Read Online Fool for Love (Montana Romance) by Merry Farmer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Merry Farmer
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Christopher, stood in a pile of long sticks with crescent-shaped feet. A dozen or so discs, some red and some blue, scattered around him. He held one in each hand and looked as guilty as sin. His eyes snapped up to meet Amelia’s just as one of the porters shouted, “Hey! Kid! What the hell do you think you’re at?”
Amelia jumped into action. She raced along the railing until she found the stairs leading down to second-class. By the time she reached the deck, the porter had Christopher by his collar and was shaking him and shouting, “Put those back!”
“Stop that!” Amelia hurried to the boy and the pile of sticks. “Unhand him!”
“He’s damaging ship’s property,” the porter growled, letting Christopher go.
Christopher lunged toward Amelia, wrapping his arms around her. He still held a red and blue disc in each hand.
“That’s no reason to manhandle him like that. He’s just a child.”
“He’s upset the shuffleboard equipment,” the porter argued. “It’s expensive stuff.”
“Is any of it broken?” she demanded, sheltering Christopher in her skirts.
The porter looked around, grumpy when he didn’t find anything shattered. “Well he shouldn’t even be down here in the first place,” he said when he found nothing else to complain about.
“Then we’ll just be going.” Amelia searched out Christopher’s hand. “Giv e those to me, dear,” she said.
He gave her the two discs and Amelia plunked them into the irate porter’s hands. She then scooped Christopher into her arms and walked away from the mess.
“Hey! Wait there! Who’s going to clean this up?” the porter called after her.
“I believe that’s your job,” Amelia called back to him.
An anxious burr settled in her throat, but her shame over not helping was overpowered by her indignation at the way the man had treated such a small child.
That indignation melted entirely at the sound of rich, deep laughter. She searched for the source of laughter only to find Eric watching her from the railing above. He wore a broad grin that made his eyes shine.
“Oh dear,” Amelia mumbled, climbing the stairs to first-class as slowly as possible. “We’re going to catch it now.”
But when they reached the first-class deck Eric greeted her with, “Now that was the finest display of backbone I ever did see.”
Amelia hid her embarrassment by checking Christopher, brushing the hair back from his face and making sure his sailor suit was in order. He had a wad of candy wrappers in his pocket along with half a lollipop and a chunk of apple core.
“Christopher, were you rummaging in trash bins?” she asked, taking the rubbish from him. She handed the mess to Eric, who accepted it with unconcealed amusement.
“I’m hungry,” little Christopher explained.
Amelia’s heart softened. “Where is your mother?”
“I don’t know,” Christopher shrugged.
Amelia sighed and brushed the boy’s hair again. “Well, let’s see if we can find her and get you something to eat.”
As an afterthought she kissed his forehead. Christopher hugged her, resting his head on her shoulder. She stole an apologetic glance at Eric.
The sparkle in his eyes as he watched her left Amelia tingling and restless.
“You got a way with children,” Eric observed as they walked along the deck. His smile radiated a kind of pleasure that Amelia had never seen from a man. “You’re a natural.”
“I’ve always loved children,” Amelia explained. “That’s one of the reasons I took the position as the Hamilton’s governess instead of….” She pressed her lips closed over what she had been about to say. Instead she said, “Children are artless and innocent.”
“Oh, I don’t know how innocent that one is.” Eric winked at the boy. They passed a trash bin and he disposed of Christopher’s booty.
“A high-spirited child is not necessarily a naughty child,” Amelia
Amelia jumped into action. She raced along the railing until she found the stairs leading down to second-class. By the time she reached the deck, the porter had Christopher by his collar and was shaking him and shouting, “Put those back!”
“Stop that!” Amelia hurried to the boy and the pile of sticks. “Unhand him!”
“He’s damaging ship’s property,” the porter growled, letting Christopher go.
Christopher lunged toward Amelia, wrapping his arms around her. He still held a red and blue disc in each hand.
“That’s no reason to manhandle him like that. He’s just a child.”
“He’s upset the shuffleboard equipment,” the porter argued. “It’s expensive stuff.”
“Is any of it broken?” she demanded, sheltering Christopher in her skirts.
The porter looked around, grumpy when he didn’t find anything shattered. “Well he shouldn’t even be down here in the first place,” he said when he found nothing else to complain about.
“Then we’ll just be going.” Amelia searched out Christopher’s hand. “Giv e those to me, dear,” she said.
He gave her the two discs and Amelia plunked them into the irate porter’s hands. She then scooped Christopher into her arms and walked away from the mess.
“Hey! Wait there! Who’s going to clean this up?” the porter called after her.
“I believe that’s your job,” Amelia called back to him.
An anxious burr settled in her throat, but her shame over not helping was overpowered by her indignation at the way the man had treated such a small child.
That indignation melted entirely at the sound of rich, deep laughter. She searched for the source of laughter only to find Eric watching her from the railing above. He wore a broad grin that made his eyes shine.
“Oh dear,” Amelia mumbled, climbing the stairs to first-class as slowly as possible. “We’re going to catch it now.”
But when they reached the first-class deck Eric greeted her with, “Now that was the finest display of backbone I ever did see.”
Amelia hid her embarrassment by checking Christopher, brushing the hair back from his face and making sure his sailor suit was in order. He had a wad of candy wrappers in his pocket along with half a lollipop and a chunk of apple core.
“Christopher, were you rummaging in trash bins?” she asked, taking the rubbish from him. She handed the mess to Eric, who accepted it with unconcealed amusement.
“I’m hungry,” little Christopher explained.
Amelia’s heart softened. “Where is your mother?”
“I don’t know,” Christopher shrugged.
Amelia sighed and brushed the boy’s hair again. “Well, let’s see if we can find her and get you something to eat.”
As an afterthought she kissed his forehead. Christopher hugged her, resting his head on her shoulder. She stole an apologetic glance at Eric.
The sparkle in his eyes as he watched her left Amelia tingling and restless.
“You got a way with children,” Eric observed as they walked along the deck. His smile radiated a kind of pleasure that Amelia had never seen from a man. “You’re a natural.”
“I’ve always loved children,” Amelia explained. “That’s one of the reasons I took the position as the Hamilton’s governess instead of….” She pressed her lips closed over what she had been about to say. Instead she said, “Children are artless and innocent.”
“Oh, I don’t know how innocent that one is.” Eric winked at the boy. They passed a trash bin and he disposed of Christopher’s booty.
“A high-spirited child is not necessarily a naughty child,” Amelia
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