here?”
“I believe she’s in the cafeteria.”
“I’ll look for her there.” I took my time strolling through the corridors, trying to decide what I’d say to the Volunteer of the Year.
“Maggie!” a voice called excitedly. “There you are.”
I turned and smiled politely at the dark-haired woman dressed in her usual uniform of khakis and polo shirt. “I was on my way to see you, Megan.”
She grinned. “I can see you got my invite. You’ve got some glitter on your chin.”
I swiped my palm across it self-consciously.
“What do you say? Will you help me out? Tommy’s mom normally does, but she’s about to burst.” She held her hands out in front of her stomach to mimic the pregnant woman.
“I’d love to but--”
“Wonderful!”
“But,” I continued firmly. “I just have so much going on that I don’t think--”
“Nonsense. We’re all busy people, but we find the time to help out when our children need us.”
I bit my tongue knowing it wouldn’t do to antagonize the class mother, but her superior tone made me want to point out that I didn’t have that luxury. I wanted to tell her that I was working my butt off trying to keep my aunt’s shop afloat while she recovered from her injury and that I spent a great deal of time ferrying my niece from one medical appointment to the next. And I sure as hell didn’t say that in my few spare moments I was either searching for my missing sister or figuring out how to kill someone.
Apparently I was silent for too long, because Megan leaned closer and said incredulously, “Are you telling me you’re really not going to help?”
“I’m telling you that I don’t have the time or resources of Tommy’s mother,” I said through gritted teeth. “I don’t know how much help I can be.”
Megan waved off my concerns. “A warm body is better than no body, right?”
Since I’m a paid assassin, I tend to disagree, but again, I held my tongue.
“Still, I understand that not everyone has the opportunity like I do to be there for my children,” Megan said.
"I'll do it," I found myself blurting out against my better judgment.
Something that looked a lot like disappointment flickered across Megan's face. I got the distinct impression that while she’d been doing her best to guilt me into taking the role of party thrower, she hadn't counted on me saying yes.
"Just tell me what I have to do," I said with false cheer.
"Oh it's not much," she replied. "Just enough to make the kids happy."
"Speaking of kids, I have to get mine, so if you'll excuse me." I started moving toward the cafeteria again.
"I'll be in touch, Maggie," Megan yelled after me. It sounded more like a threat than a promise.
Still, I didn't give it much thought as soon as I picked up Katie. Buckling her into her car seat, I asked, "How do you feel about going to see Dominic?"
She beamed. "Really?"
I nodded.
"Can we get ice cream?"
I tapped the side of her mouth with my finger. "It looks like you already had ice cream."
A wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows as she licked away the brown evidence. "I didn't have ice cream."
"It looks like you had chocolate ice cream."
She shook her head, the wrinkle appearing again, giving her away.
“What did you have?” I asked, her evasive tactics reminding me a lot of her grandfather.
"A chocolate chip cookie."
Despite the tightening of my chest, I forced myself to stay calm, knowing she was watching my reaction closely.
"Who gave you that?" I asked, making a mental note to remind everyone at the B&B that the doctors had all said that proper nutrition would play a role in my niece’s recovery.
"Sindhu."
"What?"
"Sindhu," she explained. "My new friend. We sat at lunch together."
Relieved to hear that my niece had made a desperately needed friend, I scratched out my
“I believe she’s in the cafeteria.”
“I’ll look for her there.” I took my time strolling through the corridors, trying to decide what I’d say to the Volunteer of the Year.
“Maggie!” a voice called excitedly. “There you are.”
I turned and smiled politely at the dark-haired woman dressed in her usual uniform of khakis and polo shirt. “I was on my way to see you, Megan.”
She grinned. “I can see you got my invite. You’ve got some glitter on your chin.”
I swiped my palm across it self-consciously.
“What do you say? Will you help me out? Tommy’s mom normally does, but she’s about to burst.” She held her hands out in front of her stomach to mimic the pregnant woman.
“I’d love to but--”
“Wonderful!”
“But,” I continued firmly. “I just have so much going on that I don’t think--”
“Nonsense. We’re all busy people, but we find the time to help out when our children need us.”
I bit my tongue knowing it wouldn’t do to antagonize the class mother, but her superior tone made me want to point out that I didn’t have that luxury. I wanted to tell her that I was working my butt off trying to keep my aunt’s shop afloat while she recovered from her injury and that I spent a great deal of time ferrying my niece from one medical appointment to the next. And I sure as hell didn’t say that in my few spare moments I was either searching for my missing sister or figuring out how to kill someone.
Apparently I was silent for too long, because Megan leaned closer and said incredulously, “Are you telling me you’re really not going to help?”
“I’m telling you that I don’t have the time or resources of Tommy’s mother,” I said through gritted teeth. “I don’t know how much help I can be.”
Megan waved off my concerns. “A warm body is better than no body, right?”
Since I’m a paid assassin, I tend to disagree, but again, I held my tongue.
“Still, I understand that not everyone has the opportunity like I do to be there for my children,” Megan said.
"I'll do it," I found myself blurting out against my better judgment.
Something that looked a lot like disappointment flickered across Megan's face. I got the distinct impression that while she’d been doing her best to guilt me into taking the role of party thrower, she hadn't counted on me saying yes.
"Just tell me what I have to do," I said with false cheer.
"Oh it's not much," she replied. "Just enough to make the kids happy."
"Speaking of kids, I have to get mine, so if you'll excuse me." I started moving toward the cafeteria again.
"I'll be in touch, Maggie," Megan yelled after me. It sounded more like a threat than a promise.
Still, I didn't give it much thought as soon as I picked up Katie. Buckling her into her car seat, I asked, "How do you feel about going to see Dominic?"
She beamed. "Really?"
I nodded.
"Can we get ice cream?"
I tapped the side of her mouth with my finger. "It looks like you already had ice cream."
A wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows as she licked away the brown evidence. "I didn't have ice cream."
"It looks like you had chocolate ice cream."
She shook her head, the wrinkle appearing again, giving her away.
“What did you have?” I asked, her evasive tactics reminding me a lot of her grandfather.
"A chocolate chip cookie."
Despite the tightening of my chest, I forced myself to stay calm, knowing she was watching my reaction closely.
"Who gave you that?" I asked, making a mental note to remind everyone at the B&B that the doctors had all said that proper nutrition would play a role in my niece’s recovery.
"Sindhu."
"What?"
"Sindhu," she explained. "My new friend. We sat at lunch together."
Relieved to hear that my niece had made a desperately needed friend, I scratched out my
Similar Books
Waking Eden (The Eden Series Book 3)
Rhenna Morgan
The Body Reader
Anne Frasier
MacKenzie's Lady
Dallas Schulze
Just Add Salt (2)
Jinx Schwartz
The Double Silence
Mari Jungstedt
The Death Dealers
Mickey Spillane
Bzrk
Michael Grant
Twilight Children
Torey Hayden
Whispers of a New Dawn
Murray Pura