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Sandy forgot to change the alarm time on her phone, which meant she was up earlier than she needed to be Thursday morning. She was going to miss those early morning drives up to the ranch. On the plus side, it meant more sleep and more time for breakfast and a second cup of coffee.
She was pondering other changes to her daily schedule when she heard Lenny moving around next door. Expecting him to knock on her back door at any moment, she got up and pulled a coffee mug from the cabinet.
He didn’t though. When she heard his front door close, she peered out her front window and saw him walking to his car. He was showered and dressed in his uniform, looking more tired than usual at that hour. Then again, she’d heard him coming in very late, so he probably hadn’t gotten much sleep. She wondered if something had happened or if he’d just been having a good time with his cousin.
She’d find out soon enough. On those rare occasions when something interesting did happen, it would be the topic of conversation at the township building.
The morning was muggy and overcast, an appropriate match for her mood. She opted to make use of the extra time and walk the mile to the township building instead of drive. Her mind continued to churn, just as it had all night.
The truth was, she felt lost. Kevin hadn’t been around long, but he’d had a huge impact on her life. His departure left a hole in her life she hadn’t expected.
I’m going to miss seeing Tori every day too, she realized sadly. Especially their Friday afternoon coffee chats.
Tori had become an unexpected friend, one of the rare few who didn’t seem to think she was crazy for wanting to follow her dreams. For now at least, Sandy could use the ranch’s website as an excuse to contact her, but what would happen after that?
And Heff. Did losing Kevin mean she was going to lose him too? He’d said he’d call, but he hadn’t. She wished he would. Not only did she enjoy spending time with him, but she was also certain he’d be able to take her mind off of things and improve her mood for at least a couple of hours.
Unfortunately, it was a slow morning at the township office, which meant she didn’t have a lot to distract her from her gloomy thoughts. The most exciting thing that happened was Mr. Cherkasney came in, demanding to speak with one of the supervisors because Mr. Pollock’s tree had been dropping crab apples over his property line and allegedly ruining his lawn mower. He was quickly followed by Mr. Pollock himself, who argued that the tree was the result of Mr. Cherkasney’s mother—who did make an incredible crab apple jelly—dumping her apple cores out there, so it was really all her fault.
Sandy showed them both into a conference room and let them be. Everyone knew they just came for the free coffee and fresh cookies Mrs. Delvecchio brought in when she came to catch up on the local gossip. Sure enough, an hour later, they were on their merry way, talking about heading out to the nearby lake to do some fishing and debating the merits of grubs versus nightcrawlers as bait.
By noon, the next township newsletter was complete, the last of Mrs. Delvecchio’s filing fiasco had been rectified, and everything was once again organized and in its proper place. She left the office feeling none of the anticipation she had over the last several weeks, knowing there was no one to go home to.
To distract her from thoughts of Kevin and formulating theories on why Heff hadn’t yet returned her call, she came up with a to-do list, which included revisiting potential graphic design employers and reevaluating her portfolio. Now that Kevin was back home with his mother, there was no reason not to start thinking about getting her life back on track.
The thought didn’t excite her as much as it once had.
She was revising her list of contacts when the call came through. She frowned at the number, not recognizing it and assuming it was just another robocall.
She was therefore surprised when she saw the voicemail icon pop up. Telemarketers didn’t typically leave voice mails.
Intrigued, she checked the message.
“Ms. Summers, this is Della Phillips from Kensington Graphic Creative. I’m calling because you submitted an application for a paid internship position, and one has just become available. If you’re still interested, please call us at your earliest convenience.” The woman recited a number.
Certain she’d heard wrong, Sandy listened to the message twice more before she went online and searched the familiar name. Kensington Graphic Creative was a big name in the industry and a very hard place to get into. She had applied there months ago but hadn’t heard a thing.
Hand shaking, she tapped out the number and held her breath.
“Kensington Graphic Creative. Della Phillips speaking.”
“Ms. Phillips, this is Cassandra Summers returning your call.”
“Thank you for getting back so quickly. Does this mean you are still interested?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Excellent. Can you come in tomorrow afternoon to discuss the position?”
“Uh, yes. Yes, of course I can.”
After jotting down the information, Sandy hung up the phone and stared at the notepad for several long seconds before letting out a squeal of joy and doing a little dance right there in her kitchen.
She was still bubbling with excitement hours later when she arrived at Franco’s for the start of her shift.
“Something’s put a sparkle back in your eyes,” Jeannie noted. “What’s his name?”
Sandy laughed, an image of Heff flashing momentarily in her mind’s eye. “I got some potentially great news today, but I don’t want to jinx it by saying anything before I’m sure it’s a real thing.”
“Oh.” Jeannie looked disappointed. “Not even a hint?”
“Not even a hint. But”—she held up both hands, fingers crossed—“hopefully, I’ll be able to tell you tomorrow night.”