water. Too dangerous. Sean had been gone every day, all day, in fact, but she couldn’t bank on it. With Sean, she could bank on nothing.
“But I swim good!” Melissa insisted, her chin jutting stubbornly into the air.
Well, actually, that made two of them. At home Carlyne had a case of gold medals and trophies. Big whoop-de-do. “Go get clean clothes, I’ll start the tub.”
Melissa just sent her that same angelic smile, which upon reflection should have been Carlyne’s warning. But happily clueless, she went into the bathroom to start the water.
The little girl didn’t appear. “Melissa?” She wasn’t in her bedroom. Or the kitchen. Or the living room.
“Oh, my God!” At a full run, Carlyne hit the back yard, and sure enough, there was that little blond head bobbing in the pool. Without another thought, Carlyne dove in.
By the time she reached Melissa, her heart was pumping so loud she couldn’t hear a thing over the roar of her blood. Scooping the little girl up, she clutched her close to her chest and swam for the side.
Melissa grinned. “See? Told you I could swim.” Struggling out of Carlyne’s arms, she slipped out of the pool and danced excitedly on the concrete. “I could have stayed under longer, but you swim fast.”
Carlyne, champion swimmer, could hardly pull herself out of the water because her knees were shaking so violently.
“Why is your hair crooked?” Melissa asked, staring at her with fascination. “And your face…it’s melting.” She tipped her head to the side. “How come?”
Because she had on thick foundation, which felt like papier-mâché on her skin. She dragged herself up, held her wig on her head with one hand and pointed toward the house. “Go.”
“But—”
“Go. Dry. Off.”
At the unaccustomed sharpness of Carly’s voice, Melissa blinked in stunned surprise. Then, predictably, her bottom lip started the quiver. “You mad at me?”
Carlyne sighed. She’d lost her glasses inthe pool. She’d have to go after them. Her clothes were clinging to her body, and if she wasn’t mistaken, one contact lens had slipped. But none of this was Melissa’s fault. She certainly hadn’t asked for her mother to leave the country or to be left with a commitment-challenged uncle. Or stuck in the care of a runaway princess pretending to be a nanny.
Melissa’s eyes filled. “Sorry.”
“Oh, honey.” Carlyne sagged with exhaustion. “ I’m sorry. It’s just that you scared me. Now we need to get all dried and changed because your uncle Sean might be home soon.”
Not that he’d been home before ten o’clock at night all week, but that wasn’t Melissa’s fault, either.
Turning to usher Melissa in the house, she stopped short.
Over the fence appeared Mrs. Trykowski’s face. She was clearly standing on something, clinging to the wood, watching them. Spying. When she saw Carlyne’s horrified expression, the woman smiled and waved. “Hellooo!”
Carlyne held her wig and tried not to think about the makeup running in rivulets down her face. Had that been an I-know-who-you-are hello? Or a hey-I-just-love-to-spy-on-my-neighbor wave?
God only knew.
Heart in her throat, Carlyne managed a weak wave and vanished into the house, certain her cover was blown.
No matter. Her two weeks were nearly up, anyway. She’d known it would have to end.
She just hadn’t known how very much she wouldn’t want it to.
N OBODY WAS MORE surprised than Sean when Mrs. Trykowski called him at the office. He transferred the woman to the speakerphone because he and Nikki were hands deep in the piles behind his desk, looking for a missing blueprint.
“Just wanted to tell you everything is going great at the house,” Mrs. Trykowski said, as if she called him every day to check in.
Sean exchanged a puzzled look with Nikki and let out a little laugh. “Good. Okay. Well…thank you.”
“Aren’t you going to ask me details?”
“Details?”
“Sure, as in what Melissa is
“But I swim good!” Melissa insisted, her chin jutting stubbornly into the air.
Well, actually, that made two of them. At home Carlyne had a case of gold medals and trophies. Big whoop-de-do. “Go get clean clothes, I’ll start the tub.”
Melissa just sent her that same angelic smile, which upon reflection should have been Carlyne’s warning. But happily clueless, she went into the bathroom to start the water.
The little girl didn’t appear. “Melissa?” She wasn’t in her bedroom. Or the kitchen. Or the living room.
“Oh, my God!” At a full run, Carlyne hit the back yard, and sure enough, there was that little blond head bobbing in the pool. Without another thought, Carlyne dove in.
By the time she reached Melissa, her heart was pumping so loud she couldn’t hear a thing over the roar of her blood. Scooping the little girl up, she clutched her close to her chest and swam for the side.
Melissa grinned. “See? Told you I could swim.” Struggling out of Carlyne’s arms, she slipped out of the pool and danced excitedly on the concrete. “I could have stayed under longer, but you swim fast.”
Carlyne, champion swimmer, could hardly pull herself out of the water because her knees were shaking so violently.
“Why is your hair crooked?” Melissa asked, staring at her with fascination. “And your face…it’s melting.” She tipped her head to the side. “How come?”
Because she had on thick foundation, which felt like papier-mâché on her skin. She dragged herself up, held her wig on her head with one hand and pointed toward the house. “Go.”
“But—”
“Go. Dry. Off.”
At the unaccustomed sharpness of Carly’s voice, Melissa blinked in stunned surprise. Then, predictably, her bottom lip started the quiver. “You mad at me?”
Carlyne sighed. She’d lost her glasses inthe pool. She’d have to go after them. Her clothes were clinging to her body, and if she wasn’t mistaken, one contact lens had slipped. But none of this was Melissa’s fault. She certainly hadn’t asked for her mother to leave the country or to be left with a commitment-challenged uncle. Or stuck in the care of a runaway princess pretending to be a nanny.
Melissa’s eyes filled. “Sorry.”
“Oh, honey.” Carlyne sagged with exhaustion. “ I’m sorry. It’s just that you scared me. Now we need to get all dried and changed because your uncle Sean might be home soon.”
Not that he’d been home before ten o’clock at night all week, but that wasn’t Melissa’s fault, either.
Turning to usher Melissa in the house, she stopped short.
Over the fence appeared Mrs. Trykowski’s face. She was clearly standing on something, clinging to the wood, watching them. Spying. When she saw Carlyne’s horrified expression, the woman smiled and waved. “Hellooo!”
Carlyne held her wig and tried not to think about the makeup running in rivulets down her face. Had that been an I-know-who-you-are hello? Or a hey-I-just-love-to-spy-on-my-neighbor wave?
God only knew.
Heart in her throat, Carlyne managed a weak wave and vanished into the house, certain her cover was blown.
No matter. Her two weeks were nearly up, anyway. She’d known it would have to end.
She just hadn’t known how very much she wouldn’t want it to.
N OBODY WAS MORE surprised than Sean when Mrs. Trykowski called him at the office. He transferred the woman to the speakerphone because he and Nikki were hands deep in the piles behind his desk, looking for a missing blueprint.
“Just wanted to tell you everything is going great at the house,” Mrs. Trykowski said, as if she called him every day to check in.
Sean exchanged a puzzled look with Nikki and let out a little laugh. “Good. Okay. Well…thank you.”
“Aren’t you going to ask me details?”
“Details?”
“Sure, as in what Melissa is
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