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“You’ve got her fooled, don’t you, Squid?” he teased. “I’ve seen how cranky you are.”
“Oh, stop,” Em laughed. “She’s sweet and brilliant and strong.”
To which Noa let out a giant burp.
“And so ladylike,” I chuckled. My phone started to chime again, interrupting our playing.
“Let me,” Em said, stepping in to wiggle her fingers at Noa. “That call might be important.”
I nodded and headed to where I’d left the device lying on the dresser top. I should have turned it off.
“Think about where you want to go,” I called to Em before I answered as I stepped into the hallway. I headed to a seating area down the corridor to talk with my assistant.
“I’m calling to make sure you’ll be back by the twenty-seventh. The execs from the movie studio want to talk to you.”
“I will. I have the three days here then three in Seattle. After that I’ll be back. While I have you on the phone, I need you to do something for me. A couple things really. I need you to change up my reservation to a single king in Seattle—a suite with a king would be fine. And I need a car and driver here in about an hour. I also need you to get in touch with the rep over at the dealership where I bought my SUV and have him send me options for a second vehicle—specs for what he has in stock. New not used. Something with an impeccable safety rating.”
“Got it,” he said. Jake was always efficient. I never worried he’d misstep or fail to do anything.
“Yeah, I’ll need my fridge and cabinets stocked with the usual groceries. Don’t worry about getting too much. We’ll be there for at least a couple months—oh and I need a crib, a high chair and one of those exercise-saucer thingies delivered, as well. You guys have a baby. Just set me up with the normal equipment a four month old needs—besides a car seat, stroller and playpen. We have that.”
Jake made a humming noise while he took notes. “Okay. I’ll have Tyson get on that. He’s between jobs and needs something to do, anyway. Maybe, you can put in a word for him as one of the stuntmen for your movie—no, forget I said that. That’s over the line.”
I laughed. I wasn’t that uptight, but Jake liked to pretend I was. “When I meet with them, if there’s a chance, I’ll slide over his name. Text me if you need anything else. I’m gonna be mostly out of pocket for the rest of the day.”
“Will do. Um, Luca?”
“Yeah.”
“Does she…know you’re only doing one room?”
I shook my head. “Nope. But by the time we get there, she won’t care. Also, it’s your fault. What can I do?”
“Low, man. But hey…I probably would have done the same with Tyson.”
“Youdiddo something like that with Tyson. I remember something about a road trip in a small car and you forgot the second tent.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Bye, Luca. Text you later.”
Eight
Em
Leaving Noa with the hotel’s childcare just about killed me. Over the past weeks, she’d become mine. I wasn’t sure what to think of the attachment I’d formed. I’d never had that before. And leaving my sweet girl with the highly secure, highly qualified hotel care still ripped out my heart.
I hadn’t even known that was a thing. In-house childcare.
“You okay?” Luca asked, his arm around me.
“Not really. I’m not sure what’s wrong with me.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” the grandmotherly woman holding Noa said. “We’re going to have the best time and she’ll be safe and secure. She can’t leave here without her bracelet and yours being scanned, plus an ID check.”
Luca tightened his arm around my waist, his fingers a reassuring weight on my hip. “My wife just doesn’t like to leave our little girl with anyone. It’s the first time.”
“Well, go have fun.”
I blinked hard as she turned to take Noa with her into the nursery area. Luca led me away before I actually started crying.
