Page 104 of Risky Move

“And you’re asking me to babysit the babysitter?” Tom couldn’t contain the smirk that crossed his face.

Cassie swatted his arm. “Hardly. If you go, there’s no reason for babysitters. I don’t think Caryn’s seriously considering Amelie.” She took a deep breath. “We talked for a while this morning—she brought Jenna and Daniel to see me.”

Tom sat down on her bed and patted the seat beside him. “I know they were thrilled to see their Aunt Ca Ca. Cassie, what’s up with Amelie?”

He watched Cassie bite her lip and avert her eyes. “I underestimated her, eh…distractibility.”

Tom laughed softly. “Babe, I think everyone’s aware of her short attention span. Anything in particular?”

“If I tell you something, will you promise to keep it confidential?”

“That would depend, Cass. Do you trust me to use my best judgment?”

“Y..yes, but I really don’t want…this…to get back to Amelie. Or have it look like I’m using her as an excuse. I’m not,” Cassie stammered. Her eyes held his, and Tom brushed his hand against her cheek. “She’s not a very responsible person with the twins…”

“How ‘bout I tell you what I think?” Tom waited for Cassie’s nod before continuing. “Amelie was over the afternoon Danny fell into the pool, correct?”

“Yes, but…”

Tom held up his hand. “Let me finish. Andrew found Amelie’s backpack and textbooks on the pool deck and thought they were yours. I dropped them off at Cam’s condo the following morning on the way to work. When I asked her about the accident, her answers were vague… ambiguous. Has she called you since then?”

“Not today, but…”

“Hang on for a moment. Amelie’s evasiveness helped confirm my thoughts.” He paused and leaned to kiss Cassie’s forehead. “Was Amelie watching Daniel when he got through the pool door?”

“I made a mistake—I needed to visit the bathroom and grab a clean shirt. It took maybe five minutes…”

“So, you asked Amelie to keep an eye on them?”

Cassie nodded. “I don’t know how it happened, but Danny got away from her…you know the rest. I could hear them giggling on the monitor, all three of them. Then, Daniel must have scooted away…I don’t know how that door was left open. I found Amelie’s cell phone later. She received a lot of texts around the time of the accident. But none of that matters. The twins were my responsibility, not Amelie’s. I should never have left them.”

Tom’s heart clenched when Cassie clamped her eyes shut, trying to stem the tears. He pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms securely around her. “Hey, Cass, listen to me…We can’t change what happened, and I get that you don’t want to assign any blame. Or look like you’re using Amelie as an excuse. But, don’t you think Andrew and Caryn have a right to know?”

“They already know I’m irresponsible…”

Tom interrupted. “No, maybe you made an error in judgment, but never irresponsible.”

“I’d say something if they seriously planned to hire her—unless they’re planning to take her with them.” Her hazel eyes pleaded with him. “Otherwise, please just let it go.”

“I’m not sure I can, Cassie. They need to know, so Caryn doesn’t ask her to babysit—now or in the future. You understand that, don’t you?”

“Yes, I guess so. I hadn’t thought about that. If something happened, I couldn’t live with myself.”

“Cassie, I think telling them the details that led to Danny getting near the pool will help both understand what happened and why you assumed all the blame,” Tom said.

“Tom, I’ll always know that Danny could have…died…because of me. Whatever Amelie did or didn’t do changes nothing.”

He lifted her chin and kissed her gently. “Stop being so stubborn,” he teased her. “I promise that soon you’ll realize no one blames you, and you’re beating yourself up needlessly. I also promise I plan to fill your brain with other thoughts in Sanibel.”

* * *

Cassie concentrated her energy on deciding what to pack for the coming week with Tom. Her heart fluttered each time he crossed her mind—often—and a tightness in her chest signaled a new emotion she dared not acknowledge.

Lauren knocked on her door shortly before she and Tom planned to leave, then entered the bedroom/office.

“Do you need to work?” Cassie asked.

“No, I’m caught up. Unless there’s an emergency, I shouldn’t have to spend much time on my clients while Dave’s family is here.” Lauren handed a bag to Cassie. “Just a little something special for your trip.”

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