A Summer at Thousand Island House by G Mathis Susan

Author:G Mathis, Susan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wild Heart Books
Published: 2023-12-04T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

Rain pelted on the classroom window, unlikely to stop for most of the day. Addi had planned to take the children on a nature walk. Now…what to do with six rambunctious kids?

And, even worse, what to do about Lieutenant Worthington? She’d barely slept for fretting about the untimely, inappropriate, uncanny proposal. And now, she’d have to engage with him today—and every day—when he brought Jimmy to class.

Be his wife? Why, the man must be mad! He hardly knew her. They’d shared but a few words, and Lieutenant Worthington had proven nothing but irritatingly contrary when they had talked. He rarely smiled, and for pity’s sake, he was the last man on earth she would ever consider a proper match.

The man was a stiff, starchy uniform—and little more.

Trouble was, she hadn’t answered him. He struck her dumb, and now she would have to deal with him eventually. Instead of giving him a quick, flat no, she had turned her attention to Jimmy and the islands beyond the boat, avoiding the Navy man all the way back to Alexandria Bay. Once on dry land, she’d scurried to the safety of her lodging as fast as her feet could flee the awkward situation.

How could she navigate communication with Jimmy’s father without hurting the boy? She adored little Jimmy and had no intention of causing pain to the tender child. Surely, he’d noticed the cold distance between his father and her on the way back to the hotel. Thankfully, he’d not inquired as to why. What would she say if he did? That proposal, on top of being totally inappropriate, was a grownup problem a child shouldn’t have to bear.

She perused the shelves and sighed. Plenty of table games, and plenty more group games tucked away in her memory from her years of teaching would fill the rainy day. The challenge, as always, would be keeping them quiet and avoiding a scolding from the pavilion manager. In the weeks she’d been here, she’d received no less than six reprimands from Liam, and though he’d been kind and gentle, the corrections still stung.

Her one-room schoolhouse had been another matter. Hundreds of feet from the nearest neighbor, the children could run and play and make as much noise as they wanted. She never had to reprimand them. She never received a scolding either.

But Liam was so much more than her scolding boss. He was her friend. And maybe more. Her thoughts, more often than not, were filled with him.

A sharp rap on the door drew her attention. Too early for her children. Liam entered, his bright smile revealing straight white teeth. “Top of the morning to you, fair lass. Looks as though you’ll be cooped up with your wee chickadees today.”

Addi bobbed a quick curtsy, although she didn’t really need to. They’d formed a bond, of sorts, she and her charming manager. The thought warmed her cheeks and stole her breath away. She swallowed before answering. “Yes, but there’s plenty here to keep them occupied.”

Liam scanned the shelves as he drew near.

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