When Mom Meets Dad Read Free

signals that he would like to know her in more than a casual way.
    A grisly bearded older man took their tickets and seated them, latching the bar in place.  Their seat swung as the wheel turned and stopped to load more passengers.  Alex's knee bumped Amanda's, his bare leg rubbing against hers.  They both wore shorts and Alex would have been perfectly content to let her leg rest against his, but she moved it away until a few inches separated them from hips to toes.
    Resting her hands on the safety bar, she commented, "You were right about the spark plug.  I replaced it.  The mower works fine now."
    "You replaced it?" Alex asked, unable to hide his surprise.
    "The man at the hardware store told me exactly what to do.  I might not be a mechanical genius, but I can follow directions."
    The Ferris wheel turned again and Alex realized he'd offended her.  "I didn't mean to suggest you couldn't.  I'm just surprised you even tried."
    "Haven't you heard that women don't rely on men for their well being any more?"
    It was said so softly and so nicely he didn't realize till the last moment that it was a slam.  "Ouch.  Is my traditional background showing?"
    Her frown disappeared into a small smile.  "Maybe.  But so are my insecurities."
    "What insecurities?  A woman who can manage a classroom full of third graders, raise a daughter, and change her own spark plug shouldn't have any insecurities."
    Her blue eyes went all soft and wide.  "What a nice thing to say!"
    He saw the pulse at her throat beating faster and noticed the white piping on her blue knit top made her skin look creamy and delicate.  "I'm not being nice.  I'm being honest."
    This time when the wheel turned, they ended up at the top.  Then, without warning, the ride lurched hard and stopped, their seat swinging hard.
    Alex instinctively curved his arm around Amanda's shoulders.  "Are you all right?"
    Her hands gripped the bar.  "I think so."
    Alex tried to see what was happening on the ground.  The man at the control was bent over the gears, examining them.  "I don't want to alarm you, Amanda, but we could be stuck up here for a while."
    "You are kidding."  Her face went pale.
    "I wish I were.  But from the crowd gathering down there–"
    "The girls.  They're going to worry if they think we're in danger."
    Even at a moment like this, she was thinking of their kids.  "They'll be able to see us.  We'll wave.  They'll be okay.  Trust me."
    The look in Amanda's eyes was a combination of defiance and sadness, giving Alex the impression she might never trust a man again.  Had her ex-husband done that to her?
    His arm felt right around her and he gave her a gentle squeeze as he had the irrational desire to convince her to trust him.  "It will be all right.  Talk to me.  Tell me about this project you want me to handle."
    She tried to look down but when she did, their car tilted and she went very still.  "You said it would take up too much of your time."
    "I'm reconsidering."
    That got her attention.  At least for the time being.  She looked up at him.  "Why?"
    "Because I thought about what you said.  And I do want to be involved in broadening Kristy's view of the world.  So tell me what I'd have to do."
    Amanda tried to peer over the side of the seat again, but the swing of their car made her sit still and straight.  Composing herself, she gave him a weak smile.  "I never thought I'd be pitching you the idea in mid-air."
    "Hey.  You've got a captive audience.  What more could you want?"
    "To be safely on the ground?" she asked rhetorically.
    "Pitch, Amanda Carson, and distract us both, or I might come up with something that will do the job in a different way."  Kissing her might make them both forget they were hanging thirty feet off the ground.
    Her mouth rounded slightly, making kissing her even more tempting.  He leaned a little closer.
    Amanda sat back against the seat, cleared her throat and quickly launched into a plan of action