Page 72 of Lance

She’s smiling at me like we’re already best friends. “Uh, hi,” I say, trying not to look at Lance over her shoulder. He seems to be close to laughter. “I’m WillaNathans.”

Her eyes widen. “You’re related toJames?”

“His youngersister.”

“That’ssocool!”

I don’t know if cool is exactly how I would describe it, and certainly not with so much enthusiasm, so I just smile at her. “I’m, uh, working as Simon’s nanny,” I add. Lance and I didn’t specifically talk about how we would approach our new relationship status with the others, but I’m assuming it’s not something we’re ready to broadcastyet.

Paige’s eyes somehow widen even more as she turns back to Lance. “Haylee told me about Simon,” she says in a lower voice. “Lance, I think you’re so amazing for doing this. Really. It must have been such ashock.”

“Uh, yeah,” he says, looking uncomfortable. “Pretty shocking. So, uh, who all iscoming?”

“Cash, Sam and Wyatt,” Reed says, ticking them off on his fingers. “And Haylee and Lennon, ofcourse.”

“Daltrey and Daisy wanted to come but they figured the baby is too small to be out in such big crowds,” Paigeadded.

“How old is the baby?” I ask, noticing as I do so that both Dylan and Lance are shaking their heads at me, warning looks in their eyes, Dylan making slashing gestures by hisneck.

“She’s two months,” Reed says proudly. “Rose Harris Ransome. Want to see pictures?” Before I can agree he’s whipping out his cell phone and I’m looking at shot after shot of a tiny pink baby with a shock of white blondhair.

“You asked for it,” I hear Dylan muttersoftly.

Just as I’m getting the feeling that the pictures on Reed’s phone are actually endless, Cash appears with a little boy. They’re dressed similarly in dark wash jeans and faded black band t-shirts. Even their hair is styled the same, the kid sporting the same tousled faux hawk that Cash is famous for. And when they stop next to us, the kid adopts an identical pose to Cash—feet slightly apart, arms crossed over his chest, head tilted downslightly.

“Hey, guys,” Cash says. “This isWyatt.”

“Hey,” Wyatt says, nodding his head, the picture of nine-year-old cool. I stifle a giggle. If this isn’t a case of hero-worship I don’t know whatis.

“Willa?” a quiet voice whispers at my side and I look down to see Simon. He’s staring at Wyatt and I can tell that he’s both impressed and a little scared of the olderboy.

“Hey, Wyatt,” I say. “This isSimon.”

“’Sup,” Wyatt says, nodding athim.

“’Sup,” Simon repeats, looking awed, and I get the feeling he has no idea what the wordmeans.

“So who are we waiting on?” Dylan asks, looking down at hiswatch.

“Just Haylee and Lennon, I think,” Cash says. “Sam is on her waydown.”

“She was curling her hair,” Wyatt says, rolling his eyes. He looks up at Cash. “Girls.”

“Don’t be sassy about your mother,” Cash says. “Besides, one day you’re going to appreciate all the things girls do to looknice.”

“Gross,” Wyattsays.

“Yeah, gross,” Simonechoes.

Sam joins us just as Haylee and Lennon come in from outside and introductions are made. “I think that’s everyone,” Lancesays.

“What about James and Layla?” Cashasks.

“They’re way too cool for us,” Haylee tellshim.

“That’s what they think,” Dylan says, pulling a hat from his back pocket and sticking it on his head to show us the Goofy ears attached to thesides.

“I hope someone gets a photo of that and it goes viral,” Lance mutters. Dylan makes a face at him, but before they can really start acting like little kids we’re joined by a woman in a uniform of black pants and avest.