Page 67 of Capture the Moment

“Yeah, I really do. My folks are both teachers, so it’s kind of a family business. Having summers off was the best part—we spent those months on adventures. Modest ones, mostly camping, but as a kid, it was heaven. Mom and Dad and my brother and me, all jammed into a tent. All summer long.” He grinned. “As I recall, Mom might have preferred a tent to herself.” He chuckled. “What I really like about my summers is that it gives me a chance to recharge my batteries, so when I get back to the classroom in the fall, I’m ready for another school year. I like learning. I like seeing the light go on in kids’ minds.”

“School was so hard for me,” Kate said. “I grew up in a family that values higher education in a big, big way. My mom and dad are professors.”

“Both?” He let out a short whistle. “Professors?”

“Yep. My brother’s on the same track. But I could barely get through high school. Dyslexia.”

“Did you get help for it?”

“Yes, but it wasn’t diagnosed until I was older.”

The truck hit a bump in the road, jolting them both. “Your mind works differently from other people. It’s not a bad thing.”

“Well, it feels pretty bad when you’re failing subjects.”

“Yeah, I get that. I’ve had a couple of students who’ve had dyslexia. I like to show them that the world needs different thinkers. Thomas Edison had dyslexia. ADHD too. Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci. I don’t consider dyslexia to be a disability. The tricky part is how to help kids make it an asset.” He glanced at her. “Like you’re doing.”

“Me? How am I making it an asset?”

“Dyslexia might be the very reason why you have such a good eye for photographs.”

“You think I have a good eye?”

He cracked the window a little, almost as if releasing a little ... intimacy ... that was building between them. “Oh yeah.Not just a good eye, but I’m still amazed you had the presence of mind to stand your ground with Bruno and get those shots ... They were incredible.”

She looked at him. “Thank you. That means a lot.” More than she could express. “I have a hunch you’re a pretty popular teacher.”

He shrugged, but he seemed pleased. “So-so. But I do like the balance of teaching and being a ranger. It’s a nice life.” He glanced at her. “Can I ask you something personal?”

“Shoot.”

“How does this boyfriend of yours make you feel about your dyslexia?”

Kate cringed. “Actually, I haven’t told him.”

“Whoa. Isn’t that significant?”

“That I haven’t wanted to tell him? Yes. Yes, I suppose it is.” There was just something about Oliver that made her feel as if she had to hide that part of her. So many parts of her. Like her deep faith that she found hard to express. They attended church together on Sundays, yet Oliver never had much to say about the sermon. Nothing positive, anyway. Mostly, he offered critiques. It occurred to her recently that she’d never heard him pray aloud. Grace before a meal was offered in a moment of silence.

They drove in comfortable quiet for a while, the hum of the engine filling the space between them. Finally, Kate spoke up again. “Can I askyousomething personal?”

“Shoot.”

“Do you think Emma is a good principal? Is she good at her job?”

Coop pondered her question for a moment. “She’s dedicated, compassionate, and she knows how to connect with parents and kids. Like, she stands at the gate every morning and shakes hands with every single kid as they arrive for the day. Yeah, she’sa very good principal.” He went quiet for a long while after that, and she thought it best not to ask anything more about Emma for now.

Kate studied him for a moment, pondering how conversation came so easily with Coop. She’d shared more about herself in this one conversation with him than she had in six months of dating Oliver.

Maisie pedaled her bike as fast as her legs could manage, heading up the scenic path that led to Jenny Lake Lodge. As she sailed past the lodge toward the stable, her eyes lit up at the sight of the string of horses, lined up and ready for the afternoon trail ride. Sheadoredhorses.

Dropping her bike by the paddock, Maisie eagerly approached the horses. She reached out to pat the long neck of a horse, relishing in the softness of its coat. Another horse nudged closer, seeking attention. Maisie laughed. “Okay, okay, I can pet you both!”

“Is that the bike you’re riding? A BMX?”

Maisie spun around to see Frankie pushing a wheelbarrow filled with straw and manure. “Frankie! What are you doing here?”

He raised an eyebrow at her bike. “Why are you riding a little kid’s bike?”

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