Small-Town Mom Read Online Free PDF Page B

“It’s okay. Your afternoon doesn’t seem to be going as you’d planned.” She knew he’d asked about the kids out of genuine concern and was willing to let go of her defensiveness. Oddly, it seemed important to her all of a sudden that Eli see her as someone other than a mother, even though that’s what she was. The mother of one of his students.
    “You’ve got that right. You don’t mind taking Mom shopping? I really appreciate it.”
    “Not at all. All I have planned is to install this.” She held up the new valve.
    “By yourself?” He glanced at her and halted his step. “Wrong thing to say—again.”
    She nodded. “Wrong thing to say. I do a lot of home maintenance. My aunt and uncle gave my husband and me a great home repair book as a wedding present. Neither one of us knew anything. Turned out I was a lot better at it than he was.” A qualm rippled through her at having criticized John. But she hadn’t really. She was better and over the years had collected a fair amount of experience. Moreover, she enjoyed it.
    “Good for you. I haven’t had much experience with handy female civilians. But I’ve known a lot of very resourceful military wives.”
    Jamie wanted to shout at him that she wasn’t military, hadn’t been military, didn’t want to be associated with the military. She had been, though. And had chosen that life path with John, fully aware of her choice—as fully aware as an eighteen-year-old could be.
    But Eli didn’t need to know that. And if he were like any of the soldiers she’d known, wouldn’t want to hear it.
    “I do what I have to do. Myles is a big help, too, when I run into something that’s a two-person job.”
    “That’s a productive use of his time.”
    Jamie’s temper sparked and ebbed. What was it about Eli that made her think everything he said was a comment on her parenting skills? Maybe it was the nature of his job, although Myles’s former guidance counselor, Erin Ryder, hadn’t had the same effect on her. She glanced at Eli’s profile and her heart did a traitorous flip-flop that wiped away her annoyance with him. Eli had several effects on her that Erin hadn’t.
    “Did you find what you needed?” Leah’s voice pulled Jamie from her thoughts. She felt a blush tinge her cheeks.
    “Yes.” Jamie motioned Eli to check out ahead of her.
    His mother frowned when he placed his purchase on the checkout stand.
    “Eli said you need to go to the supercenter. I can take you. I need to pick up a few things, too.” Jamie lowered her voice. “I think he wants to watch that football game Harry was talking about.”
    Out of the corner of her eye, Jamie caught Eli giving her a thumbs-up. She started at the boyish gesture. It seemed out of character for Eli, or at least for the picture she’d formed of him.
    “Oh.” Bewilderment laced Leah’s voice. “I didn’t catch that. I was going to suggest Eli go over to your house after we got back and install that part for you.”
    “No need. Myles and I can handle it.”
    Disappointment clouded Leah’s face.
    Eli coughed, and Jamie stifled a laugh. Leah was matchmaking, and he must have found it as preposterous as Jamie did.
    “You have the kids and your job. You shouldn’t have to do house repairs, too. I’ll send Eli over some evening next week to do it for you.”
    This time Eli’s cough came out more as the choke he was trying to cover.
    Leah waved him off. “Go ahead and watch your game. I’ll shop with Jamie. We can get in some girl talk.”
    Jamie had a feeling Leah’s girl talk might evolve into boy talk. One “boy” in particular. Maybe while they were on the topic, she could convince Leah that she didn’t need Eli to help her with her plumbing. Or maybe Leah’s current art project would absorb her attention to the exclusion of everything else, as often happened, and she’d forget all about her offer.
    The last thing Jamie needed was more quality time with Eli. He couldn’t seem to open his