Read Online Sealed With a Kiss by Leeanna Morgan - Free Book Online Page A

were
crawling across the floor. She said something to a group of girls
with towels on their heads, then stopped in front of him. “Is Bella
okay?”
    Her blue eyes were worried. Something inside
of him tightened, twisted, and left him spinning in mid-air.
    “John?”
    He cleared his throat, engaged his brain, and
ignored his pounding heart. “Bella’s fine. Tank has taken her to
the mall.”
    “Who’s Tank?”
    “He works with me.”
    “Is that his real name?”
    John moved his jacket into his other hand.
“We were in the military together. It’s a name that stuck.” Tank
wouldn’t appreciate him telling anyone the name he’d been born
with. His new name was as much a part of his identity as the scars
he wore. In some convoluted way, they’d both started over. They’d
built lives that mixed the best of what they’d known with what they
needed to do to survive.
    Rachel winced when the Christmas choir
screeched out a note that only angels should sing. “If Bella is all
right, how can I help you?”
    John thought about the list in his pocket,
the reasons why asking Rachel to teach Bella was a good idea. She
was waiting for him to say something, anything that would tell her
why he was here.
    He glanced across at the choir, then back at
the stage. “I thought I’d check out the drama club. You said Bella
might enjoy it.”
    Rachel’s face relaxed into an easy smile. His
heart sank.
    “You’ve come at the right time. We’re getting
ready for our Christmas play.” She pointed to the kids who were
still crawling on the floor. “Over there are our nativity animals.
Ruby, Clarissa, and Jason are going to be cows. Alexander and Oscar
are the front and back end of a donkey, and Fleur is an owl.”
    John watched Fleur extend her pretend wings.
“I didn’t know they had owls in the barn where Jesus was born.”
    Rachel shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know
either. But I don’t think anyone would have minded if one snuck
inside. Fleur has a thing for owls. She has the concentration span
of a squirrel, so I needed something to keep her focused on what
we’re doing.”
    Fleur swooped low on the rear end of the
donkey and John smiled. “How’s that working out?”
    “Pretty good. She’s happy to stay in
character for as long as we’re practicing.” Rachel glanced across
at the choir. “We’ve divided everyone into groups for this
rehearsal. It’s easier to practice when we’re only teaching a dozen
children at a time. The songs are a work in progress.”
    A boy with bright red hair and neon freckles
started to sing. The noise level in the room dropped to a whisper.
John tried not to stare, but it wasn’t easy when the notes coming
from his mouth were so clear and pure. “He’s really good. Who is
he?”
    Rachel sighed. “That’s Frankie. He has the
most amazing voice I’ve ever heard.”
    “How old is he?”
    “Ten. He comes to the library each day after
school. His dad works long hours so this has become his home away
from home. It’s the same with quite a few of the children that come
to drama club.”
    John listened to the rest of Frankie’s song.
After the last note dissolved into the room, the noise level
increased. Everyone went back to what they were doing, quickly
forgetting what they’d heard.
    “What do the kids do at the library if
they’re not in drama club?”
    Rachel glanced back at the children she’d
been teaching. Everyone was moving in the same direction, spinning
in time to a Christmas carol they’d started singing. “There are
digital classes in the technology room most afternoons and art
classes in another area. The children can only do each class once
per week. They don’t cost anything, so no one needs to miss out.
For the other two days a week, they read books or volunteer as
library helpers.”
    “Do you get paid to be here?”
    Rachel shook her head. “No one does. We beg
and borrow costumes for our plays and look for sponsorship for any
props we need.