The Surprise Princess Read Online Free PDF

were a common conversation. “When you started my class, you would keep your sweater sleeve pulled down over that hand. After you mother died you slowly stoppeds. I wondered at the time if it was because you weren’t being reminded to cover your hand.”
    Was that true? Had her mother urged her to hide her hand? She honestly couldn’t remember.
    “She was good to me,” she said.
    Carolyn nodded, but it was more as if she were acknowledging that Katie had said the words than that she believed them. “There’s something else, Katie. Your reaction to what Hunter Pierce said was so out of character. Not at all like you.”
    She tried to laugh. “You mean all the other times you’ve seen me react to a crazy story about me not being who I am?”
    Carolyn remained serious.
    Katie pushed her hair back. “I needed time to process what he’d said. Wouldn’t you if someone said crazy things like that?”
    Carolyn frowned. “I’d certainly be shocked. But maybe that’s part of it. I had the feeling you didn’t want to hear what he was saying but you weren’t as shocked as you tried to make us think.”
    “Of course I was. How could I not be?”
    She gave a small shrug. “I don’t know. But what matters is where you go from here. What are you going to do, Katie?”
    This she felt confident answering.
    “I’m going to get up and go to the office in the morning. I’m going to work on organizing the trip to Europe this summer along with all the usual tasks for the end of the season, recruiting, and summer camps. That’s what I’m going to do.”
    Just the way she had since a magazine article had sent her up to search the attic.

 
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
    S he got to the office early, which allowed her to be deep into the routine of handling whatever came up … which so seldom followed a routine.
    C.J., Carolyn, and Brad came in together. Had they been talking about yesterday? About her? No. She wasn’t going to indulge in paranoia.
    She offered a breezy hello, but kept her focus on the computer screen, which meant she only felt all of them looking at her then exchanging concerned looks, instead of actually seeing it, so it could have been her imagination.
    “Heard anything from that Hunter Pierce today?” C.J. asked.
    “Not a word.” Her cheer felt forced. “I don’t expect to. It’ll all blow over.”
    “Didn’t get the feeling he’s a man to let something blow over,” Carolyn said mildly.
    C.J. leaned on her desk. “Katie, maybe you should consider—”
    “Don’t push her around, C.J.” Brad’s sharpness made Katie blink, which is why it took an extra moment for her to realize C.J. and Carolyn were also staring at Brad. His next words were closer to his usual easy style. “She’s so used to taking orders from you, she’d do what you said automatically. You wouldn’t want that, Coach. That’s not your style.”
    “Didn’t know I had a style,” the older man drawled. “But I’m still trying to get over you saying Katie’s used to taking orders from me. She runs this place, and we all know it.”
    Carolyn said peaceably, “That’s true. She’ll have you all sailing through Europe like clockwork this summer.”
    “Not me.” Katie practically wanted to sing with relief that the subject had changed. “The company we’ve hired to handle all the arrangements will do that. The final papers are in the system with printouts in the folder at the top right of your desk.” C.J. still liked to read some papers at home.
    “Of course they are.” Carolyn smiled. “What a great trip that’s going to be.”
    “You and the kids could still come,” C.J. said.
    “You’re going to be so busy bouncing around the continent having fun with your boys and Katie, you’d never have time for us.”
    Katie needed to deliver the news that she wasn’t going on the trip, but this was not the time.
    “We’re going to have an educational trip. We’ll study culture, politics, and history, as well as play