Epilogue

EPILOGUE

NICK

Only nerds and suck-ups go to prom, Nick. Of course I don’t want to go.

Would you like to do it in a lavender field instead? - HB

“Is it obnoxious that I’m wearing my wedding dress?” Clara wrinkled her adorable nose as she studied her reflection in the tinted window of the black stretch limousine parked in front of our house.

It was a toss-up as to which of our two houses we’d live in after we got married. My pool and huge backyard had been the deciding factor. She reluctantly agreed to leave her yard and porch behind, and her house was currently up for sale.

“No, you look fucking beautiful.” I stepped behind her and dropped a kiss to the back of her neck.

“Thank you. And who says you can only wear your wedding dress once?”

“Certainly not me.” I chuckled as I took in the vision standing before me. She was beautiful, though instead of the pale pink cowgirl boots she’d worn on our wedding day, she wore gold, strappy high-heeled shoes. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a sexy bun, and I figured maybe she thought the veil would have been too much to chaperone Green Valley High’s senior prom.

“Good. Okay, then is it obnoxious that I rented a stretch limo and made you buy me a corsage?” Her lips twisted up in a grin as she turned to face me.

“No, not at all,” Gracie deadpanned. “All of this is totally normal.”

I held my fingertips an inch apart. “Maybe a little bit. Tiny,” I teased her. “Miniscule.”

“Hmph. You know what?” She spun in a circle. “I don’t even care.” Her giggle was adorable and infectious and also unprecedented. Clara Jean Hill was not a giggler, but Clara Easton was, and I loved it.

“You shouldn’t care what anyone thinks. You look beautiful, Mrs. Easton, and tonight is going to be fun. Don’t listen to them.”

“I always knew I liked you, Weston.” She reached out and booped his nose with a grin. “And new rule—I want everyone to call me Mrs. Easton all night, even you, Nick.”

“You got it, Mrs. Easton.” I watched her shiver in pleasure as a huge grin spread across her face and she threw herself into my arms.

“I love you,” she declared.

“I love you too . . . Mrs. Easton.”

“Gah!” She smacked a quick kiss to my lips, and I yanked her closer and laid one on her. Because one quickly smacked kiss from my beautiful wife would never be enough for me.

“Aww, look how cute and happy they are, Weston.” Gracie snapped a picture of the two of us with her phone. “I’m going to post about the two old people we ended up on a double date to prom with.”

“Ha ha, very funny, Gracie,” Clara playfully huffed as she pulled out of my arms.

“Seriously, though. You’re beautiful, Clara,” Gracie said. “I mean, Mrs. Easton.”

“Duh, we’re both stunning tonight.” She wrapped an arm around Gracie’s shoulders. “Take our picture, Westie. This night is one for the books.”

He pulled his phone out, smiling to himself as he took their picture. Gracie and Weston had gotten back together after he’d come home from his first year of college.

A Jeep Wrangler pulled up to the curb and Ruby hopped out. “Sorry we’re late!” she hollered. “My date just got off a plane, y’all.”

“Who’s that?” I whispered to Clara as a handsome college-aged dude climbed out of the passenger seat and took Ruby’s hand with a besotted smile on his face.

She leaned in and whispered in my ear, “That, dear hubby, is Marianne’s older brother. Ruby flew him in from whatever college he goes to.”

“No shit?” A smile quirked up the corner of my mouth.

“Nope, zero shit. One must not make the mistake of underestimating that girl, a lesson Gracie and I have learned all too well over the last couple of weeks. That one plays the long game. It’s truly devious.”

“I don’t know about that. It looks like she might like him too.”

I’d never been in a limo before. This one was something else; it was too bad we were only a block away from the high school. We pulled up with a flourish. Our limo was at least twice as long as what any kid at this place could get their parents to pay for. Clara had spared no expense.

Strands of twinkling lights and streamers were wrapped on and around every available beam and structure leading the way to the gym.

We’d gone from an immaculately planned and decorated lavender field wedding only days before, to a seventies-themed disco party prom in the Green Valley High School gymnasium—and I couldn’t have been happier to be right here. Who needed a honeymoon when you could have all this?

I led my wife out to the middle of the wooden floor, directly beneath the giant rented disco ball where everyone could see us.

“Dance with me, heartbreaker.” I took her hand and twirled her in a circle beneath my arm, smiling as her delighted giggle floated in the air with the music. Hands at her waist, I pulled her close until we were face to face. “I mean, Mrs. Easton.” My god, she was gorgeous, and I was the luckiest man in the world.

“I will dance with you forever, Mr. Easton . . .”

Want more of the Teachers’ Lounge series? The series continues with Band Together by Piper Sheldon. Read on for a sneak peek!

If you want more Nora Everly, check out the Oh Brother! series featuring the Monroe Brothers and their swoon journey to love.

Do you love heartfelt small town romance? Then check out these other books by Smartypants Romance!

Upsy Daisy-- First love college romance with all the feels.

The One That I Want-- She’s a reformed bad girl, and he’s the nice guy trying to show her that it’s okay to have a little fun.

Baking Me Crazy-- She’s an independent tomboy and he’s been in love with her for years.

No Whisk No Reward-- He’s the town pariah and she’s only in town for a little while, but she’s determined to find out why.

Sneak Peek of Band Together by Piper Sheldon

The catchy earworm that was the early aughts smash hit by Vanessa Carlton played in my head as I was makin’ my way to downtown Green Valley, Tennessee. The sun shone brilliantly as it peeked over the tall pines of the Great Smoky Mountains; the air was fresh with late-summer sweetness, and I was on my way to the downtown location of Donner Bakery to pick up a delicious order of cakes and pies. Though the school year had just begun, I had the weekend off and plans that weren’t centered around my band students for once.

Curious glances flew my way as I passed Big Bob’s and Big Ben’s, skipped around Black’s Southern Staples, shimmied past Viking MMA and Stripped, and headed toward Donner Bakery. I wasn’t always this relaxed, but this morning, good mood and positivity vibrated off me.

The only thing that could make this day better was knowing that by the end of it, my parents and brothers with their families would all be back in town. For the first time in years, we’d all be together, and this visit would knock their socks off. Maybe they’d all even consider moving back to Green Valley. Maybe by next Christmas we’d be living near each other once again, like all the other close families in town.

The idea thrilled me.

“Where’s the fire, Mariam Mitchell?” A woman’s voice cut through my reverie as Maxine Barton blocked my path forward. She narrowed her eyes at me. The older woman was the picture of a Southern lady but wielded her thoughts and opinions like weapons.

Flanking her were Becky Lee Monroe, Julianne McIntyre, and Janice Cooper. Individually, Becky Lee, with her blessed gene pool, was the mother of the Monroe brothers, Julianne was the retired head librarian, and Ms. Cooper was the former band director whose position I took over at Green Valley High School. Collectively, they were an incomplete sampling of the local group self-dubbed as the Bunco Broads: a group of retired women who met every Thursday for fierce competitive play of the game bunco. Or at least so much as Clara Hill had told me. It was rare to get an invite to that club.

I would have been a little intimidated by all these women if not for the soothing presence of Ms. Cooper. My former band instructor was always a pleasure to see.

“Good morning,” I said and fixed my features into a smile. “How are y’all this morning?” I waved to each woman in turn.

I was usually willing to shoot the breeze with the fine folks of Green Valley, but today I was in a rush, and this group of women could chat my life story out of me if I wasn’t on guard. My apartment still needed cleaning, I had to confirm reservations at the Lodge, and then I still had to head over to Knoxville to pick everybody up from the airport. Thankfully, their flights would all land at similar times, and I wouldn’t⁠—

“Are you listening?” Maxine snapped her fingers in front of my face.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“It’s a little early to be collecting donations, isn’t it?” Mrs. McIntyre asked not unkindly.

“Remember, you’ll catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” Maxine added. “She’s lucky she’s blond and pretty.”

Internally, I flinched. Not at the sort of complisult about my looks, but because it was true that most of my time around town, when not spent directing band performances, was spent walking door-to-door to get donations from the shop owners. When compared to sports, music programs were about as high priority as a mosquito farm in the summer. And I had, more than once, been accused of being aggressive, maybe even pushy, though I preferred to think of myself as highly motivated. If I didn’t care about the various band programs, nobody would.

“No fundraising today,” I explained. “I’m headed to Donner Bakery. My family is back in town for the weekend.”

Ms. Cooper beamed at me. “How lovely. You send everyone our love.”

“Is that why you’re walking like there are ants in your pants?” Maxine asked.

Maybe I had been rushing a little bit. “Uh, I⁠—”

“It’s been a while since they’ve been back, hasn’t it?” Ms. Cooper asked, shooting Maxine a look.

I glanced up the street where the line from the bakery was now stretching to the door. A fission of tension gripped me as I calculated my time. “Yes, Ms. Cooper.”

“Call me Janice. Ms. Cooper is my former stepmother,” she said with a wink. She placed a hand on my shoulder, her wooden bangles clanking. “Plus, we’re peers now that you direct the band.”

“Right. Janice.” I struggled with the casual name. Ms. Cooper had always been my favorite teacher. She had that inspiration for music and life that I hoped to infuse in my own students. She helped get me into college and vouched for me when I applied for her position after she announced her plans for retirement. I owed her everything. “Mom and Dad come home every other Christmas, but Jonas and Noah and their families haven’t ever been here all at once since my niece was born.”

Even saying it out loud, I worried about jinxing this visit. I’d been trying for years to get all our schedules matched up. Or rather, their schedules. This weekend was a chance for us all to be together again and remind them of how important family was.

“You are practically glowing with excitement,” Becky Lee said, her large blond bob shining.

“I’m very excited,” I admitted with a smile.

“This is a big day. We won’t keep you,” Becky Lee said.

The group of women started to move on. “Have a nice day, y’all,” I said.

I had been just about to wog (walk/jog) at a respectable pace when I noticed Janice lingering. She glanced at the retreating women and held out a hand to stop me. “Just one more thing, Mari,” she said. “If you have a minute.”

“Of course.” My phone in my pocket vibrated, and the line outside grew. If I didn’t hurry up, they’d run out of the best pies and banana cakes. But this was Ms. Cooper. She changed the trajectory of my life. I smoothed my features into a smile. “What can I do for you?”

“As you know, as everybody knows I’m sure, my son is back in town.” She patted her short, tight, graying curls.

I nodded. Everybody did know of her son. Leo Cooper was one of the most successful Green Valley alum. Since he was a few grades younger than me, I only saw him as my favorite teacher’s weird little son named Leonard. I had vague memories of a scrawny, wannabe emo kid. All I knew of him now came from clickbait headlines.

He’d been touring with his band, The Burnouts, as their drummer until recently, when he suddenly announced his early retirement and moved back to Green Valley. He’d been notoriously reclusive in the six months he’d been back. If I was being entirely truthful with myself, and though I would never say this to Janice, he struck me as another egotistical drummer who thought the sun shined out of their⁠—

“But I thought it might be good for him to get out more. See how the town has changed and grown. He’s been a little cooped up,” she explained.

“Oh, ah, okay.”

My brain raced to connect the dots of this conversation. I was the only band teacher for three band classes and the before- and after-school electives. Every weekend for the foreseeable future was booked. Even getting this weekend with my family required heavy lifting to my schedule and a few IOUs to Clara Hill. I had no time to be Janice’s celebrity son’s hometown tour guide.

I’d seen the videos of him online—not just the thirst traps uploaded by the Burnnies, but the ones where he stomped off stage or remained stonily silent in press interviews. He might have been from Green Valley, but he never thanked the town for his success or brought any of that fame back to help the town that formed him.

“I’ve heard about your star student, Cath Beckett,” Janice said, switching gears.

“Yes. Cath is incredible. She’s applying for the Berklee College of Music.” Pride filled me whenever I got to sing Cath’s praises. I couldn’t take credit for her raw talent, but I certainly had been trying to give her every opportunity to succeed, just as Janice had done for me. If ever there was a person going places, it was Cath, and you bet she appreciated her roots.

“Someone mentioned that she needs a percussion tutor for her college audition?” A sinking suspicion started to tingle the back of my neck, worse than my previous assumptions.

“I’m waiting to hear back from a friend of mine, Devlin. He’s the conductor for the Symphonic Orchestra of Knoxville. Even though he’s too busy, he knows a lot of people,” I said. Connecting back with him was one of a hundred items on my to-do list for the day.

“I had an idea that might help Cath and my son.” She flipped her hands out in hopeful excitement. “What if you asked Leo to tutor Cath?”

My knee-jerk reaction was to laugh or maybe weep, but Janice’s look was so sincere and pleading that I genuinely considered it.

The facts were that Leo had shown no interest in Green Valley since his return. He’d purposely avoided being seen and interacting. He hid at his mom’s house and did whatever guys in their late twenties without a job and with no bills to pay did. I shuddered to think. I highly doubted that even though Janice’s intentions were good, he would go along with it. The fact that she was asking me rather than him spoke volumes.

More than that, I needed to do what was best for Cath and her future career as a drummer. Was this really the best fit? The excitement in Cath’s voice as she spoke of Leo’s return was telling, but she needed to be consulted first. And didn’t they say to never meet your idols? Whoever they were.

I must have hesitated too long because she stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Don’t be fooled by what the gossips have said. He’s a good man; he just needs a little push. Somebody with your . . . tenacity.”

Not even nine in the morning, and already I’d had my pushiness referenced twice.

“Have you asked him?” I asked.

“I first wanted to check with you.” She flicked a look at her waiting friends. “And truthfully, I think it would be better coming from someone else. Coming from me, it would seem like—well, he might take it the wrong way. I wouldn’t want him to know it was my idea in case I accidentally hurt his feelings.”

I looked back to the bakery line, now ten people deep out the door. My heart sank. I couldn’t disappoint Janice.

“Okay. If Devlin doesn’t work out and Cath is on board, I’ll talk to your son.”

Janice’s face lit up. “Thank you. That’s all I ask. And remember that he’s very comfortable at home and might need a healthy shove out the door. I give you permission to do what’s needed. That’s why I know you’re the best for the job.”

“Why me?” But I knew the answer.

“You’re a motivated individual. A strong-willed woman.”

Oof.

Unfortunately, for most of my life, for most women like me, that rarely felt like a positive. In Janice’s case, it was meant as a compliment.

“He needs someone to shake up his routine and get him out of his shell. Only a major shake-up can motivate him. He used to be so excited about the future. I want to see that spark back. I think you will really help. Music and Cath.”

Chances were another solution would present itself, and I could forget all about this request. This was a future bridge to cross. For now, I needed to focus on my upcoming visitors and getting those pies.

“I’ll keep you posted,” I said.

“Great. Mari, thank you. This town is better for having you in it. I appreciate you.”

I beamed at her words.

With another quick goodbye, I made my way to the back of the line at Donner Bakery, my buoyant mood back in place. I had so much on my mind that Leo was quickly pushed aside.

I barely made it in time to grab the last banana cake of the day and a couple of pies. Returning to my apartment, I had my arms loaded with groceries and various goodies for the visit. I’d put everything away and sprinted around my apartment, cleaning as fast as I could. I blasted music as I went and sang along to a good vibes playlist. When a song from The Burnouts came up, I skipped it and pushed away thoughts of Janice and her request. I’d almost forgotten that my phone had been ringing until I went to call the Lodge. In the past few hours, I’d missed several calls from my parents and brothers.

I stared at the notifications, and it felt like someone made me swallow a bunch of rocks.

“Don’t assume the worst,” I chastised myself.

I was about to call my mom back when my phone vibrated again. It was Noah, my eldest brother.

“Hey, Noah. I was just about to call you back.”

“Hi, Mariam. Yeah, it’s Noah.”

“I know. I just said⁠—”

“Listen, I’m here at LaGuardia.” He sighed with gusto. “It’s been a shit show today. I don’t know where you’ve been, but we’ve all been trying to reach you.”

“I’m sorry. I was just⁠—”

“Here’s the deal. Mom and Dad’s flight was canceled, so I booked them tickets here instead. Got them a straight shot, first class.” The anxiety in my chest plummeted to my stomach.

“What? But I—” Heat burned my cheeks as he interrupted me again.

“Don’t worry, Asim and I will cover it. Maybe you can do the Christmas gifts this year? Anyway, when Jonas heard, they just decided to stay in North Carolina. I guess Alice didn’t want to drive all day with the kids. She’s not feeling good.”

I felt an anger burn up inside me. It was the same feeling of being at the dinner table and having everybody talk over me. I wanted to scream out just to be heard. I took a steadying breath.

“But I’ve made all these plans,” I said, impressed by how calm I sounded.

“I know, kid, sorry. But it’s not a great time at our firm anyway. Just a lot going on. We’ll try to make Christmas work this year.”

I fell back against the counter. I felt so stupid. I had been so excited and made so many plans. All this food. All the people in town I told. Oh God, I got my students to volunteer to perform for them. I rubbed at my burning eyes.

“Mariam? Hang on, Mom wants to say something.”

“They’re already there?” I almost yelled. I gripped the phone.

“No need to yell,” he chastised. “Like I said, direct flights. We just picked them up. Hang on.”

I scrubbed at my chest. Those swallowed rocks now felt like burning coals.

“Mariam, it’s your mother.”

“Yeah, I know⁠—”

“I’m sorry things worked out this way, but don’t take it out on Noah. The boys and their families are just so busy. You’ll understand when you have a family of your own. It’s not easy for everyone to pick up their whole lives to travel to the middle of nowhere.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “I know. I just⁠—”

“Calm down. I don’t know how many times I’ve told you that temper of yours isn’t very ladylike.”

I ground my jaw.

“I was going to suggest you fly out,” she said.

Straightening up, I’m hopeful. “Yeah? They’d fly me out too?”

I pause at shuffling and Noah’s muffled voice in the background. “They just bought our flights, honey. They can’t foot your bills too.” More talking. “Also, they only have the one spare room, but he said there are a bunch of Arby’s nearby?”

“What?” I winced.

“Oh. Airbnbs.”

“I can’t afford a last-minute flight and stay in New York. I’m a teacher in Green Valley,” I said softly.

“Those were your choices.”

“Mom,” I gasped. “I love being a teacher. You know what my students mean to me. That’s not fair.”

“Calm down,” she repeated, and my blood pressure spiked. “We support you, but can you think about it from our point of view? We have three children pulling us in all different directions. I have to go. Sorry it didn’t work out. When you have a family of your own, you’ll understand. Love you,” she said.

“Love you too.” The words sounded hollow.

She ended the call, and I blinked back the pain with slow and even breaths.

Don’t cry. Don’t get angry. Be rational.

I might have been shocked if it had been the first time, but this was the pattern. If anything, I was the fool for thinking this time would be different. Maybe it was selfish to expect everybody to fly out here when I was the only one single and without a “real” career or family.

I looked around the small apartment. Cold and empty. Four pies and a banana cake stared back at me, and a long, unscheduled weekend stretched ahead.

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