But Mr. Phillips didn’t know that, and I had no desire to enlighten him.
“I’m afraid I have to decline,” I said. “I’m sure you can find another tutor for Brett.”
“Kathryn, there isn’t anyone else who can tutor him.”
“That’s ridiculous. How about Leon Bates? He’s as good in math as I am. Seth Connors might even be better. Or do you want a female tutor? How about Mary Beth Rogers? She’s pretty good. Or Amy Eckard.”
“All fine students,” Mr. Phillips said, “however none of them are acceptable.”
“Why not?”
“Because”—he sighed—“Brett refuses to work with anyone but you.”
I widened my eyes. “Me? That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. Brett hasn’t said a word to me in four years.”
“Believe me, I’m as flabbergasted as you are.” Mr. Phillips nodded. “But Coach Henderson said Brett would only agree to a tutor if it was you.”
My jaw dropped open. What in the world was Brett Falcone thinking?
“Well, it just so happens that I don’t give a hoot whether Brett Falcone gets to play baseball in college, so the answer is no.”
“Kathryn”—Mr. Phillips rose and came around to face me—“there’s more at stake than that.”
“Oh?”
“His family has suffered a setback. His father was injured on the job a few weeks ago.”
“I’m very sorry, but—”
“A scholarship would be a great help to Brett and his family. Otherwise, if Brett doesn’t go to school, he’ll probably have to get a job and help support his family.”
“Maybe that’s his lot in life.”
“Maybe so. But he can have so much more. Brett Falcone is not stupid. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but he scored in the ‘superior’ range in the state-administered tests. The boy just needs some guidance, some hope for a future. You can help him.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then you’ll have to live with that.”
“Mr. Phillips, I’m quite capable of living with that.” I stood and turned to walk out the door, but Mr. Phillips’s voice stopped me cold.
“Kathryn. Please.”
Reunited is available at Amazon!
A Note From Helen
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Rake! If you want to find out about my current backlist and future releases, please visit my website, like my Facebook page, and join my mailing list. If you’re a fan, please join my street team to help spread the word about my books. I regularly do awesome giveaways for my street team members.
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Helen
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Acknowledgments
Thank you so much to the following individuals who helped make Rake shine: Christie Hartman, Martha Frantz, Karen Aguilera, Angela Tyler, Linda Pantlin Dunn, Serena Drummond, and Marci Clark.
Also By Helen Hardt
Steel Brothers Saga:
Trilogy One—Talon and Jade
Craving
Obsession
Possession
Trilogy Two—Jonah and Melanie
Melt
Burn
Surrender
Trilogy Three—Ryan and Ruby
Shattered
Twisted
Unraveled
Trilogy Four—Bryce and Marjorie
Breathless
Ravenous
Insatiable
Trilogy Five—Brad and Daphne
Fate
Legacy
Descent
Trilogy Six—Dale and Ashley
Awakened
Cherished (coming soon)
Freed (coming soon)
Follow Me Series:
Follow Me Darkly
Follow Me Under
Follow Me Always (coming soon)
Blood Bond Saga:
Unchained
Unhinged
Undaunted
Unmasked
Undefeated
Sex and the Season:
Lily and the Duke
Rose in Bloom
Lady Alexandra’s Lover
Sophie’s Voice
Temptation Saga:
Tempting Dusty
Teasing Annie
Taking Catie
Taming Angelina
Treasuring Amber
Trusting Sydney
Tantalizing Maria
Standalone Novels and Novellas
Reunited
Misadventures:
Misadventures of a Good Wife (with Meredith Wild)
Misadventures with a Rockstar
The Cougar Chronicles:
The Cowboy and the Cougar
Calendar Boy
Daughters of the Prairie:
The Outlaw’s Angel
Lessons of the Heart
Song of the Raven
Collections:
Destination Desire
Her Two Lovers
Non-Fiction:
got style?
About the Author
#1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Helen Hardt’s passion for the written word began with the books her mother read to her at bedtime. She wrote her first story at age six and hasn’t stopped since. In addition to being an award-winning author of romantic fiction, she’s a mother, an attorney, a black belt in Taekwondo, a grammar geek, an appreciator of fine red wine, and a lover of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. She writes from her home in Colorado, where she lives with her family. Helen loves to hear from readers.