The Bachelor's Sweetheart

“I’ll get those.” Josh was out of his seat before the attorney could even push his chair away from the computer.

Taking his copy from the top, he handed the other one to Tessa, sat and reread the revised clause. When he’d finished, Tessa already had a pen in hand, ready to sign.

“Looks okay to me,” he said, picking up the other pen the attorney had laid out on the desk.

“Hold off on signing until I get someone to witness your signatures.” The attorney left them alone in the office.

“You are all right with my change?” Josh asked, breaking the silence.

“I guess I have to be. No one else will do the work as cheaply as you will.”

“You got other bids?”

“No,” she shot back. “But I thought you had more faith in me.”

“I have plenty of faith in you. It’s the tourist trade I’m not so sure of.”

The attorney returned with Josh’s former girlfriend. “This is Lexi Zarinski. She’s filling in for the next few days while our receptionist is on vacation.”

“I know Josh and Tessa from church. Hi.”

“Hi.” Josh and Tessa signed and dated the agreement. The attorney took both agreements and placed the second sheet with the witness signature line on top.

Lexi signed them both with a flourish. “I’m taking my lunch break now. Do you guys want to join me at the diner?” Although Lexi had included Tessa in her invitation, her gaze rested on Josh. He rearranged the pages of the agreement on the desk in front of him.

“Sorry, I’ve got to get over to the school. I’m telling Hope’s class about my job for career day.”

“And I told Grandma I’d go with her to her doctor’s appointment in Ticonderoga.”

“Okay, maybe another time.” Lexi made her exit.

The attorney rose and shook their hands. “Nice seeing both of you again.”

“Thanks,” Tessa said.

Josh nodded. He looked around for Lexi lurking as they walked across the reception area to the door. “I was going to ask you if you wanted to get some lunch, but I don’t have time now.”

“I would have taken you up on the offer. Maybe even treated to make up for my outburst about you getting paid.” She stopped when they reached the sidewalk and looked up at him. “You know, I could just hug you for what you’re doing for Grandma and me.”

After the way Tessa’s glamorous appearance at the wedding had affected him, he was glad she didn’t.

* * *

Josh grabbed his laptop from behind the driver’s seat before he headed into the building that housed the Schroon Lake Central School, grades kindergarten through twelve, his alma mater. He signed in at the main office with Thelma Woods, who’d been the office manager for as long as he could remember.

“The third grade room is the same as it’s always been,” Mrs. Woods said.

“Okay, and I’ll be taking Hope home after school.”

She leafed through a small pile of papers clipped together. “Yes, I have the note from Becca right here. You’ll need to sign out before you leave.”

“Will do.”

“Josh.” Hope called to him as he left the office.

He waved at his sister.

A middle-aged woman was leading a group of kids including Hope down the hall past the office. She stopped. “Mr. Donnelly?”

“Josh.” He offered his hand.

“I’m Merilee Bradshaw, Hope’s teacher. We’re on our way back from lunch. You can walk with us.”

He stepped in line with Hope.

“Is that your daddy?” the little boy in front of her asked.

“No,” Hope huffed. “Like I told everybody, Josh is my brother. I have three big brothers. Jared, who I live with. He talked to our class last year. Mrs. Bradshaw said we had to have different people this year. Connor. He’s the pastor at my church and on his honeymoon with Natalie, so he couldn’t come today. And Josh.”

Josh shook off the pang of hurt that he was apparently Hope’s third choice. “Who’s your friend?” He nodded at the little boy.

“Owen Maddox, and he’s not a friend. He’s a boy.”

“Can’t boys be friends? Tessa is my friend, and she’s a girl.”

“You’re a grown-up, and she’s your girlfriend. That’s different.”

“No, she’s just a friend who’s a girl.”

Hope looked skeptical. Gram at the wedding, now Hope. What was so hard for everyone to get about Tessa and him being friends, not a couple?

“Our room is the next one,” Hope said.

“I know. It was my third grade room, and Jared and Connor’s, too.”

Mrs. Bradshaw stood at the classroom doorway, counting heads as the kids filed in. She closed the door behind her last student. “Everyone put your lunch boxes in your cubbies, so we can hear Mr. Donnelly’s talk.”

Josh waited for his sister and, when she finished, she led him to the middle of the room. “This is my desk, and this is my friend Ava.”

“Hi,” the little girl at the desk beside Hope’s said. She eyed his laptop. “Are you going to show us racing videos like Hope’s other brother did last year? They were really cool.”

Yeah. Josh was sure they were. Jared was cool. “No, we’re going to design a solar-powered go-cart.”

“But you didn’t bring any wood or stuff.”

“On the computer. You’ll see everything we do on the screen up front.” Josh had thought the kids would like brainstorming ideas for a go-cart and using the computer-aided design program to draw plans. His talk was hands-on. He planned to let the kids come up and use the program to add their details. And he’d gotten permission from his boss to print out copies of the plans at work for Hope to bring in and hand out to everyone on Friday.

“Oh,” Ava said.