Chapter 22
“I asked for a quiet day. The universe laughed.”
Sloane
Zane hesitates at the door. “Are you sure you don’t mind babysitting Adele today?”
Did he forget I’m the nanny? “I babysit her every day while you work.”
“But it’s your day off.”
Rumrunner is officially closed today. It’s a rare occurrence, but Harper wanted to give us time to recover from Christmas. The bar was packed on Christmas and Boxing Day.
It was crazier than normal, which is saying a lot for Smuggler’s Hideaway. I don’t want to see another naked mermaid or find another piece of glitter in my clothes for at least two weeks. Too bad New Year’s Eve is coming up.
“It’s fine. My only plans for today are to relax with Boozer and Adele.”
“If you change your mind, call Mom. She’ll jump at the chance to spend some time with Adele.”
She’d also use the opportunity to try and push me and Zane together. I cottoned on to her play at Christmas. She wants Zane to settle down, and apparently, Little Miss Matchmaker has chosen me as Zane’s partner. Doesn’t she realize her son will never settle down?
Although, he did cancel all of his holiday plans for Adele. He was planning a trip to Iceland. There’s an active volcano he wants to hike. I shiver. An active volcano? Is he nuts? But he stayed home instead. He’s even going into the distillery to attend a meeting he’d normally skip.
“Go,” I tell Zane. “If you’re late for another meeting, Eli and Rhett will have your head.”
“Nah. I’ll tell them Adele had a blowout.”
I snuggle the baby closer. “Don’t you dare use this precious girl as an excuse.”
He sighs. “Fine. I’m going. As soon as you promise to call Mom if you need her.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll call your mom if I need her.”
He waves before leaving.
“Finally, he’s gone. What do you want to do? Watch a scary movie? Go for a pub crawl?”
Adele’s response is a big yawn. “I hear you, sweetie pie. I’m tired, too. Should we take a nap?”
I push to my feet. As much as I’d enjoy sleeping all cuddled up to Adele on the sofa, it’s too dangerous. I’m not allowing this precious girl to get trapped between the sofa cushions or suffocate on my watch.
I lay Adele in her crib before shuffling down the hall to my bedroom. Boozer jumps on the bed and I cuddle into his side as I fall asleep.
Ding dong. Ding dong.
The doorbell rings and I groan. Who could it possibly be? Zane’s mom – any member of his family, really – would barge inside without knocking. And, as we’ve established, I have no family. Flying pirates, I hope it’s not Mom.
I roll out of bed and make my way to the nursery. Adele is awake and waiting for me in her crib. I settle her on my hip and go answer the door.
“Who are you?” I ask the stranger on the porch.
The woman scowls at me. “I’m the mother.”
My eyes widen as I inch backwards. “You’re Adele’s mother?”
“Yes. And I want her back.”
“You want her back?”
“Yep. I’m on break from college and have time for her now.”
“You have time for her now?”
“Are you going to stare at me with your mouth gaping open and repeat everything I say?”
I slam my mouth shut.
“Are you going to give me my baby or what?”
Or what. Definitely or what.
No way, no how is this woman taking Adele. It would break Zane’s heart. And I wouldn’t walk away unscathed either. This little girl has wormed her way into my heart.
I’m not letting this woman treat Adele the way my mother treated me – as an inconvenience she only had time for when she was bored.
“You can’t show up here and make demands. Adele isn’t a toy. You can’t play with her when you want and then dump her when you’re bored.”
She stomps her foot. “Adele is mine. Give her to me.”
She wants the baby, and yet she hasn’t looked at Adele once. She hasn’t asked how she’s doing. She hasn’t shown concern for her whatsoever.
She’s also acting like a child. Stomping her foot and making demands.
“How old are you?”
She flips her hair over her shoulder. “What difference does it make?”
She’s right. It doesn’t make any difference.
I inhale a deep breath and blow it – along with all my anger at the situation – out. Being angry and fighting with this woman is not going to help.
“Let’s start over. Hi, I’m Sloane. And your name is?”
“Are you Zane’s latest piece?” She rolls her eyes. “He’s such a player.”
I nearly nod to agree with her, but I’m actually not sure she’s correct. Not any longer, at least. Zane hasn’t had any interest in any women since I moved in with him, and it’s been a month.
Except you.
I push those thoughts away. I’m not going to reminisce over what Zane and I did while standing in front of his baby mama.
“I’m the nanny.”
“Nanny? And Zane hasn’t tried to sleep with you yet?”
I scowl at her.
She leans closer to study my face. “Although, you might be a bit old for him.”
“Old? I’m thirty-one.”
“Exactly.” She nods. “Old.”
She’s such a pleasant woman. What did Zane see in her? I scan her body. She has big boobs and a small waist. I think I answered my own question.
She glances at her watch. “I don’t have all day. My plane departs in a few hours.”
“I don’t care when your plane departs. You are not taking Adele.”
“She’s my baby. Do you understand?”
“I understand you gave birth to her. I also understand you abandoned her.”
“I didn’t abandon her.”
“You gave her to Zane and rushed off before he could ask you any questions.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m not a monster.”
“Abandoning your child with a man who didn’t know about her existence isn’t going to win you Mother of the Year.”
“I don’t know what the big deal is. The baby is obviously doing fine.”
“Adele,” I grit out. “Adele is doing well.”
“Are you going to give me my baby or are we going to stand outside on the porch and argue all morning?”
I scan our surroundings. Several of the neighbors are standing on their porches, eavesdropping on the drama playing out. I don’t want to be the cause of everyone on Smuggler’s Hideaway gossiping about Zane.
I step back and motion her inside.
She follows me into the living room and studies the area. “This place hasn’t changed a bit.”
My stomach sours at the reminder of how she’s been here before. I don’t need the reminder. I’m literally holding proof they had sex in my arms.
Jealousy slams into me. I try to shake it off. I don’t have any claim to Zane.
You’ve kissed and had sex.
Those things don’t mean anything to Zane. I think. We never discussed what happened that night in his bed.
Boozer comes flying out of my room barking. He skids to a halt when he notices the woman – who still hasn’t given me her name! With a growl, he positions himself in front of me and sits on my feet.
“What is this thing?”
I scratch behind his ears. “This is my dog, Boozer.”
“Dog? He doesn’t resemble any dog I’ve ever seen before.”
Boozer growls at her and she inches backward.
“Is he rabid? Maybe he should be put down.”
I glare at her. “My dog doesn’t need to be put down.”
“Are you certain? He’s drooling all over your shoes.” She laughs at her own joke and claps her hands.
Uh oh. She did it now. Clapping hands is a signal for Boozer to come. He bounds toward her. He jumps on her and lands with his front paws on her shoulders. She shrieks.
“Get him off of me! Get him off!”
Boozer thinks she’s playing with him and licks her face. She tries to shove him away, but when my dog doesn’t budge, she ends up falling back on her ass.
The door behind her opens and Zane marches inside. “What the hell is going on here?” He frowns at the woman on the floor. “What are you doing here, Daisy?”
Daisy! That’s her name.
“Daisy wants Adele back but I refused,” I explain. I narrow my eyes at her. “Adele isn’t a toy you can abandon when you’re tired of her.”
She rolls her eyes. “Not the toy metaphor again.”
She holds out her hand to Zane to help her up but he ignores her to stand next to me and crosses his arms over his chest.
Relief knocks into me with such force, my knees wobble. Zane isn’t helping Daisy. He’s standing with me.