Page 60 of Where Roads Lead

“I wanted to say hi to Elsie,” he told her, as if it were an acceptable reason to flee your babysitter. Then, turning to me, “I saw your hair through the window. It’s kind of cool. Looks like fire.”

“Thanks.” I laughed. “But Max, you really need to stay with your nanny. It’s really not safe to run off like that.”

He frowned at me, as if my rebuttal were a personal betrayal of the friendship we’d somehow struck up.

“But I looked both ways before I crossed the street.”

“Do you two know each other?” Will interjected, staring dumbfounded between me and the six-year-old child still hovering in front of me.

“We met the other day,” I told him at the same time the nanny started tugging on his hand.

“It’s time to go, Max.”

“Can I get a donut first?” Max stared longingly toward the glass pastry case.

“Do you deserve a donut?” The nanny frowned.

“I don’t know, but I really want one.” Max grinned cheekily.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, clenching her eyes shut at the injustice of her situation before muttering a ‘fine’ and leading him toward the register.

“So, how exactly did you befriend a six-year-old?”

“Who’s to say?” I responded dramatically. “Maybe he relates to me because of my whimsical energy.”

“A writer and a child whisperer.” He huffed a laugh. “Impressive.”

“Not really.” I shrugged. “I mean, doesn’t everyone love kids?”

The sound of the nanny’s shrill yell was all the answer we needed.

In a moment, Max was back beside me, the nanny trailing after him, while Ava appeared at the table beside us with a wet rag in her hand.

I stared over at her, wondering why she felt the need to wipe down a table that no one had been sitting at, but her eyes were more focused on us than on her task at hand.

“That’s it!” the nanny fumed, grasping her head as if her hands were the only thing holding it in place. “Your mother is working a double today. Do you know what that means, Max?”

He shook his head.

“It means that I am with you the rest of the night, and I already feel like I need to go to bed. So unless you start listening to me, the both of us are in for a very long day!”

Max, in all his profound emotional maturity, responded by blowing a raspberry.

“Max—”

“I’ll watch him,” I interjected quickly before any blood could be shed right there on the floor of Hughes.

“What?” She turned her head to stare at me.

“Yeah. I can come over tonight so you can go home and get a little break.”

“Why would you do that?” She gaped at me, then turned to Will. “Why would she do that?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said, staring at me like he didn’t quite know me.

“Maybe you just need a little time for yourself,” I suggested lightly. “I really don’t mind.”