Page 33 of Sleeper: The Palisades Edition

“I’m sure Willa has more important things to do.”

“Not really. What movie should we watch?”

Summer smirks. “Austin Powers.”

Willa gasps. “That’s one of my favorite movies to watch—all three of them, actually.”

“Oh, really? You likethosemovies, but you think mine are stupid?”

“Well, the Austin Powers movies know they’re stupid.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And I never said your movies are stupid. I would love to watch Austin Powers tonight, Summer, that’s a great idea.”

“Say it,” Summer says, pointing her finger at me without moving her head from the pillow.

“Nope. Good night.”

“Say it, or I won’t close my eyes.” She tries so hard to keep her eyes open.

“Yousay it.”

She giggles. “Throw me a frickin’ bone here.”

“Yeah, bay-bee, yeah!”

Willa snort-laughs. “Oh, behave!”

“Yeah!” I kiss Summer on her forehead before standing up. “You get your groovy self to sleep now, bay-bee!” I may not be a good singer, but my Austin Powers impression is shagadelic.

“Good night, Summer.” Willa walks over, leans down, and kisses my daughter once on each cheek. “That’s how French people kiss each other when they say hello and good-bye,” she explains.

“Are you saying good-bye?” Summer sounds so worried.

“No! I mean, they do that when they say good night too. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay. ’Night.”

Willa smiles at me and walks out of the room, leaving an unbearably fragrant trail in her wake. I’ve never been much into desserts, but today I find myself wanting to eat out an entire bakery. I mean, eat up. Eat up an entire bakery.

I turn off the bedside lamp. Summer doesn’t respond when I tell her I love her. That was—hands down—the most struggle-free bedtime routine I have experienced with Summer since she turned five and realized she was a Jedi Knight who can make me do whatever she wants. I don’t know what kind of aromatherapy or voodoo magic Willa is practicing on us, but I am all for it.

Willa is lookingout the family room window when I get there. It’s a clear night, the room is bathed in moonlight, and the dark outline of her figure is beckoning me. What do you call a horny guy who can’t touch the strange, beautiful woman he’s quietly staring at from the doorway like a creeper? Me.

I press the dimmer switch to turn the overhead lights on low, causing her to jump.

“Sorry.”

She starts fiddling with the pendant of her gold necklace. “Guess we missed the sunset.”

“Yeah. I usually miss it on school nights this time of year. But on the weekend—if you’re not busy doing something more exciting—we can go for awalk on the bluffs in the evening. With the kids. That’s kind of the thing to do around here.”

“Sounds like my kind of thing.” She smiles at me as she crosses over to one of the armchairs.

I go over to my Blu-ray collection. “We don’t have to watch Austin Powers if you don’t want to.”

“Oh, I want to. Yeah bay-bee!”