A Daughter for Christmas by Margaret Daley Page B

forehead puckered.
    â€œLike I said, practice more than most have to. If you can’t learn reading by the sounds, then you may have to memorize what others don’t have to. I know it’s a lot of extra work, but the end result is worth it.”
    She twisted her mouth into a thoughtful expression. “You really had trouble?”
    â€œI failed reading in third grade. My fourth-grade teacher brought me to tears once. That’s when I got mad and decided I had to do something to change the situation.”
    â€œAnd you didn’t have any problems after that?”
    â€œI didn’t say that. I still struggled when I came up against something I wasn’t familiar with. Like science. In junior high I hated it. By the time I got to high school, I began to like science, especially how everything worked. The human body is remarkable. My favorite class became anatomy. It was the hardest A I made in high school.”
    â€œHmm.” Taylor pushed open her door and grabbed her book bag.
    Max climbed from the car and peered at her overthe top of it. Her features visible still in the dim light of dusk, he saw something that gave him hope he’d helped her. She was thinking about what he’d said. That was a start.
    â€œThanks for bringing me home.”
    â€œAnytime.”
    She jogged across the street toward her house. Max watched her make it safely to her porch before heading toward his own home. When he let himself inside, the emptiness that suddenly surrounded him as he moved through the rooms to the kitchen produced a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach.
    He wanted more than a few minutes here and there with his daughter.
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    â€œMom, do I hafta do this? Will and Sam don’t.” Taylor shook the rake she held toward her little brothers watching Max remove their training wheels from their bikes. “They get to have fun with Max while I work.”
    â€œI’m raking, too.” Rachel stood in the middle of a blanket of leaves, her attention straying toward her sons with Max.
    â€œMax was supposed to help me with my presentation for science today.” The corners of Taylor’s mouth dipped down in a pout. “He probably forgot.”
    â€œHe hasn’t forgotten. He told me he planned to later this afternoon.”
    â€œI can’t believe I have to do school on Saturday.” Taylor attacked the dead leaves scattered around her.
    â€œWe’ve talked about this. We set the time for homeschooling. And besides, today you’re doing homework like you would if you were in regular school.”
    â€œI’m first,” Will shouted in the driveway.
    â€œNo, I am. I’m the oldest.” Sam got on his bicycle and nearly fell to the concrete.
    Rachel dropped her rake and marched toward the twins. She had been afraid this would happen. They had become quite competitive with each other lately. Why was her whole family falling apart?
    Before she had a chance to say anything, Max stepped between the boys. “Will asked first, so he’ll go first.” He looked pointedly at Sam, who hung his head.
    Rachel slowed her pace.
    â€œYou two will get the same amount of practice. No one will have more than the other. Tomorrow I’ll start with Sam if we need to work some more.” Max lifted his head and locked gazes with Rachel.
    She came to a stop a few feet from the trio. Her heartbeat reacted to the twinkling expression in his eyes, tapping a fast staccato against her chest. “Do you need any help?” The breathless quality to her voice spoke of his effect on her. She couldn’t deny she was attracted to him any longer.
    â€œNah. Will, Sam and I understand each other. Don’t we?” He didn’t take his attention from Rachel.
    And she didn’t from him. But her sons piped in an enthusiastic yes. “Good. I know they appreciate you helping them.” She finally tore her look from him and took in both boys.
    They