to be the only one who wasn’t eager. “But we have more to learn, right?” he asked.
“We do,” Nikki answered, remembering his stated preference for basketball.
“It’s not like in the movies,” he added. “We gotta learn how to do it right.”
“Exactly,” Nikki agreed. “Now, go on to bed. I’ll be in to check on you as soon as these guys are tucked in.”
“I don’t need to be tucked in,” Billy announced.
Nikki hid her smile as she waved the older boys out of the room and turned to Billy. He was the oldest of the three younger boys and often enjoyed his seniority. “Of course you don’t. It’s just a saying.” She waited until he was under the covers, then turned to Kirby in the next bed.
“You can turn out the light now,” Kirby said, already in his bed. “We’re going to sleep.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in the morning.” She moved to the door and flipped the light switch, bathing the room in darkness. “Sleep tight.”
Checking on the other boys, she found them all in bed. Not asleep, but she knew it wouldn’t be long before they were. She and Mac had been invited to return to the O’Briens’, but before she did, she had one stop to make. She’d intended to make a note of all the boys’ birthdays when she was in the office the day before, but she’d forgotten. Fearing she’d forget again, she hurried to the main building and gathered the information she needed.
Just as she stepped into the hallway from the office and turned to walk back to her apartment, she saw a small, dark figure race across the unlit hallway from the kitchen to the main entry hall, a bundle dragging behind him. The building was dark, but not dark enough that she couldn’t tell who she’d seen as she heard the quiet swish and the thunk of the main door opening and closing.
Was she imagining things, or was Kirby stealing food?
She’d been positive he was ready to sleep when sheleft him, but thinking again, she remembered he had seemed eager to get rid of her. And he knew she was returning to the O’Briens’. He’d overheard Mac reminding her they were expected when she’d finished putting the boys to bed.
But why would Kirby steal food? Because she didn’t know what food Bridey had added, there was no way of knowing what might have been taken—if any had been. She didn’t know how long she stood there debating what she should do, but she was certain what she’d seen hadn’t been a figment of her imagination.
When the door opened at the other end of the hall, she let out a screech. The lights came on and Mac walked inside, instantly spotting her. “A little jumpy, are we?” he asked.
Her heart thudded in her chest, and she hoped he didn’t notice her distraction. Mac unnerved her as it was. She didn’t know what to do about it any more than she knew what to do about Kirby. Keeping her eyes and ears open would probably solve the Kirby problem, but Mac was a different story.
“I was in the office,” she answered. “I wanted a list of the boys’ birthdays.”
He stopped a few feet in front of her and studied her closely. “We’re all waiting for you. You could have gotten the dates later.”
She nodded and took a deep breath before answering. “I didn’t want to forget to do it.”
“Okay, but we need to get going,” he said, taking her arm.
His touch startled her and she looked up at him. “I’m sorry I kept everyone waiting. I didn’t think it would take me so long.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, leading her out the main doors.
But it wasn’t being late to the get-together that worried her. It was Kirby. “Is there some reason we’re in a rush?” she asked as she tried to keep up with his long stride.
“Sorry,” he said, letting go of her and shortening his steps. “I was beginning to think you were trying to avoid going back.”
She wouldn’t let on that he was dangerously close to the truth. Being around Tanner made her nervous, but she couldn’t
“We do,” Nikki answered, remembering his stated preference for basketball.
“It’s not like in the movies,” he added. “We gotta learn how to do it right.”
“Exactly,” Nikki agreed. “Now, go on to bed. I’ll be in to check on you as soon as these guys are tucked in.”
“I don’t need to be tucked in,” Billy announced.
Nikki hid her smile as she waved the older boys out of the room and turned to Billy. He was the oldest of the three younger boys and often enjoyed his seniority. “Of course you don’t. It’s just a saying.” She waited until he was under the covers, then turned to Kirby in the next bed.
“You can turn out the light now,” Kirby said, already in his bed. “We’re going to sleep.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in the morning.” She moved to the door and flipped the light switch, bathing the room in darkness. “Sleep tight.”
Checking on the other boys, she found them all in bed. Not asleep, but she knew it wouldn’t be long before they were. She and Mac had been invited to return to the O’Briens’, but before she did, she had one stop to make. She’d intended to make a note of all the boys’ birthdays when she was in the office the day before, but she’d forgotten. Fearing she’d forget again, she hurried to the main building and gathered the information she needed.
Just as she stepped into the hallway from the office and turned to walk back to her apartment, she saw a small, dark figure race across the unlit hallway from the kitchen to the main entry hall, a bundle dragging behind him. The building was dark, but not dark enough that she couldn’t tell who she’d seen as she heard the quiet swish and the thunk of the main door opening and closing.
Was she imagining things, or was Kirby stealing food?
She’d been positive he was ready to sleep when sheleft him, but thinking again, she remembered he had seemed eager to get rid of her. And he knew she was returning to the O’Briens’. He’d overheard Mac reminding her they were expected when she’d finished putting the boys to bed.
But why would Kirby steal food? Because she didn’t know what food Bridey had added, there was no way of knowing what might have been taken—if any had been. She didn’t know how long she stood there debating what she should do, but she was certain what she’d seen hadn’t been a figment of her imagination.
When the door opened at the other end of the hall, she let out a screech. The lights came on and Mac walked inside, instantly spotting her. “A little jumpy, are we?” he asked.
Her heart thudded in her chest, and she hoped he didn’t notice her distraction. Mac unnerved her as it was. She didn’t know what to do about it any more than she knew what to do about Kirby. Keeping her eyes and ears open would probably solve the Kirby problem, but Mac was a different story.
“I was in the office,” she answered. “I wanted a list of the boys’ birthdays.”
He stopped a few feet in front of her and studied her closely. “We’re all waiting for you. You could have gotten the dates later.”
She nodded and took a deep breath before answering. “I didn’t want to forget to do it.”
“Okay, but we need to get going,” he said, taking her arm.
His touch startled her and she looked up at him. “I’m sorry I kept everyone waiting. I didn’t think it would take me so long.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, leading her out the main doors.
But it wasn’t being late to the get-together that worried her. It was Kirby. “Is there some reason we’re in a rush?” she asked as she tried to keep up with his long stride.
“Sorry,” he said, letting go of her and shortening his steps. “I was beginning to think you were trying to avoid going back.”
She wouldn’t let on that he was dangerously close to the truth. Being around Tanner made her nervous, but she couldn’t
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