“I’m not a toy or a piece of furniture, silly.”
I walk toward the kitchen while arguing, “She clearly said the word instructions.”
“Did you bring your listening ears today?”
This kid is sassy. I read the multiple sticky notes and papers Autumn put on the fridge. There are emergency contacts, the number to Silvermoon. There’s a note that she can’t have her phone while working but to call the bar if there’s an emergency. So far, everything she says is easy. There’s a long list that seems like what not to do while babysitting.
“Don’t give her candy,” I read the first rule. “Well, I’m glad I didn’t bring any with me.”
“We have a candy jar.”
I shake my head. “We’re not breaking any of these rules.”
“You’re new, so you don’t know about it. We don’t have rules.”
I cock an eyebrow and cross my arms. “Is that so?”
She nods. This kid is going to try to boss me around. She reminds me a lot of Teddy, who’s the leader of the St. James family—even though she’s the youngest. Okay, so I know how to tread the waters and win her over without letting her get away with murder.
“Okay, let me finish reading this list. It seems important. She’s not allowed to eat the Valentine’s Day cookies. They’re for tomorrow. She’s already taken a shower. Don’t feed her too much pizza. Bedtime is at eight. Make sure she brushes her teeth for two minutes. She needs one or two stories before falling asleep.”
I glance at Matilda. “These sound like either instructions or rules to me.”
“Nope. They’re suggestions.”
“So, it’s okay if we skip story time?”
She crosses her arms and shakes her head. “That’s a rule in the house.”
I chuckle. Of course, there are rules when it’s convenient for her. “Okay. Well, let’s start with the pizza, and we’ll go back to those suggestions after we have dinner.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Zach
While preparing the pizza, I find out that Matilda’s favorite toppings are ham and cheese, but she doesn’t care for the marinara sauce. I’m glad I brought white ricotta sauce with me. Her love for animals is bigger than just wanting an elephant for her birthday. Elephants aren’t her favorites. Manatees, who are called elephants of the sea, are her most favorite ones.
As the instructions state, we don’t touch the cookies, but we bake a few since I brought chocolate chip cookie dough. I allow her to eat one. We save the rest in the cookie jar. I feel like that thing should be locked up or put in a safe. I imagine Matilda sneaking out of bed around three in the morning to get her fix.
Autumn might not like me when she finds out that I ignored a few of her instructions, but you know what they say. Sometimes, it’s better to say I’m sorry than to ask for permission. Also, I want Matilda to like me, not hate me, before we get to know each other. Matilda prepares a plate for her mom with a pizza and a cookie.
It’s adorable to see how much she cares about her mom. As I’m about to tuck her in, she says, “I wish Mom had been here.”
“Maybe another day, I’ll bring stuff so we can cook together.”
She grins, and that small face brightens. “Next weekend, she’s off. You can come and have popcorn with us, and we can make pizza. If you sleep over, we can have waffles the next morning.”
Wow, she has an entire plan for us. I now understand why Autumn doesn’t want me too close to her when Matilda is around. She might suggest I move in and become the dad she longs for. As I brush the hair from her forehead, I realize that I wouldn’t mind doing this every night. If only I could be what she wishes for. I could try, but it’s not a good idea. I’m not good for either one of them.
“Why don’t we discuss it with your mom?”
Her bottom lip trembles. “She’s going to say no.”
I’m not sure if she’s playing me or genuinely sad, but if I’m not careful, this kid is going to wrap me around her pinky finger and play me like a violin.
“Let’s worry about that later. It’s story time. Do you have any suggestions?”
Before she climbs up onto her bed, she points at a purple book on top of her desk. The cover has a girl and a unicorn walking to school. School for Unicorns and Other Mythical Creatures. I grab it, pull the covers so she’s not cold later tonight, then clear my voice.
“Louise couldn’t wait to see the school for the first time. Owning a unicorn was super special. Being accepted at the School for Unicorns and Other Mythical Creatures was a gift. Her grandmother gifted her Ursula, her unicorn, and now, she was accepted into one of the most prestigious schools in the magical land….”
After the third chapter, I notice Matilda is fast asleep. She’s hugging the elephants I gave her for her birthday. That reminds me that I didn’t show her the pictures I received from the Elephant Sanctuary. Also, it’s strange that a trip to the zoo might be her next favorite activity. So I sent a text to Seth, who has connections everywhere.
Zach: I need a private tour at a zoo. Any zoo will work.
Seth: A zoo tour?
Zach: Sure, let’s call it that.
Seth: I could get you into the Turtle Sanctuary.
Zach: That’d be awesome. I owe you.
Seth: Can we talk later? I’m in the middle of a mission.
I swallow hard because I’d hate it if anything happened to him. He likes being on secret missions and saving people. What if he can’t be saved?
Zach: Be careful.
It’s nine thirty when my phone rings. It’s Burke, so I let the call go to voicemail. A few seconds later, he calls again. After the fourth call, I’m tempted to turn off the phone, but I realize it’s Teddy. My heart clenches. Did something happen to my brothers?
“Are you okay?”
“You’re ignoring us,” Teddy says.
“No. He’s avoiding us,” Burke argues, and I realize I’m on speaker.
I groan. “I thought you were busy working, squirt.”
“I was—am. Unfortunately, Burke brought a pretty good subject to my attention, and I had to investigate further before coming to an intelligent conclusion.”
“Should I be scared?”
“Nope. We have a few questions for you.”
From the sound of her voice, I’m guessing they’re up to no good. I should just hang up and ignore them for the rest of my natural life. “The answer is no.”
“You don’t even know what we’re going to ask.”
“It involves Burke and you. I’m not interested in whatever you’re selling.”
“Should we tell him that we’re here too?” I hear a voice that’s either Fletcher’s or Myles’s. “I don’t want him to bitch about it later.”
“Who is there?” I ask, wondering if they’re about to set up an intervention.
“Fletch, Myles, Burke, and me.”
“What, no Kingston?”
“He left earlier. He couldn’t wait to entertain our nonsense.”