Rachel Read online

  RACHEL

  Peony Pointe Series

  Book 4

  By Elsie James

  Copyright © 2020 by Elsie James

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Portions of this book are works of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and events are products of the author's imagination, and any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover by Ella Barnard

  authorelsiejames.com

  Chapter 1: Rachel

  I tap my chime with a wooden dowel. The sound brings the chaos of my classroom to a sudden stop. “Ok kids, please grab your backpacks and coats. Time got away from me so it looks like I’ll be cleaning up for you today.” I chuckle to myself as I take in the scraps of paper, broken crayons, and lidless markers scattered across my classroom floor. It’s a mess I don’t mind cleaning.

  “Miss Dawson, what about Sheldon? My job this week is Turtle Minder. I didn’t feed him today.” My sweet student looks up at me with concern in her eyes.

  Kneeling on the ground, I lean in toward her and whisper. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll get your backpack ready to head out to the bus, and you go make sure Sheldon has his dinner.”

  She grins at me. “Deal!” Pumping her fist in the air, she hops toward the tank, her ponytail bouncing with each step.

  As she scampers away, I can’t help but be thankful for this moment. This classroom is a dream come true for me. With its brightly decorated bulletin boards and green leafed plants, spending time here hardly feels like work. I couldn’t have been paired with a sweeter group of students in my first year of teaching.

  Checking the time, I make my way to the front of the classroom. I tap my chime again to regain their attention. “Class, what do we say to Miss Juni for helping us today?” I ask expectantly.

  “Thank you,” my second graders reply in unison.

  “You’re welcome. I can’t wait to see you next Friday.” Juni is a natural with my students. They are one hundred percent engaged in her art lessons, but that’s my friend for you. She’s been the same since we were in elementary school ourselves, completely captivating.

  “Please line up.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, my class dashes to the door. Standing single file in line, they wait for my instruction. As I scan the face of each student, I’m filled with pride. These seven year olds will without a doubt change the world one day. I feel lucky to be a small part of their journey.

  Juni and I walk my students out to the school bus line together. I high five each of them as they leave for the day.

  We head back into my classroom. I pick up the broom and sweep while Juni gets to work cleaning the desktops, a thoughtful and totally unnecessary gesture.

  “Rach, you’re a really incredible teacher. I’m so glad you’re finally doing this,” Juni says with a smile.

  “Thanks, I love it. I can’t believe it took me five years to get here. Teaching is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do.”

  “I know it was a painful journey, but I’m happy for you.” She smiles at me knowingly.

  Not wanting to get into it, I change the topic. “Did you see the sign on our downtown library?”

  “Is it really closing?” Juni asks wide-eyed. “That’s devastating.”

  “I know. I can’t even think about it. I can’t guess how much time I’ve spent at that library over the years.” Growing up just a few blocks from it, my sister and I walked there as kids and took refuge there as teenagers. “To have them lose funding seems impossible. It’s where I fell in love with reading.”

  As children, we didn’t attend our neighborhood school. My sister and I were driven up the hill to a private school each day by my father. He used the time to remind us of the sacrifices he and my mother made for us. On the weekends, we didn’t have friends close by to spend time with so we escaped to the library. It was our sacred place where we explored the world through books.

  “It breaks my heart to think about my students not being able to experience it the way I did.” In fact, the thought of the majestic building becoming vacant makes me want to cry.

  “Me too. My first art lessons happened in that building. My parents drove me down the hill every weekend for them. It was the thing I looked forward to the most.” A look of nostalgia that matches my own crosses Juni’s face.

  “Thanks for coming today, by the way. How much longer do I get you before you take off on your next adventure?” Juni and her fiance, Hunter, travel the states teaching art lessons to kids. But thankfully, they come back to Peony Pointe often. When they do, volunteering in my classroom is always on the top of Juni’s list.

  “Oh, we’ll be here for a few more days.”

  My phone buzzes on my desk. “It’s my mom, I better take this.”

  “You’re fine, take your time.” Juni moves to the back of the classroom. She picks up an empty bin and rounds up rogue markers.

  “Mom, hey.” I pace back and forth. The sound of my mom’s voice has a unique way of both comforting me and putting me on edge.

  “Rachel, how are you? I didn’t hear from you at all this weekend. I left you two messages, your father and I were worried sick.” Doubtful. She was worried sick. I would guess my father was in the garage rebuilding a carburetor.

  “Yes, Mom, I know. I sent you a text. I was busy settling in. I’m still unpacking, and it’s the start of the school year so things are a little chaotic.”

  “Still unpacking? It’s been three months, honey, and that apartment of yours is tiny. Let me come do it for you. I can show you the best way to organize your silverware.” Of course she can. I roll my eyes, thankful she can’t see me, and turn on my essential oil diffuser.

  “I’m taking my time. I’ll stop by this weekend.” I attempt to cut her off unsuccessfully.

  “I just worry about you. Now that you don’t have Spencer and all. I don’t like to think of you in that tiny apartment all alone.” Spencer. I wince at the name.

  “I know you’re disappointed. You loved Spencer.” Or at least, she loved the idea of him. My parents orchestrated ways for us to spend time together for years before we actually dated. My mom always inviting him over for dinner. Dad asking him to stop by the shop as if Spencer cared at all about cars.

  “I did. When you were with him, I had a crystal clear picture of your future.” Ah yes, the all too familiar dream of me as a wealthy trophy wife thrills her.

  “Try to trust me for once, it’s better this way. And I’m thirty-one. Being alone all night, reading, lighting my candles, and watering my houseplants is kind of what I live for.” I know it’s not romantic but it’s the truth. I’m content on my own and the simple things make me happy.

  Not liking what she hears, Mom changes the subject. “While I have you, let me tell you about your sister. She’s taking the boys for a photo shoot. She wanted them to wear blue. Blue! I told her there’s no way my grandsons are wearing anything but—”

  “Mom, let me call you back when I get home.” I begin packing my bag, ready to get out of here for the day. Looking at Juni, I gesture toward my phone. She understands my mom’s overbearing nature all too well having witnessed it over the years.

  “Why can’t you talk now? It’s three and your class has been gone for fifteen minutes.”

  “Juni’s here. She’s helping me design a bulletin board.”

  “Oh, Juni. Wonderful. Hold up the phone so she can hear me.” Smiling at my mom’s predictability, I put her on speaker and point the phone toward Juni. My
parents have always loved her, and truthfully, who wouldn’t. “Hi, Juni, how are you?”

  “Hi, Mrs. Dawson,” Juni responds with a laugh.

  “Bye, Mom, I’ll call you tonight. Love you,” I say in an exaggerated tone.

  “Love you, honey.”

  My mom is what they call, ‘extra’. But I’m grateful for all my parents did for my sister and I growing up. I hang up.

  “She still loves Spencer huh? How is that even possible?” Juni exhales with a chuckle.

  “I know, right?” I say shaking my head.

  “Speaking of Spencer, how are you transitioning? Do you miss him?”

  “Is it bad if I say no? It all just got so out of hand. First the traveling. Then the over-the-top wedding plans and talk of settling down on his massive estate. None of it was me. It exhausted me even just thinking about it. All I wanted was a simple ceremony with a few close friends and family. A small house with a fenced yard and a little reading nook. That life with Spencer was thrilling for awhile, but I don’t know how it got so out of hand.”

  “I’m really glad to hear you say that. You weren’t yourself for a long time, and it’s so nice to have the real you back.”

  A blaring beep echoes throughout my classroom. The fire alarm is deafening. I cover my ears and yell over the noise to Juni. “The student’s are already gone, it can’t be a drill. We need to leave.”

  We walk out into the hall where we’re greeted by a swarm of teachers. Being the only elementary school in downtown Peony Pointe, we have a large student population. I’m so thankful that none of them are present. Following our building safety protocol, we head out of the back doors. We walk to the far corner of the field where we wait for instructions.

  “Is the building actually on fire?” Juni asks, putting on her purple sunglasses.

  “Who knows? But we’ll be out here for awhile while we wait for the fire department, either way.” As soon as the words fire department leave my mouth, a thought flashes across my mind. Greyson. I wonder if he’s still volunteering with the department. Probably not. And even if he were, I don’t think I’m ready to see him. I know that running into him is inevitable now that I’m back in Peony Pointe. We will eventually cross paths, but I hope the first time I see him isn’t at work. Even though five years have passed, I still tear up at the thought of him moving on.

  “Ooh, I can’t wait to see some firemen. Maybe they’ll show up shirtless. Maybe you can check out one of the hoses.” Juni laughs at her own joke, and so do I. Then turning to me with a serious expression, she asks the question I’ve been dreading. “When do you think you’ll be ready to go on a date?”

  “A date? Like with a human that’s male? Not for awhile. I’m not interested right now. I’m enjoying spending time on the things I care about. Besides, I’m a bad picker. What is it with me and men who don’t stick around?” My mind still on Greyson, instinctively I take my long, brown hair out of the messy bun on top of my head and smooth my dress.

  “The right one will,” Juni says reassuringly.

  A heavy thought sits on my chest. “But what if he didn’t?” The words slip out before I can catch them.

  “Rach, Spencer wasn’t the one for you. I’m so glad you gave him the ring back.”

  But I wasn’t thinking about Spencer.

  Chapter 2: Greyson

  “Ha, got you that time.” Tarik throws down the barbell and it lands with a clank. He chuckles and adds a tally mark under his name on our scoreboard. As much as we try, none of the guys in Firehouse Twelve can outlift Tarik.

  Kindle, our station dog and official mascot, is the only one who seems not to mind the crew sweating all over the floor. Each round of recruits comes in more fit than the last, ready to prove themselves. I hardly notice the shirtless men everywhere at this point, because as Fire Captain, it comes with the territory. At thirty-three, I’m already starting to feel old. Well, maybe not old. I just thought my life would look different than it does. I figured I’d be married, maybe even have a kid or two. Whatever I imagined, it didn’t include living alone in a bachelor pad so stereotypical that the guys refer to it as the Hideout. As in, a place to hide from real life.

  “Three, four, five…” Marco, one of the other recruits, counts out each rep. The other guys cheer him on.

  “Would you guys give it a rest? I may be getting old, but I can still out bench you.” I laugh at them. But back when I was a new firefighter, I did the same thing. Joshua, our newest resident, sits shirtless in front of the box fan next to our weight bench.

  “Where you from, son?”

  “Candlelight Cove.”

  “Not too far, then. What brought you to Peony Pointe?”

  “The wine. What about you, Boss? Are you a local?”

  “You’re damn right I am. Third generation Peony Pointe born and raised. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  I leave our station’s roll up bay doors open to enjoy the sunshine. The breeze carries in a familiar perfumed scent, and I’m already annoyed.

  “Hey, gentlemen.” It’s Chasity, her high-pitched, nasally tone is like nails on a chalkboard. She’s wearing a short pink dress with giant heels and a full face of makeup. “Oh, who do we have here?” She turns to Joshua and looks him up and down. A devious grin tugs at the corners of her mouth. With his clean-shaven face and bare, muscular chest, he’s fresh meat. As Fire Captain, I took an oath to protect my men. Right now, Joshua needs protecting.

  “He’s married, Chasity. Leave him alone. His wife’s beautiful, an absolute doll.” I don’t know Joshua too well yet, but the first thing he did was tack a photo of his wife to the cork board by his locker. Doing this as long as I have, I can tell a good one when I see him. Joshua is one of the good guys.

  “Oh, too bad. I love a man in uniform.” She shifts her eyes back to mine and winks at me. “Pretty soon we’ll be the last two standing.”

  “What do you need?” Her visits are old and unwelcome. Continuously showing up with baked goods doesn’t make her a good person.

  “I brought you flourless brownies. They have chia and flax seed in them, and of course, no dairy or gluten.” She holds up the brownies on display. Ironically, the brownies are a lot like her: dense, flat and tasteless. She offers them to me, but I’ve played this game with her too many times. Chasity doesn’t need to be here. A single drunken kiss on a lonely night over three years ago, and she still hangs around. Joining my crossfit team, showing up at the station, and sending passive aggressive messages to all of my female friends on social media. But that’s not love. It’s not that I think Chasity is incapable, though she might be. It's just that I’ve had love before, real love with my college sweetheart. Everyone since Rachel has felt like settling.

  Tarik, our station’s resident nice guy, shows her mercy. “Hey, that’s a nice gesture. Just leave them on the table and we’ll get to them later. Thanks.” Placing a hand on her shoulder, he walks her out through the bay door. He’s good in that way, always taking an extra minute to consider other people.

  “Yo, you gotta get her under control,” Marco laughs when she’s out of sight.

  I roll my eyes. “I just want her gone, man.”

  A call comes through with the address of our local elementary school. The guys and I respond with record-breaking speed. The men I work with are true professionals. As we fly down Main Street, we pass all of the establishments that make this a place worth living. Blue Moon Bakery, Petals Flower Shop, and our town library. I’m proud to be a local.

  We pull into the parking lot to see forty adults standing in the grass field on the back half of the playground. Driving up to the front of the building, we park and gear up. Marco, Tarik, Joshua, and I are ready to face whatever awaits us inside of the building.

  Our thermal cam detects heat in the kitchen. We force entry and discover a small fire caused by a malfunctioning pilot light. Tarik and Marco extinguish it quickly and we walk to secure the rest of the building.

  “So m
uch of this is out of code. If the fire had reached this classroom, all of this would be perfect kindling.” Tarik shakes his head.

  “Not good. I’m just thankful no students were present,” Marco responds.

  “This school needs a fire-safety group. Let’s work with them to review fire codes and update their procedures.” I’ve implemented similar groups with big organizations in the past. It’s a good opportunity for the guys to take on a leadership role within our community.

  “Tarik, are you up for heading up the project?”

  “Absolutely,” Tarik responds.

  “Great. When we’re done here, I’ll have you coordinate a start date with the school principal. Joshua, we’ll head back to the truck and review the steps we just took.”

  “Sounds good, Boss.”

  We exit the building. Our bulky gear combined with our physical size makes it impossible for us to leave side by side. Tarik checks in with the school administration team. Three bells chime, a signal to the teachers that they can make a safe return to their classrooms. Dozens of teachers walk slowly back into the building while Joshua follows me back to our rig.

  “Why do you think we took a Halligan instead of a pole pike?” I prompt Joshua to explain.

  “A Halligan would be more useful in the case of forcible…Boss?”

  Joshua talks but I can’t hear him. I see a woman with straight dark hair standing casually on the playground. Her curvy hourglass figure is highlighted by the white sun dress that blows gracefully in the wind. My heart rate increases as I stare, unable to turn my head away. When she turns, I catch a glimpse of her face. Round cheeks with huge brown eyes. It seems impossible after all this time but it's undeniably her. My college sweetheart, Rachel, the love of my life. A spark I haven’t felt in five years ignites within me. A vibration shoots through my body. All the hurt gone in an instant. Regret floods me. I love her.