Read Online To Be a Family (Harlequin Superromance) by Joan Kilby - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joan Kilby
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thoughts.
But he would learn to stay quiet. The comments were more a
nervous reaction than anything he really wanted to say to her, anyway. If she
actually conversed with him like he was a decent human being then maybe he could
respond in kind.
Tuti slid back onto her chair next to Katie and smiled up at
her teacher. The little girl couldn’t have made a more timely entrance if she’d
been scripted. But that just ratcheted up the tension. Katie wouldn’t like
feeling pressured from two sides.
John sat back and glanced away, as if it wasn’t a big deal if
she tutored his daughter or not. When, in truth, her continued presence in his
life had become of paramount importance to him in a very short space of
time.
* * *
K ATIE WOULD LOVE to
help Tuti. But she’d agreed to write three books this year. Plus, she was
teaching full-time. And spending time with Tuti would inevitably mean spending
time with John. Sure, he’d promised to curb his teasing and flirting but that
didn’t mean she wanted to be his new best friend. He’d hurt her. Badly. Tuti’s
very existence was a constant reminder of the extent of his betrayal.
But Tuti needed her in the here and now, and that was bigger
than Katie and John’s unhappy past. In only a day Tuti had made her way into
Katie’s heart with her shy smile and sparkling eyes. Somehow she would find the
time to teach, write and tutor Tuti. As for John, she could be friendly without
getting involved. “I’ll do it.”
“Really?” John said, sitting forward. “Thank you.”
“But you have to reinforce my teaching,” Katie said. “That
involves reading to her every night, talking to her as much as possible,
explaining things.”
“I can do that.”
“Even if she doesn’t understand every word you say, the meaning
will gradually sink in. Children pick up languages easily. Tuti seems very
bright.”
Tuti’s gaze was flicking from Katie to John.
“I’m going to give you extra time after class, just you and
me,” Katie said, and Tuti beamed up at her. To John, Katie added, “The school
will provide a teacher’s aide. We should be able to bring her up to speed in a
few months.”
“I really appreciate this. Let me know what days and times are
good for you and I’ll arrange to be home.”
“That’s not necessary,” Katie said quickly. A cozy threesome at
John’s house felt a little too similar to a family unit for her comfort. With
anyone else she wouldn’t have even thought that, but with John she didn’t want
any reminders or allusions to what they might have had.
“I’ll take her home with me after school a couple of days a
week then drop her off at your place when we’re done.” Katie reached for her
purse among the bags of produce at her feet. “I need to get back. Are you ready
to go?”
On the return trip to Summerside Katie pointed out trees, cars
and houses to Tuti. The girl listened attentively at first then gradually lost
interest to play with her doll.
Katie fell into silent contemplation. Had she really cut John
dead at parties? Walked out of the room when he walked in? It wasn’t always about him, although she would never get used to
seeing him with his arm around another woman. She simply wasn’t a party person,
preferring small groups of close friends. If she was invited to a large
gathering, she put in an appearance then often left when the night was still
young. She winced to think how others might view her behavior. Riley sometimes
gave her a hard time for being standoffish but she put that down to her
brother’s not-so-secret wish that his best mate and his sister would get back
together.
Katie glanced sideways at John, one hand draped over the
steering wheel, a slight frown creasing his brow as he gazed at the road ahead.
So what if she did snub him? He’d left her to die and gone surfing.
It didn’t get much worse than that. And yet…
Seven years on she was still punishing him. She didn’t like
what that said about her.
But he would learn to stay quiet. The comments were more a
nervous reaction than anything he really wanted to say to her, anyway. If she
actually conversed with him like he was a decent human being then maybe he could
respond in kind.
Tuti slid back onto her chair next to Katie and smiled up at
her teacher. The little girl couldn’t have made a more timely entrance if she’d
been scripted. But that just ratcheted up the tension. Katie wouldn’t like
feeling pressured from two sides.
John sat back and glanced away, as if it wasn’t a big deal if
she tutored his daughter or not. When, in truth, her continued presence in his
life had become of paramount importance to him in a very short space of
time.
* * *
K ATIE WOULD LOVE to
help Tuti. But she’d agreed to write three books this year. Plus, she was
teaching full-time. And spending time with Tuti would inevitably mean spending
time with John. Sure, he’d promised to curb his teasing and flirting but that
didn’t mean she wanted to be his new best friend. He’d hurt her. Badly. Tuti’s
very existence was a constant reminder of the extent of his betrayal.
But Tuti needed her in the here and now, and that was bigger
than Katie and John’s unhappy past. In only a day Tuti had made her way into
Katie’s heart with her shy smile and sparkling eyes. Somehow she would find the
time to teach, write and tutor Tuti. As for John, she could be friendly without
getting involved. “I’ll do it.”
“Really?” John said, sitting forward. “Thank you.”
“But you have to reinforce my teaching,” Katie said. “That
involves reading to her every night, talking to her as much as possible,
explaining things.”
“I can do that.”
“Even if she doesn’t understand every word you say, the meaning
will gradually sink in. Children pick up languages easily. Tuti seems very
bright.”
Tuti’s gaze was flicking from Katie to John.
“I’m going to give you extra time after class, just you and
me,” Katie said, and Tuti beamed up at her. To John, Katie added, “The school
will provide a teacher’s aide. We should be able to bring her up to speed in a
few months.”
“I really appreciate this. Let me know what days and times are
good for you and I’ll arrange to be home.”
“That’s not necessary,” Katie said quickly. A cozy threesome at
John’s house felt a little too similar to a family unit for her comfort. With
anyone else she wouldn’t have even thought that, but with John she didn’t want
any reminders or allusions to what they might have had.
“I’ll take her home with me after school a couple of days a
week then drop her off at your place when we’re done.” Katie reached for her
purse among the bags of produce at her feet. “I need to get back. Are you ready
to go?”
On the return trip to Summerside Katie pointed out trees, cars
and houses to Tuti. The girl listened attentively at first then gradually lost
interest to play with her doll.
Katie fell into silent contemplation. Had she really cut John
dead at parties? Walked out of the room when he walked in? It wasn’t always about him, although she would never get used to
seeing him with his arm around another woman. She simply wasn’t a party person,
preferring small groups of close friends. If she was invited to a large
gathering, she put in an appearance then often left when the night was still
young. She winced to think how others might view her behavior. Riley sometimes
gave her a hard time for being standoffish but she put that down to her
brother’s not-so-secret wish that his best mate and his sister would get back
together.
Katie glanced sideways at John, one hand draped over the
steering wheel, a slight frown creasing his brow as he gazed at the road ahead.
So what if she did snub him? He’d left her to die and gone surfing.
It didn’t get much worse than that. And yet…
Seven years on she was still punishing him. She didn’t like
what that said about her.
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