Taking Chances

Chapter 39

August gave way to September with a cold snap that had people talking about how winter was back for a second bite. The farmers hoped the change would bring rain with it. Ryan looked out the window of the English staffroom. A thunderhead was brewing on the horizon. He returned his focus to the stack of essays left to grade. Bec had messaged him earlier and wanted to meet at five o'clock in town. She had news. It was four-forty now.

Ryan packed away the essays with a sharp thump. They could wait until Monday. He rushed out to his Ford, and it started on the third attempt after a long whir.

Ryan parked behind the supermarket and walked through onto Main Street. He saw Bec sitting on a bench. She looked wonderful rugged up in parka, winter jeans, and long brown boots. This was winter's last breath.

She saw him and went to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Well this is nice," said Ryan.

"I just like seeing you. Let's walk down the street. I just want to enjoy these old brick buildings." The past week had been wonderful. Ryan felt as giddy as a teenager in the midst of first love. He felt blessed to have Bec. They looped arms and headed south past old red and yellow brick buildings with red awnings and gold signage on the windows. Ryan said, "You had something to tell me?"

"I'm going to Melbourne!" She was excited, but the news brought Ryan to a halt.

She looked at him with amusement. "Not permanently, just for a week."

He relaxed and resumed walking while peppering Bec with questions. Her cover photo in Photo Boss Magazine had caught the attention of a gallery in Melbourne. They were doing an exhibition on small country towns and invited her to hang some photos. She was going next week.

"That's wonderful," said Ryan. "How are you getting there?"

"Bus. I'll only get paid a royalty if they sell my work. I need to go on the cheap."

"Don't take the bus. I'll pay for a flight."

Ryan felt Bec squeeze his arm. It felt good. But she said, "No. I can't accept that. This is my thing, so I need to make it happen."

Ryan nodded. "When do you leave?"

"Monday."

They strolled on past brick flower beds. The flowers that had recently budded, the had closed their petals against the recent cold weather. The beds would come to life again once the rain passed over.

They approached Adeline Greene's café, Books, Cake, and Coffee. Bec stopped in the window. It was beautiful red-brick building with classic gold signage and timber-framed windows. A chalk board out front had today's special and those quaint sayings that are supposed to make you feel better. This one was, "Today's leg-iron is tomorrow's gold."

Bec thought how silly such sayings were. She said, "Isn't this Arkell's mother's place?"

"You're becoming a local after all," teased Ryan. Bec grinned. She was starting to appreciate how valuable having a connection to a place was.

"Let's go in," said Bec. "You can buy me a coffee and a cheese cake instead of the airfare." Ryan laughed and the sound pleased her. Secretly, she had been worried Ryan wouldn't be so supportive of the trip to Melbourne.

They stepped towards the door, but it opened from the inside and a middle-aged man dressed in a business suit and winter coat stepped out. Michael Brooks.

Bec felt Ryan stiffen. Brooks stopped in his tracks. His eyes shifted from Ryan to Bec, then back to Ryan. A smile slipped onto his face. Bec felt like she had just met a snake-oil salesman.

"Well, good afternoon Mr. Anderson. I see our finest teachers are cutting work early to spend time with their sweet hearts."

Ryan stood firm and replied, "Good afternoon to you, Mr. Brooks. You'll have to excuse me, I'm getting coffee for my friend here." Michael Brooks. The Great-Great Grandson of the one and only Uriah Brooks.

Brooks said to Bec, "Watch out young Miss. This man'll ruin you. Has he told you about how he neglected the learning needs of my son? I bet he hasn't. Well, don't you worry. He'll get his."

Brooks looked at the sky. "It's going pour down. Mark my words." He pushed past Bec and Ryan, and he walked up the street towards the council chambers. Bec looked at Ryan and saw the muscles and sinew in his jaw strain.

"Was he for real? He blames you for Tyler's problems?" asked Bec.

"Yup. Let's get that coffee and cheese cake." Warm air and the smells of cake and coffee blasted Bec when Ryan pushed the heavy glass door open and walked into the shop.

"Well, hello Mr. Anderson!" It was Adeline Greene. "And Rebecca Williams, I've heard a lot about you from Arkell." Adeline extended her hand over the counter and shook Bec's hand.

Adeline continued, "Mr. Anderson here is the best English Teacher we've got in Brooksdale, maybe even New South Wales!"

Bec couldn't supress a smile ash she glanced around the shop. The walls were lined with bookshelves and they were packed full with paperbacks from best-sellers to literary fiction.

Ryan replied to Adeline, "Now Mrs. Greene. That is quite the exaggeration. And you can call me Ryan you know."

"I'll call you Mr. Anderson, same as my Arkell does." Adeline's face turned serious. "I am sorry about that Michael Brooks. He was in here poking around, pretending to be interested in how the business is doing. He even had the audacity to say that it was pretty quiet for a Friday afternoon."

"What did you say to that?" Bec asked. She was drawn to this woman, who seemed like everyone's favourite aunt.

Adeline replied, "I told him it was noisy enough with just him in here. He is a mean-spirited man, that one. And Ryan, I am so sorry about the youth centre."

Ryan replied, "I haven't given up yet. There's always next year."

Adeline nodded. "Now you two take a seat and I'll bring your coffees and a little something. On the house."

Ryan refused Adeline's offer, but she insisted and in the end, Bec and Ryan were shepherded to a table by the window. Adeline brought coffee and a delightful cheesecake with dollop of whipped cream on the side. the best cheesecake Bec had ever tasted. Bec picked up her dessert fork and sliced off a section of cake. She placed the piece of cake on her tongue and all her worries melted away in that simple moment.

As Bec and Ryan talked, thunder clapped and rain poured down, turning the street dark.