Page 26 of Love and Other Chances

I laugh. “We all have our different strengths.”

We make our way through the festival, stopping for apple cider donuts and hot cocoa right away. My heartfeels light as we make easy conversation in between taking pictures and shopping at the local booths set up around the perimeter.

I’m taking a photo for a random couple that stopped me when I hear my name.

“Teegan? Hey!” Brooks calls, stepping into my peripheral vision.

The couple thanks me as I hand back the phone. I take a moment to compose myself before turning to Brooks, who’s looking much too attractive for my own good. He’s wearing those black jeans and gray button-up like it’s his job.

I shake all thoughts of attraction to Brooks from my mind. “Hi! Enjoying your first Brooklyn fall festival?” He didn’t mention any plans to be here when we were all chatting about the weekend at small group on Wednesday. Otherwise, I would have prepared myself.

“Absolutely! This is the kind of small-ish town experience you don’t necessarily get up in KC,” he says. “You would know that already, of course.”

“Are you here by yourself?” I inquire.

“No, I’m here with the other teachers on my team at school. We teach the core subjects to half of the eighth-grade class. We thought it would be fun to come and freak out our students by proving that we exist outside of school. I saw you and thought I’d come say hello,” Brooks replies, giving me a one-sided smile.

“And who is this?” Sofia’s enthusiastic voice asks behind me.

Oh great.Sofia loved to openly tease Lana about Mateo when she found out they were dating. The last thing I need is Sofia’s mischievous meddling with Brooks.

“Wait a second—aren’t you one of the teachers who’s always at The Hangout on Tuesdays?” Sofia says, head cocked and eyes narrowed. “Mr. Murphy?”

“Yep, that’s me. You’re Sofia, right?” Brooks asks.

Sofia nods before looking between us. “How do you two know each other?”

“We’re in church small group together!” I blurt at the same time that Brooks says, “We went to high school together.”

Sofia’s eyebrow raises at me. I huff a laugh. “Brooks and I first knew each other in high school, but we lost touch. Now we’re in the same small group at church.”

“Mmmhmm,” Sofia hums. “How serendipitous.”

“Lana would be impressed by that five-dollar word,” I tell Sofia, scrambling for a way to end this interaction with Brooks. “We’d better go find the other girls.”

“They’re right over there,” Sofia says with a smirk, angling her head over my shoulder.

I glance back. “They sure are!” I turn to Brooks. “Great to see you. Enjoy the rest of the festival—don’t skip the donuts!”

“See you tomorrow, Teegan,” Brooks says with a smile. “And see you on Tuesday, Sofia.”

He walks away with a final glance over his shoulder.

“What’s tomorrow?” Sofia asks, a sly grin taking over her face.

“Our small group is going to the pumpkin patch tomorrow night,” I tell her.

“To the spooky corn maze? Sounds like a perfect date,” she says.

I roll my eyes, probably with too much gusto. “It’s not a date, Sof. Our entire group is going.”

“But you wish it could be a date,” Sofia adds, mischief increasing.

“I did not say that! No!”

“Teegan Murphy—has a nice ring to it,” she says.

“Quit it, Sofia. We’re just friends. More like members of the same friend group,” I chide, pulling her arm toward the other girls.

---