Free The Hesitant Hero by Gilbert Morris Page A

much wanted to come and help us celebrate the birthdays. You must speak slowly so he can understand you.”
    The smallest of the children, a darling girl with blond hair, stood in front of him. “Hello, my name is Yolande Marcil,”she said slowly and correctly. “I’ll be six years old in two days. How old are you?”
    Tyler grinned. “I’m twenty-two.”
    “That’s old! Do you like little girls?”
    Tyler winked at Jolie, who was smiling at him. “I like them very much,” he said, pronouncing his words carefully.
    “This is Damien Rivard,” Jolie said, putting her hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Damien is nine years old.”
    “How do you do?” The boy bowed slightly from the waist. He had bright red hair and brown eyes. “We are happy to have you at our party.”
    “Thank you, Damien. Perhaps when I have a party, you’ll come to mine.”
    “And this is Rochelle Cohen. Rochelle, Monsieur Winslow.”
    Rochelle seemed to be somewhere between twelve and fourteen. She was a beautiful girl with curly black hair and dark eyes. She smiled shyly and asked very softly, “How do you do, sir?”
    “I am fine, Rochelle. It’s very nice to meet you.”
    “Did you bring any presents, monsieur?” Yolande asked, looking up at him seriously.
    “Yolande, that’s not polite,” Rochelle said.
    “I don’t see why,” Yolande retorted.
    “I don’t see either,” Tyler said quickly. “But you see, I didn’t know how many would be at the party and who would be celebrating a birthday. So I’ll make a list right now, and if Mademoiselle Vernay will allow me to come back, I will come loaded down with presents.”
    Damien grinned broadly. “Good,” he said. “I would like to have a toy airplane.”
    “You shall have it.”
    The other children started to arrive as Tyler made his list, and before long the room was filled with children of every age.
    “And what would you like, Rochelle?” Tyler asked over the increasing chatter.
    “Just anything,” she said shyly.
    Tyler went over to the table and picked up a piece of paper and a pencil. “ ‘Just anything,’“ he said as he wrote it down. “That will be easy.”
    “And you, Mademoiselle Marcil. What can I bring you?”
    “Lots of chocolates.”
    “Lots of chocolates. You know, I eat lots of chocolates myself. That’s why I’m so pretty.”
    “You’re not pretty,” the girl exclaimed.
    “Well, my mother thinks I am. And I’m sure that Rochelle does. Don’t you, Rochelle?”
    She giggled. “Men aren’t pretty. They’re handsome.”
    “Well, I suppose that’s true,” Tyler said, winking at Damien. “Maybe if you eat enough chocolates, you’ll be handsome like me.”
    Jolie had been observing from a distance, surprised at how easily Tyler made friends with the children. When everyone had arrived, she got the group started on a simple game and was pleased at Tyler’s willingness to join right in.
    After the games the children ate cake and drank lemonade, and then each of the three children who had birthdays that month received presents from the orphanage staff.
    After all the sticky fingers were washed, Jolie had the children sit with her on the floor and they all sang “Frère Jacques.” When it was time to sing it in rounds, Yolande crawled into Tyler’s lap and they sang together.
    “You don’t sing very well,” Yolande said seriously.
    “No, I don’t, but you sing beautifully.”
    “Well, if you don’t sing so loud, maybe no one will hear how bad you are.”
    “That’s a good idea, Yolande,” Tyler said. “I think I’d better do that.”
    The party lasted about an hour, and after the children left the room, Tyler said, “Let me help you clean up.”
    “There’s really not much cleaning up to do,” she said as she started wiping the tables down with a sponge.
    Tyler found another sponge and started on another table.“Is something wrong?” he asked when he noticed that she was looking sober.
    “Oh, I’m just