LITMIR.BIZ

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covering my one o’clock class.”

      “Good luck. I know how important this meeting is to you, to the new program.”

      “Thanks. I’m pretty sure he’s on board. Today we’re supposed to finalize everything and decide on our test-student.”

      “You’ll do fine. Just give me a holler when you get back in.” Doris had been with the school longer than Eli. Longer than most of the staff. She was an icon. She ran the main office with a fluid efficiency and had an aura of everyone’s favorite grandmother about her.

      Her confidence in Eli’s ability to make this work helped bolster her own flagging belief in herself.

      She drove across Whedon, wishing that this meeting was in an office. She felt at home in that setting or in a classroom. But a local restaurant had sounded convenient when she’d agreed to it. Instead she now worried the location would detract from the business Zac needed to accomplish.

      “Eli,” he called, waving.

      Despite the craziness since her doctor’s appointment, seeing him made her smile. There was something engaging about Zac Keller. He was a nice-looking man who was defined by what he wasn’t. He wasn’t tall, wasn’t short—maybe about five-ten. He wasn’t fat, wasn’t skinny, wasn’t a bodybuilder, wasn’t scrawny. He had average brown hair and a medium complexion.

      But once someone met Zac, he stood out. Maybe it was the devilish look in his brown eyes—a look that said life was a joy and there was always mischief to be made.

      “Hi,” she said as she took the seat across from him.

      His smile faded as he studied her a moment. “What’s wrong?”

      “Wrong?” she repeated dumbly.

      “Wrong. Something’s wrong.”

      First Ariel, now Zac.

      Eli tried to school her expression and concentrate on the task at hand.

      She passed a file to him. “Not wrong, exactly. Although…”

      She jerked her head toward the file. He took the hint and opened it. “Ariel Mayor?”

      She nodded. “I’d like her to be the first student we enroll in the program.”

      “And this troubles you because…?”

      “She’s having a hard time of it. To be honest, she’s the type of student the Community Action Teen-Parent Apprentice Project was designed for. She’s a senior who’s always been a straight A student, popular with her peers and teachers. If you’d asked me, asked any of her teachers, we’d have told you that she was one of those kids who are blessed. Yet when her parents found out she was pregnant, at the beginning of the school year, they kicked her out. I got involved and learned that Ariel’s home life was less than blessed. She’s staying at an aunt’s, working at a nearby restaurant, going to school, and other than one small incident, she’s done a good job balancing everything. She’s college material.”

      Eli paused, needing to make this absolutely pitch perfect. Working for Zac instead, in the CATA Project, could make such a difference for this girl. “Zac, I think it would be a shame if she didn’t go to college because of the baby. She deserves to have the life she planned.”

      “With a baby in the picture, even if she goes to college, it won’t be exactly as she planned,” he pointed out.

      “No, not exactly. But what in life ever goes exactly how we plan?” Eli might have said those same words a few days ago. And she’d have believed them. But now, they rang truer.

      As if he’d read her mind, Zac asked, “You didn’t plan to be here?”

      Here? Pregnant? She almost snorted, but then Zac added, “Helping teen parents?”

      Oh. Yes, of course, that’s what he meant. “No. Truth is, I never planned this to be my life’s work. I stumbled into it when a girl in my class became pregnant and asked for my help. When I looked for services in the district, I realized there was nothing.”

      “So you helped her yourself?”

      She laughed. “Don’t make it sound all noble. I liked her. Still do. Over the years, she’s become my best friend. I’m surrogate aunt to her son.”

      “When the school district didn’t help, you stepped up and did it yourself. That’s not a question. I know you, Eli. You couldn’t stand by and not try to do something positive.”

      He’d said things like that before and as always it made her uncomfortable. Not in a stalker sort of way, but this man saw her in a way no one else did, not even herself.

      “Don’t glamorize it. I was in the right place at the right time and simply did what needed to be done. Anyone could have done it.”

      He snorted. “I don’t want to argue with you, but you’re wrong.” As if sensing she was about to dispute it more, he picked the file back up. “So, Ariel’s going to be our guinea pig?”

      “If you agree. I noted in the file that she’s never been in trouble, except for the recent incident. And I don’t believe that would have happened if she hadn’t been stretched so thin. That’s where you come in. No more late hours, time for homework…support.”

      “Fine.” He tapped the file on the table. “Ariel Mayor is our inaugural student in the CATA Project.” He raised his water glass. “To many years of a successful partnership between us.”

      She clinked her glass against his.

      “Now, let’s order lunch and get down to the nitty-gritty of how we’re going to make this work.”

      Eli had so much to do. So many things to think about. She knew she should excuse herself, instead, she found herself saying, “So, did you find out what the special is today?”

      After they ordered, Zac asked, “So what else is new with you?”

      If only she could tell him, but she wasn’t about to when her parents and Arthur still didn’t know, so she simply said, “Not much. You?”

      “Well, I was in some little Podunk town and I…”

      Eli listened to Zac’s story and soon forgot all her worries. Like Tucker had said, they’d be there tomorrow. Or rather tomorrow night when she went to see Arthur.

      THE HOUR FLEW BY TOO FAST in Zac Keller’s opinion.

      He always enjoyed Eli Cartwright’s company. There was something about her that touched him. Her enthusiasm for her work. The girls she taught were more than a job. He could see it in her expression as she talked about them. And this Ariel Mayor he’d just hired was obviously a favorite.

      Eli’d talked of her boyfriend in the past, which was the only reason Zac hadn’t long since asked her out. Even if he couldn’t date her though, he could enjoy her company.

      “Why don’t we meet on Saturday morning? I’ll treat you to coffee at Tim Horton’s—the one next to Keller’s Market. Then we can both go over and meet your Ariel?”

      “You want me there?”

      “Not for future student hires, but for this first one, I thought it might be a good idea if we both followed Ariel’s progress closely. We can see what works, and where there’s room for improvement. I’d like CATA to become one of Keller’s pet projects, so I think it’s best to really concentrate on this first student and make sure everything runs smoothly.”

      “I appreciate it, Zac. I don’t know if you understand what this program could offer to our girls.”

      “I think I understand, at least as much as I can.”

      Eli glanced at her watch. “I better get going.”

      “See you Saturday, around nine, then? Tell Ariel to meet us at the market at nine-thirty?”

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