Page 42 of Saving Summer
Nobody. Unless the employers were whack jobs or crazy Karens with control issues.
“So,” Jay said, turning to face the leader of the JTT. “You want to punch me in the face before or after I give you the four-one-one on Summer?”
Adam left his hands in his pockets and jerked his head toward the door. “Gray’s right. It’s fucking freezing out here. Let’s go grab a drink and head to my office. You can tell me what you know about our new nanny, and we’ll go from there. But, Jay…”
“Yeah?”
“You ever pull a stunt like this again, and a punch to the face will be the least of your concerns. We clear?”
“Yep,” he replied, no malice in his tone at the warning in Adam’s.
He couldn’t fault the man for wanting to keep his family safe. If roles were reversed, he’d feel the same way.
* * *
While the babydozed in a bassinet in the huge bedroom, Summer emptied the last of her boxes in a walk-through closet nicer than any room she’d ever stayed in.
Although the dressing room formed part of the suite belonging to the baby’s father, he had very few things hanging, a couple pairs of pants, some nice fleece sweaters. Everything else he owned filled one of the eight extra-large built-in dresser drawers. Several black T-shirts. A bunch of loose socks. A handful of Under Armour briefs.
She tossed her underwear in the drawer next to his. Then reaching to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the last item. The sweatshirt she’d been wearing when she’d been fired. Cozy and warm, it had been one of her favorites, and she hadn’t worn it since that day.
She couldn’t bring herself to put the soft cotton on, not yet, but the maybe someday refrain in her head had her dropping the hoodie back inside. She’d leave it for now, and deciding she’d better keep her cardboard luggage for a few days—just in case—she dropped the battered box next to the shiny black safe bolted to the floor.
Between them, they used less than a quarter of the space.
Kind of sad, really.
Even sadder? The fact Jamie wasn’t around to take care of his daughter.
Gray had told her some of the background story. Not much. Only that the baby’s mother had died during birth, and her father left suddenly. He hadn’t even given her a name. The poor thing.
Too tired to deal with the baby’s messy nursery now, she closed the adjoining door and flicked the light off on her way out. Then stopping by the oversized bed, she grabbed the hoof pick off the night table and jammed it between the mattress and the box-spring on the side she planned to sleep on.
The side closest to the bassinet and the one with an escape route through the closet where she could get away via the baby’s room or, as an alternative, barricade herself in the bathroom. Either way, always smart to have options planned out in advance. At least in her experience.
Done with unpacking her things, she padded over the soft area rug and peeking into the large bassinet, she fell a little more in love with her new charge. Warm enough in her purple sleeper, her lips pursed in a perfect O, the baby had fallen asleep with her tiny arms over her head.
Already three weeks old, she needed a name. They couldn’t keep calling her the baby or the squawker. Gray had said her mother came from a small island in the South Pacific, so Halia, maybe. Hali or Lia for short? Seemed fitting, considering the circumstances of her birth.
A knock sounded on the door, and she rushed across the room to answer.
“Hi,” Eve said, her voice low. “Just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing.”
“I’m good,” she replied, inviting her in with a wave. “The baby’s sleeping, but she’ll be due for another bottle soon if you want some cuddle time.”
“Actually, if it’s okay with you, I was hoping to pass on cuddle time tonight.”
“Of course.”
They crossed the floor together, and Eve laid her palm flat on the little girl’s belly. “She seems content right now.”
Summer nodded in agreement. “She’s sweet. I think once we figure out her preferences and settle into a routine, she’ll be super easygoing.”
“I think so too.” She lifted her gaze, and their eyes met. “I’m glad you’re here, Summer. I know our living arrangements probably seem odd to you, and you must have questions about who we are and what we’re doing out here.”
“A lot of questions,” she agreed. “But once we get to know each other a bit more, I’m hoping it’ll be easier for all of you to trust me.”
“Well,” Eve replied, her smile open and engaging. “That’s a two-way street, isn’t it? I hope over time, you’ll come to trust us too. But until then, I want you to know, you’re safe here. Despite the guns, the security protocols, and the crazy bantering, we’re family. We take care of each other, and now that you’re a part of our family, there’s no question, we’ll take care of you too.”
