Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 99017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 495(@200wpm)___ 396(@250wpm)___ 330(@300wpm)
Before I can think of the kindest way to inform Clover this isn’t going to work, my mother asks, “How about a cup of coffee, honey? You look like you could use a cup of coffee.”
“Yes, please,” Clover says. “I can always use a cup of coffee.”
“A girl after my own heart. Cream? Sugar?”
“Sugar, please, no cream,” Clover says, glancing back to me as she adds, “I mean, if that’s okay with you, Mr. Kate.”
Mr. Kate.
I don’t know what to say to that.
I only know I don’t like it. Not even a little bit.
I like it even less when my mother cheers, “Just how I like mine! Come on in, take your shoes off, get comfortable. We’ll get you caffeinated and introduce you to the girls before we go. Grab her bags, Dean. I assume you have bags, Clover?”
“Just one suitcase,” Clover says. “But I can get it. It’s not that heavy.”
“I’ll get it,” I grit through clenched teeth. “It’s not a problem.”
But it is a problem, a big problem, one I’m not sure how to head off at the pass with Clover already climbing my porch with a bounce in her step and a few jaunty thrusts of her cane.
Thrusts…
Vowing not to think about thrusts—any kind of thrusts—I collect her suitcase and head inside, figuring this latest mess can wait until after I’ve dropped Mom at the airport.
But as soon as I get back…
Well, Clover and I are going to have to talk.
A long, serious, sober talk.
Eight
CLOVER
I wave from the porch—Bella on my hip, and Ava bouncing beside me as she shouts, “Bye, Grammy! Bye, I love you so much! See you soon!”—like a person whose life isn’t in a rapid downward spiral.
Nothing to see here, folks.
Just your average, professional childcare provider who absolutely did not have another kinky sex dream about her boss last night.
Her boss, who apparently had no idea he was about to be her boss. And who is probably going to fire her as soon as he gets back from taking his mother to the airport.
What fun!
What an absolutely fantastic start to the day, the week, the new year.
But at least the cabbie had already pulled away by the time Ava ran into the road, and I didn’t have to watch a little girl get run over.
Good God, that was scary.
And way too close for comfort. She didn’t so much as glance at the street before she dashed through the gate and into the middle of it. And sure, the Kates live in a cul-de-sac, where there isn’t a lot of traffic, but that doesn’t mean she should assume that it’s safe to run out into the street—any street—without checking to be sure.
We’re going to work on safe street-crossing protocols ASAP.
And in the meantime…
Well, in the meantime, I’ll just try to take excellent care of the girls until we go our separate ways. Even if that separation comes a lot sooner than I was expecting.
As Dean’s truck rounds the corner and disappears, I herd the girls back inside, where I lock the deadbolt and the little button lock in the middle of the knob before setting Bella down and dragging my suitcase in front of the door for good measure.
Ava watches me, a guilty expression on her face.
But she doesn’t make any promises not to make a break for it in the future.
Nope, there are no promises, no assurances, just a mildly repentant gleam in her blue eyes as she asks, “Do you want to see my room, Clover? And my toys?”
“Yes, for sure, I do,” I say. “Just let me tidy up the kitchen a little, and I’ll be right up.” I turn to Bella, who’s still practically glued to my thigh. “Do you want to go play with Ava in her room, Bella? Or would you rather come help me clean up breakfast and load the dishwasher?”
“I come help you, Cwover,” she says, thrusting her arms up toward me.
“Okay, great.” I scoop her up, balancing her with one arm as I reach for my cane against the wall with the other.
I’m having a good leg day, thank goodness. If I weren’t, I might not be able to hold Bella this much.
But it’s been a rough morning, what with Ava going missing, Grammy flying home, and a new nanny in the house. Once we’ve established our routine and she feels safe and comfortable, she probably won’t need as much holding. And she’s a sweet little girl. I’m sure if I told her that my leg was tired, and I needed to cuddle her on the couch instead of toting her around on my hip, she would understand.
We’ll both learn to make accommodations to get the job done, and things will be just fine.
Unless I’m fired, of course.
Yay, uncertainty! My favorite.
I head into the kitchen to corral the coffee cups and tidy the sticky mess on the table by Bella’s booster seat, still spiraling.