Ask Mariah Read Online Free Page A
Author: Barbara Freethy
Monday morning. The school was a long one-story building with the office in the center and two hallways leading to the classrooms in each wing.
Joanna spied Nora standing behind the reception desk, apparently oblivious to the racket.
"Is something wrong?" Joanna asked.
"What?" Nora looked up, her mind still focused on the papers in front of her. She was a veteran of eight years in the elementary school trenches and didn't exhibit any of the signs of nervousness that Joanna had experienced since she woke up that morning.
"The screaming," she said as a fresh burst of wailing rang through the open front door.
"Oh. That's just the sound of first day jitters."
"Really?" Joanna walked across the hall and looked out the front door.
Two identical twin girls were clinging to a tall dark-haired man. Their clothes were completely mismatched. One wore jeans, a T-shirt, and different colored socks; the other wore a long-sleeved dress that would have her sweating in the summer sunshine before noon. Their hair was falling out of rubber bands, made worse by the rapid shaking of their heads every time their father told them to go into the school.
"Looks like it was a tough morning," Joanna said.
Nora joined her at the front door. "Oh, my. Where did he come from -- the cover of GQ?"
"It looks like it." The man on the street wasn't just attractive, he was gorgeous. Taller than average, he was athletically built, with dark curly hair a shade too long for his fine Italian suit. His tie was a daring shade of red, a contradiction to the conservative gray of his coat and pants.
This man would look good in a boardroom, surrounded by other power suits, but she doubted he could be more appealing than he was right now, with a crooked tie, a large wet spot on his jacket, and a doll poking out of his pocket. There was something about a man with his children that tugged at Joanna's heart.
"Those two are obviously running the show," Nora commented.
"Maybe we should help."
"Let's give him a chance. It's better in the long run to have the parents and children separate on their own." Nora nudged Joanna with her arm. "But you know all about that, don't you -- Miss College Professor."
"We don't have to worry about separation anxiety with eighteen-year-olds." Joanna shook her head. "I must have been crazy to take this job. I don't know how to teach little kids."
"It's not that hard. Besides, you're the most educated person I know."
"Educated in history, not six-year-olds." Joanna winced at a particularly shrill shriek. "They do eventually stop screaming, don't they?"
"If you're lucky. Relax. This job will be good for you. You said you were tired of your thesis, tired of spending all your time reading about dead people. This is real life, kiddo. If you can handle six-year-olds, you can handle anything."
"Right." Joanna moved closer to the door so she could hear the conversation going on outside.
"We talked about this," the man said, squatting in front of the girls. "You have to go to school today because you made Mrs. Polking leave, and I don't have anyone to watch you."
The two girls crossed their arms at the exact same moment and tilted their chins in the air like warriors going into battle. One girl shook her head so hard, her ponytail fell out. She looked down at the rubber band on the sidewalk and began to cry.
"It's okay, Rose," the man said. "I'll fix it." He grabbed the rubber band and roughly pulled her hair into it. The little girl cried louder.
"I wonder where their mother is," Joanna said quietly.
"Probably at work or home sick. I've never seen them before. They must have just signed up. I think they're in your class. I saw twins on the list. Their names are like flowers. Lily and Rose, I think."
"How sweet."
Nora laughed. "They look anything but sweet."
Joanna reluctantly had to agree as one of the girls took off running down the street.
"Come back here, Lily," the man said.
Lily stopped ten yards away from him and
Joanna spied Nora standing behind the reception desk, apparently oblivious to the racket.
"Is something wrong?" Joanna asked.
"What?" Nora looked up, her mind still focused on the papers in front of her. She was a veteran of eight years in the elementary school trenches and didn't exhibit any of the signs of nervousness that Joanna had experienced since she woke up that morning.
"The screaming," she said as a fresh burst of wailing rang through the open front door.
"Oh. That's just the sound of first day jitters."
"Really?" Joanna walked across the hall and looked out the front door.
Two identical twin girls were clinging to a tall dark-haired man. Their clothes were completely mismatched. One wore jeans, a T-shirt, and different colored socks; the other wore a long-sleeved dress that would have her sweating in the summer sunshine before noon. Their hair was falling out of rubber bands, made worse by the rapid shaking of their heads every time their father told them to go into the school.
"Looks like it was a tough morning," Joanna said.
Nora joined her at the front door. "Oh, my. Where did he come from -- the cover of GQ?"
"It looks like it." The man on the street wasn't just attractive, he was gorgeous. Taller than average, he was athletically built, with dark curly hair a shade too long for his fine Italian suit. His tie was a daring shade of red, a contradiction to the conservative gray of his coat and pants.
This man would look good in a boardroom, surrounded by other power suits, but she doubted he could be more appealing than he was right now, with a crooked tie, a large wet spot on his jacket, and a doll poking out of his pocket. There was something about a man with his children that tugged at Joanna's heart.
"Those two are obviously running the show," Nora commented.
"Maybe we should help."
"Let's give him a chance. It's better in the long run to have the parents and children separate on their own." Nora nudged Joanna with her arm. "But you know all about that, don't you -- Miss College Professor."
"We don't have to worry about separation anxiety with eighteen-year-olds." Joanna shook her head. "I must have been crazy to take this job. I don't know how to teach little kids."
"It's not that hard. Besides, you're the most educated person I know."
"Educated in history, not six-year-olds." Joanna winced at a particularly shrill shriek. "They do eventually stop screaming, don't they?"
"If you're lucky. Relax. This job will be good for you. You said you were tired of your thesis, tired of spending all your time reading about dead people. This is real life, kiddo. If you can handle six-year-olds, you can handle anything."
"Right." Joanna moved closer to the door so she could hear the conversation going on outside.
"We talked about this," the man said, squatting in front of the girls. "You have to go to school today because you made Mrs. Polking leave, and I don't have anyone to watch you."
The two girls crossed their arms at the exact same moment and tilted their chins in the air like warriors going into battle. One girl shook her head so hard, her ponytail fell out. She looked down at the rubber band on the sidewalk and began to cry.
"It's okay, Rose," the man said. "I'll fix it." He grabbed the rubber band and roughly pulled her hair into it. The little girl cried louder.
"I wonder where their mother is," Joanna said quietly.
"Probably at work or home sick. I've never seen them before. They must have just signed up. I think they're in your class. I saw twins on the list. Their names are like flowers. Lily and Rose, I think."
"How sweet."
Nora laughed. "They look anything but sweet."
Joanna reluctantly had to agree as one of the girls took off running down the street.
"Come back here, Lily," the man said.
Lily stopped ten yards away from him and
Readers choose
Mark Roberts
Bonnie Bryant
Jacqueline Kelly
Shawn Michel de Montaigne
David Handler
Shayne Parkinson
Elise K Ackers
Kathryn Hughes
Brock Thoene
P. Jameson