Page 20 of What Maple Heard

I went over to Nancy at the front desk during the water break and dropped into the chair across from her.

“The town council called this morning,” I said. “They’re sending a volunteer today. Someone to help with the kids.”

Nancy looked up from her laptop. “Please tell me it’s someone who can actually handle children.”

“I have no idea. They just said today.” I picked up my coffee. “It’s been three weeks since I put in the request so at this point I’ll take what I can get.”

The front door opened.

I looked up.

Jasmine Simmons, the town council events director, walked in. Jasmine and I went back to my first year in Chestnut Ridge. She had helped me get my first real show at that year’s Fall Festival. That one event had made my dance studio popular overnight. Jasmine had given me the opportunity because my work spoke for itself. She had seen and appreciated my talent before anyone in Chestnut Ridge even knew me, and I owed a big portion of my success to her.

She was smiling a full smile, all cheery. And when Jasmine got that cheery, it usually meant she was about to deliver some unsavory news. I’d known her long enough to read that smile.

Behind her was Cade Sonnenberg.

I set my coffee down. Jasmine kept smiling. “Maple! So good to see you, as always. I wanted to come personally to introduce your new Fall Festival volunteer—“

“Why is he here,” I said. Very pleasantly.

“Cade has generously agreed to volunteer with your program for the next four weeks, and he’s also made a very significant donation to the Fall Festival fund, which we are so grateful for—“

“How significant,” I said. Still very pleasant.

“Very,” Jasmine said. “Very, very significant.”

Cade caught my eye over Jasmine’s shoulder.

“Hi, Maple.” he said. He looked like he was standing in a minefield and was choosing his steps carefully.

Smart man.

I smiled at him with the tightest smile I could muster.

Nancy came out of nowhere with a clipboard in her hand. “Hey Cade, good to see you again.”

Cade gave her the kind of smile that used to make me blush. Now I just wanted to punch him in the face.

“You’ll be volunteering with us?” Nancy asked, and then stopped herself from talking anymore when she saw me staring at her.

“Yeah, I had some time on my hands this fall, so I thought why not put that in good use?”

Jasmine clapped her hands together. “What a wonderful thought.”

I smiled at both of them with my lips pressed together, and looked over at Nancy.

Nancy got the hint and took Cade off to fill out the volunteer forms, which I was grateful for because it gave me thirty seconds alone with Jasmine.

“Jasmine, why is he here?”

“He’s the only person who volunteered to work with twelve foster kids for a dance performance.” She looked at me gently. “And the donation is going to cover the stage lighting we couldn’t afford and the sound system upgrade and the—“

“I understand,” I said.

“It would be a shame to turn away the only volunteer—“

“I get it, Jasmine.” I said again.