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Cold Hearts(46)

By:Sharon Sala


As Lissa was listening to the story, a whole scenario was opening up inside her head.

“I take it she’s certified to teach?”

“Yes, fortunately for us,” Wilson said.

“Does she want a permanent teaching job?” Lissa asked.

“Oh, yes, she already had a résumé on file here, hoping something would open up for the fall semester.”

Lissa saw a solution to two problems instead of one, but she needed Wilson’s approval to make it happen.

“Mr. Wilson, I have a suggestion that might solve both her problem and mine. I would gratefully turn in my resignation now due to a family move if she could be hired in my place. It would give her the steady job she needs, and me the freedom to move and live with my husband. It’s just a suggestion, and I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job, but...”

Wilson smiled. “No, no, I see the wisdom in the suggestion. However, we couldn’t offer her a job until we receive your resignation.”

Lissa’s heart skipped a beat. “Can I give it to you now, handwritten?”

Wilson was a little surprised, but he nodded in agreement. “I don’t see why not. Would you like a pen and paper?”

Lissa was stifling an urge to giggle. “Yes, please.”

The principal handed her a piece of school letterhead and a pen. “I’ll just give you a couple of minutes on your own,” he said as he left the room.

Lissa’s hands were shaking as she began to write, but by the time the principal returned with a young woman behind him, her note was finished and lying on his desk.

Lissa saw them walk in and guessed the woman must be the substitute because she knew everyone else at the school. When Mr. Wilson introduced them, she knew she’d been right.

“Have a seat here, Carly. I want you to meet Melissa Sherman. It’s her class you’ve been subbing with. Melissa, this is Carly Vance.”

Carly smiled while clearly trying not to stare at the bruises on Melissa’s face. “It’s nice to meet you, and even better to know the danger to your life is over.” Her hands began trembling as she glanced back at the principal. “So is this about terminating the sub job?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Wilson said. “Miss Sherman has tendered her resignation due to a family move out of the district, so I thought it prudent to let you know that your presence will still be needed here until we can hire a full-time teacher to finish out the year. I hope you can accommodate us in this manner?”

Lissa saw hope flash across Carly’s face. “Oh, yes, sir! No problem. No problem at all, and I hope you’ll consider my résumé when you make your decision.”

“Of course,” Mr. Wilson said. “I’ll make sure that happens. Everything takes time.”

Carly was still arguing her cause. “Before my divorce I worked for the federal government and had a high security clearance. My girls and I are in need of stability, and this would make all the difference in the world to us.”

And just like that, Lissa realized she’d found the perfect family for her little house. “You have two girls?” she asked.

Carly nodded. “They’re three and almost five. My oldest goes to pre-K here.”

“In case you’re interested in moving, I’m going to have an empty two-bedroom house when I leave Mystic,” Lissa said. “I was going to sell, but I’d happily rent it with intent to sell if you’re interested.”

Carly burst into tears. “I came in here expecting to be told I wasn’t needed anymore and instead found out my job’s been extended and there’s a permanent opening. If I get the job, I can pay rent.”

The principal’s smile widened. He picked up Melissa’s letter of resignation and stamped it with the date.

“So, Carly, I think for now we’re done.”

Lissa got a piece of paper out of her purse, wrote down her cell phone number and address and handed it to Carly. “If everything works out for you and you’re interested, just give me a call. I can always drive back to Mystic to show you the house.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much. Both of you,” Carly said. She left the office with a bounce in her step.

Lissa knew how she felt.

“Thank you, Mr. Wilson. I’ve loved working here, and I appreciate your understanding in what’s been a very traumatic time in my life. I’m ready for some good days.”

“Perfect,” Wilson said. “I’ll notify Superintendent Porter of your resignation, but I don’t expect any problems, since she’s already doing a fine job in the position. And your resignation in the middle of a contract won’t affect my willingness to give you a glowing recommendation, given the circumstances.”

“So we’re good?” Lissa asked.

“We’re good,” he said. And when they stood up, he shook her hand and then showed her out.

Her friend Margaret Lewis was in the office waiting to see her, and she was properly horrified by Lissa’s injuries, and she even cried a little when she learned Lissa was leaving.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy for you,” Margaret said. “Just a little sad for myself that I won’t see you again.”

“We’ll see each other, for sure,” Lissa said. “But I know a new substitute teacher who’s shy on friends right now, too.”

Margaret nodded and gave her a careful hug. “We’ll still have to do Saturday lunch now and then, even if you are going to be living in Summerton.”

Lissa thought of her beautiful new home and what fun it was going to be to show it off. “You’ll have to come visit me for the first lunch, just so you’ll know where I live.”

“It’s a deal,” Margaret said. Then she glanced at her watch. “Gotta go. My planning period is over. I love you, girl, and I wish you the best.”

Lissa waved. “I’m going to miss hanging out with you daily, but I promise we won’t lose touch.”

They left the office together, and Lissa texted Mack as she walked toward the exit. He was going to be so excited, and as much as she would miss her kids, she wanted a life with Mack even more.

She sat down on a bench at the curb, waiting for him to come get her and marveled at how quickly life could change—this time for the better.

Her phone signaled a text, and she read it smiling.

On my way.



She leaned back against the bench and sighed. The memorial service was one more hard thing to get through, although this would never truly be behind them until Paul Jackson’s murder was solved.

Within minutes, Mack pulled up at the curb and got out.

“Hi, baby. Ready to go home?”

“Yes, please,” she said. She waited until they were on their way before she gave him the good news. “Hey, Mack, guess what?”

“What, honey?”

“I found out the substitute teacher in my class is looking for a full-time job, and I took it as the answer to a prayer. Mr. Wilson let me turn in my resignation, and I can pretty much guarantee she’ll get the job. As of fifteen minutes ago, I’m unemployed.”

Mack let out a whoop of joy.

“This is wonderful. Are you okay with it? You didn’t do it just for me? I don’t want you unhappy and missing your work.”

“I did it for both of us, but mostly for me. I had a drive to face every day, or a long five days without you and only weekends together until summer. I wasn’t looking forward to either one. This was the perfect solution.”

“What a great way to end the day,” Mack said. “I’m so happy for us. I wish Dad was here to see this happening.”

Lissa sighed. “So do I. He could have walked me down the aisle.”

Mack slid a hand across the seat and patted her leg.

“I’ll walk you down the aisle...all the way to the preacher. You’re no longer alone here, honey. Remember that.”

Lissa’s eyes lit up at the idea of walking down the aisle with Mack, and the longer she thought about it, the more perfect it seemed.

“We’re here,” he said as he pulled up beneath the carport, then handed her the keys. “You go unlock the door. I’ll get our things.”

Lissa didn’t argue. The day had worn her out, and her steps were suddenly dragging.

By the time they got everything hung up and Mack had gone into the other room to start answering messages, she had fallen asleep on the bed, shoes and all.

* * *



Mack breathed a sigh of exhaustion as he returned the last call, which was from Trey Jakes.

“Trey, this is Mack. I saw I missed your call. Lissa and I have been in Summerton, and I didn’t hear the phone. Sorry.”

“No problem,” Trey said. “I wanted to run something by you, and if it seems inappropriate, or it offends you, please don’t hesitate to say so, and that will be the end of it.”

Mack frowned. “That sounds ominous. What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong is that we have absolutely no suspects, no witnesses, not a freaking clue as to where to start looking for the killer beyond the fact that because of that bloody tassel, I’m beginning to believe he was either a member of your dad’s graduating class or someone he grew up with. I know at first I didn’t want to alert the killer that we had connected him to the wreck, but I’ve discussed this with a police psychologist and alerted Mom. I need to start a fire, and I thought your dad’s memorial service might be the place to do it.”