The Wrong Man (Alpha Men 3)

A little girl lifted her hands to her mouth, her eyes brightening with excited tears. “Hungwy Capilla.” Her breathless voice was filled with reverence.

“That’s right, Bongi, it’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar! Poor Caterpillar is so, so, so, sooo hungry.” The little ones settled back down and waited in anticipation as she cracked open the book. Lia started reading, using everything in her bag of tricks to keep the kids hooked and engaged by inviting them to count along with her. They all knew the story but gasped with every page turn as if it was their first time hearing it.

Lia loved this. She wished that she hadn’t stupidly listened to her ex-fiancé and given up her job as a teacher’s assistant at the preschool before her nonevent of a wedding. She should have known when he told her to quit—told, not asked, mind you—that their union would never work. But she’d been so stupidly keen to marry and start a family that she’d ignored all the warning bells going off in her head.

Her position had been filled at the school, but she happily substituted when she could. Today this group’s teacher had to pop out for a doctor’s appointment and Lia had been keen to step in for an hour or so. She wasn’t yet properly qualified, but it had always been her dream to obtain her bachelor of education degree and become a foundation phase educator. She’d kept delaying, thinking that if she married and had her own children, this need to work with kids would go away. So stupid. She loved working with children—it had little to do with her maternal instincts, she just enjoyed watching them grow and learn. The ridiculous sense of achievement she felt when she taught a little one something new was a fix she’d need long after she’d birthed and raised her own children.

After breaking it off with Clayton, she had looked into obtaining an online degree and unbeknownst to her family and friends was now just starting her second year of the four-year BEd degree. Once she graduated she would be qualified to work with newborns to nine-year-olds. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t told her family yet—fear of failure, perhaps. They would be nothing but encouraging, she knew that, but she wanted to do this on her own. To prove to herself that she could.

She finished the story just in time, because some of the kids were looking drowsy. Definitely nap time. Lia got them all settled down and was busy neatening up the kitchen area when Aisha Yusuf, their teacher, returned from her doctor’s appointment.

“Hey,” Lia greeted her longtime friend and colleague. “How did it go?”

“All good, baby’s doing well, I’m doing well.” Aisha’s hand went to the slight swell of her tummy, and Lia suppressed a small surge of longing. It was Aisha’s first pregnancy, and the woman was positively beaming with joy and good health.

“I could have told you that,” Lia teased. “You look amazing.” She gathered up her purse, and Aisha frowned.

“Leaving so soon? I thought we could have a cup of tea and chat.”

“I’d love to, but I’m meeting Daff for a late lunch.”

“Why don’t you pop around for story time again tomorrow? This lot complains when I do story time—they say my voices aren’t as good as yours.” Lia laughed at that bit of nonsense.

“Liar. They pretty much adore anyone who reads to them.”

“Well, I don’t think my voices are as good as yours,” Aisha said, and Lia gave her a hug.

“Thanks, Aisha. I’ll make time to come around tomorrow morning.” Lia literally had nothing but time at the moment. She tried to keep busy with her numerous charity projects, but her schedule was definitely flexible. Even though they would never say it, she was sure her parents were probably sick of her lounging around without any true purpose. Luckily she had some savings and a generous trust fund that their maternal grandparents had set up for all three sisters, which was paying for her degree and some measure of independence at the moment.

Lia had dreamed of perhaps renting her youngest sister Daisy’s house, but, even with the trust fund, it would strain her budget. She needed a job. Their town of Riversend was small and offered few employment opportunities. She would have to venture out to Knysna or farther for a decent job, but she’d been in a complete funk since her failed wedding nearly two years ago and couldn’t seem to find any focus.

God, she felt completely useless at the moment. Maybe that was why she had fallen into bed with Sam Brand so easily. Such behavior was completely uncharacteristic for Lia. She didn’t sleep with strange men. In fact, nobody knew it, but Clayton had been her first lover. Lia had been all for saving herself for marriage—or engagement, as it were. She’d never dreamed that her wedding would fall through. She’d thought Clayton would be her first and last lover.