Gwen shook her head emphatically. “No, I don’t think that at all. I’m certain she was simply reacting to some mean-spirited comments made by one of her classmates, that’s all. I would tell you if I thought there was more to it, honestly I would. Charity was just standing up for herself. And as I’ve already told you, I think she showed the class today that Billy’s bullying doesn’t have to be tolerated. The children have other outlets. They have me. They can come to me. And I’ve told them so.”
After a moment he gave his head a slow, grim shake. “I guess you can tell I don’t have a clue about raising a daughter. I have no experience at this at all. I’m a single guy whose only responsibility up until a few weeks ago was showing up for work every day and paying my rent on time.”
“Oh, now,” she crooned softly. His self-doubt stirred her empathy something fierce. “Give yourself more credit than that.”
She felt such an overwhelming urge to encourage and support this man. Gwen tried to imagine what it would be like to wake up one morning and discover that not only do you have a daughter but that you’re now going to be her sole guardian. The idea was mind-boggling. The poor guy must have reeled when he found out about Charity. Heck, from the sound it, he was still reeling.
“All you need to do is love her,” Gwen told him. “That’s the number-one key to raising a healthy child. Unconditional love.” Then she smiled. “That, and firm discipline.”
He seemed surprised by this last suggestion.
The silent questions in his dark gaze had her elaborating, “I’ve only been working with youngsters for a few years, but the one thing I’ve learned is that kids love to shove at the boundaries that have been set for them.” Her eyes twinkled with the merriment she felt. “As adults, it’s our job to shove them right back. Metaphorically speaking, of course.”
He laughed, and Gwen was amazed by how much she liked the rich sound. She’d have loved to press her palm to his chest and feel the vibration of it.
The idea made her eyes widen a fraction. It was clear to her that, despite the disquieting, memory-stirring uniform he wore, Nathan Thunder was having the most startling effect on her.
“Love and discipline. I’ll try to remember that.”
She squeezed his forearm. “You’ll do just fine. You’ll see.”
His gorgeous eyes clouded with skepticism, but he made no further comment. Finally he said, “Thank you, Gwen, for being so reasonable about the mess Charity got herself into today.”
A soft chuckle escaped her throat. “When you choose to work with kids, your middle name had better be ‘reasonable’ or you aren’t going to survive for very long.” All this talk of being levelheaded with children triggered the memory of what had happened last week with her brother.
“I owe you a hefty dose of appreciation, as well,” she said, her tone growing serious. “You, too, were very reasonable last week with my brother. I thank you for taking the time to talk to him.”
“That was all part of my job. I’d much rather give a kid a good lecture meant to scare the bejesus out of him than see him get himself into some real trouble later in life.”
Gwen hoped that Brian’s run-in with the law would have him walking the straight and narrow path. But for some reason, she feared that wasn’t the case. There was simply too much secrecy about where he was and whom he spent his time with these days. Some of that, she was certain, was just part of being a teenager. But Brian was harboring a great deal of anger and resentment, and Gwen felt her brother had no intention of venting those negative feelings in positive ways.
“How is he?” Nathan asked. “Your brother—Brian’s his name, isn’t it?”
“Brian, yes.” Inadvertently she sighed. “He’s…okay.”
Obviously sensing her hesitance, he coaxed, “Is everything really all right at home? Are your parents very upset with Brian for what happened at the store?”
“N-no. Well…,” she stammered, “you see, it’s just me and Brian.”
It was clear that this revelation surprised him. He tried to temper his reaction, but this news caused questions to form in his head. Gwen could plainly see that. However, before he could speak, movement at the classroom doorway plucked at their attention.
“Dad.”
Gwen smiled and invited Charity into the room with a wave of her hand. The child looked so innocent with her mop of dark curls and her milky complexion. At first glance, no one would have guessed that this little girl was capable of knocking a fellow student on his behind. Gwen stifled the grin that threatened to break out across her face.
“Mrs. Halley told me to come down here. She had to leave to pick up her son at day care.”
Glancing at the clock, Gwen said, “I should let you go, too. I’m sure you have a busy evening planned. And I still have some things to do to get ready for class tomorrow, then I have to get home. I don’t like to leave Brian alone for too long.”
“Miss Fleming?”
“Yes, Charity?” Gwen directed her full attention to the child.
“Am I allowed to come to school tomorrow? I promise not to hit Billy again.” Then the girl shook her head, her face taking on a clear and unmistakable expression of long suffering. “No matter how much he might need it.”
The opinion was delivered without a trace of guile; however, Nathan went pale at his daughter’s unexpected aside. The best Gwen could do was bite back the laughter that nearly got the best of her.
“Of course you can come back to school,” she said. She bent down so that she was face-to-face with Charity. “And if Billy does or says something to upset you, you come see me, okay? Just like we talked about today.”
Charity nodded. “I will.”
Gwen straightened and, smiling, reached out her hand to Nathan. She hoped she could silently convey to the man that his daughter’s comment wasn’t anything out of the norm. She heard those kinds of outlandish judgments on a daily basis from her six-year-old students. However, now just wasn’t a good time to tell him, not with Charity within earshot.
“It was good to meet you, Nathan.”
“Same here,” he said.
His apologetic look seemed to soften, and she got the distinct impression that he’d somehow understood the silent message she’d attempted to send. His dark eyes softened. “Thanks for everything.”
Her smile broadened. “You’re very welcome.”
He and Charity turned to go, and the oddest sensation washed through Gwen’s body. As she watched father and daughter walk out of the classroom, she couldn’t get over the feeling that her life would never quite be the same.
Chapter Two
Her hand felt so small and vulnerable in his as the two of them walked across the school parking lot toward his car. Even after weeks of having this child in
