Page 47 of Love in Mission City: The Shorts

He eyed me.

Disconcertingly, he seemed to see through me.

“I rarely imbibe.I overdid it a couple of nights ago when I finished my final exam.”

Possibly true.Probably true.But I sensed more to the story.

He took a sip of water.“So what do you do, Isaac?When you’re not landlocked, that is.”

I took a sip of water.“I’m the lightkeeper at Lennard Island.”

Chapter Five

Ben

Lightkeeper?At first I wasn’t sure what Isaac meant, but once he started talking, it all fell into place.The guy worked in a lighthouse.Out on an island.Sometimes by himself and sometimes with an assistant.And he’d been an assistant at Egg Island and Estevan Point, both places north of here, before landing this plum assignment.He’d been here almost three years.

I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but I didn’t want to seem dumb.I wasn’t the brightest guy around.Especially compared to my ex.I barely squeaked into teacher’s college.And that was mostly because my French was excellent and I’d put in hundreds of volunteer hours.I might not be the shiniest penny in the drawer, but kids loved me, and I loved teaching them.In the end, that was all that really mattered.

“I’ve talked nonstop.”Isaac eyed my empty plate and his barely touched meal and shrugged ruefully.

“But you’ve lived this fascinating life.”He’d briefly touched on living up in the Yukon as a kid and being raised in semi-wilderness with his maternal grandfather.He hadn’t mentioned parents at all, and I wasn’t going to broach the subject.He’d share if he felt it was important.

“So, teacher’s college.”He waved his fork.

“Not much to tell.Eighteen-month program.Officially finished next week.Graduation in the spring, but I get my own grade-three class starting at the beginning of January.”

“Grade three, eh?Bet they’ll be a handful.”Finally, he took a bite of his burger.

“They’re little rascals.I taught this class for a couple of weeks in the fall, so I feel like I’ve got a handle on them.My mentor warned me they’re at their worst just before breaks.”

He tilted his head in question.

“Many of the kids come from unstable homes.School is the constant in their lives.When they’re facing time away from school, they’re never sure what that’ll bring.For some of them, school breakfast and lunch are the only guaranteed meals they get.”

I didn’t miss the wince.

“So, where is this placement?You said you were at the university in Abbotsford…”

“Oh, my placement is in Mission City.I’m renting an apartment, and why are you looking at me like that?”

He appeared as slack-jawed as I’d been when I found out he was gay.Still tickled pink by that revelation.

He cleared his throat.Then he scratched his head.Finally, he straightened his cloth napkin with unsteady fingers.

“Okay, what gives?”I was dying of curiosity.

“Nothing.”He scratched his nose.

“No, not nothing.”I tipped his chin so he met my gaze.The gesture was oddly intimate, yet in the moment, it felt right.

Our gazes held.After an interminable amount of time, he relented.“My ex-boyfriend lives in Mission City.”

I whistled.“Okay, small world.”I furrowed my brow.“So who’s your ex?I mean, I don’t know many people in town…”

“Dickens Lawrence.He works at The Owl’s Nest.”

“The bookstore?”I wracked my brain.“I thought he owned the store.”

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