Page 58 of Sleeper: The Palisades Edition

Summer growls at him.

At least I’m not the only female in this house who’s frustrated with him right now.

We set the kids down on the sofa in the family room.

“I’ll go get their pajamas to change into,” Shane says. “They smell barftastic.”

“I got ’em.” I go back out to the hall to grab the pajamas I’d left on the table.

“Thanks,” Shane saysas I hand him Summer’s PJs, sounding so grateful it hurts.

“Welcome.” I haven’t made eye contact with him yet. I’m dying to look into his eyes, but I can’t. “What are we going to watch first?” I ask Lucky as I help him change his clothes.

“Mary Poppins,” the twins answer at the same time.

“Oh.”

I can see Shane in my peripheral vision, watching me and shrugging. “They both wanted to watch it.”

“Cool. I haven’t seen that one since I was little.”

“She’s a nanny,” Summer explains. “Like you.”

Not that much like me. Ms. Poppins never boned the dad while the kids were out.

“She’s a much better singer than I am.”

“I like how you sound,” she says.

“I like how you sound too,” says Shane.

I finally look over at him, knitting my brows together.

“When you sing for Summer.” He grins.

I frown at him.Don’t you dare grin at me while saying playfully flirtatious things with your handsome face.

The light fades from his eyes, and he looks down at Summer. He picks up her dirty laundry, holds out his hand for me to place Lucky’s clothes in it. When I do, he just nods and disappears downstairs to the laundry room, I suppose.

When Shane starts the movie, he sits on the couch, up against the corner. Summer puts a pillow on his lap and lays her head on it. I cover her with a fuzzy blanket and then cover Lucky with one and take a seat in the armchair. When I look back at Lucky, he’s gotPuss in Bootsface, blinking his big eyes and pouting at me.

“You want me to sit with you?” I whisper.

“You don’t have to,” he whines.

“I would love to.” I settle into the other corner of the couch with a pillow on my lap, so he can lay his sweet little head on it.

I can feel Shane looking over at me every few minutes, but I keep my eyes fixed on the TV screen.

About twenty minutes into the movie, I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket and try to pull it out without disturbing Lucky.

There’s a text from Shane.

I glance over at him, rolling my eyes. He’s holding his phone in one hand but pretending to be totally engrossed in the movie.

SHANE: Hi. I’m really sorry I left in such a hurry. I had an amazing time with you. Wish it could have lasted longer.

I holdon to the heart pendant of my necklace and type out a response without looking at him.