Free A Little Learning by Margot Early

the other woman.
    Her second thought—after a decision not to tell Seamus about the snake—was that her father mustn’t find out.
    Anyhow, it wasn’t as if Lola would be slithering about in subzero temperatures, menacing the population of Sultan. She was doubtless curled up in some inaccessible part of the house—between the walls, for instance. They might later find her on the move through the house.
    Or Desert might have to pay workmen to come tear apart the place looking for the creature.
    “Everything’s fine,” Rory lied.
    Okay, if Desert wanted her to stay in the house, they could sleep in the same room, in case Lola came in and made herself comfortable.
    But Rory knew she couldn’t get Lola off Desert by herself, and Desert probably couldn’t do the same for her. The snake needed three handlers.
    Even so, she knew Desert would not abandon the python.
    She rode back to the Empire Street house with Seamus and Beau, but she was preoccupied—and unprepared when Beau asked her the plans for the next day.
    “I’ll drop by this evening, and we can talk about it,” she said. “You did really well skiing, Beau.”
    “What are you doing for dinner?” Seamus asked.
    Beau threw a sharp look at his father, then abruptly climbed out of the SUV and started taking his skis off the roof.
    “I need to go home and check on something.”
    “Some evening when Lauren and Beau are willing to babysit, I’d like to take you out to one of the restaurants in town. To thank you for all you’re doing for us.”
    Rory didn’t believe the second statement. “I’m just doing my job,” she said, with a tone of finality.
    He didn’t ask again, and she climbed out of the car knowing she’d settled the issue, protected her job and now stood a better chance of pleasing her father.
    So why was she disappointed?
    She wished that things were different—and that she was in a position to enjoy a romantic dinner with Seamus.

CHAPTER FIVE
    O VER THE NEXT WEEK , Seamus, Lauren and Beau all completed the avalanche safety course. Beau resumed working for the ski maker, and Rory took Lauren ice-climbing with her. Lauren spent much of her spare time twirling the broom handle Rory had given her. Fiona called and said she’d be ready to join them in Sultan the following week. Seamus assured her that he was enjoying his time with the children.
    Fiona asked, “I don’t suppose you want to do it all the time, though.”
    Seamus could tell that, far from trying to influence him—or worse, discourage him from spending time with his family—she was offering him a way out. Perhaps, simply, to see if he would take it.
    “Well, when I’m in Telluride it’s difficult.” But how true was that?
    No, he knew the trouble was that, in the past, he’d felt he needed to avoid the kids.
    So far, during the time in Sultan, his children had rarely mentioned Janine.
    And yet the issue was there. Always.
    He and Fiona hung up with the understanding that she would call him again in a few days to see if he really wanted her to join them. She’d been invited to spend time with her daughter’s family, and Seamus sensed she wanted to do it.
    * * *
    O N A T HURSDAY evening, more than a week after they’d arrived in Sultan, Lauren arrived home from Rory’s fire-dancing class and said to her father, “Rory’s like Mom, you know. She can do anything.”
    Janine had been able to do many things. An expert skier, a competent snowboarder, a pilot, an attorney, a mountain biker. Seamus wondered if this would provide him with a chance to talk with Lauren about her mother, to say something that might impress upon Lauren the fact that Janine had still been human. But how can I explain to her that all her mother’s accomplishments may have been signs of her insecurity? “I don’t think Rory is all that much like your mother,” he said instead.
    Lauren’s expression turned vaguely hostile. “Don’t you like Rory?”
    “Of course, I like her. I just don’t