“We were close to being able to add another group of core classes for our eighth graders, but we can’t do it. I’m sorry I’m not calling with better news.”

Olivia stumbled through a few minutes of awkward conversation. She’d come close but not close enough.

Samson had finished taking his poop and turned to look at her as if to ascertain why she’d not yet begun to bag it like every other poop he’d ever made. But Olivia’s feet were frozen in place, worse than in those dreams in which she really wanted to run but couldn’t make herself do it for the life of her.

“Everything will be announced officially tomorrow.” Principal Garcia’s words had gotten high and soft. Far away. “I wanted to tell you personally. You’ve done a remarkable job with our students and acclimating to our school. If a position opens up next spring, I hope you’ll apply. In the meantime, I’m happy to give you my highest recommendation.”

Somehow, Olivia managed to thank her and keep the tears of frustration and disappointment at bay. She hung up and fished the pet waste bag from her back pocket on autopilot. Instead of stepping forward to bag it, she folded over, bracing her hands against her knees, the less-than-pleasant smell wafting across her nose, making her even closer to being sick than she already was.

“Oh shit. Total shit.” She looked at Samson and he gave a single wag of his tail, his head cocked as he watched her. “Total, total shit.”

Chapter 24

By the time Gabe pulled into the shelter parking lot at a quarter after five, he spotted Ava’s Jeep, Yun’s Corolla, and Olivia’s Cruze parked in the lot along with the cars of a few staff members. He was heading for the entrance when he heard someone calling him from the narrow strip of woods off to the side of the property.

Suspecting there might be a loose dog, Gabe jogged over. “Everything okay?” He was taken a touch off guard when he found Olivia, Ava, and Yun all at varying degrees of depth inside the woods. Yun was the farthest in, pushing through thick cedar branches; Olivia wasn’t far behind her; and Ava, in a pair of heels and dress pants, was hanging back on the edge of the grass.

“Everything’s fine,” Ava said as the other two headed out. “Just doing a quick round of geocaching.”

“Really?”

“No.” She gave a soft laugh as she joined him at the curb. With a flip of her hand, she sent her long black hair tumbling over her shoulder. “Fair warning. I tend to lay on the sarcasm as thick as mascara. Olivia says it’s a defense mechanism for avoiding the scars of my youth.”

When her words left Gabe a touch dumbfounded, she added, “We’re just doing some brainstorming.”