shade darker, like the peel of an almost-ripe avocado. The seriousness of his gaze commanded her attention.
“When I called you this morning, I said I wanted to apologize for putting you in an awkward position last night.”
She needed to jump in and rescue him from saying things that would make them both feel awkward. “Jake, you don’t need to apologize. I—”
“I’m not going to apologize, Gracie.”
“You’re not?” Surely her elevated heart rate must be affecting her hearing.
“Can’t you tell, Gracie? After I told you about the City Council’s upcoming vote, I planned to just write you off. But I couldn’t. And not because of anything extraordinary. Just because of who you are.” He smiled at her with a sincerity that even the nagging whisper in her head couldn’t deny. “You convinced me that not only was your school worth saving but you were worth getting to know better. I hadn’t set foot in a church in almost a decade until last night. I came because of the school you created from nothing. I came because of you.”
“Jake, that’s not because of me, that’s because of God. He puts people and circumstances in our lives for a reason.”
As the words rolled off her tongue, a light clicked on for Gracie as surely as if she had tripped an entire box of breakers.
“What?” Jake tilted his head and stared deeply at her, studying her face. “You look like you have more to say.”
“Well, maybe I just answered my own question. I’ve spent the past few days so worried about the circumstances surrounding you and El Centro that I forgot He’s in control.” Gracie could hear the animation coming back into her voice, like the moment in The Wizard of Oz when the scene changes from black-and-white to glorious color. “Maybe He’s put you in my life for a reason. Maybe I needed you to show me those new properties, to push me out of my comfort zone and into a new direction. Maybe it’s the start of a new and wonderful chapter for El Centro. ”
“It certainly could be, Gracie. I don’t know much about God, but I do know the place we found today is a great location for you to both live in and teach. And maybe there’s more. If there’s one thing I’ve learned recently, it’s that good friends are a gift, especially when times are uncertain.”
Jake’s hand rested back on the gearshift. Gracie reached out and covered it lightly with her own.
She couldn’t deny his observation. She worked so much that she had more acquaintances than true friends. But the butterflies fluttering in her stomach seemed more than just friendly.
“Sí. Todos necesitamos amigos.” She smiled, ready to release the apprehension that had dogged her for days, then remembered she needed to translate. “We all need friends.”
* * *
The three quick raps on the window, each progressively louder, were a calling card Gracie did not want to receive. Even with her back turned toward the window, Gracie knew she’d just been caught.
“Graciela? Is that you?” Gloria’s voice sounded muffled through the glass.
Although technically asking a question, no quizzical inflections punctuated the sentence. Gloria already knew the answer.
Gracie turned around and punched the button to lower the window, wishing she could face any music other than her sister’s.
“Hi, Gloria. How’s your afternoon at the beach?” Gracie tried to keep her voice from taking on the tone of a teenager coming in after curfew.
“Oh, it’s been good. Peaceful. Lots of sun.” She lowered her head and looked straight across the small cabin at Jake. “But walking back to my car, I’ve noticed some storm clouds rolling in.”
The only chill in the early summer air Gracie could sense came from directly outside the passenger door.
“I see.” Gracie didn’t want to discuss this right now, not while she could still remember the closeness she and Jake just shared. “Jake was about to drop me off for a little R&R with you, but since
“When I called you this morning, I said I wanted to apologize for putting you in an awkward position last night.”
She needed to jump in and rescue him from saying things that would make them both feel awkward. “Jake, you don’t need to apologize. I—”
“I’m not going to apologize, Gracie.”
“You’re not?” Surely her elevated heart rate must be affecting her hearing.
“Can’t you tell, Gracie? After I told you about the City Council’s upcoming vote, I planned to just write you off. But I couldn’t. And not because of anything extraordinary. Just because of who you are.” He smiled at her with a sincerity that even the nagging whisper in her head couldn’t deny. “You convinced me that not only was your school worth saving but you were worth getting to know better. I hadn’t set foot in a church in almost a decade until last night. I came because of the school you created from nothing. I came because of you.”
“Jake, that’s not because of me, that’s because of God. He puts people and circumstances in our lives for a reason.”
As the words rolled off her tongue, a light clicked on for Gracie as surely as if she had tripped an entire box of breakers.
“What?” Jake tilted his head and stared deeply at her, studying her face. “You look like you have more to say.”
“Well, maybe I just answered my own question. I’ve spent the past few days so worried about the circumstances surrounding you and El Centro that I forgot He’s in control.” Gracie could hear the animation coming back into her voice, like the moment in The Wizard of Oz when the scene changes from black-and-white to glorious color. “Maybe He’s put you in my life for a reason. Maybe I needed you to show me those new properties, to push me out of my comfort zone and into a new direction. Maybe it’s the start of a new and wonderful chapter for El Centro. ”
“It certainly could be, Gracie. I don’t know much about God, but I do know the place we found today is a great location for you to both live in and teach. And maybe there’s more. If there’s one thing I’ve learned recently, it’s that good friends are a gift, especially when times are uncertain.”
Jake’s hand rested back on the gearshift. Gracie reached out and covered it lightly with her own.
She couldn’t deny his observation. She worked so much that she had more acquaintances than true friends. But the butterflies fluttering in her stomach seemed more than just friendly.
“Sí. Todos necesitamos amigos.” She smiled, ready to release the apprehension that had dogged her for days, then remembered she needed to translate. “We all need friends.”
* * *
The three quick raps on the window, each progressively louder, were a calling card Gracie did not want to receive. Even with her back turned toward the window, Gracie knew she’d just been caught.
“Graciela? Is that you?” Gloria’s voice sounded muffled through the glass.
Although technically asking a question, no quizzical inflections punctuated the sentence. Gloria already knew the answer.
Gracie turned around and punched the button to lower the window, wishing she could face any music other than her sister’s.
“Hi, Gloria. How’s your afternoon at the beach?” Gracie tried to keep her voice from taking on the tone of a teenager coming in after curfew.
“Oh, it’s been good. Peaceful. Lots of sun.” She lowered her head and looked straight across the small cabin at Jake. “But walking back to my car, I’ve noticed some storm clouds rolling in.”
The only chill in the early summer air Gracie could sense came from directly outside the passenger door.
“I see.” Gracie didn’t want to discuss this right now, not while she could still remember the closeness she and Jake just shared. “Jake was about to drop me off for a little R&R with you, but since
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