magical powers, too?” Dr. Tindall asked.
“Not that I know of,” Jamie said.
Dr. Tindall’s eyes were unreadable while she regarded Jamie. “It sounds as if you could make a fortune off of this. What could you possibly do with that much money?”
“I can think of a lot of things. I want to build an all-purpose facility for the school, and that won’t be cheap. And just about every person within five miles of this school has been by to look at the electric lights and ceiling fans, and almost all of them want them now. But most of them can’t afford it, because of the cost of the solar panels. I’d love to help them get some, but it would be expensive.”
“That wouldn’t cost tens of millions of dollars, would it?” Dr. Tindall said.
“Jamie and his grandfather have bigger plans than that,” Evelyn said.
“If the school ends up being as successful as I think it’s going to be,” Jamie said, “I’d like to replicate our model and build more in some of the other nearby towns. Maybe even build a college, eventually.”
“My, you are ambitious, aren’t you,” Dr. Tindall said.
“I can’t help it.”
“No, I respect that. I really do.”
“Does that mean you’ll help us?”
Dr. Tindall continued to study him, her expression neutral. “I don’t know. I may not have time, though I’d like to help you, because I think what you are doing is admirable. But if my grant comes through, I’ll be too busy. This sounds incredibly tempting, but I’m already committed, and others are counting on me.”
“What kind of research are you doing?” Evelyn asked.
“I’m studying the correlation between the increased use of pesticides in the last twenty years and the decline in pollinator populations in North America. Fewer pollinators means fewer crops. The problem is, my research has political implications, and that can affect my funding.”
“What if we can match your grant?” Jamie said. “If we approve the mining deal we’re working on now, we might have enough money.”
“Are you trying to buy me off?”
“Um….” Jamie scrunched up his mouth and held it that way for a moment. “Well…no, but if it’s a matter of money, and we could match it, would you help us? I mean, you could look at is as getting a grant for different research, if your other one doesn’t come through.”
“I don’t know. I sure couldn’t publish anything about my findings, could I?”
“No, unfortunately. When will you know about your grant?”
“Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.”
“So, if you don’t get it, will you have time to help us?”
“I’ll have to think about it.” She gave him a long, steady look, then lifted her chin. “See me after class on Friday.”
Chapter 3
Most weekdays, Rachel gave Sammi a ride to and from the elementary school where Rachel taught kindergarten and Sammi attended second grade. Afterward, Sammi usually stayed with Rachel at her house until Lisa and Larry, Sammi’s new parents, came home from work. Rachel liked that arrangement because she got to spend time with the sweet seven-year-old who had recently come into their lives, and it filled a gap left behind when Jamie went off to college.
On Thursday afternoon, Rachel drove her car out of the school parking lot and said, “Are you excited about the Thanksgiving play tonight, Sammi? All of us are. Everybody’s going.”
“Rollie’s parents, too?”
“Of course.”
“I wish Fred was.”
“Your dad will make a video of it, no doubt. Fred can watch it when she gets home tomorrow.”
“That’s right! Tomorrow’s Friday. Fred said she’ll get home before I do.”
“And Nova will come Sunday. You’re going to have a full house.”
“We’re all gonna sleep in the same room, me and Fred and Nova.”
“Do they know that?”
“No, but they will.”
“They’ll know it, or they’ll sleep in the same room with you?”
“Both!”
Rachel glanced over at Sammi, and when she saw the big
“Not that I know of,” Jamie said.
Dr. Tindall’s eyes were unreadable while she regarded Jamie. “It sounds as if you could make a fortune off of this. What could you possibly do with that much money?”
“I can think of a lot of things. I want to build an all-purpose facility for the school, and that won’t be cheap. And just about every person within five miles of this school has been by to look at the electric lights and ceiling fans, and almost all of them want them now. But most of them can’t afford it, because of the cost of the solar panels. I’d love to help them get some, but it would be expensive.”
“That wouldn’t cost tens of millions of dollars, would it?” Dr. Tindall said.
“Jamie and his grandfather have bigger plans than that,” Evelyn said.
“If the school ends up being as successful as I think it’s going to be,” Jamie said, “I’d like to replicate our model and build more in some of the other nearby towns. Maybe even build a college, eventually.”
“My, you are ambitious, aren’t you,” Dr. Tindall said.
“I can’t help it.”
“No, I respect that. I really do.”
“Does that mean you’ll help us?”
Dr. Tindall continued to study him, her expression neutral. “I don’t know. I may not have time, though I’d like to help you, because I think what you are doing is admirable. But if my grant comes through, I’ll be too busy. This sounds incredibly tempting, but I’m already committed, and others are counting on me.”
“What kind of research are you doing?” Evelyn asked.
“I’m studying the correlation between the increased use of pesticides in the last twenty years and the decline in pollinator populations in North America. Fewer pollinators means fewer crops. The problem is, my research has political implications, and that can affect my funding.”
“What if we can match your grant?” Jamie said. “If we approve the mining deal we’re working on now, we might have enough money.”
“Are you trying to buy me off?”
“Um….” Jamie scrunched up his mouth and held it that way for a moment. “Well…no, but if it’s a matter of money, and we could match it, would you help us? I mean, you could look at is as getting a grant for different research, if your other one doesn’t come through.”
“I don’t know. I sure couldn’t publish anything about my findings, could I?”
“No, unfortunately. When will you know about your grant?”
“Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.”
“So, if you don’t get it, will you have time to help us?”
“I’ll have to think about it.” She gave him a long, steady look, then lifted her chin. “See me after class on Friday.”
Chapter 3
Most weekdays, Rachel gave Sammi a ride to and from the elementary school where Rachel taught kindergarten and Sammi attended second grade. Afterward, Sammi usually stayed with Rachel at her house until Lisa and Larry, Sammi’s new parents, came home from work. Rachel liked that arrangement because she got to spend time with the sweet seven-year-old who had recently come into their lives, and it filled a gap left behind when Jamie went off to college.
On Thursday afternoon, Rachel drove her car out of the school parking lot and said, “Are you excited about the Thanksgiving play tonight, Sammi? All of us are. Everybody’s going.”
“Rollie’s parents, too?”
“Of course.”
“I wish Fred was.”
“Your dad will make a video of it, no doubt. Fred can watch it when she gets home tomorrow.”
“That’s right! Tomorrow’s Friday. Fred said she’ll get home before I do.”
“And Nova will come Sunday. You’re going to have a full house.”
“We’re all gonna sleep in the same room, me and Fred and Nova.”
“Do they know that?”
“No, but they will.”
“They’ll know it, or they’ll sleep in the same room with you?”
“Both!”
Rachel glanced over at Sammi, and when she saw the big
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