Page 56 of Skate the Line

That makes sense. She used to live in Washington.

I make a mental note to get her some Blue Devils attire because…absolutely not.

“I was planning on pitching it, so I figured it could double as a smock for Ellie. That way, she wouldn’t ruin her own clothes.” Sunny’s usual cheery vibe dulls while she explains this to me.

“Are you sure?” I ask. “I can always buy you a new one…” I clear my throat. “Though it would kill me.”

She laughs, and just like that, the spark is back in her eye.

“I’m positive. I wouldn’t want you to betray your team like that.”

As if she wants to change the subject, she gasps dramatically while looking at the wall behind us.

“Oh. My.Gosh.” She quickly brushes past me and moves to stand by Ellie. “Look at your painting!”

Ellie beams. “Do you like it?”

On the wall, in yellow paint, are three little stick figures. I assume I’m the tall one with a… horizontal line for a smile.Rude.Then there’s a shorter one with a huge smile and hair that looks as long as Rapunzel’s. And then…

I check back into the conversation. Ellie points to the last stick figure.

“And that’s you!” she says to Sunny. “I made you closest to the sun because of your name.”

Sunny smiles. “You know what? Iloveit. I’m keeping it.”

“You are?” Ellie is surprised but pleased all the same.

Sunny bends down to get on her level. “Of course I am. I’ll put a little frame around it. Maybe you’ll be an artist like me.”

I glance at her “ladder” and read the titles:Art History, Art from the 1800s, Romanticism in Art.

Hmm.Does she have an art degree?

“You better go wash up! It’s your big movie night.”

Ellie told Sunny all about our movie night? What else is she telling her?

Before she leaves me alone with her nanny, she stops at the last second and looks at me with soft and hopeful eyes. “Can Sunny watch the movie with us tonight?”

I pause. “Uh, well…”

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

A movie night with Ellie and her nanny?

I swing my attention to Sunny.Please say no.

Her smile is forced. She looks to Ellie and then back to me.

It’s like I can read her mind.

She doesn’t want to refuse, upsetting Ellie, but she doesn’t want to accept and upset me.

Shit.

This is new territory. I’ve never had a nanny last this long, and I’ve surely never had one live with us. I lift my hand and squeeze the back of my neck to ease the tension there. “If Sunny wants to join, she can. But remember, Printsessa, she is technically off the clock when I’m home. Now, go wash up.”

Ellie quickly looks at Sunny and then turns to disappear down the hall.

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