Adam waited eagerly for the way Olivia would answer the question.
She sighed. “Oh, my darling. Jesus referred to bread because the devil told Him to change stones into bread.”
“Why would the devil want Jesus to change stones into bread?”
Adam hid back a chuckle to avoid being detected. He was impressed by the children’s questions. And also how Olivia calmly answered them. He remembered his teacher at that moment. The woman would have taken a switch to the children for asking too many questions, distracting her from her lesson.
Gently, Olivia replied, “That’s because like Esther, Jesus just completed His fasting but His was forty days.”
“Forty days?” the children shouted.
“Yes, children, just when He was about to begin the work His Heavenly Father sent Him.”
“Miss Olivia, could you please continue with Queen Esther’s story?” one of the younger children asked in a small voice.
“Sure, Martha.”
Adam found himself in awe when Olivia continued the story about Esther. He couldn’t help being fascinated at the way she thought the kids using the bible and reciting passages.
His heart fluttered as he continued listening to her. For the first time in a long while, he recognized that he was not repulsed by the Word of God. In fact, he wanted to listen to Olivia speak all day.
This was new to him. Usually, whenever anyone wanted to start talking about God wherever he was, he changed topics or walked away.
But that wasn’t the case at that moment. And it somewhat gave him cause for concern.
Why Olivia? Was it because he had been away and missed her dearly? Or was it because of the gentle way she spoke to the children?
Not wanting to interrupt the story, he remained in the shadows until the lesson was over. But as soon as she finished, the children begged her to tell them about Jesus and the bread story.
Giving up on seeing her that day and slightly jealous of the attention the children were receiving from her, Adam quietly walked away.
“Didn’t you see her?” Mrs. Harrison immediately questioned the second he stepped out of the building.
Smiling a little, he replied, “I did. I didn’t want to interrupt her lesson. The children were so rapt in the bible story, I didn’t have the heart to intrude.”
The woman nodded. “Olivia is a gifted teacher.”
Remembering how caught he had been in the story he had heard numerous times when he was a child, he concurred.
“Indeed, she is.” Adam placed the flowers and the parcel in the woman’s hands. “Please ensure that she gets them. Thank you.”
“I’ll surely deliver them. But maybe you should wait until her lessons are over.”
He shook his head. “I’ll be back another day.”
She nodded.
Adam walked away with thoughts of Olivia deeply ensconced in his mind. No woman had ever affected him the way Olivia did. Now he was beginning to realize that she meant more to him than he thought.
But he wasn’t ready for anything other than his work as a marshal. He felt any other thing was a distraction.
But Olivia…
A frown covered his face. He had a lot of thinking to do. He knew he couldn’t have both because one would get in the way.
Olivia or his job?
Chapter 13
