AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘Love?’
Money, he could do. Love... He had no idea how that would work.
‘Love,’ Heather said again, more firmly. ‘You’re their only parent now, Cal, like it or not. Which means you need to be mother and father to them. You need to show them that they’re safe and loved and that they can come to you when they need help, or when they’re scared or lonely, or just because they need a hug.’
Cal shook his head. Love was too abstract—too far removed from his experiences in this castle. But Heather was right—Daisy and Ryan were his responsibility now, and if this was what they needed he had to find a way to give that to them. As much as he’d like to hand the whole thing over to Heather to fix, that wouldn’t work long-term. Yes, she was staying—but only until September. After that it would be boarding school and Lengroth Castle in the holidays for years to come.
He needed to find a way to make that work. And if he didn’t want Daisy and Ryan to end up like the rest of them he had to do it fast.
Cal ran Heather’s words back in his head. ‘Show them that they’re safe and loved.’ But how? How was he supposed to do that?
He caught Heather’s steady green gaze across the desk and realised the answer was right in front of him.
He smiled. ‘Fine. But if you want me to do those things the kids aren’t the only ones you’re going to have to teach.’
* * *
Heather blinked. When her eyes opened again Cal was still looking at her, a faint smirk on his lips.
‘Teach?’ Was this some sort of bizarre come-on? What was she missing here?
‘I need kid lessons,’ Cal clarified with a shrug. ‘I’ve never had children—never spent much time with them before. I have literally no idea how to do what you’re asking. So if you want me to do it you’ll have to teach me how.’
‘Teach you how to...love?’ Who didn’t know how to love another person? Especially a child?
Apart from my mother.
Except even that wasn’t fair, or true, and Heather told herself off in her head for even thinking it. Her mother not being able to love hadn’t been the problem. Quite the reverse, really. Even if she had left her husband and only child behind because of it, to live with the consequences for ever.
‘Exactly,’ Cal replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Heather chewed her bottom lip as she thought about it. Love wasn’t something that could be taught, was it? It was just...natural.
But children—their needs and the way they understood the world—parenting skills and techniques...they were all things a person could take courses in or read books on. They could be taught, in a way. She’d studied classroom discipline and how to relate to students, to help and support them, before she’d qualified as a teacher. Although the best lesson was always just standing up in front of a class and having to do it...
She smiled. Yes, she could teach Cal from books and studies. But the biggest part of his education would come from spending time with Daisy and Ryan. And that was what would help him learn to fall in love with them. She was certain of it.
They might be prickly and difficult, but underneath that spiky outer shell Heather was sure that they were good kids. Ryan was already starting to come out of his shell, and Heather had hopes that Daisy wouldn’t be too far behind. Having their uncle spending more time with them could only help with that.
‘Okay,’ she said, and watched as Cal visibly relaxed. ‘We’ll start tonight.’
* * *
By the time she made it back to the nursery both children had completed the tests she’d set them and were investigating their new computers—and presumably the comprehensive child security software she’d put in place.
‘How did you find the tests?’ she asked, settling into the window seat as they reluctantly closed their laptops. At least Uncle Cal had already done one thing to win their favour, even if they mostly had to use them for schoolwork.
Daisy shrugged. ‘They were boring. But fine.’
‘Yeah, easy,’ Ryan agreed, shooting his sister a look. But his words didn’t sound as sure as Daisy’s.
Heather made a mental note to review their scores with them individually. Ryan seemed far more likely to open up to her and speak the truth if his big sister wasn’t there.
