot, her car is near my truck.
“Hide your car?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “I can say Jill picked me up. Just bring me back here after our picnic.”
I open the passenger door to my truck. Devan reaches for the handle, steps on the running board, and climbs into the seat. Before I close the door, I stand, staring.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
“Nothing. I like having you in my truck.”
She looks around. “It’s big.”
“I’m also thinking that I’d rather keep you than return you to your car.”
Devan grins as she latches her seat belt. “Come on. I’m hungry.”
“One more thing,” I say, my confidence waning.
“What?”
I open the back door of the truck and lift the bouquet of daisies I picked for her. “I…” —I stammer— “…you said you like them.”
Devan’s eyes grow wide as she takes the flowers. “Justin, they’re beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you.” I close the door, wondering if she thinks I sound ridiculous. It’s not my goal, but as I said, this is uncharted territory. There’s something about Devan that seems different—in a good way.
Opening the driver’s door, I grin. “You think I’m corny?”
She shakes her head. “No, I don’t.” Her smile is gorgeous. “I think this is our first date.” She looks at the flowers and back to me. “And if you don’t get us to our picnic spot soon, I may have to eat the daisies.”