Page 35 of Let Me Love You

“What’s wrong?” Summer’s soft voice fills me up. “Are you hurt?”

I shake my head. “I’m okay, baby.”

She juts out her bottom lip in a pout. “Do I have to stay with Annie again?”

I swallow. “Do you not like her? I can find you a new nanny.”

Summer’s little head tilts to the side. “I like her, but I miss you, Mommy. Why can’t you stay with me?”

My throat clogs as I try to hold back tears. “I miss you, too.” I run my fingers through her wild hair. “But isn’t Annie more fun than I am?”

She flashes me a shy smile. “Maybe sometimes.”

I bolt into an upright position, but my dress restricts me, and I topple backward again. “What? Is she really more fun than I am?”

“She plays dolls as long as I want.”

Before I can respond, my phone vibrates on the bed beside me.

“Go get in your pajamas,” I say to Summer when I spot the name on caller ID.

She throws her arms up but doesn’t say no. That girl gets my personality and attitude one hundred percent. I can’t deny it.

Once Summer is out of the room, I reach over and grab the phone. Lana’s name flashes on the screen. “Hello?”

“Oh, good. I thought you weren’t going to answer,” Lana breathes through the phone. “You need to come home like now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Other than the fact that I miss you? Well, tomorrow is our normal girls’ night.”

I release a sigh of relief. “Girl, I thought something happened.” After what went down with Harmony and then the threats to me, I’m thankful Lana doesn’t have anything like that looming.

“You can’t skip our night. We only get one a month, and I miss you.”

“Okay, I’ll come home tomorrow night.”

A loud, shrill shriek blasts through the speaker, and I pull my phone away from my face. “You are seriously the best. So, how has it been living like a queen?”

“Uhhh,” I say as Summer scurries back into the room with her shirt on inside out and backward. She climbs on top of me, trying to listen to our conversation. “I wouldn’t say it’s living like a queen, but the beds are comfortable, and it has been nice to spend a lot more time with Summer.”

I ruffle my daughter’s hair. Being with her every day is the best.

“The queen and princess living the life,” Lana replies, and I just roll my eyes. She won’t let that royalty stuff drop.

“Is that Auntie Lana?” Summer reaches for the phone. “I want to talk!”

I keep the phone clenched in my hand. “You’ll see her tomorrow.”

Summer’s eyes light up. “Really?”

“Yes, now how about you go pack a little bag so we can stay the weekend?”

Summer listening to our conversation is not a good thing because I never know what’s going to come out of Lana’s mouth next.

She bounds off the bed, and her little feet patter against the wood floor. She slides and hits the wall, just like I assumed would happen. I finally work myself into a seated position. Whoever designed this dress really didn’t think about how their customer would breathe or move.

“Is she gone again?” Lana’s voice vibrates with excitement.