know what, I’ll wait.” She plopped herself down on the vinyl couch and rolled her neck. She needed new worksheets for Caleb, and she needed to talk to the special ed consultant about Bailey’s IEP. She also needed—
The principal’s door opened at three thirty-two. Sienna stood before anyone else could zoom in ahead of her. “Do you have a minute?”
Jenny looked at her. For a moment, her eyes seemed cloudy, a little confused. Then she shook her head, and the cloudiness went away. “Of course. I’ve been meaning to check in with you. How’s everything going?”
Sienna took a few steps toward Jenny’s office, but instead, the principal motioned down the hall. “Mind if we walk? I told Mrs. Pennington I’d help her get ready for the book fair tomorrow.” Before Sienna could answer, Jenny had pushed open the office door and begun walking in the direction of the library.
“Oh. Sure,” Sienna said, though the only person who heard her was Hillary. She glanced back at the office. The other day, tears on the principal’s face. Today, confusion. Sienna didn’t know what Jenny did in there after the kids left each day, but she was beginning to wonder.
* * * * *
Jenny James, Elementary School Principal, Sienna wrote on her research list later that night. Above Jenny’s name were a few lines about the two women Mike had told her about the other day. Imagine finding out your one and only is someone else’s too. She whistled. She filled in the details she knew about Jenny’s family background, then Googled her education and experience before taking over at Pine Point. She was ten years older than Sienna, still young to be running a school in Sienna’s opinion, but every picture Sienna found online matched the image Jenny portrayed at school. Open, friendly, confident, a no-nonsense professional.
Closes herself in her office every day after the students leave, Sienna wrote at the bottom of the page. WHY? She underlined the word three times and stared at it for a minute. Then she tossed the notepad aside and walked into the kitchen.
She’d finally made it to the grocery store, but tonight the thought of actually cooking something held no appeal. She took out a container of yogurt, stared at it, and then put it back. “I need a drink.” And a burger. She knew the perfect place to go for both.
Fifteen minutes later, Sienna pulled up outside Jimmy’s Watering Hole. The local pub had opened shortly before Sienna left Pine Point the first time, and though it sat near the highway and had a view of nothing except a strip mall, people didn’t go for the location. Sienna had discovered when she’d returned last month that Jimmy’s had become known for, in this order, its burgers, its friendly bartenders, and its owners’ zero-tolerance policy for fighting, swearing, or bullshit of any kind.
As a result, a mix of blue-collar workers and professionals gathered there on a regular basis, with the average age somewhere around thirty. No loud music to talk over. No college kids home on break, no drunks threatening each other over the pool table, and no sticky, suspicious spots on the bathroom floor.
Sienna hadn’t expected much of a crowd on a Wednesday night, but the entire bar was filled, along with half the tables and booths. The karaoke stage in the corner was set up and ready to go, and a pool game already looked in full swing. A good-looking guy with long blond hair and a leather jacket stood up just as she squeezed her way to the bar.
“All yours,” he said and motioned at his vacant stool. “Good timing.”
“Perfect timing,” she said.
“Gotta go home and give the kids their bath,” he said, and then flipped his fingers at the bartender and left.
“Hiya,” said the tall guy behind the bar. He tossed a coaster in front of Sienna. “What’s your poison?”
As tempting as a martini sounded, it would probably put her to sleep in a matter of minutes. “Just seltzer with lime, thanks. And a
The principal’s door opened at three thirty-two. Sienna stood before anyone else could zoom in ahead of her. “Do you have a minute?”
Jenny looked at her. For a moment, her eyes seemed cloudy, a little confused. Then she shook her head, and the cloudiness went away. “Of course. I’ve been meaning to check in with you. How’s everything going?”
Sienna took a few steps toward Jenny’s office, but instead, the principal motioned down the hall. “Mind if we walk? I told Mrs. Pennington I’d help her get ready for the book fair tomorrow.” Before Sienna could answer, Jenny had pushed open the office door and begun walking in the direction of the library.
“Oh. Sure,” Sienna said, though the only person who heard her was Hillary. She glanced back at the office. The other day, tears on the principal’s face. Today, confusion. Sienna didn’t know what Jenny did in there after the kids left each day, but she was beginning to wonder.
* * * * *
Jenny James, Elementary School Principal, Sienna wrote on her research list later that night. Above Jenny’s name were a few lines about the two women Mike had told her about the other day. Imagine finding out your one and only is someone else’s too. She whistled. She filled in the details she knew about Jenny’s family background, then Googled her education and experience before taking over at Pine Point. She was ten years older than Sienna, still young to be running a school in Sienna’s opinion, but every picture Sienna found online matched the image Jenny portrayed at school. Open, friendly, confident, a no-nonsense professional.
Closes herself in her office every day after the students leave, Sienna wrote at the bottom of the page. WHY? She underlined the word three times and stared at it for a minute. Then she tossed the notepad aside and walked into the kitchen.
She’d finally made it to the grocery store, but tonight the thought of actually cooking something held no appeal. She took out a container of yogurt, stared at it, and then put it back. “I need a drink.” And a burger. She knew the perfect place to go for both.
Fifteen minutes later, Sienna pulled up outside Jimmy’s Watering Hole. The local pub had opened shortly before Sienna left Pine Point the first time, and though it sat near the highway and had a view of nothing except a strip mall, people didn’t go for the location. Sienna had discovered when she’d returned last month that Jimmy’s had become known for, in this order, its burgers, its friendly bartenders, and its owners’ zero-tolerance policy for fighting, swearing, or bullshit of any kind.
As a result, a mix of blue-collar workers and professionals gathered there on a regular basis, with the average age somewhere around thirty. No loud music to talk over. No college kids home on break, no drunks threatening each other over the pool table, and no sticky, suspicious spots on the bathroom floor.
Sienna hadn’t expected much of a crowd on a Wednesday night, but the entire bar was filled, along with half the tables and booths. The karaoke stage in the corner was set up and ready to go, and a pool game already looked in full swing. A good-looking guy with long blond hair and a leather jacket stood up just as she squeezed her way to the bar.
“All yours,” he said and motioned at his vacant stool. “Good timing.”
“Perfect timing,” she said.
“Gotta go home and give the kids their bath,” he said, and then flipped his fingers at the bartender and left.
“Hiya,” said the tall guy behind the bar. He tossed a coaster in front of Sienna. “What’s your poison?”
As tempting as a martini sounded, it would probably put her to sleep in a matter of minutes. “Just seltzer with lime, thanks. And a
Similar Books
