Twins for the Teacher

Located about twenty minutes north of Branson, the hundred-acre farm where Jolie had grown up had been in the Tomlinson family for three generations. Her older brother, Bill, had recently bought ten acres adjoining her parents’ land and built a house for his wife and kids.

Ten of Jolie’s nieces and nephews were running around. Three were Bill’s, two were Jennifer’s, four were her brother Clay’s and one was her twin brother Lance’s. The only child not moving was Lance and his wife’s newest addition, ten-month-old Natalie, who slept in the battery-operated baby swing, oblivious to the noise around her. There were eleven grandchildren in all, one short of a dozen.

Jolie’s nieces and nephews ranged in age from Natalie to Chris, who was turning twelve next weekend. That meant another party to attend, this time at Bill’s house.

Through the screen, Jolie took a second to watch the kids run through the yard. She was the only one without children and a husband. Her parents hadn’t liked her ex-husband much. He was a teacher, and her father, a retired superintendent of a nearby school district, had told Jolie after her divorce that, had Reggie applied to his district, he would never have hired him. Jolie still saw Reggie on occasion because he taught science at Nolter High School and coached the football team. He’d remarried and his wife stayed at home with their two young kids.

“So how’s Chad?” Jennifer asked, entering the screen porch carrying a green-bean casserole.

“Over,” Jolie said. “Sent him an e-mail last night, got one back this morning. Mutual dissolution via the Internet. No blood. No tears. I spent last night with the latest Nora Roberts novel.”

“Probably better in the long run. He didn’t really seem to fit in here. He was far too stodgy. But now who are you going to take to Alison’s wedding?”

“I hadn’t thought about it,” Jolie said. Their cousin Alison was marrying some big-shot banker in early June. Word was that dinner was sixty dollars a plate and at least 250 people would attend. “I’ll probably just RSVP for one.”

“You can’t go alone to these things. Aunt Melanie told Mom they were doing seating charts and everything,” Jen chided. “It’s at the Nolter in the grand ballroom, so you know it’ll be a very formal event.”

“I can bring Carrie,” Jolie suggested.

Jen shook her head. “You took Carrie to cousin Brian’s wedding. You cannot keep dragging your female friends to these things. The reception is going to be hoity-toity. You know how Mom’s sister always tries to outdo her. For Mom’s sake you’ve got to bring someone who’s male and hopefully attractive. Don’t you have anyone who can be a mercy date?”

Hank Friesen’s image popped into Jolie’s head. As if. “Everyone I know is married now,” Jolie said with a shrug. Such was her life. Most guys she’d dated in the past few years had ended up being best buddies, not long-term love interests. Maybe that came from having a twin brother, or more likely from a serious lack of chemistry.

“Well, you have to find someone. You have a little over a month. That should be plenty of time.”

“Okay, I’ll RSVP for two,” Jolie conceded.

“Good.” Jennifer’s gaze caught something in the yard and she immediately began shouting at her seven-year-old daughter, Suzy. “Hey! Knock that off! Put that down!”

Suzy had gotten out the garden hose and was spraying some of the younger children, soaking them through. But they were laughing and running into the spray, and looked as if they were having a great time. “I guess it’s a good thing the day’s warm. Clay, come get your kids and make sure mine behaves. Mom, we’re going to need some beach towels,” Jennifer called as she went back inside.

Clay hadn’t yet appeared to retrieve his kids, and Suzy seemed in no hurry to put down the hose or stop spraying her cousins, so Jolie stepped outside onto the back lawn to keep an eye on them. Suzy sprayed her cousins again.

“Suzy, your mom told you to put that away,” Jolie said.

“Do I have to?” Suzy asked, turning to face Jolie, the hose and all its streaming water moving in sync with her.

Jolie jumped back as water splattered her white T-shirt and khaki shorts. “Suzy!”

“Oops!” Suzy’s face scrunched up as she realized what she’d done.

“It’s fine. Don’t cry. Just put the hose down,” Jolie said patiently.

Suzy dropped the offending green rubber object as all the other wet cousins gathered around her. “You soaked Aunt Jolie. You’re gonna get in trouble,” they all seemed to chorus.

The situation didn’t improve when Clay arrived and assessed the scene. He worked to hold in his laughter at finding his sister soaked. “Cute bra, sis.” He turned off the water at the spigot.

“You can be such a jerk.” His wife, Lynn, had appeared, and she tossed Jolie one of the towels she’d brought.

“Thanks,” Jolie said, praying her face stopped flaming. She wore basic beige, for goodness’ sake.

“You’re welcome.” Lynn looked at her husband of ten years. “Get inside and go find some of the spare clothes your mother keeps. The food’s all ready.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Clay winked at Jolie as he escaped.

“Are you mad at me?” a small voice asked. Wrapped in a towel, Suzy approached her aunt.

“Oh, sweetie, it was an accident.” Jolie squatted down to Suzy’s level. “I’m sure your grandma has clothes for me, too. I can wear one of her T-shirts.”

Suzy’s face lost some of its wariness. “She has big T-shirts.”

Jolie pulled Suzy toward her and gave her a hug. “She does. The biggest.”

“Okay. Inside.” Jennifer had returned to retrieve her daughter. “But first…” she prompted.

“I’m sorry,” Suzy said automatically.

Jolie gave her niece one final hug. “And I forgive you.”

“She’s going to wear one of Grandma’s T-shirts,” Suzy told her mom as they moved off.

With the towel wrapped around her midsection, Jolie followed everyone as her siblings gathered up their kids and moved onto the screened porch. When her father had added the structure, he’d made it supersize, and weather permitting, every family gathering was held there. She made her way to her parents’ bedroom where she snagged a gray Reed Springs School District shirt from the walk-in closet.

She paused for a moment after she put it on. She wondered if Ethan and Alli had ever squirted each other with a hose or attended huge family events. She’d been unable to get the twins out of her mind. As a twin herself, she couldn’t help feeling a special connection to them. It must be a little lonely with just the two of them. She and Lance had shared a womb, but once they’d been born they’d been kid two and three respectively in what would turn out to be a total sibling set of five, only a year to eighteen months between each of them.

As a child, when Jolie had first discovered the truth about how human babies were made—being on a farm she’d always understood the animal process—she’d found it a bit gross that her mom had popped out her kids in such quick succession. Now that Jolie was older, she appreciated having a large family, especially one so tightly knit and close in age. Family gatherings occurred frequently, and Lance and Jennifer were two of her best friends and her greatest support system.

Ethan and Alli had been around each other so much they probably hadn’t come to appreciate the special bond they shared as siblings and as twins. As Jolie stepped back onto the screened porch, she saw at least four kids right around Ethan and Alli’s age. Perhaps she could introduce her nieces and nephews to Ethan and Alli, give them someone to play with.

Jolie shook her head. She was tutoring Hank’s children after school on her own time. That was already going above and beyond her teaching contract. Taking the Friesen twins under her wing by introducing them to some new friends was not necessary.

But what could it hurt? a little voice inside her head asked. You could help them.

Jolie frowned. She hated that little voice. It often pestered her to death until it got its way. So what if she identified with the twins, understood their love-hate relationship with each other? They’d learn through experience, just as she and Lance had.

Her conscience couldn’t be silenced. It’s only until the end of the year. Then they go to fifth grade. You’ll be just a face in the hall, a former teacher, one remembered fondly. Think of all those nights your dad was gone on school-district business. You understand.

“Jolie, you better get in line or you won’t get any green beans,” Clay called.

“There’s more in the oven,” their mother admonished him, and as Jolie went to get her plate, she tried to ignore her conscience.

“DADDY! WATCH ME!”

Hank set down the report he was reading and watched his daughter slide down the curvy slide into the hotel pool. The Nolter had opened its outdoor pool this weekend, which was perfect, since the weekend was unusually warm.

He clapped for Alli, then checked on Ethan’s location. Under the watchful eye of the lifeguard, his son was diving off the diving board. Hank turned his attention back to his report, but finding his concentration shot, set it aside. So far his children had adjusted to life in Branson. Both had made friends. Their grades were coming along and Ethan’s behavior had improved. They seemed to like school, and Hank attributed that to one person, Jolie Tomlinson.

He knew she’d gone well beyond the call of duty. Ethan and Alli raved about Jolie every day. Hank actually found himself looking forward to hearing the stories his twins told. In each, he tried to learn more about their pretty teacher.