Page 33 (1/2)

There it was again That thing in her voice that made him nervous He cleared his throat and decided his hosts from his past Not all of the would haunt him forever But this one, this one small slice of his life? It was time

“Do you remember Mrs Rebuk?”

Isabel frowned for a moment and then nodded “She was your teacher” She paused “Grade three?”

Cooper shook his head “Five”

Hiswoman Strawberry blonde with an impeccable wardrobe and an affinity for Italian leather that I adored”

Cooper chuckled The woman could have worn burlap for all he remembered, but leave it to his mother to remember the Italian leather

“I had a big crush on her,” Maverick quipped, settling onto the other side of Isabel At Cooper’s sideways glance, he laughed “What? She was hot and smelled nice”

“This is my story, Rick”

“Go for it” His brother slipped an arm around their mother

“Yes, what is it about Mrs Rebuk that’s so important?”

Cooper half smiled “She introduced me to Tom Sawyer and the Black”

“The Black?” she asked

“It’s a horse”

“Oh”

Cooper saw her confusion “A book about a boy and an Arabian stallion ere shipwrecked and then rescued They went on to win the big match race, and I just…” He stopped for a moment “She read to us every day One chapter after lunch recess For me, that became the most important hour of the day I lived for when she’d open up a book and bring the words to life It was just after Dad…” He blew out a long breath and caught his brother’s attention