Winning the Teacher's Heart. Jean C. Gordon

sure he ever was a teenager.”

      That had been one of the things that had attracted her to Jared as a teen. He seemed more responsible, mature, even though he was a year younger than her crowd. “I wasn’t that superficial.”

      Emily shook her head. “You were that untried, sheltered. You’ve lived some now.”

      “Thank you, Dr. Stacey. I hadn’t realized you’d given up graphic arts for psychology. And you weren’t sheltered?”

      Emily grinned. “Dad certainly tried. But it didn’t carry over to school. Remember, I was the tall, clumsy kid everyone called Jinx. My brother, Neal, is eight years older than I am. He wasn’t around school to shelter me after fourth grade.”

      “And you and Jared?”

      “Used to talk sometimes about our misfit lives and how we were going to leave Paradox Lake at our first opportunity. Strictly platonic.”

      Jared hadn’t struck Becca as a misfit then—and certainly didn’t now.

      Becca’s cell phone buzzed that she had a text, giving her a welcome break from the conversation. She checked the screen. Maybe not.

      “Go ahead and answer,” Emily said.

      “It’s the Sheriff. He recently got a smartphone and has gone text crazy. It’s probably nothing.” She dropped the phone to the blanket.

      “Are he and Debbie still dogging your every move?”

      Becca sighed. “Almost more so since he got his new phone. I have an unsettled feeling it has something to do with Matt and my custody agreement. Debbie and the Sheriff are planning to move to Florida now that he’s retired. It’s making me a wreck. I’ve prayed, but I can’t seem to find the peace I normally would.”

      “I have just the thing. The Singles Group is challenging the Couples Group in ‘Bible Jeopardy’ tomorrow night. I don’t know how peaceful it will be, but we’ll have fellowship, inspiration and food. I’m making my cheesecake brownies. Maybe Connor will bring his big brother.”

      Jared’s presence didn’t exactly shout peaceful to Becca. “I can’t.”

      “Mom’s watching Isabelle and Ryan. I know she wouldn’t mind watching Ari and Brendon, if that’s the problem. Ari would stay with her, wouldn’t she?”

      “Probably, but I have something else going on.”

      “With Jared? Are you holding out on me?”

      “Not with Jared. I have to go to the Town Zoning Board meeting in Schroon Lake.”

      “Why?”

      Becca laughed. “The expression on your face. I’m the newest board member.”

      “I ask again, why?”

      “I was teaching civics and thought I should be more involved. Edna’s husband, Harry, mentioned the opening.”

      Emily shook her head. “Will you ever learn? You don’t have to be involved in everything.”

      “I know. It seemed like a good idea at the time, even after the Sheriff encouraged me to take the seat.” Becca’s phone rang. She picked it up. “Speaking of the Sheriff, he’s probably calling to find out why I didn’t text him back.”

      “I think I’ll walk down to the water and test the temperature.” Emily stood and slipped off her shoes.

      “That’s right. Desert me in my time of need.” Becca pressed the phone screen to answer the call. “Hello.”

      “Have you read the agenda for the Zoning Board meeting?”

      “No.”

      “I texted it to you.”

      “Ken, I’m working.”

      “Then I’ll give you the short version. Your boyfriend wants to build a motocross track on Bert Miller’s property.”

      That was what Jared wanted to use Bert’s land for? To build his racetrack? Here in Paradox Lake? She should have made the connection. Her breath caught. A racetrack could be almost as bad as a resort casino. In some ways, worse, considering Brendon’s current obsession with motorcycles.

      “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

      “Are you threatening me?”

      “No, but I know how much you hate Family Court.” He hung up.

      Becca stared at her phone for a moment before touching the text button. She viewed the agenda Ken had photographed and texted her, the sinking feeling in her stomach bottoming out when she reached the fourth bullet point: Jared Donnelly—request for a recreational development zoning exception to construct a motocross track on parcel 87268 on Conifer Road.

      “What’s wrong?” Emily had returned and was standing over her.

      “It looks like I will be spending tomorrow evening with Jared after all.”

      Confusion spread across Emily’s face. “You said the call was from Sheriff Norton.”

      “It was. Apparently, Jared wants to build a motocross track on the land he inherited from Bert Miller. And the Sheriff wants me to stop him.”

      * * *

      Jared climbed from the cab of his pickup truck and stood in the newly paved parking lot, taking in the sprawling two-story, redbrick building with its white-columned entrance. The Schroon Town Hall. He slammed the door shut. The smell of the blacktop made his nose twitch. The last time he’d been here had been for court when he was eighteen, to answer his driving-while-impaired charge. The parking lot had been newly tarred that day, too.

      His stomach churned. After his arrest, his dad had made a big show about how he was going to be there for Jared. He didn’t need a lawyer. Jared still had been naive enough to believe him—or at least to want to believe him. Then, when he and his brothers had gotten home from school the day of his court appearance, he’d found their father passed out in the bedroom, an empty vodka bottle on the bed stand. That was the last time he’d believed his father.

      That night, Jared had made burgers and fries for his brothers and him for supper. For whatever reason, he remembered that clearly. But he hadn’t been able to choke down more than a bite or two. He’d considered chugging one of the beers his dad had in the refrigerator for courage before remembering that had been what had gotten him in trouble in the first place. Instead, he’d told Josh to help Connor with his homework, and he’d driven illegally to the town hall for court. Keeping his eyes focused forward, he’d walked to the front of the room where court was held, signed in and had taken a seat at the far side, determined to handle whatever happened like a real man. His mother had slipped in beside him just before the public defender had motioned him up to the desk to talk. The scent of the diner lingering on his mother’s uniform had somehow reassured him. She’d had no illusions about Jared’s father coming through for him.

      “Jared.”

      The sound of his name jerked him back to the present. A light-haired man about his age stepped from a sleek navy blue Mercedes parked near the building.

      “Dan, thanks for coming.” Jared strode across the parking lot and shook hands with the Albany lawyer he’d hired. Jinx Stacey’s sister-in-law, Anne Hazard, had recommended him. Her environmental engineering firm had used Dan on several projects.

      “I spoke with the town attorney this afternoon,” Dan said. “He saw no problem with your building permit being approved without a public hearing for a variance. It should fall under the recreational development exception to the residential-agriculture zoning classification.”

      “Great,” Jared said with more confidence than he felt. It must have been the lingering bad memories. He glanced at the hall. Neither of them had to be here. Tonight was an ordinary meeting of the Zoning Board. He