Chapter 3

Thursday morning, Chloe stopped at Books Beans to pick up her order of goodies for the meeting. She’d called Billie Monday night and told her what she needed, otherwise she’d end up wiping out their bakery case.

“Hey, Chloe,” Jade said when she walked in. “Your sister’s boxing everything up for you. How’s classroom setup going?”

“Amazing!” she gushed because…well…it was. “I think I outdid myself this year. I’ve coordinated everything in the room so the theme is consistent. I swear, I could get a job working for Disney at this point.” Grinning, she added, “Principal Kincaid thinks I can teach all about how to turn the classroom into a creative and inviting space at the next retreat!”

“That’s awesome! Good for you! Do you have any pictures?”

“Of course!” Pulling out her phone, she tapped on her photo app and then handed it over to Jade. “I’m telling you, the only thing missing are the students. Tuesday can’t get here soon enough!”

Jade chuckled. “Silas is not feeling as excited as you are about school starting next week. We finished all of our back-to-school shopping last night and he’s been groaning ever since about how he wants just one more week of summer.” Laughing some more, she shook her head. “And if he got that, he’d want another, and then another, and it would be endless!”

“Aww…I hate that he feels that way, but I know it’s completely normal. Once kids reach the age where they’re almost done with elementary school, they start getting like that. And this is a big year for him. Fifth grade, his last year at Sweetbriar Elementary, and then moving on to middle school and the unknown. Who’s his teacher this year?”

“Mrs. Allen. She emailed a welcome video to all her students and I thought it was very sweet. Silas was only mildly impressed, but I’m hoping once he gets to school on Tuesday and sees all his friends—and most of them are also in Mrs. Allen’s class—he’ll have a better attitude.”

“He definitely will,” Chloe assured her. “I’ve known Mrs. Allen for years; she’s a great teacher. I met the new fifth-grade teacher and she seems very nice too, but I can personally vouch for Mrs. Allen.”

Nodding, Jade poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her while they waited for Billie to bring her order out. “There are a lot of new teachers this year, huh? I know they brought those trailers to use as classrooms for the fourth and fifth graders. Mrs. Allen did a tour of hers in her video. I have to admit that I wasn’t thrilled with the prospect, but I understand it was necessary.”

“They’re portable classrooms—or modular buildings—and I get it, but they’re actually nicer and newer than most of the ones in the school. Plus, the ones we’re using have eight classrooms and a couple of bathrooms. I believe they’re only using six of the rooms for actual classes and the other two will be used as a teachers’ lounge and an office. It’s a great option for us until they figure out when they can realistically renovate the school.”

“I suppose. What about the new teachers? Have you met them all? Are they nice?”

Chloe inwardly groaned. “Um…most of them are,” she said and cringed at her negativity.

“Most of them?” Jade asked with a hint of amusement. “Are you telling me there’s somebody you don’t like already? I didn’t think that was possible! You get along with everyone!”

“Yeah, well…”

“Okay, come on. Out with it. You have to tell me what this person did to make your face scrunch up like that.”

Ugh…did she really want to get into this right now when she was feeling so happy?

“It’s nothing,” she lied. “Just…the new kindergarten teacher isn’t the one I had been communicating with. She ended up taking a teaching position elsewhere. So they hired this…guy, who is kind of…I don’t know…icky.”

Jade’s eyebrows went up. “Icky? I’m sorry, but did you really just describe another adult as icky?”

Sighing loudly, she said, “I know! It’s the only word that came to mind! He has a very high opinion of himself and was kind of abrasive when we met. I offered to help him since he was coming into all of this late, and he acted like my offer was beneath him!” She took a sip of her tea before continuing. “And then…then he accepts part of my offer and took some of the extra decorations I made and has kept his classroom door shut since!”

“O-kay…”

“And I’ve knocked on the door just to see if he needs anything, but he just steps outside so I can’t see in! I mean…how childish is that? This is his first year teaching! You’d think he’d appreciate some input, but does he? No! Such a jerk!”

“Icky and a jerk,” Jade said carefully. “This is going to be interesting.”

“Who’s icky and a jerk?” Billie asked as she stepped up to the counter and put several boxes down. She smiled at Chloe. “A dozen assorted muffins, six slices of marble pound cake, six slices of lemon pound cake—and I did them both gluten-free so Dave Scholl can eat them—plus a dozen pieces of caramel crumb cake, a dozen oatmeal raisin cookies, and a dozen croissants.” She let out a dramatic breath. “Do you think that’s enough for everyone?”

Chloe couldn’t help but laugh. “It better be! Luckily, Susan’s handling the coffee, tea, and juice; otherwise, I’d need ten extra hands to carry it all!”

“I know Sweetbriar Elementary isn’t a big school, but there are enough teachers that could lend a hand,” Billie said before shaking her head. “Now who’s icky and a jerk? You never told me.”

“Um…”

“The new kindergarten teacher,” Jade replied instead. “According to Chloe, he thinks he’s a bit of a hotshot, even though this is his first year of teaching.”

“Ah…young and cocky. Got it,” Billie said as she poured herself a cup of coffee. “He’s fresh out of college, Chlo. Cut him some slack. He’ll find out soon enough that he’s got a lot to learn.”

“He’s actually two years older than me,” she murmured, and when both Jade and Billie stared at her expectantly, she knew she had to explain herself. “Okay, so after the whole awful first meeting, I went home and…you know…did a little research.”

“You Googled him. Got it,” Billie confirmed. “And?”

“And…he graduated several years ago but didn’t start teaching right away because…” She groaned. “He’s kind of famous.”

“Famous? For teaching? But how…?”

“Not teaching,” she corrected. “Apparently, he’s kind of a big deal in Alpine skiing.”

Both Jade and Billie pulled out their phones as they asked his name.

“Tanner Westyn,” she replied begrudgingly. “He’s…”

“Oh my God!” Jade said excitedly. “I’ve seen some of his stuff up at the ski resort! He’s a spokesman for one of the lines they carry! How cool is that?” Then she looked up at Chloe and instantly sobered. “But um…he’s a jerk, so…no big deal.”

“Too bad he’s a jerk,” Billie commented. “Because he’s kind of cute.” Then she glanced at Chloe. “Don’t you think he’s good-looking?”

“I hadn’t noticed. His rude personality was all I could see.”

Liar! Liar!! Liar!!!

Okay, fine. She totally noticed it. Hell, she noticed it when she saw him right here at Books Beans on Monday morning. When Principal Kincaid had walked into her classroom and she’d turned around and saw Tanner, she couldn’t believe her good fortune!

Then, he opened his mouth and ruined all her dreamy thoughts.

And she truly had tried to befriend him for the last several days. After he apologized and accepted her room decorations, she thought they were good. But he’d been weird and secretive ever since, and she had no idea what to do with that. All the teachers she’d ever worked with had been open and friendly. Was it just her he was being rude to or was it the entire staff?

Guess I’ll find out when I get to the meeting…

Which reminded her that she really needed to get going.

“Ring me up, Jade,” she said cheerily. “I need to get there a bit early so I can help set up. We’re going to use the new lounge in the portable building, so I don’t know where everything is yet.”

Handing Jade her credit card, Chloe watched the screen and then signed the tablet before thanking her sister again.

“It was my pleasure,” Billie told her. “And don’t let this Tanner guy get you down. You have seniority and you’re a hometown girl. A few well-placed comments and no one’s going to think he’s a big deal. You just say the word and…”

Chloe held up her hand to stop her. “As much as I love the fact that you want to do that for me, I can’t let you smear someone’s reputation.”

No matter how much they might deserve it.

“I get it,” Billie said sweetly. “And if he’s as big of a jerk as you say, he’ll smear his reputation on his own.” She took a slow sip of her coffee. “Either way, he’s going to learn how to behave in a small town.”

“His bio says he’s kind of from a small town too,” Jade commented, and once again looked up and seemed to regret her words. “I mean, yeah! He’s going to have zero friends here!”

That made Chloe giggle as she picked up her boxes of baked goods. “I appreciate the show of support, but I really need to go.”

“Call me later and let me know how it went!” Billie called after her. “You know I love the praise!”

She had just stepped out onto the sidewalk when she spotted her brother Levi jogging toward her.

“Here, let me grab those,” he said, effectively scooping the boxes out of her arms. “You go open the car door.”

“My hero,” she said with a grin. “I didn’t think about how I was going to open the door with my hands full.”

“Then it’s a good thing I showed up!” He carefully put the boxes on the front passenger seat before closing the door and giving her a hug. “Teacher meeting today, right?”

Hugging him back, she nodded. “Yup! I need to get there early and set up.”

Taking her hand, he walked her around to the driver’s side. “Then I won’t keep you. We’ll catch up tomorrow night over dinner at Ashlynn’s.”

“Sounds good, and thanks, Levi!”

The entire drive over to the school, she couldn’t help but think about Tanner. She realized now that she regretted looking him up online because all it did was make her like him less. It led her to believe that he was arrogant because of his celebrity status and had her questioning why on earth he was now going to be teaching kindergarten. Why couldn’t he stick to skiing? There was no report of a career-ending injury or an illness; he simply retired.

But he still had some endorsement deals, so why couldn’t he just do that? Not that she knew anything about how much that sort of thing paid, but she had to imagine it was more than a teacher’s salary.

“And if he wasn’t such a jerk, I could ask him these things,” she murmured to herself. “But I can’t. So now my imagination is just going to go wild. Gah!”

Fortunately, she pulled up to the school and found a parking spot back by the portable classrooms. Several teachers were walking over and when they spotted her, they came over to help carry everything in.

Inside the new teachers’ lounge, Susan was setting up the coffee bar, Terry Murphy, the music teacher, was putting out paper goods, and Principal Kincaid was writing some stuff on the giant whiteboard.

Within minutes, the room was almost full and everyone was sort of hesitating to be the first person to either grab something to eat or drink. She was about to be the one to get things started when Tanner strode in with an enormous foil-covered plate.

“Good morning, everyone!” he called out. “Sorry I’m late, but I had to let the breakfast frittata finish cooking! Hope you’re all hungry!”

Son of a…

She met Principal Kincaid’s eyes from across the room and hopefully he read the dismay she was feeling. Of all the nerve! They had both told Tanner that she was bringing the refreshments and he completely disregarded them!

“A breakfast frittata?” Marcus Brown, one of the second-grade teachers, asked. “That sounds awesome!”

“I’ve also got a tray of chocolate chip cookies out in the car,” Tanner said. “I’ll be right back!”

Chloe was about to go after him when Susan walked over and stopped her. “It’s being handled,” she said quietly before glancing over her shoulder toward the table. “But you have to give him credit. He’s determined to make an impression and knows food is always a good start.”

“It was rude since he knew I was bringing all the food this morning,” she hissed. “How am I supposed to work with him if this is how he starts off the year?”

“I think he’s trying a little too hard, but it’s rough being the new guy,” she reasoned.

“And yet the six other new teachers haven’t been stepping on anyone’s toes…”

Before Susan could reply, Dave Scholl, the PE teacher, joined them. “Hey, Chloe! Thanks for getting some gluten-free stuff for me this morning. I appreciate how you always remember.”

It was the perfect distraction. “No worries, Dave. I’m happy to do it.” A few other teachers came over to thank her and gush over the variety she had brought with her, and it all calmed her down.

Maybe she was being overly sensitive. After all, what was the harm in a bit more food for the meeting? Letting out a soft breath, she decided to stop focusing on the negative and embrace the start of the school year. She and Tanner won’t have to interact on anything until the holiday plays and those were three months away. So for now, she was going to forget all about him and his obnoxious and overbearing ways and stay in her own lane.

After all, she’d garnered a reputation for being an excellent teacher and coworker here at Sweetbriar Elementary. And no one was going to take that away from her.

“I don’t understand what the big deal is. It was just breakfast.”

“Yes, but it was breakfast we already discussed was being covered. It seems to me like you purposely did this to overshadow Chloe. What I don’t understand is why.”

Tanner shifted the large plate of cookies in his hands. “It’s nothing personal. I was raised to share the burden and also do everything I could to make a good first impression. Chloe’s been here longer and she’s been Teacher of the Year twice. Maybe I’m trying to take some of the pressure off of her,” he said with a casual shrug.

But the look on Principal Kincaid’s face said he didn’t fully believe him.

“I’m just trying to be a team player and contribute; that’s all. I accepted some of Chloe’s decorations and I’ve been working really hard on my room so everything will be ready for Tuesday. Now, I’d love to bring these cookies inside and stop holding up the meeting. I’m sure you have an agenda and schedule you’re trying to keep.”

Fortunately, that seemed to work. They headed back into the classroom and found everyone making plates of food, getting drinks, and taking their seats. Tanner put the plate of cookies down and smiled at a few people as he walked over to get himself a cup of coffee.

And found himself standing right next to Chloe.

“Good morning,” he said, reaching for a cup. “All the baked goods look delicious. And I know they will be. I went into Books Beans yesterday on my way here and grabbed a blueberry muffin and a slice of the lemon pound cake. I can see why it’s famous. Your grandmother must have been a fabulous baker.”

She looked at him warily before conceding. “She was. I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Then she picked up her coffee and went to sit down.

By the time Tanner had his own coffee made, the only place left to sit was next to Chloe. Rather than make it look like he’d rather sit anywhere else than there—which he did—he simply made himself a plate of food and then took his seat.

Principal Kincaid stood at the head of the long table—which was really just several tables pushed together—and welcomed them all to the new school year. After that, he launched into introductions where everyone had to say a little something about themselves and share a fun fact about them.

Tanner sipped his coffee and listened to everyone talk about their families, their kids, their hobbies…it was a lot of the same old, same old. Then it was Chloe’s turn, and he figured it would be more of what he’d already heard.

“Hey, I’m Chloe Donovan, and this is my fourth year teaching kindergarten,” she began. “I have lived in Sweetbriar Ridge my whole life, and other than visiting family along the East Coast, I’ve never seen the middle of the U.S. or the West Coast!” She laughed softly. “I always thought I’d see it eventually, but I’m getting ready to buy my first home, so…traveling will have to wait.” Then she paused before adding, “Another random fun fact about me other than my lack of seeing the country is that I have zero baking skills, unlike the rest of my family, but I love to cook. I make some killer Mexican dishes, so if you’re ever in the mood for homemade guacamole or enchiladas, I’m your girl!”

Everyone clapped and several were already asking when they could have a potluck, and Tanner was readily on board with it. He was the last one to speak, and he smiled at the group as he shifted slightly in his chair.

“Hi, I’m Tanner Westyn. This is my first year of teaching and I’m new to Sweetbriar Ridge. I’ve always wanted to teach, but my goal was for it to be a fourth or fifth grade class.” Pausing, he took a sip of his coffee. “I’m starting a bit late because I was a professional Alpine skier and was trying to figure out just how long I could keep doing it.” Another pause and he suddenly felt the need to be completely transparent. “The thing is, I could have kept going, but there were a lot of younger athletes who were just starting to make names for themselves and even though I’m far from old, I was starting to feel my age.” Staring down at his coffee, he continued. “So rather than keeping at it and risking an injury because I was trying to compete with guys who were younger and more skilled, I thought it was best to go out on top.”

It was almost uncomfortably silent for a moment, and he knew he needed to end on a high note.

“So, I thought what better place to be than a town with a brand-new ski resort so I can still embrace my passion while starting the career in my other passion?” Smiling at everyone, he concluded with, “And I’m looking forward to getting to know all of you better and making some lifelong friends.” Holding up his coffee in a toast, he said, “Here’s to a great year!”

Everyone repeated the sentiment and that’s when Principal Kincaid stood back up and went over his plan for the school year, including holidays, vacations, student activities, festivals, and musical programs. After that, the art, music, and PE teachers each took their turns talking about what they had planned for the year for the students. It was a lot of information, but Tanner felt energized. Hell, he couldn’t wait to go back to his classroom and do a little more work on it. This weekend, he needed to finish looking over the curriculum, but he needed the room to be done by the end of the day tomorrow.

And he didn’t want anyone to see it before then.

“I think we’re going to have an amazing year,” the principal said when he was back at the head of the table again. “We’re excited about our new staff and all the new students joining us. My door is always open, so if there’s anything you need, please don’t ever hesitate to stop by and see me.” He looked around the table before going on. “We do still have a lot of supplies in storage, so if any of the new teachers need anything, please help yourself. And if you can’t find it there, either Susan or myself can help you or point you in the right direction. As you can tell, we’re a small school district and our budget is even smaller. If you’re still in need of a lot of items, the best ways to go are sending home a wish list with your students or even creating one online through one of the big retailers so you can just share a link to it.”

Tanner took a moment to do some inventory in his head and realized that he’d already seen everything that was in storage and none of it fit his needs. He had an order being shipped to him for some last-minute stuff, but the rest he could definitely put on a wish list.

“I’d like to thank Chloe for providing us with all the baked goods this morning,” Principal Kincaid said. “And thank you to Tanner, too, for the frittata and cookies. This was a great way to start our day! Everyone, take your time and finish eating, and if you have work to do in your rooms, the building will be open until five today. I appreciate you all coming in. If there’s anything else we need to discuss…”

Tanner raised his hand.

“I was just curious if there’s a specific time we should be here on the first day and then the mornings afterwards, and what time is typical for us to leave.”

“Excellent questions,” Vice Principal Pam Russell replied, who’d been very quiet for the entire meeting until now. “The school day goes from 8:55 a.m. until 3:55 p.m.—that is the bell schedule. I would suggest getting here on the first day no later than 8:00. In the afternoons, by the time carpool is done and all the busses are gone, plan on being here until 4:30. Of course, those times are going to vary from day to day. Your arrival time should be based on what you may need to do before your students show up. With departure, you need to stay until all of your students are picked up, whether by bus or parent, and you should straighten your classroom each day before you go.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

“Any other questions?” she asked.

But no one had any, and for another hour, it was all just a very casual time to get to know the rest of the faculty. Everyone stood and refreshed their drinks or stood in small clusters talking, and Tanner gravitated toward the fourth and fifth grade teachers to sort of scope out if any of them weren’t planning on staying beyond this year.

Keith Holly was in his fifties and had been teaching the fourth grade here in Sweetbriar for over twenty years. He mentioned how he’d like to retire soon multiple times during their brief conversation.

Good to know…

Trina Allen was one of the fifth-grade teachers and had also been here for a while. Ric Carlson was the new teacher in that grade; he was around Tanner’s age and seemed thrilled about his position.

So he’s not going anywhere, he thought.

The next thing he knew, everyone was cleaning up and making their way out of the building. Tanner collected his plates and was pleased to see the frittata was completely gone and there was only a handful of cookies left. He packed everything up and placed them out in his car before heading back into the school. Opening the door at the rear of the building, he stepped inside and found Chloe standing right there. Her blue eyes went wide when she saw him.

“Oh, um…hey,” he murmured. “Sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was standing right here.

Nodding, she motioned to the first classroom. “Jenna just went in to work on her room and the lights flickered and then went out. It seems like the entire school has gone dark. She ran down to the office to see who we need to call.”

“And you’re watching her classroom…why?”

She shrugged. “I wasn’t really watching it. I guess I was just lost in thought; that’s all.” Another shrug, and she turned and walked away.

Knowing she was more than likely heading to her own classroom—which was right beside his—he decided to walk with her. “Has this sort of thing ever happened before?”

“No. Not even when they were setting up the mobile rooms. I hope they’ll get it worked out today. My room’s ready and I was really just planning on making copies and doing some busywork, but I know everyone’s not ready for the first day.”

She might not have been directly talking about him, but it sort of felt that way.

“I’m almost done,” he said confidently. “It was hard to get anything done in advance. Besides the fact that I only found out that I had the job less than two weeks ago, I had no idea how much was already here for me to work with.”

“That makes sense. Plus, you had to deal with moving. I’m sure it’s been stressful.”

And this time, he knew she was being sincere.

“It has, actually. My folks helped me with the move and getting my house unpacked, but I wish I’d had more time to just get settled in myself before starting a job. I feel like I’m at a bit of a disadvantage.”

They were strolling more than walking at this point, and Chloe turned her head and smiled at him. “Well, you don’t let it show,” she softly told him. “You’re very confident and I can’t imagine you letting anything bother you.”

“Yeah, well…” he shrugged with a small laugh. “Years of competing and being in the public eye taught me to never let anyone see me in any way except a positive one.”

“That’s got to be tough.”

That…wasn’t what he expected her to say. “How come?”

“I don’t know. I guess that just seems like a lot of weight on your shoulders. I mean…everyone’s entitled to letting their guard down and just…you know…having a moment. What did you do when something went wrong? Did you just have to smile through it?”

Another shrug. “When I first started competing, everyone knew exactly what I was feeling, when I was feeling it. As I got older, I realized how unprofessional it looked to have a hissy fit if things didn’t go my way. Basically, I wanted everyone to look at me and only be able to say something positive.”

Beside him, Chloe made some sort of noncommittal sound that piqued his curiosity.

“Tell me what you’re thinking right now,” he teased, playfully nudging her shoulder.

Her eyes went almost comically wide. “Um…what? Why? I wasn’t thinking anything!”

“Chloe, come on. That little sound you made spoke volumes.”

“Then why don’t you tell me what I’m thinking?” she said with just a hint of sass that he didn’t think she was capable of.

“Okay…you were thinking that me wanting everyone to only say positive stuff meant I must have a colossal ego.”

“Hmm…”

They were still walking, and she wouldn’t look at him. “I’m right! I knew it! You think I have a colossal ego!” The fact that she wasn’t denying it made him laugh and soon she was laughing with him. They stopped at his classroom door and when she turned to face him, her entire face was lit up with pure delight. “I’m gonna need to hear you say it, Chloe. Tell me I’m wrong. Or right!”

She giggled softly as she shook her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

“What? Me? Why?” But he was laughing too. “Obviously I’d prefer to hear that I’m right…”

“Because you have a colossal ego!” she said right before her hands flew up to cover her mouth.

“I knew it! I knew you thought that! Ha!”

Lowering her hands, she shook her head again. “Fine. You were right. There.” It took a moment for her expression to turn thoughtful. “How come you won’t let me see your classroom?”

That had him sobering. “Um…what?”

“I’ve come over here several times in the last couple of days and you refuse to let me in. Why?”

And because he was beginning to relax a bit, he figured he could be at least a little honest with her. “Okay, so not only do I have a huge ego…”

“Tanner…” she whined, but he wasn’t listening.

“But I’m also a perfectionist. This is my first classroom and I want it to be perfect. It wasn’t just you I wouldn’t let see it; it was everyone. I wanted to have everything in its place before I let anyone in.”

“I get what you’re saying, but…that’s crazy! Do you have any idea what my first classroom looked like?”

“Probably spectacular based on the way your current one looks,” he murmured and watched her expression soften.

“Hang on,” she said, reaching into her bag and pulling out her phone. She scrolled for a minute before turning the screen toward him. “Look familiar?”

“It looks…”

“Just like yours did on Monday,” she finished for him. “I started out with nothing and it motivated and inspired me, just like I’m sure it’s doing for you. You don’t have to do it all alone, though. Maybe that’s how it was when you were doing the whole skiing thing, but here? Here we help one another. No one’s going to judge your classroom or compare it to anyone else’s.” Pausing, she gave him a small smile. “We all want you to succeed, Tanner. Because when you succeed, the kids win.”

“Chloe, I…”

Her phone rang and the sound startled them both. “Sorry, I need to take this.”

“Yeah, sure,” he said. “No worries.” But when she turned to walk away, he added, “When you’re done, why don’t you come back over and check out the room?”

This time her smile was slow and sweet and…damn.

“I will,” she told him. “Thanks.”

As soon as Chloe walked into her classroom, Tanner opened the door and stepped into his. The lights were still out and even though he didn’t need them for anything he was going to do, it still would have been nice to have them.

With nothing else to do, he walked to his supply closet and began pulling out the last of his room décor and went to work. He felt better about what he was creating and that maybe he was being a bit too competitive. Perhaps Chloe was right and no one was going to be judging or comparing, but that was a mindset he was going to have to overcome first.

Yeah, it’s me. I’m the problem, it’s me…

“Great. Now I’m quoting Taylor Swift songs,” he groaned before pulling out the stepladder and putting the finishing touches on the bulletin board wall.