Page 26 of The Secret Crush Book Club (Peach Blossom #3)

The morning went by quickly. It was fairly quiet for a Monday morning, but Zoey appreciated having the time to catalog some of the books she’d missed last week.

She still didn’t know what was going on with the board proposal, but Tiffany had assured her that Zoey staying was what everyone wanted.

There had been buzz over the past couple weeks about some car manufacturing plant being built not too far outside of town that would possibly have trickle effects on Peach Blossom’s population.

Zoey knew that more opportunity meant more chances for the town to stabilize or even grow.

She liked this place, and she hoped things went through to keep it around.

By the time she came up from her duties, she realized it was time to get the computer room set up for the league. She had just finished getting the desktops running when she heard the boys’ voices.

“Hi, Ms. Zoey.”

She turned with a wide smile, waving them in. “Hey, Henry. Come on in and get started, boys. I have everything set up for you.”

They rushed in, muted laughter and jokes filling the space with new energy.

It invigorated Zoey, giving her a slight boost that would hopefully carry her through the next couple hours before the end of her workday.

She went to her usual desk where she stayed to monitor them for a bit.

When Jordan walked in, she expected him to be as upbeat as his friends, so she was surprised when he gave her a half-hearted wave before slinking over to his usual computer.

She saw one of the other boys give him a quick side hug before they started playing.

“I wonder what that was all about,” she mumbled to herself. She resolved to pay close attention to see if something was going on between the boys.

The next couple hours, Zoey went back and forth between the computer room and the circulation desk and each time, she glanced over at Jordan.

He had perked up somewhat, but he still wasn’t his usual self.

She tried to remember if he or Dani had mentioned anything at the diner Saturday.

She had noticed he was a little quiet when they first sat down, but once he and Mason started talking, Jordan was his usual outgoing self.

Now, there was very little sign of the outgoing Jordan from before.

Zoey made a note to talk to him and hoped she wasn’t overstepping.

It wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for one of the other kids if she saw they were acting the same, but it did have her considering every angle, given her new relationship with Dani.

When the boys were cleaning up and about to go, Zoey called out to Jordan, asking for a moment before he left. Jordan waved bye to the other boys before walking up to her.

“Jordan? Is everything okay?”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

She paused for a moment, considering her words very carefully.

“I mean, you don’t seem like your usual happy self.

I just wanted to check in to see if there was anything going on or if you needed anything when it came to the team.

Is it too much pressure? I know we have our first league matchup coming soon so that can be stressful. ”

Jordan shrugged before looking down at the ground.

Zoey wasn’t sure what to do with that, but she didn’t feel comfortable pushing him if he didn’t want to talk.

She was about to move away and say goodbye when he finally looked up.

His expression changed to one of determination. “My dad is getting married again.”

Zoey widened her eyes. That was definitely new information to her.

Dani rarely talked about her ex-husband, and other than a couple questions thrown out here and there, Zoey had never really asked.

She had a general idea of what had gone down with Dani’s previous relationship and that was good enough for her.

“I see. How does that make you feel?”

Jordan lifted his shoulders again before looking away. “It’s okay, I guess. But…” He trailed off. He looked so uncomfortable, and Zoey almost hated to ask. But it seemed like he wanted to talk about it, and Zoey wanted to be here for him.

“But what?”

He glanced at her before continuing. “He’s going to have a baby with his girlfriend. He even said he’s going to name it after him instead of a different name like me.”

Damn. Zoey could see how that might be jarring for the kid, and she immediately felt bad for him.

She couldn’t imagine how it felt that not only was your dad having a baby, but he was also doing something for the baby he didn’t do for you.

Some kids wouldn’t care, sure, but it seemed like it mattered to Jordan a lot.

“Have you talked to your dad about it?”

Jordan shifted his backpack on his shoulder.

“I tried to, but he told me I should just be happy for him. He’s replacing my mom and me, but I’m supposed to be happy.

It’s so stupid.” Zoey could hear the frustration clear in his voice and she wished she had something she could say that would make everything better for him.

She didn’t have much experience when it came to parental dynamics, especially when parents were split up and coparenting.

This must have been why Dani was so hit-or-miss last week.

It made sense. If she were trying to find the words for helping Jordan, she probably didn’t have time to worry about anyone else.

It was exactly as Mason had said, but Zoey wasn’t upset about having been relegated to the background.

She was upset that she couldn’t do more for Jordan.

Clearly, he was struggling with what were about to be new experiences and dynamics.

Middle school was a tough time, even before adding in complicated family dynamics.

A knock on the door pulled her from her introspection and she called out for the person to come in.

“I’m here to pick up Jordan.”

“Grandpa!” Jordan’s excitement brought a little comfort to Zoey, and she called out her own goodbyes when he and his grandfather left.

As Zoey walked around, double-checking things were clean and ready for the next group, she resolved to figure out a way to talk to Dani.

She wasn’t sure there was anything tangible she could do, but the least she could offer was a friendly ear.