Father Most Blessed

Now, according to Aunt Maida, anyway, God was giving her a chance to make up for whatever mistakes she’d made then. Unlike most of the people Paula knew, Aunt Maida never hesitated to bring God into every decision.

Whether Maida was right about God’s will, Paula didn’t know. But her aunt was right about one thing—Jason had changed. Paula pictured his wary expression, the way he hunched his shoulders. The happy child he’d been once had vanished.

Of course, he was old enough now to understand a little more about his mother’s leaving. That traumatic event, followed so soon by the plane crash that injured his father, was enough to cause problems for any child. And he must know that his mother wouldn’t be coming back. Maida had told her the details that hadn’t appeared in Karin’s brief obituary—the wild party, the drunken driver. Paula frowned, thinking of students who’d struggled with similar losses.

A flicker of movement beyond the yew hedge caught her eye. Between the glossy dark leaves, she glimpsed a bright yellow shirt. She’d thought Jason was at breakfast with his father. What was he doing?

She rounded the corner of the cottage and spotted the child. The greeting she’d been about to call out died on her lips. All her teacher instincts went on alert. She might not know Jason well any longer, but she knew what a kid up to something looked like. Jason bent over something on the ground, his body shielding it from her view.

She moved quietly across the grass. “Jason? What’s up?”

He jerked around at her voice, dropping the object he held. The crumpled paper lit with a sudden spark, a flame shooting up.

She winced back, heart pounding, stomach contracting. Run! a voice screamed in her head. Run!

She took a breath, then another. She didn’t need to run. Nothing would hurt her. It’s all right. She repeated the comforting words over in her mind. It was all right.

Except that it wasn’t. Quite aside from the terror of fire that had plagued her since the accident, what was Jason doing playing with matches? Another thought jolted her. Was this connected with his father’s narrow escape from a fiery death?

Carefully she stepped on the spark that remained, grinding it into the still-wet grass. The scent of burning lingered in the air, sickening her.

She looked at Jason, and he took a quick step back. “Where’d you get the matches, Jason?”

His lower lip came out. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have any matches.”

“Sure you do.” She held out her hand. “Give them to me.”

Maybe it was the calm, authoritative “teacher” voice. Jason dug into his jeans’ pocket, pulled out the matchbook and dropped it into her hand.

She closed her fingers firmly around it. She wouldn’t let them tremble. “Where did you get this?”

For a moment she thought he wouldn’t answer. He glared at her, dark eyes defiant. Then he shrugged. “My dad’s desk. Are you gonna tell him?”

“I think someone should, don’t you?” It would hardly be surprising if Jason’s unresolved feelings about his father’s accident had led to a fascination with fire. Not surprising, but dangerous.

“No!” His anger flared so suddenly that it caught her by surprise. His small fists clenched. “Leave me alone.”

“Jason…” She reached toward him, impelled by the need to comfort him, but he dodged away from her.

“Go away!” He nearly shouted the words. “Just go away!” He turned and ran toward the house.

She discovered she was shaking and wrapped her arms around herself. Jason had made his feelings clear. His was definitely a vote for her to leave.

Alex put the weights back on their rack and stretched, gently flexing his injured knee. Brett Elliot, one of his oldest friends as well as his doctor, would personally supervise his workouts if he thought Alex was skipping them. And Brett was right; Alex had to admit it. The exercise therapy had brought him miles from where he’d been after the accident.

He toweled off, then picked up his juice bottle and stepped through the French doors to the flagstones surrounding the pool. The water looked tempting with the hot June sunshine bouncing from its surface, but he had another goal in mind at the moment. Jason was off on some game of his own. It was time Alex talked to Paula. He had to find some graceful way to get them both out of this difficult situation, in spite of the fact that he hadn’t yet found someone else to replace Maida.

His timing seemed perfect. Paula was coming around the pool toward the house, dressed a bit formally for her. Instead of her usual jeans, she wore neat tan slacks and a bright coral top—probably a concession for a trip to the hospital. She briefly checked her swift stride when she saw him, and then she came toward him.

“Good morning.” He tossed the towel over his shoulder and set his juice bottle on the patio table. Business, he reminded himself. “I hoped I’d have a chance to see you this morning.”

Paula rubbed her arms, as if she were cold in spite of the June sunshine. “Aren’t you going to the factory today?”

“Not until later,” he said. “I’ll work at home for a while, then stop by the hospital to see how Maida’s doing.” He hesitated, looking for words, but since Paula was so direct herself, she should appreciate the same from him. “We should get a few things settled.”

For just an instant Paula’s eyes were puzzled, as if she’d been thinking about something else entirely. Then she gave him a wary look and took a step back.

“I have to leave for the hospital.” She glanced at her watch. “I want to be there when Aunt Maida wakes up from the operation.”

“This will take just a few minutes. We’ve got to discuss this idea of Maida’s.” He knew he sounded inflexible, but he didn’t want to put this off. The longer he waited, the more difficult it would be.

He pulled out a deck chair for her. Looking reluctant, she sat down. He settled in the seat next to her and instantly regretted his choice. They were facing the gazebo at the end of the pool. They shouldn’t be having this conversation in view of the spot where he’d kissed her.

But it was too late now, and maybe it was just as well. That embarrassing episode should make her as reluctant as he was to pursue Maida’s scheme. He’d give her an easy way out of this dilemma, that was all. And she’d be ready to leave.

Paula tugged at the sleeves of her knit top. Apparently she did that whenever she was nervous, as if she were protecting herself. He tried not to notice how the coral sweater brought out the warm, peachy color in her cheeks, or how the fine gold chain she wore glinted against her skin.

Stick to business, he ordered himself. That was a good way to think of it. This was just like any business negotiation, and they both needed to go away from it feeling they’d gained something.

“Be honest with me, Paula. You don’t really want to work here this summer, do you?”

She glanced up at him, a startled expression in her eyes. “What makes you say that?”

To his surprise, he couldn’t quite get the real reason out. Because the last time you were here, I kissed you and created an awkward situation for both of us. Because in spite of that, I still find you too attractive for my own peace of mind.

No, he didn’t want to say any of that. He tried a different tack.

“You probably had a teaching job of some sort lined up for the summer, didn’t you?”

She shook her head, a rueful smile touching her lips. “There’s not much teaching available in the summer. I was signed up with a temp agency for office work.”

“Office work?” He couldn’t stop the surprise in his voice, and realized instantly how condescending it sounded. “Why? I mean, couldn’t you find anything else?”

Her expression suggested he didn’t have a clue as to how the real world worked. “Kindergarten teachers aren’t exactly on corporate headhunters’ wish lists, you know.”

“But aren’t there courses you want to take in the summer?” He didn’t know why the thought of Paula taking temporary work to make ends meet bothered him so much. His reaction was totally irrational.

“I can’t afford to take classes.” She said it slowly and distinctly, as if they spoke different languages. “I have college loans to pay off.”

Belatedly he reminded himself he was supposed to be dissuading her from working for him. “Even so, I can’t imagine that you’d want to come here to cook and take care of Jason, instead.”

He saw immediately that he’d said the wrong thing. In fact, he’d probably said a lot of wrong things. Paula had that effect on him.

She stiffened, and anger flared in her face. “Cooking is honest work. There’s nothing to be ashamed of in what my aunt does,” she snapped, and she gripped the arms of the deck chair as if about to launch herself out of it.

“No, of course not.” He seemed to be going even farther in the wrong direction. “I didn’t mean to imply that.”

She stood, anger coming off her in waves. “I really have to leave for the hospital now, Alex. I’ve told my aunt I’m willing to fill in for her here as long as necessary, but, of course, you may have other plans. Either way, it’s up to you.”