AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rainey chimes in. “It’s only bad because we’re not adults.”
Logan cocks his head at Rainey’s words. “Why’s it only bad because you’re not an adult?” He takes a seat on the other side of my niece.
“Because Noah said she can put water on the floor to mop, but I can’t put water on the floor to play.”
“I don’t think this has anything to do with you being a kid and Noah being an adult.” He glances at me, his eyes seeking permission to continue. I nod. “We shouldn’t make messes with things that aren’t ours. We could tear them up.” Rainey looks intently at Logan as he continues, “These are special floors and can’t have water on them for long. Do you know what could happen if you got water on these floors for a long time and we didn’t clean it up right away?”
Rainey shakes her head.
He drags his finger across a piece of the flooring beside her. “The water would get inside the wood and make it bigger. What do you think that might do to the bathroom floor?”
“I dunno.”
“It would break the floors, and your aunt would have to pay for new ones. That costs a lot of money.”
At the mention of breaking the floors, a soft sob comes from Maggie. I reach over and pat her on the back. “Is she okay?” I whisper to Logan.
“Yeah, she’s sensitive,” he whispers back before getting up to comfort her.
“No more putting water on the floor, promise?” Logan looks Maggie and Rainey in the eyes and holds up a pinky. “Swear?” Both girls nod in agreement, and Rainey jumps up to link pinky fingers with Logan.
“The only person who gets to put water on the floor is Noah. If you get water on the floor onaccident, you need to tell Noah or me. We’ll help you clean it up. Got it?” With their fingers still linked, they bounce their heads.
“Okay, now let’s work on cleaning this up while Noah and Miss Izabeth finish the cinnamon rolls.”
The girls stand up and march to the bathroom.
“How?” I ask. “You’re amazing.”
He shoots me a quick wink as he reaches out a hand to pull me off the floor.
“I know. Now go make me some breakfast, wench.” He cackles and follows the girls into the bathroom.
“You’ll be lucky if I save you half a cinnamon roll with that attitude,” I holler after him.
He pops his head back around the door. “I’m joking. Please don’t starve me,” he begs.
“I’ll think about it.”
I’ve made the right choice in selecting Logan to be Rainey’s kidsitter—there’s no doubt. She’s in excellent hands. Maybe I am, too?
Chapter 22
Logan
Myfirstweekofkidsittingwas a breeze. So much so, I’m convinced something’s lying in wait, ready to knock me off my feet and have me begging for mercy. I quickly learned Noah’s not a strict rule-keeper with Rainey. She has a few ground rules, but enjoys giving her niece a level of autonomy that’s different from my own parenting style.
We’ve settled into a sweet rhythm of Noah and me dropping the girls off for school together. I love the crisp Kentucky mornings, but an unshakeable cold threatens to settle into my bones the second we step out the front door each morning. The talk around town is we only have another week of good weather left. Noah and I dash back home, allowing her to rush off to her office.
I scour job sites for several hours while Maggie and Rainey are in school, applying for any potential positions—even the ones I have little interest in. Mid-morning, I take a quick tea and reading break and then continue shooting off resumes and sending follow up emails until lunch.
Paul, as solid a friend as ever and no longer working around the clock, selected me as his daily lunch partner. His attention is somewhere between flattering and smothering, but he’s reliable and I appreciate him. Most days we meet at the station and eat our packed lunches at his desk. It reminds me of a high school cafeteria with all of the people who steadily mill around. After lunch, I fulfill as many shopper orders as I can. This keeps cash flowing into my bank account, but also gives my mind something to do instead of sinking into my Hannah Heartbreak that still surfaces a few times a day.
Claire had been right. Over the last few months, Hannah is no longer the sole focus of my attention every second of every minute of every day. It’s more like every other second and then every third. I’ll have several days in a row of feeling proud of how far I have come since January, only to be washed away and tossed into an undercurrent of impenetrable sadness when I least expect it.
Noah bore witness to one of those times a few days ago while I was getting Maggie ready for bed. One second I was reading Maggie a bedtime story, laughing at the goofy characters, and the next I felt tears well up and a sob heave from my body. Noah closed the door to Rainey’s bedroom next door and glanced into Maggie’s. She saw me break apart, but slid in the bed next to my daughter, taking the book from my hands. I was mortified, but she gifted me time alone to take care of myself while she completed my daughter’s bedtime routine in my stead.
Over lunch at Stewie’s, I mention the episode to Paul, explaining how embarrassed I was for Noah to see me in that state. I’m not sure why I tell him, but I need to confide in someone. I still haven’t shared my move with Claire or Rufus, so it can’t be them.
