Page 16 of Tied Up In Tinsel
“Yeah,” she said matter-of-factly. “Mom always gives me a limit when she takes me here. What is it?”
I blinked. In my mind, this had been a quick, harmless outing—window shopping, maybe grabbing a hot chocolate after. Buying things hadn’t crossed my mind.
“I don’t… I thought we were just window shopping,” I admitted.
She narrowed her eyes, still holding onto my hand but with a suspicious new grip like she was squeezing to inflict pain so I’d say the right answer. “What’s window shopping?”
Jesus.
I sighed, let go of her hand, and pulled my wallet from my back pocket. I held up a crisp hundred-dollar bill. “Is this enough?”
Her eyes lit up like someone had just plugged in the town’s Christmas tree.
“It’s enough,” she declared, snatching it from my hand. “Best. Nanny. Ever.” And with that, she bolted.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa—” I started, but she was already darting between racks. I gave chase, but she juked right at the last second, and I lost sight of her.
“Welcome in,” a teenage girl behind the counter said, blowing a bubble with her gum before it popped.
Next to her, an older woman folded clothes with quick, practiced movements. She glanced up and immediately smiled like she knew exactly who I was.
“Ah, so you must be Ruby’s new nanny,” she said.
The teenager’s eyes went wide, and she muffled a laugh behind her fist.
“That’s me,” I confirmed, stepping forward and offering my hand. “Brooks.”
The woman’s handshake was firm, her gaze sharp as if she were sizing me up. Then she nodded, apparently deciding I passed whatever test she’d just run in her head. “Nice to meet you, Brooks. I’m Sloane. And that’s my granddaughter, Madeline.”
Before I could say more, Ruby’s voice cut through the store.
“Brooks! Come find me! Don’t you know how to play hide-and-seek? What nanny doesn’t?”
I grinned, excused myself from Sloane and Madeline, and went hunting.
This girl was relentless. Just this morning, she’d made me twist balloon animals into a Santa hat and sword, then whacked me over the head with said sword until I surrendered. I’d stepped right into that one.
It was only day one, but I was already learning.
“You didn’t tell me to count,” I called, crouching to peer between racks.
Silence, except for the faintest giggle.
Shoppers glanced up now and then, smirking, clearly entertained. I scanned the aisles until I spotted the giveaway, a pair of fuzzy reindeer slippers poking out beneath the curtain of a changing room.
Gotcha.
“Huh,” I said loudly. “Sloane, Madeline, have either of you seen my dear friend Ruby?”
“Nope,” Sloane replied without missing a beat.
“Who’s Ruby?” Madeline added, smirking.
Another tiny giggle came from behind the curtain. I crept forward.
“Where could… she… be…” I yanked the curtain open and pounced.
Ruby squealed, trying to dart past me with the hundred-dollar bill still clutched in her hand, but I caught her and swung her over my shoulder.
