TWENTY-SEVEN
“It’s been three days and I’m bored stiff.”
Grace sat on Parker’s front porch with the two of them taking turns tossing the ball for Scout to chase. The Labrador loved his tennis balls almost as much as he loved running after them.
“I would think you’d be catching up on all the things you can’t do when you’re at work.”
“I did that. My bills are paid, my place is clean. I even organized my closets and sock drawer. Who does that?”
“Someone who was told not to show up at the office,” Parker said.
Grace rolled her eyes. “I still can’t believe I’m in the middle of this bull.”
Scout placed his slobbery snout on Grace’s lap with ball clenched in mouth. His tail thumped on the wooden planks of the porch, and his eyes shifted back and forth. “Aren’t you getting tired?” Grace asked as she took the ball from his mouth and tossed it over the railing of the porch. Since Parker’s ranch house sat on top of a hill, the ball rolled down the driveway and into a large grassy portion of the property. Scout ran down the steps of the home in search of the ball that had already stopped moving.
“When I was let go last year, I realized I was in the wrong job. Not that I ever thought assisting in an elementary school was the end all, be all, but it helped push me to figure out the next phase.”
Parker’s next phase was to get married and go back to school. Which she had decided to do online.
“I’ve been unhappy at work for a while,” Grace confessed. “I like the work, but the long hours and lack of kudos make it hard to go in.”
“So maybe this is a sign to move on.”
“Perhaps. But if I’m fired under the cloud of fraud, who is going to hire me?” As much as she started to feel like she had the right team to help her get through the allegations against her, she worried this would follow her wherever she went next.
“If I were you, I’d think about what’s next. Get through all this, get your job back, and then leave.”
“Seems a waste of time to fight for a job I don’t want to keep.”
“It’s not the job, it’s your integrity you’re fighting for.”
“You’re not kidding.”
Scout had returned with the ball and a dirt-filled nose.
“How is Dameon doing with all this?”
Grace couldn’t help but smile when she heard Dameon’s name. “He’s a breath of fresh air. All the duds I’ve dated over the years . . . after Dameon, the others don’t compare. Like, why did I ever waste my time?”
“Because you were searching for Mr. Perfect. And that guy isn’t out there.”
Grace repeated the ball-throwing process for the dog. “I wasn’t looking at all when Dameon came along. I even tried hard not to date him. And he’s about as perfect as they come.”
“But he’s complicated by the fact that you work with him . . . or did. So he isn’t someone you would instantly try and date. You had to look past all that to start dating him.”
“Now that I don’t really have the job, it seems like a stupid reason to not date him. Jobs come and go, ya know?”
“Exactly.”
“How often are you guys able to see each other?” Parker asked.
“Every week is different. Weekends are a given so far. He flew to New York last night to meet with a potential investor today. But when he comes back, I’ll either meet him in LA or he’ll come here.”
“You can always look for a job in the city.”
Grace sighed. “I might not have a choice. But I don’t want to change my employment to accommodate my boyfriend. If I can even call him that.”
“I think that’s a safe bet.”
Grace looked over the railing to see Scout rolling around on the grass at the bottom of the driveway.
“I really don’t know how he labels me.”
“Future Mrs.?”
“It’s a little soon to be talking like that.”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”
“I really haven’t.” But she was now that Parker had planted the seed.
“Mrs. Locke has a nice ring to it.”
“Stop, you’ll jinx it.”
Scout bounded up the steps and somehow had completely covered himself in mud. He ran straight to Grace and looked like he was going to jump in her lap.
“No way, dog.”
Scout thought it was a game and started to bark, and as he did, he placed one paw on her leg.
“Ewwww!”
She and Parker both laughed.
“I