“Okay. I can swing by after class. I’ll probably have my own homework to do. Are you sure the guys won’t mind me crashing?” she questioned.
“Nah, Cristina dropped by the CS building earlier to distract Joey, and the other guys probably wouldn’t even notice you being there.” He chuckled and she knew he was thinking about his other friends in the computer science program with him. Paul was a shorter, somewhat nerdy guy who couldn’t string together a sentence when girls were around. Tariq, while pretty decent looking and sweet, was so focused on maintaining his perfect grades that he likely didn’t even realize there was anything special to having a girl around. The lone girl in their study group, Bethany, was probably Mensa level smart and even more absorbed in her computer studies than Caleb and the other guys.
She laughed, “you’re probably right. I’ll see you later.”
“Love you, babe. See you later.”
She disconnected the call and tried not to overthink things. Oh who was she kidding. Overthinking was her thing. But was this some kind of sign? Lord, I’m sitting here thinking about the future, and Caleb calls. Are you telling me something? Her smile faded and her forehead crinkled in what her mom teased was her “thinking face.” Something didn’t feel completely right with that.
Brynn had met Caleb March right before she’d started her third year at UNM, around the same time as she was considering whether to apply at the College of Education or the College of Nursing after her year off of school. He was sweet, sort of nerdy, but had a vibe about him that people respected.
The college group at her church had purchased a block of tickets to a baseball game for their local minor league team last August. It just happened that Caleb’s seat and hers were next to each other, according to their ticket stubs. Most of the gang sat wherever they wanted within the church’s ticket area, but Caleb and Brynn had both laughed about being unabashed rule-followers. They’d started talking and just clicked. It was crazy how many things they had in common. They had been close friends ever since.
Somewhere around the end of that semester, Caleb had pressed her for more than friendship. Brynn hadn’t been so sure, but she knew that he was a good guy and wouldn’t likely break her heart. She’d decided to give him a chance and they’d been dating for most of the past year. There had been beautiful moments, fun dates, deep conversations, the sharing of dreams and goals, tender kisses, quiet times of prayer, countless hours of studying, and a partnership that had developed peacefully and sweetly over time. They never fought and rarely disagreed. Both Brynn and Caleb seemed to instinctively know when to give, when to take, and when to talk things through to a compromise.
It was the complete opposite of how things had been with Aiden, and completely safe for her once broken heart.
Safe was good.
Chapter 2
The annoying tinkling of her phone’s alarm tone the next morning made Brynn cringe. She rolled over with a grumble and snoozed it. When the darn thing started blaring again, she grudgingly got up and dragged herself to the bathroom to start getting ready for the day. Stupid 5:30am.
This morning was Brynn and Robert’s turn to open the SAEC and she was not looking forward to going in before the sun was fully up. The afternoon program was much more her speed. Thankfully, the four employees rotated the morning shift so she only had to peel her eyes open at this ungodly hour two days a week, maybe three.
She showered as fast as she could manage on too little sleep and dressed in her usual jeans and semi-fitted tee shirt. Still not fully awake, Brynn shuffled toward the kitchen for breakfast. Her mom, Marla, greeted her in the hallway with a laugh.
“Good morning, honey! You look like something the dog chewed up. Late night?”
“Yeah, Caleb and the guys were studying over at a cafe last night. I went to hang out and got lost in working on my anatomy project research.”
“Ah, I see. Well, good luck with your project. Oh!” Marla snapped her fingers and waved her index finger in the air like she’d just thought of something. “Your brother is finishing Driver’s Ed this week. Can you believe it?!” She shook her head with a bittersweet smile. “He has an appointment to test for his license on Saturday and we’re planning to go out and celebrate on Sunday. We need our chile fix, so plan for Sindee’s at 4. Gram will be there, too. I know you’re busy with school and Caleb and work and everything, but it means a lot to Trey.”
Brynn gave her mom a look that clearly said, did you have to ask? Like she’d ever bail on Trey. Even if he was a goofy little weirdo, he was her brother and she’d never miss a family celebration.
“I’ll totally be there. Of course, I’ll be there! I can’t believe he’s 16! I feel so old!”
Marla laughed. “Well, like I always say, you’re only as old as you feel, so I’ve decided I’m 35. I don’t know how old that makes you, but I’m done having birthdays.” Her mother, looking closer to that wishful 35 than her actual 47, gave her a parting pat on the shoulder as she walked toward the other end of the hallway.
Brynn shuffled toward the kitchen and headed straight for the coffeepot. The cool tile sent a shock through her bare feet that jolted her awake. Okay, maybe just a little closer to awake. Early mornings were the devil. Coffee was one of God’s mercies and she needed that mercy and the extra boost the blessed caffeine would give her to get moving faster. She needed that coffee right now even more than she needed chocolate during that time of the month. And that was saying something.
The clock on the microwave showed it was already 5:55 and she really had to speed it up a little to be on time. Thank God it’s only a 10-minute drive, she thought. The incredible smell of the coffee hit her nose as she poured and gave her a hint of the jolt she desperately needed. The caffeine would hit soon. Too bad it wouldn’t hit soon enough. Someone should totally adapt one of those backpack water things to work for coffee and keep it hot, since the coffee IV wasn’t a real thing yet.
Brynn slammed the door of her little SUV, sloshing some of her much-needed coffee out of her stainless-steel travel mug and on to the white rubber toes of her favorite crimson Chuck Taylors. She shook her head at her own carelessness and headed across the lot to the portable buildings. No more late nights, silly girl, she chided herself. Oh, who was she kidding.
The brisk morning air was finally starting to feel more like the end of September, and she scanned the sky for the hot air balloons she was certain were already out en masse. October was nearly here, and that meant Balloon Fiesta. A smile crept to her face and finally the cobwebs felt like they had cleared. Balloon Fiesta! She couldn’t wait. Fall in Albuquerque was the best.
Robert greeted her as she entered the classroom door, grinning his usual hello. He was buzzing around the classroom, taking the chairs off the tables and preparing for the day’s activities. He was a nice kid, a senior in high school who’d turned 18 a couple weeks into school and only had a few classes left to graduate. He was good with the kids, but way too cheerful for her to deal with so early.
“Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Ready for another day of munchkins and mayhem?”
Brynn chuckled, tilted her head to the side and gave a little shrug. “As I’ll ever be. I was up late studying and haven’t had enough coffee yet. Pretty sad to be addicted to the stuff at 22. But, I guess that’s pretty normal for college, or so I hear. Did you find out anything about that scholarship yet?”
“Nope. I’m hoping I hear back soon. I know it’s still early, but I sent my application packets out over the summer and I’ve gotten a couple promising offers for schools. But I really want to get in over at Tech for their engineering program. I hope the scholarship comes through. I’d like to stay in New Mexico if I can to be close to my mom.”
She nodded her understanding. His family really needed him, and going out of state for school would probably crush his mother. She was a single mom raising four kids and Robert was the oldest. He always seemed so mature for his age, and helping raise his younger siblings for su
ch a long time made him a natural with the SAEC kids. This scholarship would be an incredible opportunity for him to better his life and that of his family. Engineering would be a tough degree, but Tech was known for its program and Robert was a self-motivated student who would shine there.
“Well, let me know if you need a letter of recommendation or anything. You know I’d do anything I can to help,” Brynn replied. I should probably bake something for his family again soon. Or maybe drop off some groceries? It can’t be easy for Dia to feed all those kids working at the bread outlet.
Soon the room was bustling with morning energy as the kids trickled in. The school didn’t take responsibility for the kids until 7:15, so it was important that the SAEC was there and able to handle the families with earlier needs. She and Robert greeted all 20 of her early-birds and made sure they’d had breakfast. The kids played with the toys, read books, and filled in coloring pages as they waited until it was time to hit the playground. One little wiggle worm was suspiciously absent. She hoped everything was okay.
Before she knew it, Brynn’s morning rush was over and she was locked up and heading down the echoing metal ramp toward the parking lot. She caught sight of Brendan’s dad rapidly walking back through the lot after drop-off, obviously running a little late. She couldn’t help but notice how well-proportioned his shoulders and arms were with the rest of his tall frame. He had some definition that was obvious through his expertly fitted suit, but he wasn’t bulky. Definitely an attractive man. He lifted his head and smiled at her over the top of his extended cab mid-size truck.
“Good morning, Mr. Davis!” she called out as she approached her SUV, parked right next to him. “We missed seeing Brendan this morning.”
Mr. Davis cleared his throat and kicked at some of the loose gravel.
“Yeah, I’ve got a later meeting today so I was able to take him to class. In fact, it looks like we might just be switching to afternoons-only for a while.”
“Oh, well that’s too bad! We love having him around. His energy is so contagious that he’s better at getting me going in the morning than the three cups of coffee I depend on!”
He chuckled at that, and even from a few feet away she could see his hazel eyes reflecting the rays of the morning sun. Wow. Who knew eyes could actually sparkle? I thought that was just stuff you read in novels. She smiled in return and he ducked his head, suddenly examining his shoes.
This was the most she’d heard him say to her at once since that first introduction back in August. She didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to get to know him a little better. He was the father to one of her favorite students, after all.
“I bet he went on for a while about that touchdown last night!” Ugh, did that sound as forced as it felt? She schooled her expression to a smooth, pleasant smile that hopefully looked more natural.
He glanced up, scratching his clean-shaven chin before replying with his usual single dimpled smile. That dimple so like Brendan’s. “He sure did. Brendan is so short for his age that when he gets one up on the bigger boys it means twice as much to him, I think. And it’s Josh, by the way. In my mind Mr. Davis is still my dad.”
Huh? Oh, yeah. She’d called him Mr. Davis to get his attention. Duh. She rolled around the name Josh in her mind. It wasn’t abnormal for parents to ask her to call them by their first name, but for some reason, this felt…different. Her cheeks flushed, which she assumed was from the slight chill in the early autumn weather.
“He’ll grow into his height,” she assured. “I mean, you’re tall, so he has a good chance of being tall, too.” She hesitated, suddenly feeling awkward again. “Well, I better go. I have classes for a few hours before I have to be back here.”
“Yeah, me too. Always something to work on between all the meetings. See you later, Brynn.” He reached for his truck door and started to climb in.
“See you later, Mr. Davis. Err...Josh,” that last word sticking in her mouth a little too long before tumbling out.
Wednesday afternoon, a small body slammed into her legs with the force of a miniature lineman. Brynn had to brace herself on a nearby tabletop to keep from falling over. When she realized the jolt was caused by the energetic embrace of her favorite kindergartener, her face broke into a wide grin and she immediately sank to her knees to return it.
The herd of little elephants had already tromped up the ramp and started taking out their snacks and talking over each other. Several were vying for control within their little groups to decide what activities they would do first. Brendan’s first stop was always a hug and to tell her about his day. Usually she was prepared for his forceful embraces, but today Erica had wanted to fill Brynn in on a situation she’d had that morning between a few of the girls and she’d been focused on that conversation.
“Did you have a fun day in kindergarten?” she asked, looking into the bright hazel green eyes that were filled with wonder.
“Uh huh! Me and Brian and Kyle played army guys at recess and we were crawling on our bellies under the climber thingy on the playground. I sneaked out and went Roaaaar! at Linnea and made her scream SO LOUD that the other girls started screaming and running away from us. And then,” he paused to take a big, panting breath, “all us boys chased them roaring some more and we started playing zombie tag. It was so fun until the whistle blowed and we had to go to P.E. But P.E. was fun, too, ‘cause Coach teached us how to play crab soccer with this humongous ball that was almost as big as ME!”
He burst into a fit of giggles that was so contagious Brynn could feel the mirth bubbling up in herself as well. In just a few weeks, this exuberant little boy had burrowed deeply into her heart. She always loved her students, and some were a lot more likable than others. But every now and then, there was one kid that just stood apart from the rest and stuck with her.
Her first favorite little munchkin had been an adorable, chubby faced little two-year-old nicknamed Lee Lee in her church. Lee Lee was one of the first kids she’d babysat, and there had been many a Friday night spend playing peek-a-boo together before the family had moved away. Brynn still thought of her often and wondered how she was doing. Maybe someday she’d find her again on social media, not that Lee Lee would remember her.
Brynn tucked the memories away and refocused her attention on the kids around her. It was time to start winding down snack and checking everyone’s homework progress.
Around twenty to five, parents began trickling in and out in a fairly steady stream. Brendan’s best friend Tyler was the next to be picked up. Brynn held back a smile when out the corner of her eye she caught Brendan making goofy faces at Tyler’s baby sister. She was about eighteen months old and the cutest little girl ever. Her light brown hair was styled in a tiny bob that curled under just below her chin. The topknot was in a little silky ponytail clipped with an enormous bow that matched the trim on the ankles and pockets of her overalls. Brynn could practically smell her baby sweetness from across the room. Oooh! I could just squish them both to pieces!
Brendan was alternately tickling the baby’s toes and her tummy. Every time he’d tickle in a new place she would erupt into giggles. She was chewing a finger and every time she laughed, six little tiny teeth showed. Brynn’s heart squeezed at the sight, and she couldn’t wait for the day she would have her own kids. She hoped she’d have a precious little baby girl, with a fun and protective older brother just like Brendan someday.
As Tyler and the baby girl’s mom turned the stroller toward the door, the toddler gave a loud wail of protest at the loss of contact with her entertainer. Brendan quickly skipped to her side and started making crazy faces at her. Instantly the crying quelled, and the mother bent over to tell Brendan thank you for being such a big helper. Tyler and Brendan gave jumping high fives before the little family left the room.
Brendan’s face looked longingly beyond the door for a brief moment. He sighed and with slightly slumped shoulders, turned back around to find something else to do. What’s got him so bummed? B
rynn wondered.
“You okay, buddy?” she asked, her head cocked to the side.
“Yeah,” he sighed again. “I jus’ wish I had a baby sister like Bean.”
“Bean?” she wondered, thinking how weirdly adorable a name that was. Way cuter than Lee Lee.
“Her name’s Jillian, but Tyler calls her Jilly Bean. Sometimes we just say Bean.”
“I see. Do you get to play with Jilly Bean a lot?”
“Yeah, Tyler was in my preschool so I used to go play at his house a lot. Sometimes I still do, but not as much. It was fun. Their house is crazy!”
Brynn reached out for the Guess Who? game. “Well, I might not be as cute and fun as Jilly Bean, but I’d love to play a game with you. Would that be fun?”
He immediately perked up at that. Good. She couldn’t bear to see a sad Brendan. A sad Brendan was like a bag of Oreos with no filling and no milk. Heaven forbid! They set up the game easel and opened all its tiny doors and then played until Brynn had to start winding things down so she could head out. She had an evening class on Mondays and Wednesdays, so tonight she had to be out of there by five.
As she was walking out the door, Brendan ran up and gave her another tight squeeze.
“See ya later, Alligator!” he shouted as she opened the door.
“After ‘while, Crocodile!” she returned with a grin.
He grabbed the door before it closed and volleyed back, “Not too soon, Baboon!”
“Tood-a-loo Kangaroo!” she waved her fingers from the base of the ramp.
“Hasta Mañana, Iguana!” Brendan yelled and then giggled.
“Go close the door, stinky dinosaur!” Brynn laughed back and then waved her hand in a close-the-door gesture. She couldn’t contain the smile that she could feel all the way down to her toes, even after she left the parking lot. Lord, how I love that kid!
What Could Be (Everyday Love Book 1) Page 2
