Lancelot's Lady by Cherish D'Angelo Page A

ll be the worst mistake you ever made. "
    Her words cut him deeply. " Why do you say that? "
    " Trust me. I know what it ' s like to be separated from your parents. And to be foisted off on str angers. You don ' t want that for Misty. Or for yourself. "
    Rhianna was right. He couldn ' t jeopardize his relationship with Misty. He loved his daughter far too much.
    " So what do you suggest I do, Ms. McLeod? "
    " Well, for starters, you can call me Rhianna. "
    His lips lifted on one side. " I can do that… Rhianna . "
    She moved toward the door. " If I ' m going to be here for six weeks, then I want to help out. I have certain skills that might be useful. "
    " Are you experienced? " he asked.
    She spun around. " P-pardon me? "
    " Are you experienced? As a teacher? "
    She let out a soft hiss of air. " No, I ' ve never taught before. But I ' m a nurse, Mr. Tyler, and one of my clients was deaf. I ' m quite fluent in ASL. "
    " I see. Then that ' s what you can do. To be useful. "
    " Thank you, Mr. Tyler. "
    He frowned. " There is one rule though. "
    " What ' s that? "
    " If I ' m to call you by your first name, then I ' d appreciate it if you did the same. "
    " Jonathan it is, " she said. " Or would you prefer I call you Tyler like everyone else here? "
    " Jonathan is fine. " He grinned and extended a hand. " Let ' s seal the deal then, Rhianna. "
    She tentatively placed her hand in his. The sudden warmth caught him off guard. Seconds later she withdrew her hand and he clenched his fist, missing the softness of her touch. An unexpected need surged through him, a yearning so intense that the only thing he could do was watch her walk away.
    He released a pent-up sigh.
    Rhianna McLeod had a strange effect on him.
    And he didn ' t like it one little bit.
    ~ * ~
    " I ' ll read you a story when you ' re in bed, " Rhianna offered.
    Misty gave her a suspicious look. " Why? "
    The question stumped Rhianna.
    " Because I ' d like to, " she signed. " Don ' t you like books? "
    With an eager nod, Misty smiled. " Yes. "
    Rhianna grinned back. Score one for the new teacher.
    She glanced at Jonathan. He watched them from the corner of his eye, yet tried to appear disinterested.
    " You want to read to her? " she signed.
    Jonathan ' s face reddened. " I ' m afraid my signing skills are worse than hers. "
    Her eyes widened in surprise. " I ' m sorry. I assumed from the books in the den that you were fluent. "
    " I ' m trying to learn. " He glanced at his daughter. " For Misty ' s sake. "
    " Believe me, I understand. Signing comes more naturally to children than adults. "
    " Misty ' s sign language is limited, " he said. " Her teachers said her communication skills were lacking because she wouldn ' t study. They blamed it on Misty ' s disruptive behavior. "
    Rhianna frowned. " I think it ' s the other way around. "
    " What do you mean? "
    " Because she can ' t communicate well, she ' s frustrated, and that leads to her behavior problems. "
    " According to the last teacher, Misty is the most rebellious, impatient and stubborn six-year old she ' d ever met. "
    She shot him a smug look. " I wonder where she gets it from. "
    Jonathan actually grinned. " Yeah, I guess the apple doesn ' t fall far from the tree. "
    Caught up in his smile, she barely heard him.
    He ' s very handsome when he smiles.
    She cleared her throat. " I don ' t mean to pry, but what have the doctors said? Can they do anything for Misty? "
    Jonathan sighed. " She has a hearing aid, but she refuses to wear it. I ' ve tried bribing, threatening and pleading. Nothing works. "
    Misty appeared in the doorway. " Read, " she signed, handing Rhianna a book of fairy tales.
    Jonathan took his daughter ' s hand and led her inside the room. " First we have to get your PJs on, " he said, signing the letters PJ .
    " No! " Misty tossed the two-piece pajama set on the floor and tried signing something to him. She let out a huff and made the same awkward signs.
    Jonathan ' s mouth hardened. " I don ' t