irritated by the interruption. “Jade, tell me something else about, er, Bob.”
Jade glanced at her mother with a frown, but not like she was becoming agitated. More like, she was… intrigued.
Some strange magic was brewing here.
“You could tell Aunt Mabel how old she is,” suggested Samara.
Jade’s expression cleared. “Bob is five years old. I’m four years old.”
“We established that upon your arrival,” said Mabel with a scowl. “What activities does your Bob enjoy?”
Jade thought for a moment. “She likes to eat and she likes to chase squirrels and she likes it when I rub her belly. She likes car rides.”
“Does she like to play with other children?”
Jade thought again. “Other children?”
Guilt twisted Samara’s gut again. Their post-Michael socializing had shrunk to the grocery store and the doctor’s office. When she could bear to re-join the happy wives and nannies at playground, the ranks had closed around them, as if their tragedy was contagious. Any play-dates she managed to arrange for Jade weren’t reciprocated. Not that they’d been wildly successful beforehand.
“Does Bob like other people?” Mabel repeated. “Friends or playmates or neighbors, perhaps.”
“She likes Mama,” said Jade. “She likes Mr. S. And lookit – she likes you too!”
Bob leaned against Mabel’s chair, staring up at the woman in adoration.
The old lady had put a spell on both of them.
“Jade, eat your eggs. We need to leave soon.”
Mabel arched an eyebrow at the expression on Samara’s face. “Don’t rush us. We’re having a lovely conversation, the tadpole and I.”
“I’m a chipmunk ,” said Jade, around a mouthful of eggs.
“You’re a tadpole with me.” Aunt Mabel went back to her crossword without looking at Jade and Jade continued eating, her gaze stuck on the food in front of her.
“Perhaps the tadpole might help me sort through some pictures today,” said Aunt Mabel casually. “If you can spare her, that is.”
“Pictures?” said Jade.
Sam thought of the mess that still remained in her kitchen. She desperately wanted to get working. Her extra time was a welcome reprieve, but they still needed every possible minute.
But she hated to leave Jade.
“I don’t know,” she said.
“I have pictures,” said Jade. She scrambled down from her chair and ran to fetch them from her room.
“I couldn’t ask that of you,” said Samara quickly.
“You didn’t ask.”
“She’s not like most children.”
Mabel sniffed again. “Most children are irritating. Leave her here. It will be good for the child. And I need a break from Eliza’s relentless toadying.”
“My pictures are of dogs,” said Jade, breathlessly. She opened up the flashcard box and spread out her collection. “Labrador Retrievers and Border Collies are my favorites.”
“Do you want to stay with Aunt Mabel, honey?”
Jade hesitated. “I want to put my pictures in piles.”
“The tadpole will be fine,” said Aunt Mabel.
“I’m a chipmunk. Bye Mama.”
So Samara left.
*
The students were in the kitchen with the tradesmen, getting a lecture on proper grout sealant, when Logan saw Sam slip in the front door.
Blue jeans emphasized her long, lean legs and the simple t-shirt hugged her curves just right.
He’d have to be careful to keep an eye on the horn dogs in his group.
“You’re an early bird,” he said. For the first time since her return, she appeared relaxed. “Where’s the chipmunk?”
Sam’s smile lit up his insides, like turning on a light in an abandoned basement.
“At Bramble House with Mabel, where apparently, she’s a tadpole. But Jade’s arguing the point.” She shook her head in wonder. “Seems the two of them have taken to each other.”
“Mabel and Jade?”
“I know.” Sam grinned at his expression. “But I promised I’d be back in a couple of hours, before the spell is broken and everything goes back to pumpkins and chaos. So, what’s on the
Jade glanced at her mother with a frown, but not like she was becoming agitated. More like, she was… intrigued.
Some strange magic was brewing here.
“You could tell Aunt Mabel how old she is,” suggested Samara.
Jade’s expression cleared. “Bob is five years old. I’m four years old.”
“We established that upon your arrival,” said Mabel with a scowl. “What activities does your Bob enjoy?”
Jade thought for a moment. “She likes to eat and she likes to chase squirrels and she likes it when I rub her belly. She likes car rides.”
“Does she like to play with other children?”
Jade thought again. “Other children?”
Guilt twisted Samara’s gut again. Their post-Michael socializing had shrunk to the grocery store and the doctor’s office. When she could bear to re-join the happy wives and nannies at playground, the ranks had closed around them, as if their tragedy was contagious. Any play-dates she managed to arrange for Jade weren’t reciprocated. Not that they’d been wildly successful beforehand.
“Does Bob like other people?” Mabel repeated. “Friends or playmates or neighbors, perhaps.”
“She likes Mama,” said Jade. “She likes Mr. S. And lookit – she likes you too!”
Bob leaned against Mabel’s chair, staring up at the woman in adoration.
The old lady had put a spell on both of them.
“Jade, eat your eggs. We need to leave soon.”
Mabel arched an eyebrow at the expression on Samara’s face. “Don’t rush us. We’re having a lovely conversation, the tadpole and I.”
“I’m a chipmunk ,” said Jade, around a mouthful of eggs.
“You’re a tadpole with me.” Aunt Mabel went back to her crossword without looking at Jade and Jade continued eating, her gaze stuck on the food in front of her.
“Perhaps the tadpole might help me sort through some pictures today,” said Aunt Mabel casually. “If you can spare her, that is.”
“Pictures?” said Jade.
Sam thought of the mess that still remained in her kitchen. She desperately wanted to get working. Her extra time was a welcome reprieve, but they still needed every possible minute.
But she hated to leave Jade.
“I don’t know,” she said.
“I have pictures,” said Jade. She scrambled down from her chair and ran to fetch them from her room.
“I couldn’t ask that of you,” said Samara quickly.
“You didn’t ask.”
“She’s not like most children.”
Mabel sniffed again. “Most children are irritating. Leave her here. It will be good for the child. And I need a break from Eliza’s relentless toadying.”
“My pictures are of dogs,” said Jade, breathlessly. She opened up the flashcard box and spread out her collection. “Labrador Retrievers and Border Collies are my favorites.”
“Do you want to stay with Aunt Mabel, honey?”
Jade hesitated. “I want to put my pictures in piles.”
“The tadpole will be fine,” said Aunt Mabel.
“I’m a chipmunk. Bye Mama.”
So Samara left.
*
The students were in the kitchen with the tradesmen, getting a lecture on proper grout sealant, when Logan saw Sam slip in the front door.
Blue jeans emphasized her long, lean legs and the simple t-shirt hugged her curves just right.
He’d have to be careful to keep an eye on the horn dogs in his group.
“You’re an early bird,” he said. For the first time since her return, she appeared relaxed. “Where’s the chipmunk?”
Sam’s smile lit up his insides, like turning on a light in an abandoned basement.
“At Bramble House with Mabel, where apparently, she’s a tadpole. But Jade’s arguing the point.” She shook her head in wonder. “Seems the two of them have taken to each other.”
“Mabel and Jade?”
“I know.” Sam grinned at his expression. “But I promised I’d be back in a couple of hours, before the spell is broken and everything goes back to pumpkins and chaos. So, what’s on the
Similar Books
