know what you want, " he said, his hands resting at his side.
" She ' d like the purple nightgown instead, " Rhianna said softly. " The one that ' s hanging inside her… " She paused, looked at Misty and signed, " Closet? "
The girl nodded.
Minutes later, Misty was in her bed, snuggled up with a stuffed penguin. " Story? " she signed.
She surprised Rhianna by patting the bed.
" You want me to sit? " Rhianna asked.
" Yes. "
" You seem to have made an impression, " Jonathan said behind her.
She glanced at him. " Have I? "
There was a moment of silence.
" With Misty, " he said softly.
She slowly blew out the breath she was holding. Lowering her head, she fumbled with the book, opening it to the first page. " I knew that ' s what you meant. "
There was no reply.
Jonathan was gone.
Chapter 8
As Rhianna closed the door to Misty ' s room, she thought of how the young girl had tried to copy her as she signed the story. Misty was smart. No doubt about it. With a little encouragement, she could learn to sign more proficiently.
She thought of Jonathan. Where was his ex-wife? Had she remarried? Did she ever come to visit?
Does he still love her?
Shaking her head, she backed away from the door.
" Is she asleep? "
" Jesus! " she hissed, grabbing her throat. " Don ' t sneak up on me like that. "
Jonathan emerged from a shadowed doorway and stepped into the dimly lit hall. " Sorry. I didn ' t mean to scare you. "
" You don ' t scare me. "
" I don ' t? " His mouth curled into a lazy smile.
Rhianna frowned.
Why did everything the man say sound so evocative?
" I ' ll go say goodnight to Misty, " Jonathan said.
" She fell asleep before I finished the fourth book. "
" You should ' ve gotten me. "
" You could ' ve stayed while I read to her. "
" And have you work your magic spell on me too? "
She laughed. " What are you talking about? "
" I ' ve never seen my daughter take to someone so fast. She wouldn ' t let the other teachers get one foot inside her room. " He started down the stairs.
" I ' m not a teacher, " she said, right behind him. " She thinks I ' m your… "
At the bottom of the stairs, he turned. " My what? "
" Friend, " she said, swallowing hard. " I don ' t know. I ' m just some stranger who showed up here. "
" Yet there you were, a complete stranger, sitting beside her when usually she throws a temper tantrum. " He shook his head. " Magic. "
If she reached out she could touch his shoulders. But she kept her hands glued to her sides.
Look but don ' t touch.
Jonathan was doing his own observing. It was making her self-conscious. His eyes trailed over her, from the top of her head down to her bare feet. She held her breath as his gaze swept back up, pausing on her mouth.
She licked her lips.
Suddenly, Jonathan jerked his head toward the living room. " I think we both deserve a nightcap. "
The spell broken, she moved down the last two steps and followed him to the bar. He poured two glasses of wine and handed her one.
" Thank you, " she said, sitting on the sofa.
" No, thank you . " He took a sip of wine before adding, " Misty ' s teachers said she was so far behind in signing that they couldn ' t waste time reading to her. "
" I don ' t consider reading a waste of time. "
" Those were their words, not mine. " He studied her hands. " You sign beautifully. "
" I ' m a bit rusty, " she admitted, " but it ' s kind of like riding a bike. Once you learn ASL, you never really forget. "
" Unless you ' re me, " he said sheepishly.
" Don ' t worry about whether your signing is perfect. It ' s all about communicating with someone you love. " She blushed. " And I know you love your daughter. "
" That I do. So teach me. "
The wine was making her lightheaded. " Teach you? "
" To sign. I could use some lessons. "
" I don ' t know if you ' ll make a very good student, " she blurted.
His eyes narrowed. " I don ' t know if you ' ll make a good teacher. "
She couldn ' t resist a challenge.
"
" She ' d like the purple nightgown instead, " Rhianna said softly. " The one that ' s hanging inside her… " She paused, looked at Misty and signed, " Closet? "
The girl nodded.
Minutes later, Misty was in her bed, snuggled up with a stuffed penguin. " Story? " she signed.
She surprised Rhianna by patting the bed.
" You want me to sit? " Rhianna asked.
" Yes. "
" You seem to have made an impression, " Jonathan said behind her.
She glanced at him. " Have I? "
There was a moment of silence.
" With Misty, " he said softly.
She slowly blew out the breath she was holding. Lowering her head, she fumbled with the book, opening it to the first page. " I knew that ' s what you meant. "
There was no reply.
Jonathan was gone.
Chapter 8
As Rhianna closed the door to Misty ' s room, she thought of how the young girl had tried to copy her as she signed the story. Misty was smart. No doubt about it. With a little encouragement, she could learn to sign more proficiently.
She thought of Jonathan. Where was his ex-wife? Had she remarried? Did she ever come to visit?
Does he still love her?
Shaking her head, she backed away from the door.
" Is she asleep? "
" Jesus! " she hissed, grabbing her throat. " Don ' t sneak up on me like that. "
Jonathan emerged from a shadowed doorway and stepped into the dimly lit hall. " Sorry. I didn ' t mean to scare you. "
" You don ' t scare me. "
" I don ' t? " His mouth curled into a lazy smile.
Rhianna frowned.
Why did everything the man say sound so evocative?
" I ' ll go say goodnight to Misty, " Jonathan said.
" She fell asleep before I finished the fourth book. "
" You should ' ve gotten me. "
" You could ' ve stayed while I read to her. "
" And have you work your magic spell on me too? "
She laughed. " What are you talking about? "
" I ' ve never seen my daughter take to someone so fast. She wouldn ' t let the other teachers get one foot inside her room. " He started down the stairs.
" I ' m not a teacher, " she said, right behind him. " She thinks I ' m your… "
At the bottom of the stairs, he turned. " My what? "
" Friend, " she said, swallowing hard. " I don ' t know. I ' m just some stranger who showed up here. "
" Yet there you were, a complete stranger, sitting beside her when usually she throws a temper tantrum. " He shook his head. " Magic. "
If she reached out she could touch his shoulders. But she kept her hands glued to her sides.
Look but don ' t touch.
Jonathan was doing his own observing. It was making her self-conscious. His eyes trailed over her, from the top of her head down to her bare feet. She held her breath as his gaze swept back up, pausing on her mouth.
She licked her lips.
Suddenly, Jonathan jerked his head toward the living room. " I think we both deserve a nightcap. "
The spell broken, she moved down the last two steps and followed him to the bar. He poured two glasses of wine and handed her one.
" Thank you, " she said, sitting on the sofa.
" No, thank you . " He took a sip of wine before adding, " Misty ' s teachers said she was so far behind in signing that they couldn ' t waste time reading to her. "
" I don ' t consider reading a waste of time. "
" Those were their words, not mine. " He studied her hands. " You sign beautifully. "
" I ' m a bit rusty, " she admitted, " but it ' s kind of like riding a bike. Once you learn ASL, you never really forget. "
" Unless you ' re me, " he said sheepishly.
" Don ' t worry about whether your signing is perfect. It ' s all about communicating with someone you love. " She blushed. " And I know you love your daughter. "
" That I do. So teach me. "
The wine was making her lightheaded. " Teach you? "
" To sign. I could use some lessons. "
" I don ' t know if you ' ll make a very good student, " she blurted.
His eyes narrowed. " I don ' t know if you ' ll make a good teacher. "
She couldn ' t resist a challenge.
"
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