Page 57 of The Unconventional Nanny
I'm grateful for Everly. She breaks the tension in the room with her word.
"Sorry, baby. Daddy forgot." Then he turns to me and pulls both of us in for a hug. "Did you hear or see anything?"
I shake my head. "We were going to go to the park. When I stepped outside, I found them."
"Park." Everly waves her arms back and forth as she repeats the word a few times.
"Soon," I promise, even though I'm not sure how soon that will be, considering. It's a good thing a three-year-old doesn't grasp the concept of time just yet.
"Gracie!" Owen roars from somewhere at the front of his house.
My eyes grow ten times bigger as I look at Ang. "You called my brother?" I understand why he did, but still?—
"I sent Annie over to grab him?"
I didn't think it could be possible for my eyes to grow any bigger than they already are, yet somehow they do. My voice takes on an extra octave or two in shock when I ask, "Owen knows Annie’s here?"
Well, this is just great. Now he has two reasons to freak out.
"I panicked when you called."
“I can see that.” I called Ang freaking out, so it only makes sense he would freak out, too. "Brace yourself." I give him a tight smile. "We're in here," I holler back to my brother.
Owen stomps through the house just seconds later. "Why the fuck was the door unlocked if there's a threat?"
I give an apologetic look toward Ang, who sheepishly looks at my brother. "That's my fault. I just ran in and didn't even think to lock it behind me."
My brother nods, and for a second I want to scream. How does Ang get off with a nod when I would have gotten a long-ass lecture for the same thing?
"Tell me what happened? Annie didn't have much information other than you were in trouble. And speaking of our sister … Yeah, we’ll come back to that little tidbit in a minute."
Annie rolls her eyes from where she stands behind Owen. She’s always been the one sibling who challenged our brother the most when it came to his overprotectiveness.
"On the island." I point toward the flowers and wait for him to take both them and the note in. When he gives a similar reaction to the one Ang had, Everly yells at him for cursing.
At least the little girl reprimands everyone equally.
"Do you know who sent them?"
"Jeremy," I answer sheepishly, and brace for the outburst I know is coming.
Sure enough, Owen doesn't disappoint.
"Are you kidding me?" I barely move my head back and forth as an answer. "Is he the reason you moved here?" Again I barely give a nod. "Is this the first threat he's made against you."
I decide it's better to answer with a simple, "No," than to move my head again.
I can see the metaphoric steam blowing out of his ears the longer the conversation goes on. He schools himself long enough to ask, "Is there someplace Everly can go so that I may speak freely?"
"I'll take her," Annie offers, and I pass Everly off to my sister, then lean back on the counter. "Is there a specific show she likes to watch?"
"Bluey," Ang and I answer at the same time.
Despite everything going on, he looks over and smiles at me. Probably because I'm starting to know his daughter as well as he does.
"Got it."
Before Annie can leave the kitchen with Everly, Owen speaks up. "Don't even think about sneaking out until we've talked."
