Page 23 of Midnight Escape

Passing the second story, they climbed to the third. Danny opened the only door on the floor—as far as she could tell—and stepped back, smiling. He let go of her hand and waved her into the room in front of him.

When she stepped in the room, the amount of light hit her first. An abundance of natural light flooded the room from the windows lining the back wall. His home, while narrow, wasn’t a terraced home, so he had windows on the sides, but it was built so close to his neighbors, the side light was not as rich.

Supreme happiness floated within her. She could paint here. She could be happy in this one room while she waited for things to sort out. While she waited for her brother and Diana. While she waited for her life to become normal again. Painting soothed everything within her soul. And Danny had just given her the best gift she’d ever received—bar the stuffed rabbit her brother had given her as a child. She still had it, had, in fact, added it to the list of things packed from her home. But this, this was much grander.

“Well, what do you think?”

She spun around with her arms out to encompass the room, giggling like a little girl. “I love it. It’s perfect.”

“Just show me what needs to be lugged up here and you can get set up. Give me a list and I can have an easel, chair, and whatever else you need picked up easily enough. Then you can spend the afternoon making this yours.”

“Afternoon…” She smiled. “Evening, night, straight through. I can’t wait to get started.”

Danny cleared his throat. The somber look told her she might not like what he had to say. She hoped he didn’t assign rules to her painting.

“Tonight might not work. Remember, I didn’t know you’d be here yet, so I agreed to some babysitting.”

That certainly surprised her. He didn’t seem the childminder type, then again, she didn’t know this man. Only that he was generous. “Okay, I’ll help.”

“You won’t need to, but I doubt the kids will leave you be. You’ll be too much of a puzzle to Reagan and she’s precocious. Not to mention little Amber who tries to copy her.”

“It sounds fun.”

“Are you sure? There’s going to be seven children running around my house, ages baby to middle school.”

She gulped but wanted to see Danny in this setting. Something about it tickled her curiosity about the man. Him and weans. Kids. “Oh wow, sure, I’m still game. I guess we’d best get the shopping done then. I’ll need you to take me since I don’t have a license or a car.”

“I planned to anyway. Get your purse or whatever you plan to carry and let’s get moving.”

Later, Moira sat back in the comfy chair she’d selected for her temporary studio. The easel, while not the one she’d had in Ireland, worked well in the space. She and Danny had been limited to what was in the store, but she preferred to buy now instead of waiting for an online order because even two days without painting in that beautiful space would be horrible. She’d been able to purchase canvases and more paints. Thankfully, her brushes had been part of the inventory she’d demanded from her home in Ireland.

She sighed as she stood, then said goodnight to the room with the things that made her happy and content. She descended the stairs and met up with Danny, who was waiting in the living room.

“Again, I’m sorry. I agreed to this before I knew you’d be here.”

Danny’s apology was cute but unnecessary. She didn’t mind at all helping watch the weans. “I don’t get how you are the choice as a childminder for weeones.”

With a shrug, he explained, “I like kids and offered one day to watch Ace, who is almost three now. After that, I became a babysitter for when the family goes out together. Now there are four one-year-olds, but with Reagan and Amber, I barely have anything to do. Those two act like mother hens. Truthfully, they’re a little bossy. Cute bossy, but bossy.”

Moira laughed at that visual. “Didn’t you say Reagan had an older brother? Surely he could watch the weans.”

Danny laughed. “He’s a sixteen-year-old boy. He only cares about getting to first base. Besides, maybe the babies will have their first steps for us.”

The doorbell rang and Moira braced herself for an evening as a childminder. Seven wee ones. She wasn’t against it, but she hadn’t been around babies enough, and she worried she might do the wrong thing.

As it turned out, all the weans were walking. Nay, not walking, sprinting. She, Amber, and Reagan each took a wee one to keep corralled in the living room with the others. Danny took two toddlers. The babies got into everything and they did it lightning fast. No wonder the family didn’t get out together much. Who would watch this group? Well, besides Danny, who seemed as if he could’ve handled all the weans with ease. He brightened when playing with them. The man needed to have a family. It was obvious he craved one. Or at least did so when he was minding the babies.

With the wee ones finally asleep in Danny’s room and Danny occupying three-year-old Ace, Moira and the older kids went back to the living room.

After getting them each a beverage, Moira sat, and Amber pulled herself up on the couch beside her. Then the little girl proceeded to impart her wisdom. “Mom says I can’t live with a boy unless we’re married or related. Are you related to Uncle Danny? Because if you are, then it’s okay you live here, but if not, well, I guess you have to get married.”

The logic of a six-year-old astounded her. She really didn’t have words for a response that would pacify the girl. She desired Danny and living with him presented a challenge for her not to be forward since he was being so respectful, but married? Nay.She didn’t care for the state of matrimony. Being free and single to live how she wanted suited her fine.

Reagan slid onto the love seat facing them. “Silly, that’s only a rule made by your mom and dad. Real adults don’t have to be married or related to live together. I heard Dad say people live in sin all the time. Uncle Ken and Aunt Sam did before they got married.”

These parents were really messing with their kiddos’ heads. She’d heard the men of this family were overprotective, but come on. Expecting it to be futile since the weans seemed confident in their parents’ version, she tried to set the record straight. She did think it cute the kids all called Danny—and he said his teammates—Uncle. “Your uncle Danny is letting me stay here until my brother and his girlfriend arrive. We’re not living in sin, getting married, or related. It is possible for two adults to be just roommates.”

Reagan snorted. “Uncle Jake would never allow that for Amber. He said she couldn’t even date until she was thirty. Imagine. Thirty is ancient. I mean, I don’t want to date boys now, but Mom says I will one day, but it will be when I’m a teenager not thirty. I’ll be half-dead by that age.”

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