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Anna glanced down at the book and felt suddenly foolish. No doubt Kathleen’s children were well-educated and could read perfectly well. Feeling shameful, she raised the book in order for the children to see it. The girl looked up first and surprised Anna with a huge grin on her face. “I remember reading that book. Mother taught it to me when I was just learning to read. Is she teaching you?”
Anna nodded.
“Can I read your book?” The boy was sincere as he asked and Anna allowed him to remove it from her hand.
“I’m twelve and John is eight,” Danielle told her and came to stand next to Anna. “How old are you?”
She frowned and didn’t know how to tell the girl.
“I could guess.” The girl said and sounded excited about the game.
“Me too.” John spoke up.
Anna smiled and nodded. The children dropped down to the ground around her feet.
“Are you sixteen?” Danielle asked first and when Anna shook her head she said, “Point your finger up if you are older and down if you are younger.”
Anna pointed up.
“Are you sixty?” John guessed.
Anna would have laughed if she could, but his sister did it for her. “Don’t be silly, John. That would make him a grandfather.”
John looked disappointed, but didn’t give up. “Uncle Wade is forty-four. Are you the same age as Uncle Wade?”
Anna digested this tidbit of information regarding Wade. She knew he was older than her, but she had no idea by so much. She shook her head and pointed down.
“Are you in your twenties or thirties?” Danielle looked serious as she took the mathematical approach to guessing her age.
“My guess would be in the twenties.” Wade’s unexpected voice drew all three heads around. “Though my first guess would have been the same as yours Danielle.”
The children scrambled to their feet, and having forgotten all about the game, John pleaded with his uncle. “May I ride Lucy yet?”
“I’m afraid not. She still needs some fine tuning.” He hoisted the boy up onto the fence surrounding the pen where Lucy stood. “Though I do believe she enjoys being read to.”
Anna’s chin snapped up and her cheeks flooded a crimson red, but Wade was not looking at her but rather the horse.
“I could read her this book.” John held out the book Anna had given him.
Wade gave the boy’s hair a ruffle before turning his attention back to his niece. “So, what is your final verdict?”
“Um.” She put a finger to her chin and seemed to study Anna. Wade joined his niece’s observation and Anna felt ridiculously uncomfortable.
Lifting her hand, she indicated four fingers. One of Wade’s brows arched in surprise. “Twenty-four?”
His niece sounded disappointed. “That’s not fair. I didn’t get a chance to guess, Uncle Wade.”
“Now you see,” he told her. “That’s the one thing about Anna. There’s always a mystery to solve.”
Anna looked away, unable to meet his gaze.
Danie
lle scrunched up her face and looked at her uncle. “Who’s Anna?”
Alarm widened Anna’s eyes and this time she shot Wade a glance. She had forgotten the children believed she was Peter. His eyes met hers and he frowned slightly, but turned to his niece to say, “A very mysterious woman.”
Danielle only looked more confused, but allowed her uncle to brush her off as he told her to go and join John at Lucy’s pen. With his attention back on Anna, he quietly directed, “If you could come up to the house. Kathleen has asked for you.”
