Indomitable Spirit by Bernadette Marie Page B

rag to something. It gives them some worth to help out.”
    He ran his tongue over his teeth. People had been telling him how to raise his kids for years and now she was too. “I suppose you think I should reward them with money too? Allowance?”
    “Heavens no. They live in this house too. There are some things you just do.” As she sat with her knee up, and now a frozen bag of peas draped over it at his urging, she was scraping bowls into a single bowl so there was less for him to do. “I’m just saying kids complain, but they want to be part of the bigger picture.”
    “Do you know what would happen right now if I told Mason to come in here and do what you’re doing?”
    “He’d throw a fit.”
    He hadn’t really expected her to give him the right answer. As far as he was concerned she was just talking about things she didn’t know about.
    “Well, yeah. I’m tired. I’m not in the mood for a fit.”
    “Okay. So he throws a fit for a week. And then next week before he ever leaves the table he’s collected a few bowls and dishes and walked them over to you. He’s gained a sense of worth for what he has. And if you tell him thank you, he’ll have a sense that he’s done right by you.”
    John rubbed his chin with his hand only to realize he needed a shave and his hand was still wet. He took the towel, dried off his face and then set it on the counter.
    “If you’re so wise how do you suppose I should begin this chore thing?”
    She was smiling and he hated it. Oh, she had the most beautiful smile and it lit up her green eyes. But she was about to make an ass of him and he didn’t know if he was ready for that or not.
    “Give me three more chores that you do every night?”
    “Trash. Sweep the floor. Dry dishes.”
    She nodded. “I’ll guarantee one of those chores you’ll have to do when they are all done. But I promise you, even Cody will try.”
    “Okay hot shot.” John walked to the doorway and looked at all four of his kids contently watching some show about wizards. Cody watched as he sat on an old plastic rocking horse that he was out growing. Mason lay on the ground on his tummy and kicked the couch with his feet. Abby had a doll in her lap she was absent mindedly combing her hair. And Jacob, well, by the look of him, he’d been paying much too much attention to the conversation John had been having with Kym. He was on to them already, John could tell.
    “You guys come in here for a minute,” he announced and all four of them turned to just look at him. “I’m serious. Come in here. Kym has some new things to share with you.”
    He turned to see her narrow her gaze at him.
    Slowly all four of them walked into the room. Cody clung right to John’s leg. Oh, this wasn’t going to be pretty. It wasn’t really fair to make his kids not like her, but she’d won them over before—even without his help—she’d win them over again, he was sure of it.
    Kim took the peas off her knee and set her foot gently on the ground. From where she sat in the chair she was eye level with almost all of them.
    “I was talking to your dad and I told him that you guys should be in here helping him after dinner each night. If he had some help he could spend a few more minutes a night with you.” She was nodding as she spoke softly. “So from now on everyone is going to help with dinner clean up. This will be your job until your dad decides to change them. Yes, ma’am?”
    Jacob answered first with Abby following right behind. “Yes, ma’am.”
    He was going to have to try that giving the required command with the directions. He’d seen it work more than once this week on his own kids.
    “Jacob, since you’re strong, your job will be to take out the trash each night and put a new bag in the trash can, yes ma’am?”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    She gave him a nod and looked at Abby. “Miss Abby, your job is to help your father do the dishes. You dry them for him after he washes them, yes,