AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her lips screwed sideways as she pondered that.
“Who’d you come here with?”
“My daddy’s in the bathroom. I heard him on the phone and got bored waiting.”
“Okay, well … maybe if you hop down now, I can show you my trick, and he won’t even see you up there.”
“He’s already mad at me because I pretended I had to puke so I didn’t have to go to day camp, but that place is dumb, and I don’t want to go, but my grandparents were busy and couldn’t watch me.”
I blew out a slow breath, imagining all the ways this could go sideways. “Can’t blame you, kid. I’d probably fake sick too.”
Her smile was bigger this time, and I caught a glimpse of an adorable gap where her front teeth would eventually grow in. My nephew Emmett lost his when he was almost eight, so I took that little nugget and ran with it.
“Especially because you’re, what, nine?”
She giggled. “Nope. I’m only seven, but I’m almost eight.”
“Yeah? When’s your birthday?”
“In ten months.”
I smothered my smile. “So close.”
“How old are you?” She shifted on the beam, and I fought the impulse to stick my hands out in case she fell, but apparently, only one of us was nervous about her perch, and it was not her.
“Twenty-five,” I whispered. “Super old.”
She giggled again. “You’re only old once you turn fifty.”
“Ahh. Very good to know.”
Her eyes darted to the side and then back to me. “Do you like to sing?”
My head tilted at the change of subject. “I’m not a very good singer, so no… I can’t say that I do.”
The line of her eyebrows lowered.
“Okay, I’ll come down, but only if you show me your trick first.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Bargaining, huh?”
“My aunt told me I should always stand up for what I want, so that’s what I’m doing.”
Well, her fricken aunt wasn’t here trying to get her down from the fricken metal beam, now was she? I kept my smile even, though. “Okay, but you’ve got to promise you’ll come down, right?” I held up two fingers. “Girl Scouts honor?”
She nodded vehemently.
“Okay.” I pointed at the beam. “Turn your one leg so you’re straddling it like you’re sitting on a horse, okay? Then hold on with both hands.”
I breathed a bit easier when she obeyed immediately.
“What’re you gonna do?” she asked.
“I’m going to hang on the bag,” I whispered. “With no hands.”
Her eyes widened. “No way.”
“Way.”
