Shadows of New York Read Free Page A

her coat, having stowed it in one of the hall closets. “So, how did the first day go, Aiden?”
    “Pretty good.” Jennifer looked at him as if she expected more, so he launched into a brief description of the day’s activities. “After lunch, we went to the park for a while and then came back here and played board games while Jackson took his afternoon nap. That little guy crashed out. I think all the fresh air did him in.”
    “And dinner? Did everyone eat well?”
    “Oh, yeah! Ann’s quite a crowd-pleaser.”
    “You’ve got that right,” Robert agreed. “She always seems to know exactly what everyone’s in the mood for.”
    “And after dinner?” Jennifer asked. “Any issues?”
    “Nope. We had a nice evening of reading and playing. Everyone was tucked in at their respective bedtimes.”
    “Excellent.” Jennifer stifled a yawn. “Oh, excuse me! I’m exhausted. Carlie Diane was a bit high maintenance tonight. I’d better get to bed. Anything you need before you turn in, Aiden?”
    “No, thanks, ma’am, uh, Jennifer. I’m all set.”
    “All right. Good night then.”
    “I’ll be right there,” Robert said as his wife breezed out of the kitchen. Her footsteps retreated down the hallway and a door closed.
    “Listen,” Robert said to Aiden. “I know my wife can be a little…particular…about the way things are done around here. It sounds like you’re off to a good start. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and everything will work out fine.” He stood and put his coffee mug in the sink. “See you tomorrow.” He left the kitchen, following in his wife’s path.
    Aiden sighed and drained the last of his decaf. These people were nice. He felt bad about keeping a secret from them, but couldn’t see any alternative. Not yet, at least.
     

 
Chapter Two
    Fists of Furry
     
    “Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Josh’s best friend, Nick, said to him. “Let me get this straight. Your new nanny is a dude ?”
    “I know. Weird, right?” Josh replied as they walked down the school corridor after dismissal, their friends Ian and Ewan trailing behind. This was Josh’s small group of close friends. It was with these guys that Josh ate lunch at school, hung out on weekends, and role-played their favorite online video game, Swordz N Spellz . “He seems okay, though.”
    “So, you think he’ll let you play more video games than your mom does?”
    “I hope so.”
    The boys walked out the front doors and parted ways with a quick “see ya.” Josh looked around the small schoolyard and spotted Aiden waiting for him, leaning against the gate and staring at the ground. Josh knew that, as with the other nannies, Mrs. F-G would keep an eye on Jackson while Aiden picked them up from school.
    “Rosemary should be out any second,” Josh told Aiden, getting no reaction. That was when he saw the wires running from Aiden’s pocket, disappearing into his hair on either side of his head. He waved a hand to get Aiden’s attention.
    “Oh, sorry.” Aiden removed the earbuds and slid them into his pocket.
    “I was just saying that—”
    Josh didn’t need to finish his sentence. “Aiden!” Rosemary squealed. A second later, a blur of pink sparkles flashed past him and collided with Aiden, wrapping him in a hug.
    “Yeah, hi,” Aiden said, prying off forty pounds of six-year-old enthusiasm.
    “Is this him?” came a voice Josh recognized as Rosemary’s friend Delilah. He turned to find not just Delilah, but Rosemary’s whole crew of friends. Unlike Josh, who only hung out with a few kids from his class, Rosemary had a genuine posse.
    Rosemary beamed as she faced her posse and said, “Yes. This is Aiden.”
    “Cool,” Delilah said, echoed by the rest of them.
    Delilah took a step forward, her expression curious to the point of challenging. “You’re her nanny? For reals?”
    Aiden nodded. “For reals.”
    “Why?” Delilah pried.
    Aiden didn’t reply. He bit his lower lip as if wondering how to