Miracles in Disguise (The Trampled Rose Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

annoyance. Her secrets weren’t going to stay buried with this man’s constant questioning. “It snows quite a bit, which I’m sure you don’t get much of here.”
    “A little now and then.”
    “So are you leaving behind a string of broken hearts?” he teased.
    “Yes. Inevitably, every year the students and I would cultivate a close relationship. It was an arduous task having to leave them.”
    She ignored his arched eyebrow, and glanced at her watch. “We better get going; I don’t want to take up your whole day.”
    Nathan shrugged and grabbed for the ticket. “Breakfast is on me.” When she was about to object, he added, “Remember I have a reputation to protect.”
    Leaving her with nothing but objections squirming on her tongue, Nathan headed for the counter.
    Moments later she joined him at the cash register. Sticking a toothpick in his mouth, he asked, “Ready?”
    They both grabbed for the door at the same time, and his hand covered hers on the handle. She pulled her hand out from under his, and walked stiffly to his truck. When they again reached for the door handle of his truck at the same time, she jerked back her hand. She threw a disapproving look over her shoulder.
    “I’m sorry,” his voice was tinged with laughter.
    “I know, I know…your reputation.” She said, irritated that he was enjoying himself at her expense. She slid into the seat and he closed the door. This is going to be an interesting morning .
     

Chapter Four
     
    It took them no time to get her housing issues taken care of, and soon Kristina stood before her new place of employment. The school was a modest, typical public school – quite different from the elite private school she came from. While the school, and her new position, might not be as prestigious, Nathan could tell she couldn’t be more excited.
    He was having a hard time figuring her out. Nathan took in her immaculate appearance. She was dressed in dark blue linen trousers and a butter yellow silk shirt. Her hair tumbled in soft curls around her shoulders and her makeup was light, but artfully applied, lending to her overall polished appearance. She looked like she belonged in a mansion, having her breakfast served to her on fine china. But the image of her seated so primly at the small kitchen table in her quaint little house in a farming town in New Mexico, eating lunch for breakfast out of a Tupperware container made him want to laugh. Now here she was, gazing at this generic school building as if she were about to enter a palace. She was definitely an enigma.
    As they entered the building, an elegantly dressed man came to greet them. Edwin Shirley was only a few inches taller than she was, and of slight build. But he was a man of presence despite his smaller stature. “Ms. Talbot, it is a pleasure to see you again. I can’t tell you how pleased we are to have you join our staff. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for your reception, but I hear Nathan took care of you splendidly."
    “Mr. Shirley, it is nice to see you, too,” she said, sidestepping the comment about Nathan. “I thank you again for this opportunity." The trio walked slowly down the hallway as Mr. Shirley went over some information about the school and its policy. As they came to her classroom, the discussion turned more to her subject, and the materials and curriculum that were used in her English class.
    After a few moments, Nathan excused himself, saying he needed to check on something. Nathan stepped outside to call his brother and check on the status of the car. After hanging up, he leaned against the low stone wall lining the entrance to the school, allowing Kristina and Mr. Shirley to meet in private. There was something about that woman that piqued his interest. Yes, she was breathtakingly beautiful, but there was something else. He wondered why she wanted to dodge and sidestep his simple questions concerning her past and New York. He wondered why she wanted to leave her prestigious