Read Online Miracles in Disguise (The Trampled Rose Series) by Michelle Lynn Brown - Free Book Online Page B

placed his arms protectively around the two women’s shoulders. Without another word, the boy sped off, kicking dust up behind his wheels.
    “Mr. M., are we ever glad to see you!” Barbara said, “I mean, I’m used to him, but you wouldn’t believe what he said to Ms. Talbot!”
    Interrupting her, Kristina said, “Well, the important thing is he’s gone.” Kristina stepped out from underneath the comforting, but unnerving, weight of Nathan’s arm.
    Kristina turned a troubled look to Barbara and asked, “You said you are used to him. Does he bother you like that often?”
    “Yeah, he is always cornering me because I refuse to go out with him. He’s such an arrogant, conceited, egotistical . . . ahhh!” she finished, her face flaming with anger.
    Kristina’s face was filled with concern as she turned toward Nathan. “Thank you for your help,” she said.
    “Not a problem. Why don’t you girls come with me? I’ll give you a ride home,” he said with a smile.
    “You go ahead; I think I’ll walk home.” Kristina declined, but they both looked at her with puzzled looks on their faces.
    “In the rain?” They asked in unison.
    Looking at the sky, her face was the one to take on the puzzled look. There were a few dark clouds in the sky, but sun was beaming down. Its warm arms enveloping them in the afternoon heat, and that pleasant but evasive fragrance that occasionally filled the air was tickling her senses with delight. It seemed like such a glorious day for a walk.
    “Can’t you smell it?” Barbara asked.
    Kristina laughed. “Is that what that smell is? All these weeks I have been trying to figure out what plant or flower gives off such a wondrous fragrance, and all along it was rain.”
    Nathan took a long whiff of the air. “Fragrance? It smells like wet dirt.”
    “Rain doesn’t smell like this where I come from. And it smells heavenly to me,” she said.
    “Hey, you know, it does smell really good,” Barbara chimed in. “I stayed one summer up in Oklahoma with my cousin. Whenever it rained there, it just smelled like mold."
    They all laughed as they headed toward Nathan’s truck. As Nathan opened the door, Barbara said, “You go in first, Ms. Talbot, I’m the first stop.”
    Kristina slid to the middle of the seat, and instantly felt uncomfortable so close to Nathan. Whenever his arm would brush hers, she wanted to scream from the tension within her. She almost jumped out and walked home, but before they could even leave the school’s parking lot, it began to rain.
    “So, Ms. Talbot, you never did get to answer me because of El Jerko. What did you think of our idea?” Barbara smiled at Kristina, her face beaming with the excitement of youth, oblivious to the inner turmoil roiling inside of Kristina.
    “That sounds great,” Kristina said, “I’ll need to get approval from Principle Shirley. Just let me know when you guys plan to meet, and if you would like to use a room in the school, and I’ll let him know and get back with you.”
    “Well, yeah that would be great, but we want you to lead it,” Barbara laughed and added, “We have to have someone who knows what they are talking about."
    Taken back, she first wanted to decline, but then decided against it. The youth of this town were excited about literature, about broadening their minds and spending their own time, of their own free will, on studying. “I would be glad to. Let me talk with Mr. Shirley, and I’ll get back with you in a couple of days. When it’s all finalized, I’ll make announcements to all of my classes and we can go from there.”
    As they pulled up in Barbara’s driveway, the young girl hugged her teacher and then giggled, “I’m sorry, I was just so excited! I can’t wait to tell the others.” With that, she hopped out of the truck and dashed up the path to the door.
    Sliding over, Kristina laughed. “She sure is a bundle of energy.”
    “That’s for sure. She is head cheerleader, captain of the