Chapter 1 #3
“Really, and that’s not all. When you wear the necklace home, you and I will go get ice cream or do something else special, and you get to stay up a half an hour later at night. I’ll also let you pick what we watch on television on those nights.”
“That all sounds awesome,” Sammy replied with enthusiasm.
“But there’s a catch,” Seth continued. “If you don’t wear the necklace home then I’ll know you didn’t behave in school that day. As a result, you will go to bed early without television or tablet time, and there will be no cookies and milk or any other treats for that night.”
Sammy stared at him soberly. “So, I need to get that necklace and wear it home every day.”
“That’s right. You’re in control, son. You can either choose to have a bad day or choose to have a good day at school. It’s all up to you. Now finish your breakfast so you don’t miss the bus.”
Twenty minutes later, the two walked out of the house and down the long driveway. Even though the sun was bright overhead, the day was chilly.
When they reached the road that ran in front of the farm, they stopped to wait for the school bus. “Remember son, you have the control of whether you get that necklace or not. It’s all up to you.”
As they continued to wait for the bus, Seth also told Sammy about getting tutored by his teacher. “Can she see my room when she comes over?” Sammy asked.
“We could probably make that happen,” Seth replied. “Now, have a good day,” Seth added as the yellow bus lumbered toward them.
Minutes later Seth returned to the house and cleaned up the breakfast dishes. After only two months, he felt completely at home in the three-bedroom ranch house. He’d been extremely lucky to find the farm for sale in the small town.
The previous owners were an older couple who had decided to retire and move to Des Moines, Iowa, to be closer to their son who lived there. The farmhouse had come with acres and acres of rich farmland already growing some crops. There was also half a dozen good, sturdy outbuildings.
Seth knew the move had been necessary for Sammy’s well-being. He’d wanted to move the little boy out of the house that held so many memories of his mother. They’d needed a fresh start, and Millsville, Kansas, seemed to be a great place to raise a boy. Seth hoped his son would thrive here.
Right after school on Tuesday evening, Seth reminded his son about the tutoring.
He’d worn the prized necklace home the last two days, and tonight Seth had made him his favorite meal of grilled cheese and tomato soup, then Sammy played on his tablet as Seth cleaned up the kitchen.
Normally dinnertime was around six, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays the meal would be extra early to accommodate the tutoring time at five o’clock.
Seth was ridiculously anxious as the time for Suzanna Michaels to arrive at his house approached. He made sure the kitchen was spotless and cleared off the table so she and his son would be able to work there.
He then went back into the living room and looked around to make sure that room was ready for company.
A dark gray sofa along with a black recliner and a dark stone fireplace were the focal points in the living room.
Above the fireplace hung a flat-screen television, and a bookcase was filled with books about farming.
The wooden coffee tables had all been dusted, and he believed the room was company ready. He’d also cleaned the bathroom and all three of the bedrooms.
At four forty-five he sank down in the recliner to await the teacher. Sammy was curled up in the corner of the sofa playing on his tablet.
At exactly five o’clock there was a knock on the door. Seth went to answer. Suzanna stood on the porch and offered him a wide smile. “Good evening, Mr. Daniels.”
“Good evening to you, Mrs. Michaels.” He opened the door wider to usher her inside.
As she swept past him, he caught the scent of wildflowers coupled with a hint of vanilla…it was a highly attractive fragrance.
When he had first met her for the parent-teacher meeting, she’d been wearing a pair of black slacks with a white-and-black-striped blouse, and she had looked completely professional.
This evening, she wore a pair of jeans that hugged her shapely hips and long legs, and a pink long-sleeved T-shirt that clung to her full breasts. A new jolt of attraction shot off inside him, an attraction he immediately tried to tamp down.
She greeted Sammy and within minutes the two of them were settled in at the kitchen table, and Seth was back in his recliner in the living room.
She had a nice voice, and he could hear her patience as she worked with Sammy. Several times she and Sammy laughed together, and that sound was particularly pleasant.
At a little before six thirty, the two came back into the living room. Seth immediately sat upright in his chair and then stood. “Sammy, go get in the bathtub and get ready for bed,” he told his son. “And tonight, you get to stay up a half an hour later than usual.”
“Cool,” Sammy said and then darted out of the room and down the hallway.
Seth turned to Suzanna. “Would you like to stay for a cup of coffee?” he asked. He was eager to talk to her about how the tutoring session had gone.
“Sure, I’d love a cup of coffee before heading home,” she agreed.
They returned to the kitchen, where she sat at the table and he went over to the one-cup coffeemaker that he used during the afternoons and evenings. In the mornings he always made a full pot of coffee for himself. He was definitely a coffee drinker.
It only took a couple of minutes, and he had two cups made. “Cream or sugar?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t mind a little sugar,” she replied. “Just one teaspoon.”
He added the sugar to her cup and then carried the two coffees to the table. He sat down across from her as a bit of tension tightened his stomach muscles. He didn’t know if the tension was because he was eager to hear about the tutoring session or because he found her so damned attractive.
“How did it go this evening?” he asked.
“Very well. Sammy was attentive and a good listener. I think these tutoring sessions are really going to help him out a lot,” she replied.
“I’ve been really pleased that he got to wear the necklace home yesterday and today.” Seth tried not to pay attention to her sweet scent that seemed to wrap around him and threatened to dizzy his senses. “Are there other kids who get to wear a necklace home?”
“I usually have three of four others who are working on behavior issues and earn the necklaces. You do realize there are probably going to be days when he won’t wear it home,” she replied and then took a sip of the coffee. “But I definitely think we’re on the right track with him.”
“I really appreciate that you’re doing all this for him instead of just writing him off as a bad kid.” Her eyes were such a beautiful blue. Damn, why was he noticing her attractiveness so much?
“I don’t believe there are any bad kids,” she said. “And I appreciate you working with me. You wouldn’t believe how many parents believe their child is perfect and refuse to take any suggestions or help from me.”
“That only hurts their kids,” he replied. “How long have you been teaching?”
“This is my seventh year.”
“And you obviously like it,” he said.
“I absolutely love it,” she replied. Her blue eyes sparkled, and a smile curved her lush lips.
The tension in Seth’s stomach intensified. God, she was beautiful. Not that it mattered. Seth wasn’t interested in dating.
“The nice thing about being a teacher in a small town is I get to follow up and know about my students until their high school graduation,” she said.