Nash was inside drying off from the shower when I walked inside. His head shot up, not expecting someone, which was obvious since he was barely clothed. The relief in his expression when he realized it was just me was comical.
“Thought you left,” he said.
I nodded. “Yeah, I was, and then…” I paused, not sure how to say this without making it seem like I cared. Which I did, but not to the degree Nash was going to assume. “Uh, I saw Ezmita Ramos.”
Nash nodded his head once, then dried his hair before pulling his shirt over his head. “Yeah, I heard she’s interviewing with Ms. Campbell for the history position,” he replied casually. As if this were no big deal. It shouldn’t be. It was just that I hadn’t even known Ezmita had gotten her degree in history or that she had decided to be a teacher.
“Ms. Campbell is the new principal,” I clarified, making sure that was who he was referring to. When I had been given my job offer, it had been through Coach Rich. However, my meeting would be with the new principal and Coach Rich. It was a chance for me to ask questions aboutthe job and find out details that hadn’t been explained yet.
Nash nodded. “Yep” was his only response as he continued to stare at me. I could see the smirk in his eyes even if it wasn’t on his lips yet. He was fighting it.
“I’ve seen her a couple of times since my return, and she never mentioned teaching. It surprised me is all.” I was explaining this as if I had to. Which I didn’t.
Nash just nodded again, and the smirk began to tug at his lips. Asshole.
“I’m leaving now,” I said, turning to head back toward the door.
“Any chance her being hired might sway you? Because if that is the case, Coach Rich will want to know. He’s already trying to think of ways to sweeten the deal.”
“Ezmita is an old friend. I was curious. Jesus, Nash,” I replied as my hand hit the door. Just as I opened it and started to walk out, he called, “Good to know. Because she’s real nice and fucking gorgeous. If we start working together, I might want to ask her out myself. It’s about time I moved on.”
I froze for a moment. Anger immediately ignited inside me, and I turned back around to glare at my friend. However, the moment my eyes met his, he threw back his head and howled with laughter. He really was an asshole.
“You made your point. Happy?” I asked.
He was still grinning when he stopped laughing and looked at me. “Oh yeah. Just remembering that face will have me cracking up all damn day.”
“Whatever,” I replied.
Nash laughed again. “I wish I had a picture. I swear you looked ready to rip the door off the damn hinges. As if I would ask out Ezmita,” he replied, shaking his head.
“She’s smart and funny and kind, and fucking gorgeous.” I was suddenly feeling defensive of her now.
“I remember those things. But a guy never asks out his best friend’s one that got away.” He paused and then looked away from me. “Just like you’d never ask Tallulah out.”
Even now you could still hear the pain in his voice when he said her name. I wanted to argue that his was different. Ezmita had barely been a summer for me. Tallulah had been years for him. But deep down I couldn’t because I knew the day I drove out of Lawton and left Ezmita behind, my heart had stayed with her for a long time.
CHAPTER EIGHT
EZMITA
The small garden out back needed work. It had been neglected, as had the little fence around it. I stood there under the shade of the live oak tree that covered a good portion of the backyard. Glancing back over my shoulder, I studied the yellow cottage behind me. It was exactly nine miles from my parents’ house. Although it was inside the town limits of Lawton, it was near the border.
There would be no town traffic, and the only neighbors would be the farmers across the street and then the two-story white Colonial across the field. The back door opened and out stepped Mrs. Green, the real estate agent in Lawton who handled most of the rental properties. This househad belonged to Mrs. Mable Potts for over seventy years. She had raised three children in the two-bedroom, thirteen-hundred-square-foot home. It had been well loved.
Although her children were in their sixties now and lived out of state, none of them wanted to part with their childhood home and had decided to rent it out. Now, here I was after taking the job as Lawton High School’s new history teacher. I hadn’t wanted to go home and tell my parents or my sister. I needed time to prepare my thoughts.
Calling Mrs. Green to show me the rentals that were available had been just to keep me busy, but then she had brought me to this one. It felt like home. This would be my final step at settling down in the place I had once wanted nothing more than to get away from.
“It’s eight hundred a month, and that includes your water and garbage pickup only. Electricity, cable, phone, if you want it, will be on you. However, the electricity bill is the highest in July and August at around one eighty. It’s out of town a ways, which I think is why it didn’t rent out immediately and the fact it’s furnished. Most people want to bring their own furniture. But honestly, this is a great price for the house, and the furniture is dated, but I imagine for someone just starting out that would be perfect. It’s in good shape and comes with not only the fridge and microwave but the washer and dryer, too. That’s rare in a rentalhouse here. Makes up for the fact there is no dishwasher.”
“I’ll take it,” I said.
Mrs. Green beamed brightly. “Wonderful. Mable’s children will be pleased to know one of Lawton’s new teachers will be living here. Mable taught fourth grade at Lawton Elementary for over fifty years. This will tickle them pink!” she replied, then began pulling out paperwork from her bag.
Within fifteen minutes, I had filled out the paperwork and written a check for the first month’s rent along with a deposit. Mrs. Green had handed me two sets of keys to the house that opened both the front and back doors. I had listened while she gave me instructions on the central heating and air, then gave me the electrical company’s number to call and have the bill switched over to my name.
There was no regret when I watched her drive away in her red Buick waving her hand out the window and smiling brightly at me while I stood on the front porch. I was making my own decisions, and I was happy about them. I had never truly been happy in Nashville. I had been restless most of the time.