Small-Town Mom by Jean C. Gordon Read Free Book Online Page A

dimension to the chaperoning.” Drew moved his head to the left to a lone couple snuggled close, waiting for the last round of racers to return with the toboggans.
    “I can think of a whole lot of worse places for them to be getting close than sledding with the youth group. Why don’t I walk over and say hi?”
    “You do that,” Drew said. “And I’ll go back to my station downhill.”
    Drew was going to leave him here with Jamie? Well, here with her when she got back up from her run with her daughters. After a second of ridiculous and unfounded apprehension, reality clicked in. Of course. She’d need more help up here shepherding the teens and keeping an eye on her girls than Drew would at the bottom of the run. He whistled as he walked over to the young couple Drew had pointed out.
    “Hey, Seth.”
    “Hi, Mr. Payton.”
    While most of the youth group members called Drew by his first name, Eli had stuck with the more formal address, since he was most of the members’ guidance counselor at school.
    The boy loosened his vice grip on the girl’s waist and she lifted her head from his shoulder. “This is my girlfriend, Ava. She’s from Ticonderoga. I might have mentioned her when I was talking to you about college and stuff.”
    Ava tipped her head toward Seth and her eyes narrowed.
    Eli tamped down a grin. Looked like Seth was in trouble.
    “He’s cool. I was sounding him out about our plans.”
    The girl still looked skeptical. “Nice to meet you.”
    “You, too. Are you having a good time?”
    “Yeah.” She shrugged.
    Eli remembered Seth’s plans. Drew was on the right track keeping an eye on them. The couple planned to move to Albany in the fall, where she had a scholarship to St. Rose College. Seth was going to work and attend the state university there part-time. Seth hadn’t come right out and said it, but Eli had a strong impression that Ava wasn’t going to be living in the campus dorms.
    Ah, to be young and in love.
    Too bad it rarely lasted. He hadn’t been much older than Seth when he’d been engaged. His former fiancee had had a couple of years on him. She’d been almost twenty-one.
    A splat of snow on the back of his leg, followed by a high-pitched giggle, drew him from the couple and his musings.
    “Opal!”
    He turned as Jamie crested the hill. The cold had put a rosy blush on her cheeks and the sunlight kissed her flawless skin. She looked barely older than Ava did. But Myles had to be fourteen or fifteen. She must be close to his own age, thirty-eight. Unless she and her husband had been one of those young loves that had lasted. A sharp pang of jealousy pricked him, followed by disgust that he was jealous of a fallen comrade.
    * * *
    Jamie’s breath caught when Eli turned, even though she knew it was him. He was taller and had broader shoulders than any of the teens, and his posture shouted “in command.”
    “Apologize to Mr. Payton for throwing snow at him.”
    “You mean him?” Opal pointed at Eli. “I didn’t throw my snowball at him. I threw it at Rose and missed.”
    “Opal!” Jamie gritted her teeth to keep the screech out of her voice. Eli didn’t need to think all of her kids were incorrigible.
    “Okay, okay.” Opal trudged over and planted herself toe-to-toe with Eli. She tilted her head back and looked him in the eye. “Sorry my snowball missed my sister and hit you.”
    Jamie clenched her fists. The little girl’s tone clearly said she was sorrier she’d missed Rose than hit Eli.
    A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and his eyes twinkled. “Apology accepted.”
    Jamie unfolded her fingers.
    “Hey, you’re pretty big,” Opal said. “I bet you weigh a lot.”
    Jamie lifted her gaze to the cloudless sky.
    A deep full laugh rumbled from Eli’s chest and stopped Jamie’s reprimand before she could vocalize it.
    “I mean,” Opal said, “you could make the toboggan go really fast. I thought Mommy could ‘cause she’s gotten so fat her favorite