"Nana told me you're a teacher?" Logan inquired.
Beth nodded. "Second grade."
"How's your class this year?"
"It seems like a good group of kids. So far, anyway. And I've already had seven mothers sign up to volunteer, which is always a good sign."
Moving past the kennel, they approached the small trail that led to the creek. The sun had dipped below the trees, casting the trail in shadow. As they walked, thunder boomed again.
"How long have you been teaching?"
"Three years."
"Do you enjoy it?"
"Most of the time. I work with a lot of great people, so that makes it easier."
"But?"
She didn't seem to understand his question. He pushed his hands into his pockets and went on.
"There's always a 'but' when it comes to jobs. Like, I love my job and my colleagues are first-rate, but… a couple of them like to dress up like superheroes on the weekend and I can't help but wonder if they're nuts."
She laughed. "No, they really are great. And I do love teaching. It's just that every now and then there's a student who comes from a challenging family background, and you know there's nothing you can do for them. It's enough to break your heart sometimes." She walked a few steps in silence. "How about you, though? Do you like working here?"
"Yeah, I do." He sounded sincere.
"But?"
He shook his head. "No buts."
"That's not fair. I told you."
"Yes, but you weren't talking to the boss's granddaughter. And speaking of my boss, do you have any idea what time we'll be leaving tomorrow?"
"She didn't tell you?"
"No. I figured I'd ask when I dropped off the keys."
"She didn't say, but I'm sure she'll want you to train and exercise the dogs before you leave so the dogs won't get antsy."
They'd come within sight of the creek, and Zeus plunged ahead into the water, splashing and barking. Logan and Beth watched him frolic before Logan motioned toward the low branch. Beth took a seat and he joined her, carefully preserving the space between them.
"How far is Greensboro from here?" he asked.
"Five hours, there and back. It's mainly on the interstate."
"Do you have any idea when she'll be coming home?"
Beth shrugged. "She told me a week."
"Oh…" Logan seemed to digest this.
All worked out, my foot, Beth thought. Logan was more in the dark than she was. "I'm getting the impression Nana didn't tell you much about this."
"Just that she was going and I was driving, so I'd better get my license. Oh, and that I'd be working this weekend."
"That figures. Listen, about that… I can handle things this weekend if you have things to do-"
"It's no problem," Logan said. "I don't have anything planned. And there are some things I haven't had a chance to get to yet. Just some little things that need to be fixed."
"Like installing an air conditioner in the kennel officer'
"I was thinking more along the lines of painting the door trim and seeing what I can do to get the office window to open."
"The one that's painted shut? Good luck. My grandpa tried to fix it for years. He once worked a whole day on it with a razor blade and ended up wearing Band-Aids for a week. It still wouldn't open."
"You're not filling me with confidence here," Logan said.
"Just trying to warn you. And it's funny because it was my grandpa who painted it shut in the first place, and he had a whole storage shed full of just about every tool you could imagine. He was one of those guys who thought he could fix anything, but it never quite worked out as well as he'd planned. He was more of a visionary than a nuts-and-bolts kind of guy. Have you seen Ben's tree house and the bridge?"
"From a distance," Logan admitted.
"A case in point. It took Grandpa most of one summer to build it, and whenever Ben goes there now, I cringe. How it's lasted this long without blowing over I have no idea. It scares me, but Ben loves to go there, especially when he's upset or nervous about something. He calls it his hideout. He goes there a lot." When she paused, he could see her concern, but it lasted only an instant before she came back to him. "Anyway, Grandpa was a prize. All heart and soul, and he gave us the most idyllic childhood you could imagine."
"Us?"
"My brother and me." She gazed toward the tree, the leaves silver in the moonlight. "Did Nana tell you what happened to my parents?"
He nodded. "Briefly. I'm sorry."
She waited, wondering if he'd add anything else, but he didn't. "What was it like?" she asked. "Walking across the country?"
Logan took his time answering. "It was… peaceful. Just being able to go where I wanted, when I wanted, with no rush to get there."
"You make it sound therapeutic."
"It was, I suppose." A sad smile flickered across his face, then was gone. "In a way." As he said it, the fading light reflected in his eyes, making them seem as if they were changing color incrementally. "Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked, her expression serious.
Logan paused. "Yeah, actually I did."
"And?"
"I don't know yet."
She evaluated his answer, unsure what to make of it. "Now don't take this the wrong way, but for some reason, I don't see you staying in one place for very long."
"Is that because I walked from Colorado?"
"That has a lot to do with it."
He laughed, and for the first time, Beth was conscious of how long it had been since she'd had a conversation like this. It felt easy and unforced. With Adam, the conversation had been stiff, as though both had been trying too hard. She still wasn't sure how she felt about Logan, but it seemed right that they were finally on friendly terms. She cleared her throat. "Now, about tomorrow. I'm thinking that maybe the two of you should take my car, and I'll use the truck to go to school. I'm a little worried about the truck's brakes."
"I have to admit I wondered about that, too. But I'm pretty sure I can fix it. Not by tomorrow, but on the weekend."
"You can repair cars, too?"
"Yes. But brakes aren't hard. They need some new pads, but I think the rotors are probably okay."
"Is there anything you can't do?" Beth asked, only half feigning amazement. "Yes."
She laughed. "That's good. But okay, I'll talk to Nana and I'm sure she'll be fine with using my car. I don't trust those brakes at highway speed. And I'll make sure to check on the dogs when I finish up at school, okay? I'm sure Nana didn't mention that to you either. But I will."
He nodded just as Zeus padded out. He shook off, then moved closer to sniff at Beth before licking her hands.
"He likes me."
"He's probably just tasting you."
"Funny," she said. It was the type of thing Drake would have said, and she was struck by the sudden desire to be alone once again. She stood. "I should probably be heading back. I'm sure they're wondering where I am."
Logan noticed the clouds had continued to thicken. "Yeah, me too. I want to get home before it starts pouring. The storm seems to be getting closer."
"Do you want a ride?"
"Thank you, but no, that's okay. I like to walk."
"Gee, I never would have known," she said with a faint smile. They retraced their steps to the house, and when they reached the gravel drive, Beth pulled a hand out of her jeans pocket and gave a small wave.
"Thanks for the walk, Logan."
She expected him to correct her the way he had with Ben-to tell her again he was called Thibault-but he didn't. Instead, he raised his chin slightly and grinned.
"You too, Elizabeth."
She knew the storm wouldn't last long, though they desperately needed the rain. It had been a hot, dry summer, and it seemed like the heat would never break. As she sat listening to the last drops of rain falling on the tin roof, she found herself thinking about her brother.
Before Drake left, he'd told her that the sound of rain on their roof was the sound he would miss most of all. She wondered if he often dreamed of these North Carolina summer storms in the dry land where he ended up. The thought made her feel hollow and sad all over again.