Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60081 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
“Which library branch are you at?” I ask, fighting to keep my voice calm, even as my blood starts to boil.
Carrie snorts out an ugly laugh. “Oh, that’s rich. You don’t even know where your own kid is and your nanny’s taking it upon herself to critique mine.”
“I trust Tatum to pick activities for Sarah Beth,” I say. “So no, I didn’t know she was going to the library. But tell me where you are, and I’ll be right there. I can take an early lunch.”
“Oh, thanks so much, so glad you can fit doing the right thing into your busy schedule,” she says, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “The Main Branch downtown. We’ll be right here. My baby isn’t going anywhere. Your nanny is the one who should be banned.”
My jaw clenched, I say, “I’ll be there in ten minutes, and we can discuss this further in person.”
I end the call and turn to find Rick standing a few feet behind me, a sympathetic look on his face. “I heard,” he says. “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it was hard not to.”
I sigh. “Yeah, sorry. I’ll take care of it and be right back.”
“No rush,” Rick says, jabbing a thumb toward Henry, our boss’s office. “I’ll tell Henry what’s up and that we may be losing the Cummings account.”
My brows shoot up. “No, I can smooth it over. I’ll tell Tatum not to take Sarah Beth to that library or—”
“Like hell you will,” Rick says, surprising me. He isn’t usually a profanity-using guy, not even mild profanity. “Carrie Cummings is the menace, not your nanny. You go stand up for your family. We’ll get by just fine without her husband’s business.” He grins. “Though I doubt we’ll lose it for long if we do at all. We’re the best real estate attorneys in the area, and he puts more value on good work than his wife’s personal grudges.”
My shoulders relax a little as I nod. “Thank you, Rick. I really appreciate that. I’ll try to pacify her, but if I can’t, it’s good to know I have your support.”
“And mine, too,” Henry calls out from his office. “I’m half deaf in one ear and I could hear that woman all the way in here. Ridiculous.”
Rick and I share a look and a grin. Henry’s a man of few words. That was practically a speech from him. It’s clear Carrie Cummings doesn’t have the leverage she thinks she does.
Though, honestly, I’m not sure it would have made a difference if Henry had told me to play nice. As soon as I reach the library and see Sarah Beth sitting in a tiny yellow chair in the kids’ corner, with a bright red rug burn on the side of her face, all concerns about business go out the window.
I hurry over to Tatum, who’s positioned herself in front of Sarah Beth like an avenging Valkyrie, ready to take down any threat to her charge. A nervous-looking librarian with glasses and an oversized gray cardigan stands nearby, wringing her hands.
“What happened?” I ask, as I gather my daughter into my arms, cradling her close with a whispered, “It’s okay, honey. I’m here.”
Carrie, who’s seated in the cushy “storyteller” chair with a pouting Martha on her lap says, “Your child tried to shove to the front of the line and—”
“That’s untrue,” Tatum cuts in, her voice calm, but firm. “Both girls were in line for seeds. Martha said unkind things to Sarah Beth and shoved her to the ground for no reason at all. Then she kicked her. If I hadn’t stepped in, I’m not sure when the abuse would have stopped.” She motions toward the librarian. “Which is why I’ve asked for Martha to be banned from this location until such time as she’s undergone counseling for her anger issues and learned to treat other children with respect.”
Carrie laughs, an ugly sound that makes the back of my neck prickle. “What a liar. I don’t know how you spew that nonsense with a straight face.” She strokes Martha’s blond curls. “My sweetheart would never!”
“Well, we’ll know what happened soon,” the librarian says, pushing her glasses up her nose with a trembling hand. “My supervisor is pulling the footage from our camera system.”
“We already know what happened,” Sofia, one of the women I interviewed for Tatum’s position pipes up from the block station where a cute little boy is building a tower. “We all saw it go down. It happened just like Tatum said it did and I, for one, respect her for taking a stand. Martha’s behavior has been a problem for years, especially with Sarah Beth.”
“Because Sarah Beth has a horrible temper,” Carrie says, making my daughter cringe closer to my chest. “Just like her nanny. They don’t call redheads spitfires for nothing. If anything, they’re the ones who should be banned. And reported to the police.”