Page 73 of Late Nights & Love Lines
But the damage is done.
Alexei Stepanov is in deep for the camp director. And judging by the glare she shoots his way—he’s fucked up big-time.
“What did you do?” I ask warily. Rowan’s gaze is bouncing around the camp comically, trying to figure out what we’re talking about.
“I may have…” he squeezes the back of his neck. “I may have screwed up.”
Maria DeLuca walks by like a storm cloud, and he doesn’t hesitate to follow her.
“Ah, what was that about?” Rowan asks.
“Maybe I’m not the only one falling in love at kiddie camp.” As soon as I say it, I wish I could suck the words back into my mouth. Not because I don’t mean them, but because I know without a doubt that the panic running through her expressive eyes tells me she wasn’t ready to hear them.
Thank God, Miles and Kade are too busy playing tag on the other side of the table to hear what I said.
“Okay, well. Um, I’m going to make sure Seren isn’t setting traps for the nannies tomorrow.”
Nerves set off fireworks in my head. “Is she still planning that? I thought she was over it.”
Rowan shrugs. “I just have a hunch. Better I intercept them than have her run off all your prospects.” Her face falls. She shakes her head, and it turns into a shiver that has her shoulders shimmying before it’s replaced with practiced brightness.
“Today and tomorrow,” I say, almost absentmindedly. How long until my tomorrows run out?
She nods and forces a tight smile. Then gracefully unfolds herself from the ridiculously small table and nearly runs for the trail.
Alexei may also not be the only one screwing up at camp.
“You look like shit,”Beck comments when I join him at the conference table. I’m glad he’s the only one here so far this afternoon. I’m not ready to face the firing squad of merry meddlers. The last two days of nanny meet and greets have been brutal—and this morning’s session nearly made my head explode.
“It’s hard interviewing nannies when the only one you want is the one who may not stay.”
He tosses his pen onto the table and leans back in his chair, then releases a heavy sigh. “Listen, I spent most of my adult life closed off and never allowing anyone in because of the betrayals in my life. The fact that you’re even in the position to want someone to stay tells me you’re ahead of the game. I certainly wasn’t that intelligent. But it also means that I understand what it means to not fully be able to trust anyone in your life. If that’s how Rowan feels, then the only thing that will change her mind is time. Or…”
“Or what?”
“Or an igniting event,” he says, sitting up straighter and staring at the wall as though he’s masterminding world peace.
“I’m not going to trick her into staying.”
He shakes his head. “Then, it’s pretty simple. You either pick one of these nannies to take over in two weeks, or you let us help so you can figure out a way to keep her.”
My phone buzzes as Alexei enters the room, and I welcome the intrusion.
Rowan:Don’t panic.
I finally changed her number in my phone. I don’t care if it’s technically the hotline number or not. It’s my only direct connection to her.
Me:Rowan! Don’t panic is the very thing that makes people panic.
The three dots next to her name start and stop four times before a picture comes through.
“Oh, shit.”
“What’s up?” Alexei asks. Whatever I’m doing with my face has him frowning even harder than he was.
“Ah, I think I have to…”
Rowan:I said DON’T panic.
