Chapter 5

“Can we not talk about this right now?” Steve lowered his voice and glanced around Speedy Snacks, scanning for eavesdroppers. The scent of grease clung thick in the air, mixing with the sizzle of burgers on the grill in the back.

Grace McAllister, Steve’s younger sister, was a real estate agent—smart, sassy, and entirely too persistent.

She pushed her coleslaw around with a fork. “I’m not dropping it. Just hear me out. It’s like your life is stuck in neutral. You’ve mourned long enough. I hope you know that.”

Steve grabbed the saltshaker and rolled it between his palms. “Is there a time limit on grief now? Seriously, Grace. Let it go.”

“I’m not saying you have to stop mourning. But you can’t keep your heart on lockdown forever. It’ll wither away if you do. It’s been hard for me too, you know. Peggy wasn’t just your wife—she was my best friend.”

Steve’s hands tightened around the edge of the table until his knuckles turned white. “Why can’t you just leave it alone?”

Grace met his glare without flinching. “Because you’re the only family I have left to bother, so you’re stuck with my meddling.”

“Not about this.” He shoved the rest of his burger to the center of the table, appetite gone.

She reached across and placed her hand gently over his. “You’ve got so much life ahead of you, Steve. Peggy would have wanted you to be happy. You know that, right?”

He pulled his hand away and dropped it into his lap. “I am happy. Sometimes. When the school year starts and the classroom fills with students, or on camping trips when they sit around the fire and talk about what they’ve learned. I live for that kind of thing.”

Grace gave him a soft, sad smile. “You? Happy? Well, you could’ve fooled me.”

Steve leaned in and lowered his voice. “If you wanted to talk about this, we could’ve done it at home.”

In a town like Middletown, gossip spread like lice in a kindergarten class. People still looked at him like he was a walking tragedy.

“Poor Steve,” he used to hear them whisper. “Lost his wife. Such a shame.” He was tired of being someone people pitied. Tired of being treated like he was fragile. As if grief was all he had left.

Grace leaned forward, her voice quiet. “Sorry. I didn’t have time to cook tonight. Summer’s been busy. But I needed to say this—and I mean it. I’m okay if you decide to date again. In case that was holding you back. If you get the chance to love again ... you should take it.”

Steve stared out the window, watching the stream of tourists amble past. It was easier than looking at her. He let out a long, weary sigh. “Thanks, Sis.”

Then, after a beat, he asked, “How about you? How are you doing?”

Grace shrugged. “Same old. I’ve got my good days and my bad ones.” She spread her hands on the table. “There is this girl in the church choir. She’s cute. I think you two would—”

“You’re impossible,” Steve cut in. “Drop it, Grace. Let it go.”

He clenched his jaw, his voice sharper now. “I’m not going to date her. Or anyone else. I don’t want to. Ever. Got it?”

He snatched his ball cap from the table and jammed it onto his head. “Let’s go. Teachers’ meeting early tomorrow.”

Outside, the last of summer clung to the sky. The season was almost over.

A car full of teenagers pulled up beside the gravel lot, headlights flashing. One of the girls leaned halfway out the back window, waving wildly.

“Mr. McAllister! I have you for second period!”

He smiled and waved back. “Only a couple more days ‘til classes start. What are you guys up to tonight?”

“Oh, you know. Same old.” The girl rolled her eyes with a grin.

“You be smart, alright?”

“Of course, Mr. McAllister!” The car erupted in laughter before peeling away down the road.

Steve watched the taillights fade, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Even if his own heart felt like it had stopped beating the day Peggy died, there were still reasons to keep showing up. Kids who needed him. Classrooms waiting. Maybe that was enough—for now.