It was time she stopped fighting it. Everyone was right. Trinity Falls was home. It was time to claim it—and Vaughn.
Ramona let herself into Foster Gooden’s office suite. The university was as silent and empty as a tomb this late on a Thursday afternoon.
His administrative assistant looked up from her computer. A sm
ile brightened her severe features. “Mayor—I mean Ms. McCloud. It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you, too, Treena. Thank you.” She glanced toward Foster’s open door, then back to the other woman. “I have a three o’clock appointment with Foster.”
“Oh, yes.” Treena waved a hand toward the doorway. “Please, go in.”
Ramona gave Treena a parting smile before knocking on the open office door.
Foster rose and circled his desk. His arms were open as he approached her. “Ramona. Welcome back.”
Ramona crossed into the office. “It’s good to be back.”
Foster hugged her, patting her back like a favorite uncle before he stepped back and released her. He gestured toward a royal blue cushioned chair at the small circular table in the front corner of his office. “Come in and have a seat. How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you. How’s everything with you?” Ramona sat, crossing her legs and folding her hands on the table.
“I can’t complain.” Foster reclined on the chair opposite her.
Ramona arched a brow. “That doesn’t sound good. What’s going on?”
Foster waved a hand. “Things are tough in academia right now. Higher ed enrollment is down all over Ohio. Budgets have been cut to the bone.”
They chatted for a while about higher education in Ohio and Trinity Falls University specifically. As they talked, Ramona studied Foster’s office. It was bright. In addition to the overhead lights, he had a lamp beside his desk and another stood on its surface. The walls were painted white. His desk, conversation table, and bookcase were made of honey-toned wood, and his file cabinets were made of cream metal. The table where they sat was stacked with copies of The Chronicle of Higher Education. Several of the pages were flagged with sticky notes.
Foster waved a hand dismissively. “But that’s more than you ever wanted to know about TFU’s enrollment.”
Actually, it was. Ramona straightened on her chair. “Quincy told me that he’d come to speak with you a couple of weeks ago, but he didn’t tell me how your conversation ended. I’m dying of curiosity. Could you tell me?”
Ramona forced a winning smile past the trepidation powering her pulse. This is where Foster was supposed to say that he hadn’t seen Quincy. Ethel Knight had been wrong; it wasn’t Quincy she’d seen leaving Foster’s office nine days ago. In fact, he was hurt that Quincy hadn’t stopped by to say hello. Ramona held her breath, waiting for Foster’s response.
The older man’s beetled eyebrows knitted. “I don’t think that I should tell you, Ramona. The news really should come from Quincy.”
Ramona froze. Her pulse thundered in her ears. Ethel had been right. She’d been afraid of that, which was the reason Ramona hadn’t confronted Quincy sooner. She hadn’t wanted to face the myriad of reasons her boyfriend would have met with his former boss without telling her.
She’d suspected Foster would be too circumspect to give up the information easily. And to think Quincy hadn’t told her that he’d met with TFU’s vice president for academic affairs or what the meeting had been about. Her lover, who was notorious for not being able to keep secrets, was keeping secrets from her. Unbelievable. If Ethel hadn’t mentioned spotting Quincy coming out of Foster’s office, Ramona would still be in the dark. She’d waited almost two weeks for her absentminded professor to mention a meeting with his former boss. He’d never said a word. Now here she was, checking up on him like some modern-day Mata Hari.
“Could you at least tell me if it’s good news?” Ramona leaned forward, clasping her hands together as though she was hoping really, really hard. But for what was she hoping?
“Oh, it’s good news indeed.” Foster grinned. “Very good news. But I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Besides, he asked me not to mention it to you.”
So Quincy had plotted to keep her in the dark deliberately. Unbelievable.
Ramona gritted her teeth into another winning smile. “You won’t ruin the surprise if I guess. You’re going to allow Q to return to TFU as a tenured professor, aren’t you?”
“You’ve guessed correctly.” Foster laughed. “I’m thrilled that Quincy will be returning to TFU. He’s one of our best professors. His leaving was a great loss to the university and to our students.”
And Quincy’s lying to her also was a great loss. Ramona found the strength to smile through the pain. “That’s wonderful news, Foster. You’ve made Quincy—both of us—very happy.”
Foster beamed. “You’ve both made me very happy, too. Do you know when Quincy will make his decision?”
Quincy hadn’t made his final decision yet? Was it his intent to discuss this opportunity with her? If so, what was he waiting for? Divine intervention?
Ramona coughed, trying to dislodge the lump of anger growing in her throat. “Oh, don’t worry, Foster. We’re going to discuss Q’s return to TFU at length tonight.”