Judith McWilliams - The Summer Proposal

“History!” Caleb’s dark eyebrows arched in surprise. “In the first grade?”

“Definitely. Oh, we still do a few of the old-style social studies units on family and community, but we also give the kids a solid grounding in the history of the world and the United States.”

“Don’t you think you’re pushing them a little? These are six-year-old kids, after all.”

“Inquisitive six-year-old kids. Giving them a sense of history early is crucial.

“But that’s a side issue,” she said. “Scholastically, Will’s most pressing need would appear to be bringing his writing and math skills up to speed. I don’t anticipate much of a problem because he seems to be a very bright little boy.

“However, his social skills…” Julie paused, mentally searching for a diplomatic way of saying it.

“You mean his language would send any suburban soccer mom running for her four-wheel drive?” Caleb said bluntly.

Julie sighed. “Unfortunately that’s exactly what I mean. But even worse than his colorful language is that he doesn’t seem to realize that he shouldn’t say…the things he does.”

Caleb smiled ruefully. “He’s more amoral than immoral?”

“Got it in one! Which unfortunately is going to make the job that much harder.”

Caleb frowned, and Julie watched as a muscle in the corner of his mouth twitched with the strength of the emotions he was holding in check. Seeing Caleb angry would be a formidable sight, Julie thought with an inward shudder. She wouldn’t care to have that anger directed at her.

“Why harder?” Caleb asked.

“Because if Will knew that the words he used were…”

“Bad?” Caleb filled in.

“No!” Julie vehemently shook her head, and Caleb watched in fascination as the light-brown strands brushed the velvety skin of her cheeks. Her hair looked so soft and silky.

He wondered what it would feel like to leisurely run his fingers through it. To have the curly ends brush against his bare skin. He swallowed uneasily as his body began to react to the images flooding his mind. With an effort, he wrenched his thoughts back to what she was saying and not what she looked like.

“Words in and of themselves are not bad,” Julie insisted. “It’s people’s reactions to them that cause the trouble. Most kids learn very early which words get a rise out of their parents, and they tend to save those words to use on the playground to try to impress the other kids with how daring they are.”

“But Will isn’t being daring,” Caleb said. “He’s simply repeating what he thinks is normal.”

“Exactly. You’re going to have to teach him to substitute more acceptable words.”

“How am I supposed to do that? I can’t stand over him twenty-four hours a day and correct his English.”

Julie chuckled at the image Caleb’s words evoked.

Caleb momentarily forgot his growing sense of impending disaster at the enchanting sound of her laughter. It trickled through his mind, lightening his mood, and making him believe that he really could cope with his son’s problems.

“Maybe if I found Will a playmate or two from among my friends’ sons,” Caleb said thoughtfully.

“Bad idea,” Julie vetoed. “At least, initially. Kids being kids, Will is far more likely to teach his language to them than learn to suppress it because they don’t use it.”

“You think so?” Caleb asked doubtfully.

“I know so,” Julie said firmly. “And I also know that the mothers’ reaction will be to refuse to allow their sons to play with Will, which will effectively isolate him. And social isolation is a recipe for a very unhappy childhood. Give him a month to get used to not using objectionable words, and then you can find him a couple of playmates.”

“I suppose—” Caleb broke off as the cell phone in his pocket rang. “Excuse me, I’d better get this,” he said. “It could be Miss Vincent about Will.”

Julie leaned back against the vinyl cushion as he answered the call. It quickly became apparent that the caller wasn’t his housekeeper. From the totally incomprehensible conversation Caleb was carrying on about stress mass, she guessed the call was work-related.

She watched him as he talked, fascinated by the way he gestured with his hands to make a point. Caleb Tarrington was the most physically compelling man she had ever met. There was something about the sum of his parts that appealed to her on an instinctive level as no other man ever had.

Intellectual attraction she could understand and deal with. But how on earth could she reason with the breathless excitement that flooded her every time she looked at him? She had no idea because her reaction defied logic.

“I’ll get back to you as soon as I can, Ben.” Caleb concluded his call, switched the phone off and put it back in his pocket.

For a long moment, he studied the gray tabletop as if marshaling his arguments, and then he looked up. His blue gaze caught and held hers.

“Julie, I need your help. Will needs your help.”

Julie instinctively shook her head.

“Please don’t refuse until you’ve heard me out.”

“All right.” Julie agreed more because she didn’t know what else to say. The truth was certainly not an option. She could just imagine his reaction if she were to say, “So sorry, Caleb, but I can’t help your son because I want to throw my arms around you and kiss you senseless, and it scares me. It scares me because I’ve never felt like this before.”

Not only that, but it was a feeling that most emphatically didn’t fit into her plans. She already had her future neatly mapped out. In seven or eight years, she intended to find a nice, pleasant man with whom she could build a marriage. A fellow educator who shared her love of teaching and wouldn’t expect her to give it up to play housewife. A man who would be content with one child and would be an equal partner in raising him. A man who would be willing to accept the role she gave him in her life, not try to take it over.

As she very strongly suspected Caleb would do. The very intensity of his personality would preclude the kind of warm, companionable relationship she intended to settle for. Julie frowned slightly as she realized the word she’d chosen. She wasn’t settling for anything, she mentally refuted her subconscious’s choice of words. That was the type of relationship she wanted. There was no room in her life for a mad, passionate love affair in or out of marriage.

Besides, she thought with a complete lack of self-deception, chance would be a fine thing. She wasn’t the type of woman who inspired thoughts of unbridled lust in men. All the men she’d ever known had either seen her as the girl-next-door or as the kid sister they’d never had. Even Caleb. She remembered his comment about her looking too young to have graduated from college. Men didn’t whisper sweet nothings in her ear. They told her about the women they were in love with in mind-numbing detail and asked her advice on how to catch them.

“Please listen,” Caleb responded to her frown, thinking it was in reaction to his request and not her own thoughts.

“I said I would, and I will,” Julie said, “but that’s all I’m promising.”

“If you will tutor Will and help me figure out how to muzzle his language, you can name your price,” Caleb said.

“This isn’t a job that can be totally delegated to a tutor,” Julie said, trying to make him understand the necessity of his being personally involved. “Will is your son, and he needs you.”

“I know he’s my son, but until two days ago I hadn’t even met him. I had no idea when I set up my work schedule last year that I would have him living with me.”

“Change your work schedule,” Julie said flatly.