LITMIR.BIZ

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to keep from blurting out the painful truth of her finances.

      But Ryan was every bit as bright as his child. His gaze narrowed as he studied her face. “If you need money just say so. Finances are not a problem here.”

      Heat rushed up the back of her neck. Money didn’t used to be a problem with her either, but times change. “I can take care of it.”

      “I want your focus on teaching Mariah, not on worrying about finances. If you need money, tell me.”

      Humiliated but also grateful, she said, “That’s kind of you, Ryan. Really. But I can handle it.”

      “Sure?” He seemed sincerely concerned.

      “I have some old debts from the move. No big deal. Don’t worry. I have everything under control.” Right, and she could run the Boston marathon in five minutes in high heels.

      “All right. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask.” He took another sip of his coffee and pushed away from the table to slip into his jacket. “I’ll see you lovely ladies later.” He glanced at his daughter. “That’s called alliteration—lovely ladies later.”

      “Alliteration.” Mariah savored the word on her tongue as if it was good chocolate.

      “Kelsey can teach you more about that.”

      “Cool.” Mariah hopped down from her chair and followed him through the kitchen, through the foyer to the front door where he crouched down for a hug.

      Kelsey had followed the pair, though she didn’t know why, and the sweet moment between father and daughter squeezed her heart. He might be clueless, but Ryan appeared to be a caring daddy.

      Three days later, as she checked Mariah’s schedule, Kelsey was having second thoughts about Ryan Storm’s parenting skills. It was six o’clock and the man had not yet appeared. Again. And the child was still studying as if she were taking the bar exam in the morning.

      By now, their schedule was practically memorized and Mariah knew it better than Kelsey did. After all, Miss Janine, who Kelsey did not like at all, had manufactured this form of child torture some time ago. Mariah seldom complained, but an occasional sigh told the tale. Janine’s regimented, unimaginative idea of educating a small child took a toll, both on the teacher and the student. Kelsey, who loved teaching, had never been so bored in her life.

      “I think this is about it for the evening, don’t you, sweetie?” she asked, gently closing the ancient-history book. “How about a game before bedtime?”

      “Chess?” Mariah asked.

      Kelsey thought if she lost another game of chess this week she’d die of humiliation. “How about something else? I think my brain needs a rest. How about—” She looked around for ideas.

      “Monopoly? I’m really good at that.”

      Kelsey laughed. “I’ll bet you are. Another tycoon in the making.”

      But she got the game out anyway, as eager for some fun as the child.

      They were in Mariah’s muted blue playroom which was more of an office than a fun place to hang out. The chest full of toys and games wasn’t opened until recess which occurred three times a day—fifteen minutes in the morning, immediately following lunch and mid-afternoon. The rest of the time was spent in study. After dinner each evening, Mariah could read or play educational games before an early bedtime. From morning until night, every minute of Mariah’s day was regimented as strictly as the military, which meant Kelsey’s day was, as well. No shopping excursions. No visits with neighbors. No opportunity to get reacquainted with her beloved native city.

      Frankly, she was suffocating.

      To make matters worse, she’d seen Ryan only once, for less than an hour, and Mariah hadn’t seen her father at all. The man was a workaholic to the extreme. He rose before either she or Mariah and returned long after Mariah, and sometimes she, had retired for the night. When he was at home, he disappeared into his office with a plate of food left by Abilena, not to be seen again that evening.

      Several times each day, he phoned to check on Mariah, but the calls were brief and to the point. “How are things going? Good. Need anything? No? Bye.”

      Mariah, bless her little heart, was a trooper about her father’s apparent indifference. Kelsey’s thoughts were not so generous.

      During the Monopoly game, Mariah paused time and again to listen for the garage door opening, the hope in her expression apparent.

      “Do you think Daddy will be here to tuck me in tonight?” she said, adding a hotel to Boardwalk.

      “He’ll have to hurry. It’s time for your bath now.”

      “What about our game?”

      “Let’s leave it to finish another time.”

      Mariah looked doubtful. “Janine never let me leave things out. She said I had to learn the importance of taking care of my possessions and not to take things for granted even if my daddy is rich.”

      Though the statement carried some truth, the manner in which it was said rankled. Had Janine been jealous of this child?

      “Tell you what. You get your bath. I’ll put the game in a safe place and then we’ll snuggle up and read in bed for a while. Deal?”

      Snuggle time was fast becoming a part of their routine that both of them enjoyed.

      “Deal!” Mariah’s brown eyes danced as she skipped off to the bathroom.

      After straightening the play room, Kelsey slipped into her robe and rejoined the sweet-smelling, freshly bathed child. Mariah was already in bed, her dark hair curled into squiggles across the pale pink pillowcase.

      Intentionally choosing a simple, silly, rhyming Dr. Seuss book, Kelsey joined her. Together they giggled and snuggled, talked and made up stories.

      When Mariah began to yawn and her eyelashes drooped for the third time, Kelsey pulled her close for a hug. She smelled of soap and shampoo and the cool essence of childhood.

      “Time for lights out, precious.”

      Mariah cast a longing look toward the doorway. “I guess Daddy got stuck at the office,” she said trying to rationalize why her father had not arrived. “He’s a very busy man.”

      “Would you like to give him a call? Tell him goodnight? I’m sure he’d like that.” She wasn’t sure of any such thing, but she could hardly bear the disappointment wafting in waves from Mariah.

      At the eagerness in the child’s face, Kelsey reached for the telephone.

      Ryan answered the cell phone on the third ring. “Is something wrong?”

      “Mariah wants to say goodnight.”

      “Oh. Sure. Put her on.” He sounded distracted. Not that she cared. Mariah was more important than whatever he found to do at this time of night.

      The father and daughter spoke for a couple of minutes. All the while, Kelsey watched Mariah’s face, listening to her sweet chatter, her delighted giggle at something Ryan said, and finally the wistful “I love you, Daddy” before returning the phone to Kelsey and snuggling down onto the pillow.

      “He’s nice,” she said with a smile before letting her eyes flutter closed against soft, round cheeks.

      Kelsey thought her heart would crack right in half.

      Mariah had no mother and an absent father. She had no friends or doting relatives that Kelsey had seen. Mariah Storm was truly a poor little rich girl. And her father didn’t have sense enough to see a problem. Either that or Mariah was an afterthought, a responsibility and nothing more.

      It was time to have a little heart-to-heart with the man of the year. And he probably wasn’t going to like it one bit.

      Конец

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