Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“You felt sorry for me?” She leaned forward. Her gaze traveled downward—toward my lap. “Is that what that was against my stomach?”
My face burned. “Look, I don’t even know what we’re arguing about. Bottom line, while you’re working for me, we’ll have to keep our distance.”
“It won’t be a problem, because I have no intention of working for you.” With that, she dropped her dead phone back in her purse and left the booth.
When I heard the bell over the door jingle, I closed my eyes.
You’re better off, said the rational voice in my head. Having her around would have been a disaster. You heard her—she doesn’t need to be rescued. You’re too attracted to her, and she gets under your skin too easily. You’d be on edge all the fucking time.
But where the hell was she going to go?
“Dad, can we have some more quarters?”
I opened my eyes to see the twins standing at the side of the booth. “No. That’s all I brought.”
“Where’s Veronica?” Adelaide asked, looking at the empty side of the booth.
“She left.”
Owen glanced behind me, toward the door. “Where’d she go?”
“I don’t know,” I said irritably.
“What about her suitcase? It’s in our car,” Adelaide reminded me.
“Fuck.” I pinched the bridge of my nose.
The twins looked at each other and gasped.
“Yes, I said a bad word,” I barked. “Get over it.”
“Why are you so mad?” Owen asked as Ari arrived with the food.
“I don’t know, I just am! Now sit down.” I pointed at the seat Veronica had vacated. “Both of you over there.”
Adelaide looked concerned, glancing toward the door. “But what if Veronica comes back?”
I was more worried about her not coming back. “Let’s just eat.”
But I wasn’t hungry.
While the kids gobbled up their breakfasts, I drank coffee and brooded over Veronica’s abrupt departure. Every time I heard the bell over the door ring, I turned around and hoped to see her walking toward our booth.
The twins kept badgering me. Where had she gone? Why had she left without saying goodbye? What were we going to do with her suitcase? Would we ever see her again?
“Stop with the questions already.” I put my empty mug down. My hand was shaking, I’d had so much caffeine. “We’ll find her.”
“But why would she run away like that?” Adelaide persisted.
“She ran away because I hurt her feelings,” I finally said, signaling to Ari to bring the bill.
“What did you say?”
“It doesn’t matter. But listen, you two.” I leaned my elbows on the table. “What do you think of having her as your nanny this summer?”
“Yes!” Owen said, stuffing a forkful of pancake in his mouth. “I like her. She’s fun.”
“You guys might have to learn to cook,” I said.
“I know how to make some things already,” Adelaide boasted. “I can make nachos, fruit kebabs, and Pop Tarts.”
Ari brought the check and glanced at Veronica’s untouched Belgian waffle. “Did she . . . have to go?”
“Yeah, because Dad hurt her feelings,” said Owen.
“I’m going to apologize,” I said, giving Owen a dirty look. “As soon as we find her.”
“She’s going to be our new nanny,” announced Adelaide.
Ari smiled. “She seems like she’ll be a really fun nanny.”
“Did you know that’s our uncle’s picture on the wall over there?” Adelaide pointed to Dash’s black and white headshot, which was signed, To everybody back home at Moe’s, Dash Buckley. “He’s a TV star.”
The smile slid off her face as Ari glanced at the wall behind her. “Yeah. I know your uncle.”
“Don’t you like him?”
“Everybody likes Dashiel Buckley. He told me that himself.” Ari grabbed the check and my credit card. “I’ll take that up for you.”
I nodded, wondering if something had gone on between Mabel’s best friend and Dash at some point. “Thanks.”
“So where should we look?” Owen asked when we were standing on the sidewalk outside Moe’s.
Shielding my eyes from the sun, I looked down the block to the right and left. Downtown was always busy on Sundays, and Main Street was crowded with people ducking in and out of shops and restaurants or strolling down toward the harbor with cups of coffee.
I remembered how Veronica had remarked yesterday that she hadn’t seen it yet—and how she wanted to at least taste some fudge before she left town. “Come with me,” I told the kids. “I have an idea.”
They followed me into the nearest fudge shop, where I let them each choose a small piece—chocolate peanut butter for Owen and chocolate mint for Adelaide. For Veronica, I purchased plain vanilla, wishing there was some way to add sprinkles to it.
As the kids munched on their unexpected treat—I didn’t normally let them have dessert at ten a.m.—we walked to the corner and turned onto Spring Street, which sloped down toward the harbor.
After crossing Bayview Road, we stood at the foot of Waterfront Park, which was packed with picnicking families, dog walkers, joggers, and couples stretched out on blankets beneath the shade of a huge maple tree. Behind the lenses of my aviator sunglasses, my eyes scanned the crowd. Was she here?