Page 45 of The Nanny and the Nerd
But he couldn’t get over the fact that she’d opened a window.
“This house is climate controlled. There’s no need to open a window.”
“If you want to feel the breeze, you have to open the window,” she threw back, pounding on the keypad.
“A computer meticulously maintains a stable environment,” he lectured, then closed and locked the window.
“A computer can’t clear my head. That’s what the breeze is for. Does your fancy environmental temperature supercomputer have an artificial wind setting?”
“No,” he answered, kind of wishing it did.
“Listen! Forget it! Just help me turn off the alarm,” she huffed.
In his haste, he hadn’t noticed that she’d changed into a pink robe and was currently pounding on the keypad like it was a whack-a-mole board.
“Here, let me do it,” he offered, tapping the keys. The blaring alarm stopped, but barely a second passed before another sound took its place.
“Nana Cece! Nana! Wake up, Nana Cece! Are you hurt?” Phoebe cried, her little voice shrill and frantic as she screamed for her grandmother.
“Phoebe!” Penelope exclaimed, hurrying out of the room.
He was right on her heels. The alarm had tripped not long after he and Phoebe had moved in, and the little girl had melted down at the sound.
“It’s okay, Phoebe! It’s me, Penelope. I opened the window, and it made the alarm go off. That’s all,” Penelope said, gathering his niece into her arms.
“Is it Nana, Uncle Row? Did she get hurt? Is she okay?” the bleary-eyed child cried as tears streamed down her face.
“Nana’s fine, Phoebe,” he answered, sitting on the edge of the bed opposite Penelope as the adrenaline rush subsided.
“I want to see it!” the little girl cried—just like she had the last time this happened.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and opened the health monitoring app. “See, the light next to Nana’s picture is green. That means she’s safe at her house.”
Penelope stroked Phoebe’s head, then met his gaze with questioning eyes. He didn’t have it in him to go into it now—not in front of his niece.
“Do you feel better now that you know Nana’s okay?” he asked.
Phoebe nodded. “Is Penny going to stay with us now? I want her to stay, Uncle Row.”
“I’m in the room right next door,” Penelope answered, wiping a tear from his niece’s cheek when Phoebe reached under her pillow. “Where did they go? I put them right here. I was very careful with them. Am I in big trouble, Uncle Row?”
“Mrs. Sullivan found the Game Boy and the dominoes and returned them to me. You know those are off-limits to you.”
Phoebe sniffled. “You’re missing a domino, Uncle Row. I counted twice. The box says twenty-eight, and there are only twenty-seven.”
A wariness washed over him. “We’ve had this conversation. I lost it a long time ago when I was about your age.”
“I think we could use a good night’s sleep,” Penelope said, shifting Phoebe from her lap and resting the girl’s head on the pillow. “We’re roommates now, and I’m right next door if you need anything. Now, close your eyes. I’ll tap your nose twice, and then you’ll know it’s time to fall asleep. Are you ready?”
Phoebe’s features relaxed as she released a slow breath. “I’m ready.”
“One,” Penelope whispered, tapping the tip of Phoebe’s nose. “And two. Sweet dreams.”
He stared at his niece. The last time this happened, Phoebe had cried for the better part of the night. That nose trick was really something.
“Let’s go,” she said, touching his arm.
He followed her into the hall and expected her to go back to her room, but she didn’t move.
