Treasure by Lisa T. Bergren

Author:Lisa T. Bergren [Bergren, Lisa Tawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-77815-4
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2011-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The next morning Christina approached Anya. “I bet you could use some time to yourself,” she said to the girl. “Let me take the kids this morning.”

“That would be wonderful,” the girl said gratefully. “I would love to write some letters. It seems like if Kenna goes down for a nap, Joshua’s ready to play, or then the other way around.”

“They’re a lot for anyone to handle,” Christina said sympathetically. “Please don’t hesitate to ask me to watch them if you need a break. I love it.”

“Thank you,” Anya said. It took no further convincing. She immediately left for her room.

“Come on, you guys,” Christina said to the kids as Mitch entered the breakfast room later than usual. “Let’s go build a sandcastle.”

“Yeah!” Joshua yelled, raising his arms in celebration.

“Yeah!” Kenna said, imitating her older brother and raising her tiny arms, too.

Christina laughed and met Mitch’s smiling eyes. “Good morning,” she said, dropping her gaze and turning to lead the children away.

“Good morning,” he said, wondering what was going through her head. She had not come to dinner the night before but had instead requested that Talle send a half sandwich to her bedroom. “How’s your headache?” he asked her retreating back.

“Gone!” she said brightly. “See you later.” She settled Kenna on one hip and led Joshua away with her free hand.

“Bye, Uncle Mitch!” Joshua yelled over his shoulder. “Come look at our castle!”

“I will,” he said, glad for the excuse to join them. He ate a quick breakfast, then followed their tracks in the sand, staring at Christina’s footprints and chastising himself for deeming even them to be perfect.

He found the three perched on the crest of a dune, near damp building materials but on dry sand. Christina concentrated on a tall parapet while Joshua happily dug a moat, his favorite job. Kenna sat beside them, intently tasting fistfuls of sand granules and spitting them out all over her tiny purple swimsuit.

“Should she be doing that?” he asked Christina.

The woman smiled at him and then Kenna. “It won’t hurt her. Part of learning what things are and what they’re like is to taste them.” She smiled again at the tanned baby with blond hair. “Besides, she’s too cute to stop.”

“I agree,” he said, kneeling beside Christina, perilously close. When their hands chanced to meet on the castle wall, it felt as if a bolt of electricity had shot up his fingers and arm. Joshua suggested that Mitch help him with the moat, and Christina quickly agreed.

“Just like a woman,” Mitch teased. “Wanting to decorate the house herself.”

“This is no house,” she responded. “It’s a castle.”

“With knights and horses and swords!” Josh added ecstatically. He picked up a stick and rose, slashing it about. “I’m a knight, and I’m going to kill the bad guys!” He pranced about the beach with a determined face, slaying imaginary enemies.

Mitch and Christina stifled their laughter. “I gather you’ve been telling him Knights of the Round Table stories,” Mitch said.

“No kid should grow up without hearing about Lady Guinevere and Camelot.

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