Chapter 7
Alice
“Miss Alice, watch this!”
“I’m watching,” I call back, giving Nellie my undivided attention.
Her big smile showcases the tooth missing beside her front top teeth.
Once she confirms she has my attention, her eyebrows furrow and her lips tighten into a thin line as she spins herself across the lacquered gym floor in pink ballet shoes.
The high ponytail we put in that morning swishes against the back of her neck, and the mesh skirt covering her athletic shorts twirls neatly around her waist.
“Ta-da!” She throws her arms up and poses on the other side of the gym.
I stand and clap as if she just completed her final bow on Broadway. Not that I have a clue what level of skill her trick required. I never took a dance class. Not until Archie got me into line dancing. Tapping my heels and toes have nothing on her practiced moves.
“You’re a star!”
She curtsies at me before doing a shuffle walk back over to her teacher. The woman leading the class gives her a stern admonishment. Nellie tucks her hands behind her back as her cheeks lose the battle with a grin.
Nellie is strong-willed and highly intelligent. A lethal combination once she hits her teen years. I wonder if Sutton knows what kind of trouble he has on his hands.
The thought makes me smile.
“Hi, you must be new here.”
A woman leans her shoulder on the wall beside me.
I look up at her from my spot on the ground.
Brown waves are styled into loose curls over her shoulders.
Her outfit is better suited for a courtroom than an elementary school gym.
The gray pantsuit couldn’t be more opposite from my sweatshirt and the jeans I changed into after taking Nellie to school.
I rise and dust my hands on the back of my pants, holding out one for her to shake.
“Hi, yes. I’m Alice. I’m here with Nellie.”
She touches me briefly before dropping my hand. Her expression is open, but her eyes are assessing as she scans my face.
“Stephanie. Is something wrong with Sutton?”
With his prickly persona and guarded attitude, what isn’t wrong with Sutton? The image of him sporting nothing but a towel and gold glitter nearly makes me laugh out loud, followed by a sharp spark of heat between my legs. I chuckle softly.
“No, nothing is wrong. I’m his new nanny.”
Creases form around her mouth. “I didn’t know he was looking for someone to fill that position. Our girls are friends. He could have told me he needed help.”
The honey dripping from her tone exposes she has more than one idea about how exactly to assist Sutton. By the rock on her left ring finger, I’d guess it has to do with her husband watching the girls while she and Sutton spend some time alone.
I shrug.
“I don’t know what to tell you. If you’re friends, you should ask him.”
Her smile turns saccharine. “I will.”
This interaction rubs me in all the wrong ways. The last thing I want from Fairview Valley is any sort of drama. I move my attention back to the young girls practicing pliés.
“Is it a live-in position?”
“I’ll be there morning, noon, and night,” I quip without looking at her, and the inquisition stops.
My wrist vibrates, the screen flashing another unlisted number. I let it go to voicemail, not wanting the caller to know I declined the call. By the time I look up, Nellie is skipping across the gym with her pink backpack slung over her shoulders.
“All finished?”
“Yep!”
“All right. Let’s get home and get you some dinner.”
Small, warm fingers squeeze their way into my palm, the move unfamiliar but not unwelcome. I haven’t had my hand held by a small human since Whitney lived in Arizona with my niece, Lucy, and nephew, Bennett. I smile down at Nellie to find her already looking up at me. Her hand tightens around mine.
We spend the fifteen-minute walk actually getting to know one another.
After her dad left this morning, I cleaned up while Nellie got herself ready for school.
I helped her with her hair, and we played a few rounds of Spot-it before it was time to leave.
This morning, she was eager to point out all her favorite places on the way, and this afternoon, she jabbers on about her teachers and her friends.
I use the spare key Sutton left me with to unlock the front door and disarm the security alarm as per his instructions. Merit stands like a sentry in the foyer, her keen eyes recognizing the lack of threat.
“Okay, first things first, wash your hands.”
Nellie crinkles her nose as she sits down to pull off her sneakers. “Why do I need to do that?”
I crouch down to her level. “Because you’ve been at school all day, and kids carry a ton of germs.”
“My friend Layla kept asking the teacher for a tissue. She asked her so many times that the teacher gave her the whole box.”
Ew.
“And that’s why we wash our hands.”
Nellie takes off toward the sink with Merit and me on her heels. I let the dog out into the fenced backyard, spinning back around with hands on my hips.
“What’s next?”
Nellie shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“Do you have homework or anything?”
“I have to read for thirty minutes and do ten math problems.” Her frown tells me exactly how she feels about that.
I peer into the fridge, mind working on how best to tackle our evening. It’s well stocked with a decent variety of fresh produce, dairy products, eggs, and meat options. Not that Sutton left me any instructions for the dinner menu.
“How about this? I’ll grab you a snack, and you can keep me company and work on your math while I start dinner.”
“I guess that’s okay.”
“Great! You find your math stuff, and I’ll cut up an apple. Do you like apples?”
“I lost my tooth in an apple!” Papers rustle as Nellie digs through her bag.
“I think I lost a tooth once in an apple too.”
I find a knife in the block beside the stove and slice the red delicious into wedges. I nuke a dollop of peanut butter in the microwave for fifteen seconds to make it easier to dip.
“There.” I place the snack in front of her at the kitchen table, weirdly proud of my balanced choice. Sutton has nothing to worry about. I rock this nanny thing.
She studies the selection for a moment before carefully picking a slice and swiping it into the peanut butter.
“This is reaallly good!”
“It’s one of my favorite snacks.” I have an entire drawer of nut butters for when I need an easy snack that won’t mess with my blood sugar.
Nellie pops the remainder of the apple into her mouth and ducks her head to start working on her math.
I take that as my cue to retreat into the kitchen and get something on the stove before Sutton checks in on his nanny cam and finds a reason to fire me.
Fifteen minutes later, I have homemade chicken noodle soup simmering in a large pot. Sutton’s spice selection is lacking, but I made it work with the natural flavor from the store-bought broth. I make a mental note to sneak some options into my bag the next time I’m at the grocery store.
The vibration of my watch provokes a flash of irritation. I swear these unknown-number calls can’t all be from that idiot. I’m not sure if I left a bill unpaid back in Arizona, but I might have to call Archie to have him check with the utility companies before this gets out of hand.
A glance at my wrist settles my shoulders some. Sutton’s name flashes across the screen just in time for the call to end.
“Well, shit,” I mutter. Checking that Nellie is still immersed in her homework and snack, I dig my phone from my pocket.
Before I can move it in front of my face, it starts ringing again.
“Why aren’t you answering my calls?” His voice comes at me before I get the device to my ear.
“Hello, Officer Sunny. I’m sorry I wasn’t quick enough to answer.”
“What could you be doing that makes it difficult to pick up?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Taking care of your daughter?”
I walk to the back door to move this conversation farther away from Nellie. The door springs groan, and Merit trots right in.
“Is that the door?”
“Yes, Sutton. I’m just letting in the dog.”
“How’s Eleanor?”
“She’s great.” I cross one arm into the other and lean my shoulder against the door. “Having a snack now and doing some homework.”
“Put her on.”
I bristle at his curt tone.
“Of course.” I hold the phone out as I cross the room. “Here you go, Nellie. It’s your dad.”
Her eyes light, the joy in them setting off a pang in my chest. Not ever knowing what that unconditional love feels like opens within me a deep well of sorrow. She eagerly holds the phone up to her ear as I try to block out the knowledge of the sticky, peanut butter fingers wrapped around it.
“Hi, Daddy!” A pause. “I’m almost done with my math.” Her lips tick down in a frown. “But Miss Alice is making soup, and it smells really good.”
What the hell?
My teeth click sharply together.
“Okay. Yes, I’ll tell her. Love you. Bye.”
I retrieve my phone, and Nellie sits up to slide her leg beneath her. “He says he’s ordering a pepperoni pizza.”
Irritation prickles my scalp. “Oh? Did he say why?”
She lowers her voice into a whisper. “He says we don’t know yet if you’re a good cook, and he didn’t want me to be hungry.”
If I knew where he kept the nanny cam, I’d give his pesky, meddling ass the middle finger.
“That’s fine, sweetie. I’ll get the pizza when it’s here, and we’ll save my soup for another time.”
Like tomorrow.
He’s going to have to eat my cooking at some point. I didn’t hear any complaints about my eggs at breakfast. I’m beginning to suspect he’s just looking for ways to stir up trouble.
I leave the soup to simmer. We might not be eating it, but the longer it cooks, the longer it will imbue the flavor. Now I’m extra pissed he doesn’t have a good assortment of spices. I need this chicken noodle soup to be the best damn thing he’s ever put in his mouth.
I close my eyes and exhale.
I should not be thinking of Sutton’s mouth.
As if I summoned him once more, my watch vibrates with a text.
Sutton:
Already paid and tipped. Help yourself. There’s plenty
Me: