“You should know,” Willa continued. “When Dr. Annie first arrived in Oceanside, she’d recently lost her entire family in a horrible mudslide. She found love and a home here, and you will, too. In fact,” she added, “it sounds like you’ve got a good start. I don’t know Cade very well, but I like what I see.”
“I do, too,” Hope said.
How confident Willa sounded about Hope’s future. That reassurance was exactly what she needed to hear. “Thank you,” she whispered, and gave Willa’s hand a quick squeeze before collecting her latte and heading to school.
Hope loved her job. This was her first year teaching teenagers, and she found she enjoyed her classes. In the computer science class, she noticed Callie broke away from her traditional seat and sat down in the chair across from Spencer.
She wasn’t sure what exactly was going on between them, but it seemed as if their dynamic had changed.
In her U.S. History class, the last one of the day, Callie once more made a point of sitting across from Spencer. Hope watched as she slipped Spencer a note. He returned it without opening or reading it.
At the sound of the bell, her class raced out the door. She watched as Callie gathered up her things and charged after Spencer.
While she was grateful that Spencer was showing some backbone where Callie was concerned, Hope couldn’t help wondering what was so important for her to chase after Spencer. Although she’d subtly tried to get Spencer to talk to her, he’d brushed her off.
Since this wasn’t one of her assigned counseling days, Hope gathered up her own things. She paused long enough to check her phone to see if she’d gotten another text from Cade. Her thoughts were full of him.
Sure enough, she found one waiting for her.
I’ll stop by after therapy
Sounds good
Hope was smiling to herself when she started out of the building. The football field was in view, and she noticed the team running practice drills. They had narrowly won the last game and Coach wasn’t letting the players get overconfident. She admired the relationship he had with the team and how closely he kept tabs on each player, making sure their studies were up to par and their behavior, too.
She was almost to her car when Lois Greenly called out to her. “Hope, there’s someone in the office asking for you.”
“For me? Man or woman?” She didn’t think Cade would come by the school; he might, though, if his session had gotten canceled.
“Woman.”
Doing an about-face, Hope headed back into the school and to the receptionist desk.
Just as Lois had told her, an elegantly dressed, middle-aged woman stood as Hope arrived. The first thing Hope noticed was the thousand-dollar Louis Vuitton handbag. The only reason she recognized it was because she’d recently seen one like it advertised in a woman’s magazine and looked it up on the Internet. The price tag was far and above anything she could afford.
“I understand you’re looking for me,” she said. She didn’t recognize the woman and was sure if they’d met previously, she’d remember. The woman was cultured and attractive.
“You’re Ms. Goodwin?”
“Yes.” She guessed this must have to do with one of her students. Perhaps a parent. The other woman seemed far too young to be a grandparent.
The woman blinked and seemed ill at ease.
“Would it be possible for us to speak privately?” she asked.
“All right.” Hope led the other woman into the room she used as a counselor.
“What can I do for you?” Hope asked, turning back to face the woman.
She continued to study Hope as though unsure where to start. For a long moment, she didn’t say anything.
“I suppose I should start by introducing myself,” she said, and raised her chin slightly in a proud gesture. “I’m Sara Lincoln.”
It didn’t take Hope long to make the connection. “You’re Cade’s mother.”
Chapter 16
Hope sat across from Cade’s mother at Bean There. When the assigned counselor came to reclaim the room, Hope had suggested they continue the conversation at the coffee shop. She ordered tea for them both. Willa was gone for the afternoon, home with her toddler and her husband, Sean, who Hope had learned that morning was about to head off on another photographic journey.
“Thank you for agreeing to talk to me,” Sara Lincoln said, as soon as they’d collected their tea and found an empty table.
“Of course.” She’d decided to let Cade’s mother do the talking. Hope didn’t feel it was her place to mention what she already knew about the situation. Trust was a huge issue with Cade, and Hope refused to say or do anything that would break that fragile bond.