Finding Our Forever

“No. Most work in town during the day. I was told that some even drive to Santa Barbara. It’s merely a way to acquire free lodging, kind of like managing an apartment building.”

“How does—what’s her name, Aiyana Turner?—decide who gets the other housing?”

“Every teacher has the option to add their name to the waiting list and move in if one becomes available. I just happened to hire on at the right time. The teacher who quit left earlier than planned, and my unit wasn’t spoken for—probably because it’s so small. It wouldn’t be big enough for anyone with kids.”

“So where do the other teachers live? In town?”

“I’m assuming they do. Although I suppose some might live in Santa Barbara. It’s only about twenty minutes away, not a long commute by our standards.”

The packing tape screamed again as her mother built a new box. “But will there be enough of a social life for you in Silver Springs? I mean...if you’re living on campus, will you ever get out? How will you meet people?”

“I’ll meet the other teachers.”

“Who will most likely be older or married.”

“I really won’t know until I get there.”

Lilly straightened and rested her hands on her hips. “There’s more to life than work, honey. A year might not sound long right now, but, trust me, it’ll seem long if you have no one to do anything with that whole time.”

“I can always drive home, visit you guys, Jill, my other friends.”

“I hope you come home often. But...what about the man who hired you? Maybe you can get something going with him. Jill told me you said he was hot.”

Thank you, Jill. “He is hot, but...”

“What does he look like?”

Cora pictured the dark-headed, rather intimidating man who’d shown her around the ranch. He didn’t say too much, certainly didn’t waste words. But those blue eyes were laser-sharp. They didn’t miss a thing. Truth be told, he made her uncomfortable. “Sort of like...a pirate.”

Her mother opened another cupboard and started packing the plates. “A pirate? That’s a positive association?”

“In this case it is.” Mostly... When it came to his physical appearance, anyway.

“How tall is he?”

Cora put her salsa maker, which she’d barely used, in one of the boxes she planned to take with her. If she was going to live in the country, she was going to attend a farmer’s market occasionally and make homemade salsa. “Really tall. And built.”

“He sounds perfect.”

“Not perfect exactly.” That was what she found most compelling about him—that he was a little rough around the edges. “He’s got a fairly big scar on his face.” She indicated the line of her jaw. “Right here.”

“What’s that from?”

“I didn’t ask.” And now that she’d read the article chronicling some of the abuse he’d suffered, she wouldn’t. “As far as I know, he’s already married.”

“Did you see a ring?”

“I didn’t look,” she said, but that was a lie. She had looked—and seen no ring. She’d been curious about Elijah from the first moment they met. But she’d also been apprehensive about the fact that she’d had an ulterior motive for applying at New Horizons, had known he probably wouldn’t appreciate that she wasn’t being fully transparent.

Her mother grinned at her. “You should have.”

“Matt and I barely broke up, Mom. I’m not ready to start dating again, especially in a place where I don’t plan to stay.” Besides, she wasn’t sure she’d be capable of taking on a man as complex as Elijah. There was no telling what kind of scars his upbringing had created, and she wasn’t referring to the one on his face, although that could easily be part of the legacy his parents had left him.

“So you’re only staying there a year?” her mother said.

“That’s right.”

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear it’s temporary.” Lilly bent to give her a hug. “I love you, you know.”

Cora did know. And she was grateful. She could easily have gone to a family who weren’t so kind and accepting—a family like Elijah had known. “I love you, too,” she said and tried to ignore how selfish she felt for doing what she was doing in spite of the fact it would hurt Lilly if—or when—she found out.

* * *

Elijah Turner was brushing down his horse when Aiyana found him. At the sound of her footsteps, he didn’t need to turn in order to see who it was. If he didn’t come for dinner when she invited him, she tracked him down. She always acted as if she had some official reason, some business question to ask him, but he knew she was simply assuring herself that he was okay. Whenever he complained that he was too old for that kind of coddling, she’d say it didn’t matter, that he’d always be her boy.

“How was your ride?” she asked.

He lifted Atsila’s foot and used a pick to gently clean his horse’s front left hoof. “Relaxing.”

“Cora Kelly arrives tomorrow.”

“I know.”

“Is the cottage ready?”

He moved on to the other front hoof. “Of course.”

“Are you ever going to explain that decision to me?”

“What decision?” he said, but he knew what she was going to say before she explained.

“To hire Cora Kelly. You knew, as well as I did, that Gary Seton, from right here in Silver Springs, was waiting for that job to open up.”

“I interviewed Gary, too—gave him a chance.”

“And...”

“I thought Ms. Kelly was better suited for the position.”

“She’s pretty.”

“That had nothing to do with it.”

“Let’s say that’s true—you’re not worried that she might be a distraction to the boys?”

“You’re saying I should’ve discriminated against her because she’s attractive?”

She gave his shoulder a little shove. “Stop it.”