Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
The House
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” Lenni bounced on the bed and Mildred started to bark in excitement.
“Evil.” I groaned, cracking an eye open. I hadn’t gotten to bed until after two in the morning.
“It snowed! There’s enough snow to go sledding! Come on, Wyn! Get up! Up! Up! Up!”
She bounded out of the room and Mildred ran after her. I sat up slowly and rubbed a hand down my face. I glanced at the sewing machine and my half-baked idea of a project that I’d completed.
Luckily Lenni was a sound sleeper. She hadn’t heard me cursing every time I accidentally sewed my shirt’s arm cuff to the project fabric.
I slinked out of bed and padded to the bathroom. I got ready as best I could to face the day, trying not to look like a train wreck.
It felt like I’d cried for two days straight after I’d given my notice.
Archer had taken the previous day off and he and Lenni had spent a father-daughter day out of the house, leaving me alone to wallow in my feelings.
Alone to hide.
Alone to cry.
I pulled on a hoodie and left the bedroom, covering a yawn as I went.
Archer stood in the kitchen, already dressed and looking far too incredible for it to be so early in the morning. Apparently, he wasn’t suffering from the same lack of sleep I was.
“Coffee?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Green tea.”
Green tea would give me a caffeine boost without frying my already frazzled nerves.
He put the kettle on and while the water boiled, Archer went to the cabinet and pulled out my favorite red mug.
“You didn’t sleep,” he observed.
“What gave it away?” I demanded in exhaustion. “The bags under my eyes?”
“You’re pale.” He took a step toward me. “What kept you up, Wyn?”
“Stop it, Archer,” I snapped. “I don’t want to do this.”
“Do what? I asked you a question. It has a simple answer.”
“A simple answer?” I glared at him. “You think anything about this is simple?”
“No, it’s not simple. That’s why I was up all night thinking about you.”
I studied him for a moment. His eyes were the tiniest bit bloodshot, but unless you were standing close to him, you wouldn’t notice.
The tea kettle whistled. Archer turned off the burner and opened the spout. He added the green tea bag to the mug and then poured boiling water over it.
In my haste to get away from him, I yanked the mug toward me, causing hot water to splash all over my left hand.
“Ah!” I yelled in pain. The mug hit the floor but didn’t break. It did, however, spill hot water across the wood floor.
Archer grasped my other arm and hauled me toward the sink. He quickly turned on the cold water and shoved my burning hand beneath it.
Tears leaked out of the corner of my eyes as my skin throbbed.
A whimper escaped my mouth.
The back door opened, and Lenni came inside with Mildred.
“What happened?” Lenni asked as she shut the door and removed her coat.
“Wyn spilled hot water on her hand,” Archer explained.
When I tried to tug my hand out from underneath the cool tap, Archer shook his head. “Another few minutes.”
“Oh, Wyn,” Lenni murmured. “What can I do to help?”
“First Aid kit,” Archer said. “Underneath the bathroom sink.”
“I’m on it,” Lenni said.
Lenni disappeared and Mildred came over to investigate. Her paws trekked through the pool of water on the floor.
With a sigh, Archer released me and scooped up the sausage dog before she could escape and leave wet paw prints everywhere. “Keep your hand under the water,” he commanded me.
I swiped at my cheek with my other hand, removing the offending tears. Archer grabbed the dish towel from the oven handle and tossed it onto the floor over the biggest puddle. Using his foot, he began to mop up the mess.
Lenni returned with the First Aid kit. She sat down on the couch and put the kit onto the coffee table.
“Can I please be done with this now?” I asked Archer.
He nodded and turned off the faucet. He grasped my injured hand to peer at it.
The skin between my thumb and forefinger was red, but thankfully it didn’t look like it would blister.
“Sit down,” Archer ordered. “Let me bandage it for you.”
“Bossy,” I muttered.
“You need bossy,” he huffed.
My cheeks heated as I walked to the couch. Lenni scooted over to make room for me. I sat down and then Archer placed Mildred onto Lenni’s lap. The girl curled her arms around the dog to keep her in place.
Archer kneeled in front of me, next to the coffee table.
“That doesn’t look too bad,” Lenni said, peering at my injury. “Does it hurt?”
“Still throbbing a bit.”
“You know what will make it feel better?” Lenni asked. “Sledding down Maple Mountain and then hot chocolate at Sweet Teeth.”
“You want to go sledding?” I asked.
“A friend from school texted me,” she said. “Everyone is going sledding.”
I blinked. “Texted you? You have a cell phone?”
She nodded. “Yesterday. When Archer and I were out together.”
“It’s just a basic phone,” Archer explained. “No internet. Just calls and texts.”
“Oh.”
“I would’ve told you, but—”
“Hey, you’re the dad,” I said. “It’s your choice if she has a cell phone.”
“You don’t approve?” Archer asked as he took my hand and spread burn cream over the injury.
I glanced at Lenni who was watching us with intensity. “Why don’t you go upstairs and change into those new ski pants we bought.”
“But I want to sit and hear your conversation,” Lenni said.
“Upstairs,” Archer said in a no-nonsense tone that I found completely hot.
Damn it.
Lenni sighed and took Mildred with her.
Archer opened his mouth to speak to me, but I pressed a finger to his mouth, signaling that he should wait.
“I know you’re still within earshot!” I called out.
A moment later, a bedroom door opened and closed.
My finger slipped from Archer’s mouth.
His eyes were liquid pools of heat.
I swallowed. “Sorry. I just had a feeling she was attempting to eavesdrop.”
He cleared his throat. “Smart. So, you don’t think it was a good idea to get her a cell phone?”
“I think it doesn’t matter what I think.”
“Come on, Wyn. I’m asking for your input here. You’re still her nanny for twelve more days.”
I hated the reminder.
“We need to tell Lenni I’m leaving.”
“I already told her,” he said. “When we were out yesterday.”
“Oh.” I frowned.
“She’s not happy about it. But she said she’ll try to be mature about the situation. There was no meltdown, thankfully.” He rolled his eyes. “Now tell me what you think about her having a cell phone.”
“I didn’t get a cell phone until I was sixteen and finally started driving alone.”
“Things are different now,” he said as he continued to bandage my hand.
“The world is different. I know it’s Huckleberry Hill and the chances of something happening are slim, but still.
There’s no games, no social media, no internet.
Literally just a phone where she can call and text a few pre-programmed numbers.
And there’s no passcode, so I can see what she’s up to. ”
“Did you give her any rules with the phone? Or did you just hand it to her and say here you go.”
“Of course we had a talk,” he said, his dark brows slashing together. “When we’re home, the phone is never in her room. She can take it to school, but it stays turned off in her backpack unless it’s an emergency, and she’s not allowed to text or call any boys.”
I nibbled my lip. “Can’t really argue with that.”
“You want to argue.” His smile was slow. “I think you like arguing.”
I shook my head and gently tugged my bandaged hand from his grasp after he finished wrapping it. “No. I think you’ve thought it through and like I said, you’re the dad. You get to decide these kinds of things.”
He looked at me for a long moment and then got to his feet. “We don’t have a sled. So I texted Muddy and asked if they had one they could spare. She said yes, so we have to stop off at the Ridge.”
Nodding, I said, “I still need caffeine.”
“Get dressed,” he said. “And I’ll make you another tea and put it into a thermos.”
Thirty minutes later, with Mildred and Lenni in the back seat, Archer drove us to Elk Ridge. I sat in the warmth of the truck while he got out and met Muddy on the porch. She had the sled ready and waiting. She waved at us and then headed back inside.
Archer placed the sled in the bed of the truck and then climbed in. Ten minutes later, Archer pulled the truck into one of the few remaining parking spots available at the base of Maple Mountain. Kids and their parents swarmed the sledding hill, the snow already packed down.
“They’ve been at it for a few hours already,” I stated.
“Let’s go!” Lenni yelled, yanking the door open and getting out.
I unbuckled my seat belt and turned around to reach for Mildred who met me halfway. I picked her up and placed her on my lap.
“What are we going to do with her?” Archer asked. “She’s liable to get trampled, even on leash.”
“I’ve got it.” I shot him a smile and unzipped my coat halfway.
“What are you wearing?” Archer demanded.
“My first sewing project. It’s a dog sling.” I tapped my chest. “Mildred.”
Mildred crawled into the sling and settled down. I zipped up my coat and reached for my wool hat that covered my ears and then put on a pair of mittens.
“Unbelievable,” Archer said with a grin.
“She and I are buds,” I explained with a laugh. “We’ve done this before on the subway. But I forgot the sling when I left my last gig. So, I had to make a new one. See? Told you I’d figure out the sewing machine.”
“Lenni? Do you have your gloves?” Archer asked as he pulled on a beanie.
“Yep!” She hopped from one foot to the other. “Come on!”
Archer grabbed the sled and we trekked toward the bottom of the hill.
“Hey! There’s Ms. Thomas!” Lenni yelled, waving at her teacher.
Ms. Thomas waved back. Lenni grasped her father’s hand and tugged him toward her.
The two of them left me and Mildred behind.
Archer and Ms. Thomas were in the middle of talking when Ms. Thomas began to laugh. Lenni ran up the hill, dragging the sled behind her.