LITMIR.BIZ

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      And now, looking into his eyes, that old memory grew stronger and she was reluctantly drawn into his gaze.

      She couldn’t do this. Not here. Not now.

      Relief flooded her when she saw Megan striding down the hall.

      “Here’s Miss Tolsma,” she said, reaching blindly for the handle of the classroom door. “I’ll sit with Natasha, until you’re finished.”

      Then she turned and retreated into the room, closing the door firmly on Dan and on the past.

      She’d found out the hard way the only way to stay in control of your own life was to stay in control of your plans.

      No way was Dan disrupting them.

       Chapter Two

      Natasha sat in the little chair in the corner, still clutching her knapsack, her chin resting on the top of it, her brown hair hiding her face.

      At least she wasn’t crying anymore.

      Hailey sat down beside her, perched awkwardly on a chair made for six-year-old bottoms. She folded her hands on her lap, saying nothing, simply being there for the little girl.

      As if finally sensing her presence, Natasha looked up. Her red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks plucked at Hailey’s heartstrings.

      Natasha dragged her coat sleeve across her face, drying her eyes. “Is my daddy come yet?”

      “He’s talking to Miss Tolsma for a few minutes. As soon as they’re done he’ll come to get you.”

      “I want to be with my daddy. I don’t want to be in this school.” Natasha looked down at her knapsack, fiddling with a tiny stuffed rabbit hanging from the zipper pull.

      “I’m sure your daddy wants to be with you too.” Hailey laid her hand on Natasha’s tiny shoulder.

      Natasha shook her head. Hailey heard her draw in a trembling breath and her shoulders shook with silent sorrow, as if she had no hope her cries would be acknowledged.

      Hailey’s heart broke for the little girl adrift without her mother and living in an unfamiliar place.

      “You know your daddy loves you very much,” Hailey said, giving the little girl’s hand a squeeze. “He wants to take very good care of you and he wants you to learn. That’s why he put you in school.”

      Natasha’s silent cries only increased. Hailey couldn’t stand watching her. She pulled the little girl onto her lap. Natasha made a token protest, then wilted against Hailey, her arms twined around her neck.

      Hailey wrapped her arms around the tiny, slender body, rocking slowly back and forth and making shushing noises. Natasha burrowed her head in Hailey’s neck.

      “I don’t want to be sad,” she murmured, sniffing.

      “I know you miss your mom and this place is different. It’s okay to be sad about that.”

      Natasha drew in a shuddering breath. “Daddy said I shouldn’t talk about my mommy,” she said. “Because it makes me cry.”

      Hailey felt torn. She didn’t want to go against Dan’s parenting, but she also wanted to look out for Natasha.

      “You can talk about your mommy to me, if you want,” Hailey said. “You can tell me anything you want about her.”

      Natasha considered this, then lay against Hailey again. “I really like you,” she whispered.

      “I like you too,” Hailey replied, stroking Natasha’s damp hair away from her face. She clung to the little girl. Dan’s little girl.

      What if Austin’s accident hadn’t happened? What if Dan had stayed in Hartley Creek? Would the little girl in her arms be her and Dan’s?

      The light touch of a hand on her shoulder made her jump. Hailey yanked herself back from her meandering thoughts, then just about fell off the chair when she turned and saw Dan pull his hand back from her.

      A frown pulled his eyebrows together as he looked down at her.

      “She was so upset … she was crying … I didn’t know what to do.” Hailey stumbled through her excuses, wondering why she felt she had to explain her behavior.

      But Dan’s direct gaze made her feel as if she had stepped over some invisible boundary.

      He bent over and lifted Natasha away from Hailey and the little girl tucked herself into his arms. He stroked her hair just as Hailey had, tucking Natasha’s head under his chin as he held her close.

      Just as Hailey had.

      “It’s okay, honey,” he murmured to his daughter. “We’re making this better for you.”

      Hailey glanced over to Megan standing by the front doorway to the class, one arm crossed over her chest, her other hand tucked under her chin while she watched Dan and his little girl.

      Hailey beat a retreat to her friend’s side.

      “Did you figure something out?” Hailey asked.

      Megan ran her forefinger across her chin, as if drawing out her thoughts. Then she turned to Hailey. “We’ve decided that Natasha would do better with a tutor who could work with her in her home.”

      Hailey looked back to Dan, now perched on the edge of the small table, still holding his daughter.

      “Good idea, but where will you find a tutor in Hartley Creek?” she asked, watching as Dan rocked slowly back and forth, comforting his daughter.

      As a father has compassion on his children …

      The Bible verse that had comforted her so often in the dark days following Austin’s accident slipped into her mind.

      Dan was a good father, so unlike her own.

      Megan turned away from Dan to Hailey, lowering her voice. “I’m thinking this might be a good job for you.”

      Hailey’s attention jerked away from Dan to her friend. “What, what?”

      “Shush. Use your church voice,” Megan whispered, holding her finger to her lips. “You and I both know that this little girl needs more help than any of the children in the classroom. When I saw you holding her on your lap, I knew you were exactly the right person for this job.”

      “I don’t think so.” She couldn’t see Dan on a regular basis. That would put too heavy a strain on her emotions.

      “But think of Natasha,” Megan urged. “That little girl is overwrought. She recently lost her mother. She needs some kind of direction and she has obviously formed an attachment to you.”

      Hailey pressed her lips together as her sympathy for Natasha swayed her reasoning.

      Megan sensed her wavering and put her hand on Hailey’s shoulder. “I think you’re exactly the right person for the job,” she said.

      Hailey shrugged, her reluctance battling with her sympathy for Natasha. “You can think all you want, but I’m sure Dan won’t go for your plan.”

      “We’ll see,” was all Megan would say.

      They walked over to where Dan sat, still holding Natasha. The little girl lay quietly in his arms.

      Dan looked up when they came close, a raw hope in his eyes.

      “I have a temporary solution to your problem.” Megan gave Dan a bright smile. “I’ve talked to Hailey about your situation and she is willing to tutor your daughter.”

      Dan’s gaze flicked over Hailey and then returned to Megan. “I don’t think that’s an option,” was his blunt response.

      “I feel it’s a reasonable solution,” Megan replied, brushing aside his objections. “Hailey and Natasha obviously have

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