Four Little Problems

Four Little Problems
Carrie Weaver

For Patrick Stevens less means more!Patrick Stevens is a great teacher. All of his "kids" say so–except Emily Patterson's oldest son, Jason. Jason is Patrick's lone failure–the one student he couldn't reach.And that's too bad, because when Patrick and Emily are thrown together on a project, Patrick realizes he'd really like to get to know Emily better. If only she didn't come complete with those four sons….

Patrick Stevens almost choked on his coffee when he read the meeting agenda

He couldn’t possibly be that unlucky, could he?

“What’s wrong?” The perennially smiling kindergarten teacher slapped him on the back, as if that would help.

“Did you see who’s running for PTO president?”

She shrugged. “Some woman named Patterson.”

“As in, mother of Jason Patterson.” That should have said it all.

“And that’s a problem because?”

She was obviously still too wet behind the ears to understand the implications.

“Jason Patterson, the kid who threw cherry bombs in the boys’ toilets. Led his own gambling and extortion ring.”

“I’m sure he wasn’t that bad.” She flipped her hair and gave him that sparkling, you’re-just-old-and-burned-out smile.

At thirty-eight, he considered himself far from old. But she might have a point about the burned-out part. Summer break seemed very far away some days, especially when he thought about Jason Patterson. His ultimate failure.

Dear Reader,

Four Little Problems is my oldest son’s book in so many ways. Not because he and I have weathered challenges, which we have. And not because I love him every bit as deeply as Emily loves Jason, which I do.

No, Four Little Problems resulted from one of those everyday conversations I suspect I don’t appreciate nearly enough. My oldest son and I were discussing single mothers and dating. He mentioned how difficult some children make the dating process when they don’t like their mother’s potential boyfriend.

When I gave it some thought, I was impressed with the courage it must take for a single parent to attempt a relationship in the midst of juvenile guerrilla warfare. I wondered how a relationship could survive, maybe even thrive, under such stressful circumstances. Then I started the inevitable “What if…” and my imagination was off and running.

Emily and Patrick’s story was born of that “What if…” Their relationship was so challenging from the get-go, even I wondered if they could pull it off.

On a side note, fate came full circle when my editor asked for title suggestions. My son proposed the title you see on the cover–Four Little Problems. I’m so proud of him and his contributions.

I hope you enjoy the story I’ve come to think of as Luke’s Book.

Yours in reading,

Carrie Weaver

P.S. I enjoy hearing from readers by e-mail at CarrieAuthor@aol.com or snail mail at P.O. Box 6045, Chandler, AZ 85246-6045.

Four Little Problems

Carrie Weaver

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Special thanks to Mary Jane Brooke, Superintendent of the Le Roy Central School District, for being so helpful in responding to my questions.

She did her utmost to ensure that I had accurate information.

Any discrepancies are mine, made in an effort to merge reality with the fictional world I created.

CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN