Page 43 of Sweet Surrender

“Boys,” she said. “Is it okay with you if I share your quizzes with the family?”

They both nodded solemnly.

Zane frowned, and she didn’t blame him for being a little worried, since Nick’s grades were normally not so great compared to Cal’s. But he nodded for her to proceed.

He trusts me,she realized.

“Okay, great,” she said. “Here is Cal’s math quiz. Cal did a such great job and I’m so proud of him for always carefully lining up the numbers so that it’s easier not to make a mistake.”

Cal beamed and then glanced worriedly over at his brother.

“And here’s Nick’s math quiz,” she said, revealing it. “Nick, you did an amazing job too. You didn’t make a single mistake with carrying, or with anything else.”

She couldn’t help noticing that Nick didn’t look surprised. But hedidlook like he was lit up with pride from within. And Cal looked like he would burst with happiness for his twin.

“Nicholas,” Maggie exclaimed. “Look at that.”

“Way to go, young man,” Daniel said, patting him on the back.

“Nick,” Zane said softly, bending to face his son. “Nick, I’m so proud of you.”

Nick wrapped his arms around his dad’s neck and Cal piled on too. Becca found herself tearing up at the sight.

“Looks like our new schoolteacher is getting off on the right foot,” Maggie said, wrapping an arm around her and squeezing.

“Want to hang some Christmas lights with us, Miss Hawthorne?” Nick asked excitedly, breaking away from his dad’s embrace to dart over to her.

“Yes,” Cal added. “Yes, yes, yes. You have to.”

“Oh,” she said, surprised. “I don’t want to take up any more of your time. I just didn’t want the boys to have to wait all weekend for such good news.”

“Nonsense,” Daniel insisted with a big smile. “You’re welcome to come by any time. But don’t be surprised if you get roped into some chores now and then.”

“Well,” Becca admitted. “I was actually just thinking about how I’d love to hang some lights outside, but my apartment is on the third floor.”

“You’ll need a big ladder for that, Miss Hawthorne,” Cal told her seriously, as Daniel chuckled.

“Come on then, Miss Schoolteacher,” Maggie said. “We’ll put you right to work.”

“Not in those shoes, you won’t,” Daniel said. “Put on my galoshes, young lady.”

“Thank you,” she said gratefully. She would have gone out happily without them, but she didn’t exactly have the budget for another pair of work shoes.

The boys headed out the door and scampered down the steps as she and Zane followed behind them.

“Thank you for coming all the way up here,” he told her. “You didn’t have to do that, but it means a lot.”

“I thought we could all use the encouragement,” she told him. “You took a big risk this week and put a lot of time and trouble into getting Nick into class with his brother. I wanted you to know right away that it was a good decision. And I think Cal had a good day today too.”

“He was telling me,” Zane said with a smile. “He couldn’t stop talking about all the things you all did in class and everyone he played with at recess.”

“I’m so glad the change is working out for them both so far,” she told him. “We might have rough patches when the newnesswears off. But they’re good boys. And I know they want to be good students and classmates.”

“That’s nice,” he said quietly. “How you see the best in them.”

“A person would have to be blind not to see the best in those boys,” she said, her eyes on the two little blond heads in front of them, leaning together as they examined the string of lights they had been working on.

Zane didn’t respond, and when she looked up at him he was gazing back down at her with an expression she hadn’t seen on him before.

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