Page 18 of Worth the Try
“I was saying that I’ll call an electrician to come look at the oven. And Rosie has been asking to go to the library, so you might need my library card.”
Is he serious right now? He takes his daughter to the library to check out books?
“Are you okay?” His mischievous smile morphs into one of genuine concern, and he begins to close the distance between us.
“I’m fine!” My voice hits a pitch I have never hit before. “Sorry. Just, ah, lost focus there for a second. Not that it happens a lot. Me losing focus. I don’t. I never. Well, I mean, I’ve never lost it before now.”Really?I take a deep breath. Force myself to meet his caramel-brown eyes, full of warmth and no small amount of amusement, once more. “I would be happy to take Rosalie to the library. I have my own card, though; we can use it with no problem.”
He adjusts the duffel on his shoulders—a duffel I had no idea he’d been carrying until this exact second, because I have been memorizing the green leaves and thorns that surround the roseson his thighinstead of talking to him like he is my boss.
He is myboss.
I can’t lose this job. Is it what I want? No. But is it perfect while I decide what my next move is going to be? Absolutely.
Which means I need to keep whateverthisis under control. By a lot.
A lot a lot.
No more gawking at leg tattoos.
I can’t look.
I won’t look.
His daughter is literally in the room and he is my boss and I am making an egg casserole and therefore I can. Not. Look.
“I should be home around four,” Ansel says.
“Great!” I really, really hope that I don't look as deranged as I suspect I might.
“Bye, Daddy!” Rosalie chirps, sliding off her stool and running to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and gripping with all her might.
He scoops her into his arms. I can’t handle it. I look away, busying myself with the dishes in the sink.
After he’s left, Rosalie climbs back onto the stool, swinging her legs and studying me thoughtfully.
I run a bowl under the water, rinsing the suds and watching them swirl down the drain, feeling her attention on me. I keep to my task, knowing she’s just curious.
“What happened at your old job?” she finally asks.
“They let me go.”
She cocks her head. “What’s that mean, let you go?”
I give her a sad smile. “They fired me.”
Her eyes go round. “Were you bad? Did you get in trouble?”
Laughing, I shake my head and finish rinsing the dishes. “No. They decided they didn’t need me anymore. But you know, I’m beginning to think that it was a good thing.”
“Why?”
“Because it means I get to hang out with you this summer,” I grin. “And that means…”
“Swimming and libraries and stories and movies andfun!” Rosalie finishes.
I laugh. “Exactly.”
We eat our breakfast, and afterward, Rosie gives me a tour of “all the important places” in the house. Meaning her room, the bathroom, the living room, and of course the outside area by thepool. Then we start a load of her laundry, water the many plants that I’d have sworn were fake, and head to the library. After that, it’s home, snack, half an hour on her iPad, a brutal game of checkers, lunch, meeting all her dolls and stuffed animals, dress-up, drawing, and I think my brain checked out at some point while I colored.
