Page 48 of Finders Keepers
He pressed a fist to the pain in his chest, curled his fingers in the soft worn fabric of the tee shirt Nate had loaned him that first night. This was the only tangible reminder he had of those blissful two and a half weeks.
He’d lived his fantasy.
Living with and loving a man.
And now, he was alone once more. For Nate’s sake, it had to be done.
A sob clogged his throat. He blinked hard, forcing back the tears. He didn’t have time for histrionics. For his own sanity, this dumpster fire of a trailer needed to be cleaned up. But first—he needed to seal up the back window and stop the inflow of hot air. His electric bill was going to be astronomical.
When he reached the utility room—he gasped. The window had been fixed, and a bright yellow sticky note clung to the glass.
I took the liberty of fixing your window and adjusting the thermostat.
Darius’s Dad
Wesley half-laughed, half-sobbed at Officer Bennett’s thoughtfulness. He hadn’t noticed that the temperature in the trailer wasn’t stifling and humid. He shambled to the hall and his gaze locked onto another sticky note. One he’d passed right by without noticing.
Hope this is okay.
Darius’s Dad
The thermostat read seventy-eight degrees. It was perfect for him when he wasn’t home, but now that he was, he ticked the temperature down several degrees.
More tears stung Wesley’s eyes. He needed to thank Officer Bennett. The man had gone above and beyond. He patted his pockets for his cell phone. Empty.Well, poop.He headed for the front of the house, hoping he’d brought the device inside and didn’t have to trudge back to the car in the blazing heat.
He scanned the kitchen counters. Nothing. His gaze skimmed the living room surfaces as he headed for the front door. Coffee table, end table, couch cushions. Nope. Ugh.
Back outside, the August heat wrapped around Wesley like a wool sweater. Suffocating. Sticky. He found his phone in the driver’s-side door compartment. How it’d ended up there, he had no idea.
His shoulders immediately drooped at the panel of notifications. Two missed calls, a voicemail, and a text from Principal Halvorson.
Please call me as soon as possible. Thanks.
His stomach flipped.
He tapped to return the call, hands shaking slightly, and walked back to the trailer.
“Wesley,” she answered on the first ring, tone clipped but not cold. “I’m sorry to do this by phone but given some recent concerns that have been brought to my attention, I think it would be best if we parted ways before there’s a bigger issue.”
Wesley gaped in stunned silence, then swallowed. “What concerns?” His mind whirled, but he had a hunch.
“I was alerted to some circumstances that may be viewed as inconsistent with the district policy of professional expectations. If you submit your resignation today, it’ll stay out of the school board’s hands, and you’ll be free to move on quietly.”
“Do I have a choice?”
Mrs. Halvorson sighed. “There’s always a choice. But this is the cleanest way forward.”
He could fight, demand specifics, refuse to sign—but what good would that do? Once the schoolboard got wind of anything, it wouldn’t just be his career on the line. If the whispers ever reached Nate, if his name got dragged into whatever story they thought they had—it would add insult to injury.
His eyes burned. “Fine. Email me what I need to sign.”
“Thank you. I’ll have HR send it within the hour.”
He stared at the phone, heartbeat thudding. He wasn’t sure if he’d actually quit. No, he’d been fired in a backhanded way. But better to walk away quietly, carry the stain himself, than risk a spotlight turning on the person he’d just shattered in the name of protection.
He wandered into the kitchen. The fridge was mostly empty—just condiments and a half-used carton of almond milk that probably should’ve been thrown out two weeks ago. He didn’t bother sniffing it; just set the container in the sink. The pantry was marginally better. A few cans of soup, some ramen, a box of probably stale crackers.
Wesley grabbed a can of chicken noodle and popped the lid with a spoon. He dumped the soup into a pot and set thepot on the stove, then leaned on the counter while the contents warmed.
