“She’s determined, spunky, lots of personality. She gives me a run for my money a lot of the time, but it’s fun. She’s competitive, but sensitive. Loves the summer because she’s obsessed with her summer sports. I used to send her to camp, but last year she wore me down and got me to sign her up for tennis and sailing.”
“A benefit of living on Martha’s Vineyard!”
“Definitely. She’s a little spoiled, but…” He paused. “She deserves it,” he added softly, glancing over my shoulder. His expression was a mix of pride and something else I couldn’t read.
“I can’t wait to meet her.” I smiled at Luke, and he returned it, the light reaching his eyes. It warmed my heart—this burly, dark-haired, bearded and, apparently, tattooed dad was obviously obsessed with his daughter. As it should be.
“I should mention, she’s—” Before he could finish his statement, the front door opened.
“I’m home!” A girl’s voice called into the house. Luke shot out of his seat and closed the distance to the front door in three longstrides. I turned around in my chair as he helped her take off her backpack.
“Hey Luns, how was school?” He said it likeloons.Paired with his doting expression, it was one of the most adorable things I’d ever witnessed. It was hard to decide who was cuter: her or her dad.Both.
“Okay. The same. Mrs. Coats still hasn’t graded our spelling tests. How long can it take?”
I laughed, and Luna noticed me for the first time.
“Luna, this is Val. She’s interested in hanging out with you this summer when I’m at work since Mrs. O’Neil is away.”
I joined them by the door. “Hi Luna, it’s nice to meet you!” I said in the cheeriest tone I could muster.
“Hi, Val.” She was hesitant but warm.
“When did you take those spelling tests?” I asked. That one statement gave me my opening. She cared about her grades, even as a second grader. Girl after my own heart.
“Last Tuesday!”
“Wow, that is a long time, almost a week. Hopefully she finishes them soon. What were some of the words?”
Luke smirked at me over Luna’s head as she launched into a list. If she remembered what the words were off the top of her head, I had no doubt she knew how to spell them. Luke put her backpack on a kitchen chair, and Luna walked over and sat down.
Luke asked, “You hungry?”
“Yes!” Luna said, a hint of incredulity in her tone.
“Alright, what will it be? Apple and peanut butter? Carrots and ranch?”
“Carrots and hummus? And some crackers too?” Luna asked, her big, brown eyes wide.
“You like hummus?” I asked her.
“Yeah, it’s great. Do you like it?”
“Love it.” I glanced at Luke, and he shrugged as if he knew what I was thinking.What eight-year-olds eat hummus?
“Do you want some too, Val?” Luke raised his eyebrows at me from the kitchen.
“Oh no, I’m good. Thank you.”
Luke got Luna set up with her homework and her snack at the table. Clearly this was their daily ritual, at least on the days when he was home early. Once she was situated with a cracker in one hand and her pencil in another, Luke walked me to the door. “Thanks for coming to meet with us. I’ll call you.” He held the front door open for me. His tone didn’t give me any indication as to whether he planned to hire me, but it was okay. He probably needed to think about it. Maybe he planned to interview more people. I tried to prevent any hint of disappointment from showing on my face.
“Okay!” I forced one more smile and turned to head to my car.
Seated in the driver’s seat, I drummed my fingertips on the armrest and tried to think of things to do to distract myself while I waited to hear from him.
It’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t hire me, I thought, although my gut was unconvinced. He’d be better off with someone who could commit for the entire summer, anyway. I should mentally prepare myself for the letdown.
On my phone there were two missed text messages: one from Max and one from Natalie. As I slid the message from Natalie open, my phone vibrated with an incoming call from a Massachusetts number.
