Read Reunited (Tueday Temptations) for Free Online

understood the concepts of addition and multiplication and how they were related. There had to be a reason for this stupid rule. There just had to be.
    “Okay, let’s look at two times two.” Kathryn drew a line two blocks to the right horizontally from zero, and two blocks upward vertically from zero. “If we tie these together with coordinates, we get a volume of four on the graph, see?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Now if we do the same with negative two times negative two—” She drew a line two blocks to the left side from zero, then two blocks downward from zero. She shaded in the area. “It’s still a volume of four. See?”
    “Yeah. But I still don’t get it.”
    She scoffed. “To tell you the truth, neither do I. Did you order the pizza yet?”
    “Yeah. While you were getting the drinks.”
    “Okay, let’s think of how multiplication works. Two times two means two sets of two, right?”
    “Yeah. And two sets of two would be four.”
    “Good. And you understand why two times negative two is negative four?”
    “Yeah, of course. Two sets of negative two would be negative four. That makes sense.”
    “Good. It makes sense to me, too. So really, all we need to do is figure out why negative two sets of negative two equals positive four.”
    “Yup.”
    “Okay, no problem.” Kathryn rolled her eyes. “Would you like to know about the existence of God or the meaning of life? That might be easier.”
    Brett laughed. Oh, he had an attractive husky laugh. She sighed.
    “Do you have any math homework you need help with? Maybe when the pizza comes we can tackle this question. I work better on a full stomach.”
    Brett laughed again. “Me, too. Yeah, here’s my homework assignment. Can you check it for me?”
    Kathryn went through the problems with him and found he had done a pretty good job. Just as she finished helping him with the corrections, the doorbell rang and the pizza arrived.
    “The iced tea’s gone, and Deb doesn’t have any pop. We should have ordered some Coke,” Kathryn said.
    “No problem. Ice water’s fine.” He winked. “She does have ice, doesn’t she?”
    Kathryn’s heart skipped a beat. He’d actually winked at her! “I think so. I’ll get us some. And some plates and napkins. Give me a sec.”
    “I’ll be right here.”
    When she returned Brett had already polished off a piece of pizza.
    “You must be hungry,” she said.
    “Always. Here.” He handed her a piece. She took a bite and set it on a plate.
    “So I’ve been thinking,” he said.
    “About what?”
    “About our positive and negative problem.”
    “This is really bugging you, isn’t it?”
    “Yeah. And I have no idea why.”
    “It bugs me too, and I know exactly why. Because I like to know why. Evidently you do, too.”
    “I guess so. I never really thought I cared about math. About anything about school. I guess I do.”
    “That’s not a bad thing, Brett.”
    “Maybe not. I would like to get this scholarship. Not that I’m looking forward to four more years of school, but it’s better than going to work right now.”
    “In college, you can find answers to lots more questions.”
    “I suppose. Of course, Michelle thinks we’re getting married. If I go to college, I can put off marrying her.”
    “Do you want to put off marrying her?”
    “Yeah. No. I don’t know.”
    “You’re only eighteen. It’s not a sin to want to put off marriage for a while. I sure don’t want to get married right now.”
    “But you have a future.”
    “What kind of talk is that? You have a future.”
    “I might if I get this scholarship.”
    “You have a future anyway. It’s what you make of it that matters.”
    “I don’t want to end up like my dad. Going nowhere in a nowhere job.”
    “I heard he had an accident. I’m sorry.”
    “Well, he’ll live, but he’s on disability for the rest of his life.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    “You already said that.” He smiled.
    “I know. I don’t know what else to say. I