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“I don’t know, Lea. It’s really short notice.”

“We don’t have to. I thought it might just be a nice break, which you have said repeatedly is what you need.” Something flashed in Jewel’s gaze, but it was gone before Azalea could identify it. “Think about it.”

Jewel dragged in a deep breath. “Not the whole week.”

“I don’t even know if she’ll have a room open. I’d be willing to bet she fills up pretty quickly during spring break.”

“Fine. I’ll go, if she has room.”

“Good!” Azalea grinned. “I think it’s something we could both use. I know I need it.”

“Yeah.”

They finished eating, making small talk here and there. Jewel left her classroom a couple minutes before the bell rang to end the lunch period. Soon enough Azalea’s classroom was going to be filled with students again. She probably should have taken her lunch as a planning period, but it had been worth it to see Jewel. Still, something felt off about the way Jewel was acting. Azalea planned to figure it out and drag it out of her by the end of spring break. She wouldn’t let her friend suffer.

* * *

Jean gave her a pleasant and pitying smile when Azalea entered the bowling alley, and it didn’t take long for her to figure out why. Sitting in the back in one of the booths was none other than Brady. Azalea cursed inwardly, wishing it was anyone else, but there he sat, cocky as ever with a beer in front of him and his two best buds from school flanking him.

She wondered what he had told them if he had told them anything. If she was his new conquest attempt, that was going to be a hard miss for him. Azalea nodded at Jean as she sat down and switched out of her shoes. They had the second and fourth games that night, meaning she wouldn’t get home until at least ten.

“How long?”

“Since the start of the first game.”

“Wonderful,” Azalea muttered.

“You did tell him no, right?”

“Along with a list of reasons why it was an insane idea.” She bit her tongue to keep herself from talking. She did not want to relive that night ever, but she was pretty sure she was about to get a second viewing.

“Well, chin up, Azalea. He’ll get the message eventually.” Jean didn’t look as sure as her words sounded, but Azalea kept that thought to herself.

She finished tying her shoes and pulled out her ball. “Yeah, he might, but the point is he should have gotten it the first time.”

Jean snorted, her mothering glower turning on Brady from over Azalea’s shoulder. “I can always sic John on him if you want.”

“No, not yet. He needs to learn a lesson I never taught him in science class. The problem with pride.”

Twisting on Azalea, Jean gave her a brilliant smile. “Why do I feel like you have a plan working in that pretty head of yours.”

Azalea lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I’m a teacher at heart, Jean. I’m always working on a lesson plan or two.”

Jean barked out laughter. Azalea grabbed her bag and went to store it in the lockers nearby. When she came back, Brady hadn’t moved, his gaze on her the entire time. She withheld a shudder and focused on her game, only marginally distracted. Normally she would text Jewel about unwanted attention like this, but considering it was Brady, she opted to leave Jewel out of it.

Her team won the first game, though it was because of Jean and not her. She hadn’t bowled as well as she normally did, which wasn’t surprising considering the circumstances. They sat down for dinner, and Jean refused to let Azalea sit by herself while the rest of the team went for the bathrooms. Brady had looked like he was going to come over until he realized Azalea wasn’t alone, and he had stayed seated, nursing another beer with his buds.

By the time she finished her second round and they lost, she checked to see if he was still nearby. She sighed when she saw him gazing at her. Azalea packed up and made sure to leave with the rest of her team, getting into her car quickly and without dawdling. Driving home, she locked her front door behind her for the first time in ages and let out a sigh of relief. She’d never thought Brady capable before, but his attention to her that night had her on edge.

Azalea stored her bag in the bottom of the front hall closet and took off her shoes. She grabbed herself a water from the kitchen before settling in at her desk and checking her phone. She had a text on the screen from Jewel, asking if she’d made the reservation yet.

She had to get that done sooner rather than later. Flipping through her contacts, Azalea called her longtime friend, the only person in the entire state she was out to. It was late, but it was in the middle of calving season too, so it was always hit or miss if she’d be awake.

“Well, I didn’t think I’d hear from you until summer.”

Azalea’s lips curled upward. “Hey, Eli.”

“How’s it going, Azalea?”