Read Online A Match Made In Texas by Anne Marie Novark - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Anne Marie Novark
Tags: Diamondback Ranch#3
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time she had seen this side of him.
Theresa smiled. "So I noticed. Has she always been like this?"
When his attention focused on her again, the remote look returned to his eyes. "Kelsey has always been . . . Kelsey." He turned on his heel and walked away.
Theresa barely refrained from stamping her foot. She had seen a glimmer of warmth in Austin, but he had doused it before letting it take hold. Before letting her get too close.
"Can you give me a hand, Miss Rogers?" Patti Garrison stood with a half dozen packages of wieners and hotdog buns in her arms.
"Sure." Theresa took some of the load from her. Glad to have something to occupy her thoughts and hands, she joined the parents and kids in the preparations.
All through the evening, she made sure to stay away from Austin. She tried not to be too obvious. When Austin helped grill the wieners, she set the tables. When he passed out the drinks, she helped the kids fix their hotdogs. The last thing she wanted was to become the topic of the week on the town's infamous grapevine. She hoped no one had noticed the little exchange on the trailer earlier. Or the incident at the soccer game last Saturday.
Keeping her distance from Austin became a fine dance. The group wasn't large, the space somewhat confined. The park was small, with only four cement picnic tables and two grills. One tall pole with a bright light illuminated the area. To the side, there was a ring of large rocks. One of the fathers had a fire ready to roast marshmallows after everyone had eaten their fill of hotdogs.
Theresa sat with the Garrisons for the meal, barely escaping Kelsey's manipulations to seat her next to Austin. Kelsey had given in with good grace, but there was an odd sparkle in her blue eyes. Theresa had the feeling Kelsey hadn't truly conceded the victory. She would wait for another chance to throw her teacher and father together.
If Theresa hadn't been one of the victims, she would have been amused at her favorite student's strategies and maneuvers. The little girl was determined, to say the least. Just exactly what she had in mind, Theresa wasn't sure. But she knew that it boded ill for Austin. He wanted nothing to do with the kind of relationship Kelsey was trying to engineer.
When everyone finished eating, Theresa helped clean up. Some of the dads started putting marshmallows on skewers and the kids flocked around the fire.
Amelia Jackson ran up and tugged on Theresa's arm. "Have you seen the canyon yet, Miss Rogers? It's beautiful in the moonlight."
"I will after I finish cleaning up. Run along and I'll join you in a minute."
"But I want to be the one to show you." Amelia turned to her mother. "Aren't you nearly finished? Can't Miss Rogers come now?"
Allison Jackson smiled at her daughter. "All right, pumpkin. Go on, Theresa. There's not much left to do."
"If you're sure?" Theresa gathered up discarded plates and napkins to throw away.
"I'm sure. Go have fun. It's not often you get to be with the kids in a non-school setting."
"You're right. Thanks," Theresa said with a smile. "Come on, Amelia." She tossed the garbage in the barrel and followed the little girl down a winding path.
"Most everyone looked at the canyon while the hotdogs were cooking," Amelia said over her shoulder. "I noticed you were busy and probably didn't get the chance to see it. I've only seen it a couple of times in the moonlight myself. It's really cool."
Theresa concentrated on her footing as she listened to Amelia talk a mile a minute. Usually, her student was quiet as a mouse. She rarely raised her hand in class.
"Be careful," Theresa said. "These gravel steps are steep and shallow."
The path was dark and the rocks slippery. Huge mesquite trees formed a canopy overhead, the moonlight causing great shadows on the ground below.
"I will," Amelia said. "We're nearly there. We can stand on the ridge and see the canyon
Theresa smiled. "So I noticed. Has she always been like this?"
When his attention focused on her again, the remote look returned to his eyes. "Kelsey has always been . . . Kelsey." He turned on his heel and walked away.
Theresa barely refrained from stamping her foot. She had seen a glimmer of warmth in Austin, but he had doused it before letting it take hold. Before letting her get too close.
"Can you give me a hand, Miss Rogers?" Patti Garrison stood with a half dozen packages of wieners and hotdog buns in her arms.
"Sure." Theresa took some of the load from her. Glad to have something to occupy her thoughts and hands, she joined the parents and kids in the preparations.
All through the evening, she made sure to stay away from Austin. She tried not to be too obvious. When Austin helped grill the wieners, she set the tables. When he passed out the drinks, she helped the kids fix their hotdogs. The last thing she wanted was to become the topic of the week on the town's infamous grapevine. She hoped no one had noticed the little exchange on the trailer earlier. Or the incident at the soccer game last Saturday.
Keeping her distance from Austin became a fine dance. The group wasn't large, the space somewhat confined. The park was small, with only four cement picnic tables and two grills. One tall pole with a bright light illuminated the area. To the side, there was a ring of large rocks. One of the fathers had a fire ready to roast marshmallows after everyone had eaten their fill of hotdogs.
Theresa sat with the Garrisons for the meal, barely escaping Kelsey's manipulations to seat her next to Austin. Kelsey had given in with good grace, but there was an odd sparkle in her blue eyes. Theresa had the feeling Kelsey hadn't truly conceded the victory. She would wait for another chance to throw her teacher and father together.
If Theresa hadn't been one of the victims, she would have been amused at her favorite student's strategies and maneuvers. The little girl was determined, to say the least. Just exactly what she had in mind, Theresa wasn't sure. But she knew that it boded ill for Austin. He wanted nothing to do with the kind of relationship Kelsey was trying to engineer.
When everyone finished eating, Theresa helped clean up. Some of the dads started putting marshmallows on skewers and the kids flocked around the fire.
Amelia Jackson ran up and tugged on Theresa's arm. "Have you seen the canyon yet, Miss Rogers? It's beautiful in the moonlight."
"I will after I finish cleaning up. Run along and I'll join you in a minute."
"But I want to be the one to show you." Amelia turned to her mother. "Aren't you nearly finished? Can't Miss Rogers come now?"
Allison Jackson smiled at her daughter. "All right, pumpkin. Go on, Theresa. There's not much left to do."
"If you're sure?" Theresa gathered up discarded plates and napkins to throw away.
"I'm sure. Go have fun. It's not often you get to be with the kids in a non-school setting."
"You're right. Thanks," Theresa said with a smile. "Come on, Amelia." She tossed the garbage in the barrel and followed the little girl down a winding path.
"Most everyone looked at the canyon while the hotdogs were cooking," Amelia said over her shoulder. "I noticed you were busy and probably didn't get the chance to see it. I've only seen it a couple of times in the moonlight myself. It's really cool."
Theresa concentrated on her footing as she listened to Amelia talk a mile a minute. Usually, her student was quiet as a mouse. She rarely raised her hand in class.
"Be careful," Theresa said. "These gravel steps are steep and shallow."
The path was dark and the rocks slippery. Huge mesquite trees formed a canopy overhead, the moonlight causing great shadows on the ground below.
"I will," Amelia said. "We're nearly there. We can stand on the ridge and see the canyon
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