AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A bed-and-breakfast?”
She pointed a finger at me. “That.”
I had heard about the Victorian home that was being renovated downtown. I hadn’t realized it was Sam’s company that was handling it.
“You make lunch and bring it to him?”
“Oh no. We have to get it from the sandwich place. He likes pickles and cookies.”
I laughed, assuming it was her who liked pickles and cookies. “Do you know where this sandwich place is?”
“Huh-uh.”
“Let’s hit the library first and pick up the books we ordered. Then we can get lunch and take it to your dad.”
There was something so domestic about saying those words. I could almost imagine Maggie was my daughter I shared with Sam. That it was a regular day where I stayed home, and he went to work. Then we brought him lunch. It was so sweet, so perfect. So unlike anything I ever experienced as a little girl, but I wanted it more than anything.
“Are you okay getting ready? I’m going to take a quick shower and get dressed.”
“I can play.”
She was such a good kid. She’d adjusted so easily to having me around. It lulled me into a false sense of security that I was good at my job, when it was more likely that I’d gotten lucky, first with Amelia and now Maggie.
We picked up our books at the library, staying, at Maggie’s insistence, for the story-telling class, and then I followed the directions on my phone to the only deli that came up when I searched.
We ordered food for ourselves, and then I took her advice on what to get Sam. I hoped it was what he liked. On the drive to the B&B, I wondered if this was a mistake. Would Sam be okay with us showing up? It was an active work site after all. Maybe it was dangerous.
But Maggie assured me she’d done this before. We gathered our bags and headed up the steps to the front door. The yard was an active work area, filled with makeshift tables and tools. I knocked on the door. “Are you sure about this?”
Maggie’s eyes were wide. “Abso-wootly.”
How could Sam be upset with Maggie being here?
“Maggie! What are you doing here?” The door opened, and a man with sandy-brown hair, a blue work shirt, worn jeans, and construction boots scooped her up into his arms.
Was this her uncle?
He gave her a smacking kiss on the forehead.
Her face screwed up. “Ew, gross. No kisses.”
He tickled her while she giggled. It was sweet.
Finally, he set her down on the floor. “Seriously. What are you doing here, squirt?”
“We brought Daddy lunch.”
The man raised a brow. “Since when do you do that?”
My stomach dropped. “I’m sorry. She told me it was something she did with other nannies.”
The man looked at me with interest. “I’m Malcolm, but everyone calls me Mac.”
He seemed to be working something out in his head. “Alice, the nanny?”
“That’s right.”
Mac points at Maggie. “This one convince you she was a lunch delivery service?”
