Phyllis Halldorson - A Man Worth Marrying

“I have fresh coffee made,” he said as he hung the coat in the closet of the small entryway. “If you’d like to go sit down in the living room, I’ll bring the cups and things out.”

She’d smelled the coffee perking the minute she stepped inside the house, and she wasn’t going to be coy about accepting a cup. She needed something to keep her wide awake and shrewd enough to deal with this man.

“Let me help,” she said, and followed him into the kitchen. There she saw a carafe, china cups, saucers, sugar, creamer and silver spoons arranged on a tray. She was sure this wasn’t the way he had his coffee when he was alone. He’d gone to some trouble to make things nice for her.

He accepted her offer without hesitation. “If you really want to, you can bring the can of soda and the glass of ice over there on the counter. That’s for Tinker.”

She picked up the items and walked into the living room, where Gray set the tray down on the coffee table in front of the sofa that faced the brick fireplace.

“I’d intended to light a fire,” he said, motioning for her to sit down, “but I had some errands to run after I picked Tinker up at school, and by the time we got home, it was too late.”

She had the distinct impression that he was grasping for small talk rather than coming to grips with the issue that had brought her here—but why?

“Everything is just right,” she assured him as she settled herself on the couch. “But you shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble. Where is Tinker, by the way?”

Gray sat down beside Eve. “She’s watching television in my office down the hall. She doesn’t have many friends. Once in a while she’ll bring a classmate home with her, or she’ll be invited to go to someone else’s house, but mostly she keeps to herself. I think it’s her poor grades. She doesn’t want to talk about them with the other students, so she remains aloof.”

Eve felt a stab of compassion. “Oh, the poor child,” she murmured. “She really does need help. That type of thing can damage her self-image for a lifetime.”

“I’m well aware of that,” Gray said. “But there’s something I have to tell you before we go any further with this.”

He shifted nervously on the cushion. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to Tinker last evening about having her tutored.”

Eve’s eyes widened with dismay. “But you promised—”

“I know,” he said mournfully, “and I had every intention of doing it, but when I left the school after talking with you I got a call on my cell phone from the TV station, telling me some new weather-tracking equipment we’d ordered had been delivered. I needed to be there to learn how it’s set up, and how to use it.”

He shrugged. “All I could do was phone Bambi and tell her to pick Tinker up at the baby-sitter’s instead of at my house. I hadn’t seen her since I left you yesterday afternoon until she came home from school today. By then it was so late that I decided I’d better wait and talk it over with you. You know better how to handle children than I do.”

“She doesn’t know why I’m here.” Eve’s voice was filled with chagrin. She felt trapped. This was supposed to be a getting-to-know-each-other meeting to see if she and Tinker could connect as student and teacher. It was important that the child accept being tutored before her father sprang his choice of tutor on her. This wasn’t fair to either student or teacher.

Gray ran his fingers through his hair. “No, she doesn’t,” he admitted. “I’m sorry, Eve, but it’s just one of those things that snowballed out of my control. I didn’t even have a chance to call you and postpone the meeting. As long as you’re here now, though, I would like you to meet her. She knows you’re coming.”

Eve glared at him. “You told her about me?”

He sighed. “I had to. She saw me fixing the coffee things, and asked who was coming.” The corners of his mouth raised in a small smile. “I don’t usually use the best china and silver when I serve coffee to neighbors or the gang I work with.”

Eve had to admit that sounded reasonable. “What did you tell her about me?”

“Only that we had some business to discuss,” he assured her. “She didn’t think anything of it. In my profession you meet a lot of new people, so she’s used to strangers coming and going.”

Eve fidgeted with her purse. “I really don’t see any advantage to meeting her until you’ve told her about the tutoring sessions.” She hemmed.

She was surprised to discover that she’d actually been looking forward to seeing Gray’s little girl. Eve was curious about how the youngster looked, how she was progressing with her schoolwork, and how she and Gray got along together.

“Please, Eve, stay for just a little while. I always introduce Tinker to my guests. She expects it, and if you run off without even saying hello to her, it’s going to hurt her feelings.”

Gray caught himself up short. What was the matter with him anyway? He’d wanted a graceful reason not to hire her. Now here it was, handed to him on the proverbial silver platter, and he was practically pleading with her to stay and get acquainted!

Meanwhile, Eve could see it was important that she stay at least long enough to meet Tinker and have a cup of coffee. She relaxed and leaned back against the leather upholstery. “All right, if you really think it’s best, I’d love to meet her. But make it plain that I’m just a business associate.”

“I’m sorry it has to be that way,” he said sadly, “but I understand.”

He stood up and headed for the hall. “Now, if you’d like to pour us some coffee I’ll go get Tinker.”

Gray returned in a few minutes with a young girl in tow. She was wearing a black skort and white cotton blouse: the private school uniform. And she showed promise of blooming into an attractive teenager in a few years, but for now she was all arms and legs—bigger than most children her age and lacking the gracefulness of a smaller child.

Eve felt a twinge of empathy. She’d been too big and awkward at that age, also. She didn’t know what Bambi looked like, but she could see a lot of Gray in his daughter. The girl had his dark brown hair and blue eyes.

“Tinker, I’d like you to meet Ms. Costopoulos,” Gray said.

He turned to Eve. “And Eve, this is my daughter, Sarah, but everybody calls her Tinker.”

The child hung back and looked at the floor shyly, so Eve took the initiative. “I’m very pleased to meet you,” she said softly. “May I call you Tinker?”

“I...I guess so,” Tinker said unenthusiastically, still not looking up.

“Fine,” Eve answered, keeping her tone friendly. “My name is Evangeline, but everyone calls me Eve. I hope you will too.”

Tinker didn’t respond, but for the first time she raised her head and looked up at Eve. There was a strong negative emotion in her eyes. Fear? Resentment? Eve couldn’t tell.

“Are you going to be my teacher?” Tinker asked angrily.

That stunned Eve. What was going on here? Gray had just told her that Tinker didn’t know he was making plans to have her tutored!

Her head jerked up to scan Gray’s face, but he looked as shocked as she was. He scowled and shook his head, then hunkered down beside Tinker and put his arm around her. “Honey, Ms. Costopoulos—Eve—is a teacher, but she teaches third grade at a school on the other side of town. Who told you she was going to be your teacher?”

Tinker looked at him. “Mom did. She said I’d have to study all summer because you were going to get a teacher to—to come to the house and make sure I did.”

Her face contorted and there was a sob in her voice. “Please, Daddy, don’t make me do that. I do study. Honest I do, but it’s so hard. I’ll never learn all that stuff.”