Read Online The Christmas Vow by Shanna Hatfield - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shanna Hatfield
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those?” Toby tapped his tiny finger on the picture.
“I have,” Adam said, leaning back in his chair. Toby propped an elbow on the table and studied Adam with a mixture of awe and excitement.
“Was it fun?”
“It was fun,” Adam agreed. “There’s this old Indian named Charlie Two-Teeth. He paddles his canoe along the shore, catching fish in traps. One day we stopped nearby, so I walked over to Charlie and asked him if I could sit in his canoe. He shrugged, so I wasn’t sure he understood me. When I held out a fifty-cent piece, he grinned and handed me the oar. I don’t know what happened to ol’ Charlie’s teeth, but all he’s got is one here,” Adam pointed to one of his top teeth, “and one here.” He touched a bottom tooth.
“Golly!” Toby said, eyes wide. “Where did you take his canoe?”
“I paddled it across the river and back again.” Adam made a rowing motion with his arms. “Luckily for me, it was at a narrow spot.”
Tia smiled and watched Toby relax against Adam as they finished looking through the book.
Her son missed having a father figure in his life. When Patrick died, Roland had tried to stop by weekly to give Toby some special attention. Although Cedric and Catherine claimed to dote on the boy, they seldom spent time with him. She couldn’t fathom why they’d want to take him away from her.
Neither of them had any interest in the day-to-day care of a child. The thought of them hiring a nanny and ignoring Toby made Tia even more determined to keep it from happening.
“Look, Mama.” Toby pointed to a photo of a houseboat. “That’s like the boat I want to have someday. I’m going to marry Erin Dodd and we’ll have our very own boat.”
Adam chuckled and Tia smiled. She reached out and caught Toby’s chin in her hand, turning his face to hers. “Those are some big plans, young man. I’m glad to see you’re thinking ahead.”
“I am, Mama. Erin and I will live on the big boat and you, and Pastor Chauncy, and Miss Abby, and Mr. Adam, and everyone can come visit us. We’ll have lots and lots of room.”
“I’ll look forward to seeing that big boat, Toby.” Adam patted the boy on his back, drinking the last of his chocolate.
He set Toby on his feet then rose to his own. “Thank you for allowing me to help with your snowman and showing me your book. Maybe I can show you how to make a sailor’s knot or two sometime.”
Animated, Toby grabbed Tia’s arm and shook it. “Can he, Mama? Can he show me how to tie a real sailor’s knot?”
“Of course, as long as Mr. Guthry has time and you behave yourself.” Tia grinned at Toby, pleased by his enthusiasm.
“The one thing I’ve got the next few weeks is plenty of time,” Adam said as he pulled on his coat and wrapped a scarf around his neck. He’d once again forgotten to wear his hat, although he didn’t really care. He opened the door but turned back to Tia before he stepped outside. “I noticed there are some loose shingles on your roof. It wouldn’t be any trouble to fix them for you.”
Tia pushed past him out the door and rushed down the steps, walking backward across the yard until she could see the roof. As Adam said, she could see several loose shingles. The two men she usually hired to do odd jobs around her house were already overextended with projects. They let her know before Thanksgiving that they wouldn’t be available to do any work until after Christmas.
While she hated to accept help from Adam, she didn’t want to lose any shingles in the next windstorm.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she marched over to where he stood with Toby at the door. “I’ll purchase all the necessary supplies and pay you for your time.”
“You’ve probably already got all the necessary supplies and you won’t pay me for my time. If you insist on it, I won’t do it at all. I might take a pie as payment. However, I’d prefer one without a blackened crust.”
“Oh, gracious!” Tia raced inside
“I have,” Adam said, leaning back in his chair. Toby propped an elbow on the table and studied Adam with a mixture of awe and excitement.
“Was it fun?”
“It was fun,” Adam agreed. “There’s this old Indian named Charlie Two-Teeth. He paddles his canoe along the shore, catching fish in traps. One day we stopped nearby, so I walked over to Charlie and asked him if I could sit in his canoe. He shrugged, so I wasn’t sure he understood me. When I held out a fifty-cent piece, he grinned and handed me the oar. I don’t know what happened to ol’ Charlie’s teeth, but all he’s got is one here,” Adam pointed to one of his top teeth, “and one here.” He touched a bottom tooth.
“Golly!” Toby said, eyes wide. “Where did you take his canoe?”
“I paddled it across the river and back again.” Adam made a rowing motion with his arms. “Luckily for me, it was at a narrow spot.”
Tia smiled and watched Toby relax against Adam as they finished looking through the book.
Her son missed having a father figure in his life. When Patrick died, Roland had tried to stop by weekly to give Toby some special attention. Although Cedric and Catherine claimed to dote on the boy, they seldom spent time with him. She couldn’t fathom why they’d want to take him away from her.
Neither of them had any interest in the day-to-day care of a child. The thought of them hiring a nanny and ignoring Toby made Tia even more determined to keep it from happening.
“Look, Mama.” Toby pointed to a photo of a houseboat. “That’s like the boat I want to have someday. I’m going to marry Erin Dodd and we’ll have our very own boat.”
Adam chuckled and Tia smiled. She reached out and caught Toby’s chin in her hand, turning his face to hers. “Those are some big plans, young man. I’m glad to see you’re thinking ahead.”
“I am, Mama. Erin and I will live on the big boat and you, and Pastor Chauncy, and Miss Abby, and Mr. Adam, and everyone can come visit us. We’ll have lots and lots of room.”
“I’ll look forward to seeing that big boat, Toby.” Adam patted the boy on his back, drinking the last of his chocolate.
He set Toby on his feet then rose to his own. “Thank you for allowing me to help with your snowman and showing me your book. Maybe I can show you how to make a sailor’s knot or two sometime.”
Animated, Toby grabbed Tia’s arm and shook it. “Can he, Mama? Can he show me how to tie a real sailor’s knot?”
“Of course, as long as Mr. Guthry has time and you behave yourself.” Tia grinned at Toby, pleased by his enthusiasm.
“The one thing I’ve got the next few weeks is plenty of time,” Adam said as he pulled on his coat and wrapped a scarf around his neck. He’d once again forgotten to wear his hat, although he didn’t really care. He opened the door but turned back to Tia before he stepped outside. “I noticed there are some loose shingles on your roof. It wouldn’t be any trouble to fix them for you.”
Tia pushed past him out the door and rushed down the steps, walking backward across the yard until she could see the roof. As Adam said, she could see several loose shingles. The two men she usually hired to do odd jobs around her house were already overextended with projects. They let her know before Thanksgiving that they wouldn’t be available to do any work until after Christmas.
While she hated to accept help from Adam, she didn’t want to lose any shingles in the next windstorm.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she marched over to where he stood with Toby at the door. “I’ll purchase all the necessary supplies and pay you for your time.”
“You’ve probably already got all the necessary supplies and you won’t pay me for my time. If you insist on it, I won’t do it at all. I might take a pie as payment. However, I’d prefer one without a blackened crust.”
“Oh, gracious!” Tia raced inside
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