Bridget groaned, turning her lips downward.
“If I can’t go then Kate can take you.” He looked at me to confirm.
I licked a drop of wine from my lip.
“Yes, of course.” I’d been hired for two weeks, weekends included.
“What time?” Leonardo asked.
She jerked her shoulder with a pout and crossed her arms. “I don’t know.”
Leonardo shifted his position to face her. “Do you remember what happens when you give me a mean face?”
Her lips parted wide and she raised her hands as if bracing for something.
“The tickle monster,” Leonardo said in a deep, growling voice.
“Ahhhh!” Bridget jumped off her seat and ran.
Leonardo chased after her. Their running footsteps pounded around the sofa, the tea table, and then the dining table before he caught her and swung her onto his lap. She laughed and squealed as he tickled her. He stopped, both of them panting as her giggles subsided.
“Okay, young lady. No more pouty face. I promise to do my best.” He put a hand to his heart. “I’ll pinky promise too.”
“Deal.” She curled her pinky around his.
I cleared my throat and then my lips tugged up at the corners. “Don’t forget to make him say our mantra.”
“Oh, yeah.” Bridget bounced on her toes in front of me but faced her father. “Repeat after me. To unicorns, rainbows, and all the sparkling things.”
Leonardo chuckled, his grin wide and beautiful. “To unicorns, rainbows, and all the sparkling things.”
“Yah.” Bridget clapped.
Leonardo turned to me, playfulness gone. “Kate, Phillip will take you home when you’re ready. No need to call a cab. Can you come back tomorrow evening about five?”
“Sure. I’ll leave after I clean up.” I picked up my finished plate and rose.
“That’s okay. I can clean it. It’s getting late.”
I assumed he wanted me out of his house so he could rest. “Okay. Goodnight, Bridget. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I headed toward the spare room where I had left my purse.
“Wait.” Bridget rushed over and wrapped her thin arms around my waist. “Thank you, Kate. See you tomorrow. Say hi to Tyler for me.”
“I will.” I patted her back in a steady rhythm.
Her gratitude and her hug were a nice surprise. I wanted her to be comfortable with me, but she had warmed up to me faster than I’d expected.
When I peered up, Leonardo held a small grin, watching us. I offered a quick smile and left.
Chapter Twenty — Sisterly Bond
I texted Abby, letting her know I was on my way home when I got inside the black SUV with tinted windows. Leonardo must have given Phillip the address, since he hadn’t asked for it.
Phillip wasn’t much of a talker and neither was I. In the quiet, I stared out the window. Nothing but darkness aside from the occasional streetlight, and then my heart bloomed.
Countless twinkling stars filled up the black canvas of night, anchored by the two brightest, reminding me of my painting My Soulmate. In reality, the soulmate stars were light-years apart. They would never meet.
My mind drifted to Bridget’s mother as the grassy hills became a blur in the darkness. Dead? Divorce? Separated? Though I reminded myself dozens of times to mind my own business, I couldn’t help but wonder. The questions would probably nag at me until I found out.
I thought about asking Phillip, but instead I leaned my forehead against the cool window, not looking at anything particular the whole ten-minute ride home.
“Auntie Kate.” Tyler tackled me by the entryway table after he shut the door. “I’m glad you’re home. You’ve been gone so long.”
“I missed you, too.” I rubbed his back, his PJs soft on my hand.
I ruffled his hair and planted a kiss on his forehead. He clutched my hand and led me to the dimly lit family room.
“Come.” Abby patted the cushion beside her and sipped a cup of tea. “Do you want some?”
“I’m fine. I just had dinner.” I dropped my purse and my phone on the tea table and slumped beside her.
The lit Christmas tree twinkled in front of me with a few wrapped presents underneath. Abby must have put them there. The lights were not as bright as the Medici’s tree, but this tree was perfect for this house.
Tyler, smelling of his vanilla and honey shampoo, snuggled beside me.
“Bridget told me you’re nice. She likes you.” His brown eyes glittered along with the tree’s lights.
I draped my arms around Tyler, bringing him closer. “That makes me happy. She’s a good girl. Are you guys planning to go to the beach picnic this Saturday?”
Abby snorted. “I’m the coordinator. I have to go.”
I poked her shoulder and snickered. “No way. You?”
But I wasn’t surprised. Abby had been the Associated Student Body senior president at our high school. She liked organizing things. In college, she’d helped her professor with the last showcase for the senior class. It had been a lot of work, but it had paid off when she’d gotten an internship at the gallery in New York, where she eventually was hired.
“Are you going?” She placed her mug on the table and crossed her legs.
“If Leonardo can’t make it, I’ll have to take Bridget.”
“And if he does take her, you come with us, okay?”
“Sounds like a plan.” I had nothing better to do, and spending time with my family was the whole point of being in Kauai.
Fast asleep in my arms, Tyler hadn’t moved or said a word. I debated whether to tuck him in bed, but decided to wait.
Abby leaned back into the sofa cushion and put her feet up on the coffee table as she closed her eyes. “I forgot to tell you—Mom and Dad called earlier.”
“From the cruise? Are they okay?” I whispered sharply. Now that Tyler was asleep, I lowered my volume and I didn’t want to move, afraid I would wake him up.
“Everything is fine.” She patted me lazily on my arm with her eyes still closed. “They wanted me to say hello to you. I told them you were out. I didn’t know if you wanted them to know about your nanny position.”
“No, I don’t.” Not that I was ashamed of my job, but I didn’t want them asking me a bunch of questions. Ever since they’d found out Jayden had cheated on me, they questioned me about my friends and what I was doing on weekends. Made me feel like they didn’t trust my judgment anymore.
“They’ll arrive on Christmas Eve.”
“I didn’t ask you this before, but should I stay at a hotel? You don’t have an extra room for them.”
She tilted her head to face me. “No, you don’t have to leave. They’re going to stay in my room. I’m going to sleep on the sofa.”
I felt horrible. “I have a queen-size bed. You can sleep with me. Or have Ty sleep with you and I’ll sleep on Ty’s twin bed.”
She swatted her hand in the air with a deep sleepy sigh. “Whatever. We’ll work it out.”
“Like we always do,” I said.
Abby leaned her head against mine. Her voice cracked as she said, “I miss Steve.”