Hold Onto the Stars by Tracy Broemmer
Chapter 2
“Well,I was going to ask if you needed any help, but it looks like you’ve got things totally under control.”
Peyton Quinn looked over his shoulder and offered his new colleague and friend a smile.
“You think it looks okay?” He turned back to the bulletin board over the chalkboard on the east wall of his classroom and tipped his head to study it.
“You’re kidding, right?”
Peyton watched the strawberry blonde stroll into his room, arms folded over her chest and head turned to appraise his work.
Peyton liked the display; he had chosen a campground theme for his classroom this year. Inspired by small town life or maybe because his theme of sports and teamwork had blown up his classroom last year. His third graders had loved it. But some of the parents had balked about it being divisive—exactly the opposite of what he had intended and the actual atmosphere he had created. He had no desire to go through that kind of headache again.
“Have you seen my classroom?” Leslie Berringer’s sweet laugh drew his eyes from the miniature people cutouts he had stapled over the chalkboard. Twenty-three of them to be exact, each of them wearing little t-shirts that said Camp Oak Bend.
“Didn’t you go with the owl theme?” He tucked his hands in the hip pockets of his khakis. Leslie moved with him when he turned to wander over to his desk.
“Yep.”
“It’s perfect for kindergarten,” he reminded her. “Owl be watching you.”
Leslie grinned and rolled her eyes. “I used it a couple of years ago. I hate recycling themes.”
“It’s too expensive to not reuse stuff.” He shrugged. “Besides, these kids haven’t seen the owls yet.”
Leslie sighed and nodded. “True. So.” Peyton watched her take in the room around her, pleased when her face lit up at the tiny camper display he’d made from cardboard boxes set up at the back of the room, complete with a fake campfire and pond. “Now, that’s perfect.” She wandered back to inspect the scene.
“Happy campers,” Peyton mumbled. “Last year was just a disaster. Boy parents complaining because girls shouldn’t be involved in sports stuff. Girl parents complaining because I was giving the girls ideas about playing football. I was just trying to promote the idea of teamwork and giving it your all.”
“Girls can do whatever boys do,” Leslie said with a small shrug. “Are you settled in the house yet?”
Peyton snorted and stepped back to rest his butt on the edge of his desk. Technically, he supposed he was. He had moved the last of his things from his Naperville apartment to the house on Kentucky here in Oak Bend last weekend. But being comfortably settled and unpacked was a completely different story.
“Not totally, but your help over the weekend was awesome. Tell Jonathon and the kids thanks again.”
Leslie waved her hand as if to bat his words away. “It’s no problem. I told you that. Although the kids are desperate for a dog after playing with June while we worked.”
“I got most of the kitchen organized.”
Leslie perched on a desk in the back row and beamed at him. “Do you cook?”
“Yep.”
“Jonathon didn’t know how to boil an egg when we got married.”
Peyton grinned. “My grandmother taught me to cook.”
“That’s good.” Leslie nodded. “Did you do anything fun over the weekend?”
“Other than the quick beer and the Sox game at Bender’s? No.”
“Tigers game, Peyton,” Leslie corrected him. “You live in Michigan now.”
“You can take the boy out of Chicago, Leslie.” Peyton shook his head. “Die-hard Sox fan.”
Leslie laughed softly, but when she stood and sauntered across the room, she pinned him with an intense look that made him want to squirm.
“What?”
“Well, you mentioned Bender’s.” She shrugged as if whatever she was about to suggest was totally his idea. “It’s a fun place, but you need to get out more.”
“Meaning?”
“You should go to The Rox. It’s a pretty fun place for kids your age.”
“Kids my age,” he repeated. “And you’ve got, what? Five years on me?”
Her unapologetic smile amused him, but he still wanted to squirm.
“I’ve been with Jonathon over half my life.” The way her blue eyes twinkled told Peyton that wasn’t a bad thing. “That makes me old.”
“Right,” Peyton mumbled, but he held his breath, waiting for her to finish her thought.
“I have a really good friend who would be perfect for you.”
“What?”
“Her name’s Violet.”
“You—what?”
“You could take her to The Rox. I think they might have a live band playing this weekend.”
Peyton opened his mouth to speak, but he was too stunned to say a word.
“She’s really cute. Very sweet. And she—”
“You’re setting me up?” He tipped his head. “You’re trying to set me up on a blind date?”
“Yep.” Leslie nodded with a bold smile. “I am.”
“Nope.”
“Oh, come on, Peyton.” She tossed her hands up. “What’ve you got to lose?”
“I just moved here. I’m just getting settled. I don’t need—”
“Friends? Fun?”
“Friends don’t go out on blind dates. People looking for relationships do that.”
“Just go out with her and make a friend.”
Peyton sighed.
“You said you’re not seeing anyone.”
“I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I’m looking for anyone, either.”
“Violet’s the high school counselor. She’s a tiny thing. Long platinum blond hair. Big blue eyes. She’s a killer poker player.”
Peyton straightened and stepped around behind his desk. He liked Leslie. Liked her husband and her kids. In fact, right now, Leslie wasn’t just his best friend in Oak Bend. She and Jonathon were his only friends. But that didn’t mean he was in any rush to meet everyone else and date someone or forgive his friend for pushing him to do that.
“She sounds great, but—”
“She said she would go out with you.”
“You—?” Leaning over the desk to pick up another stack of little people cut outs—for the job board—he paused and lifted only his eyes to hers. “You already asked her about this?”
“I did.” Leslie kind of winced, but a grin chased the look of guilt away. “C’mon, Peyton. She’s not looking to get serious with anyone right now. Her last boyfriend was a jerk.”
Peyton dropped into his seat and groaned out load. “Not only do you set me up behind my back, you set me up with someone whose last boyfriend was a jerk.” He propped his elbows on his desk and rubbed his eyes.
“Mad at me?”
“Yep.” He nodded, but he peeked out from behind his fingers and laughed at his friend when he saw the hopeful arch of her eyebrows. “Did you have to tell me her last boyfriend was a jerk? I mean, talk about pressure, Les.”
“That’s just it, though,” Leslie argued quickly. “There is no pressure! Violet just wants to go out and have some fun.”
“I’m a third-grade teacher,” he reminded her. “I don’t do a lot of fun things.”
“You have the latest video game console. I saw a basketball backboard in your garage. You have a bike. And from what I could see of your vinyl collection, you have great taste in music.”
Peyton narrowed his eyes at her.
“And you’re smokin’ hot.” She moved in for the kill. “Trust me. Every woman in town is going to be after you before the end of the month.”
Peyton flashed on the girl from the bar last Friday. The Tigers fan who had stopped his heart with a dazzling smile and turned him down for one more beer while they finished the game. Not every woman, he thought.
“What’s she like?”
“I told you she’s a killer poker player.”
“What else?”
“She’s athletic. Played soccer in school. Football cheerleader. Runs a big food drive at the school every winter. Walks dogs at the humane society.”
“Low blow.” Peyton shook his head.
“What?”
He barked a laugh at Leslie’s fake innocent look.
“You know I’m a dog lover.”
“Junie’s a sweetheart,” Leslie agreed. “Violet would love her.”
“Fine.”
“Fine? Really?” Leslie clapped her hands together. “You’ll go out with her?”
“I’ll go out with her, but it’s just a night out, Leslie. I’m not ready for anything serious.”
“Absolutely.” She nodded. “Okay, so, she would prefer to meet you at The Rox.”
“Why’s that?” he asked curiously. “Most girls want to be picked up for a date.”
“Last boyfriend was a jerk,” Leslie reminded him. Something about her soft tone hit a nerve inside.
“Okay.” He shrugged. “Okay. I’ll meet Violet at The Rox. What time is this date happening?”
“Six o’clock. Saturday evening.”