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Isabel winced as it was decided she’d hear it soon enough since she was starting school.
“A second, Lee,” she said and then she grabbed the phone and looked over her shoulder. “Aaron, Storm—no.”
They scowled at her—she ignored them and focused on Brooklyn. “Brooklyn,sexyis a word grown-ups use for other adults they find attractive. It’snota word for five-year-olds. Got it?”
She waited with arched brows until Brooklyn heaved out a glum sigh and mumbled, “All the fun words are grown-up words.”
“Do I want to know?” LeAnn asked.
“Just the usual,” Isabel assured.
“Considering it involved Brooklyn ... ” LeAnn let the silence linger and then they both laughed.
“What happens if I can’t help?” she asked, referring to the boy LeAnn wanted her to take in.
“If you can’t, he’ll end up in a group home for troubled kids and he’ll probably stay there until he ages out of the system. You’ve got a knack for helping kids like him, Bella. You’re honestly his best chance. You’ve worked miracles before.”
Isabel didn’t know about miracles, but hearing that the kid might end up in a home decided it.
“I’ll give it a shot,” she told LeAnn. “But don’t go expecting miracles. You know I don’t believe in them.”
Even as she said it, she thought of the man with eyes the color of a tropical ocean who’d showed up next door, completely out of the blue. Sure, a nosy, interfering old grump had no doubt been involved, but that Travis was here at all was something of a miracle, wasn’t it?
“I believe inyou, Bella. That’s enough.”
With a sigh, Isabel hung up the phone and expertly flipped the first round of pancakes.
As she went to pour the next batch, a flash of pink appeared in her line of vision and she braced herself. Looking over to see Brooklyn loitering a few feet away, she said, “Remember, five squares away from me while I’m at the stove.”
Brooklyn looked down and pointed.
Isabel checked and counted the floor’s square tiles. Exactly five stood between her and Brooklyn.
“Okay, kiddo. What’s up?” She already knew, though.
“You didn’t answer me,” Brooklyn said in a very clear, patient voice. Crossing her arms over her chest, she lifted her delicately pointed chin and stared Isabel down. “Are you gonna have babies with the new neighbor?”
At the table, Storm and Aaron snickered and giggled behind their hands.
Mariah found it all terribly funny, apparently, because she picked up the bottle Aaron must have had gotten ready for her and smacked it on the tray of her high chair as she cackled.
“No, Brooksy,” Isabel said, ignoring the rest of the chaos. “I’m not having babies with the new neighbor.”
Brooklyn scrunched up her face. “Are yousure?”
“I’m quite sure,” Isabel said. She checked the pancakes. “I’m not having babies.”
“But ... ” Brooklyn huffed out a breath.
Flipping the cakes onto a server platter, she turned off the stove and turned to look at the little girl. “But what, Brooklyn?”
“But I saw youkissinghim.”
“Ooohhhh ... ” Storm said. “And when was this?”
Aaron wolf-whistled.
As Isabel flushed, Brooklyn preened. “I saw it last night! Out my window!”
