Page 76 of Play Book

I let out a long, slow breath. “Thank you. There are no words for how grateful I am.”

“Don’t worry about it. It felt good to help. She misses her mom, and I know you’re in over your head.”

“I definitely am. And, as if you haven’t done enough, I need another favor too.”

“I will if I can.”

“I need someone to stay here with her while I’m gone on the upcoming road trip. It’s a short one, only four days, but I don’t have time to find a nanny before I leave. And Ally’s not comfortable with Saylor yet.”

“Yeah, I think she views Saylor as competition for your attention.”

“She doesn’t even like me!” I mutter.

“No, but she wants to. She’s grieving, missing her mom, but she’s not stupid. She knows you’re the one she has to rely on. I don’t know what her mother told her about you, we haven’t gotten there yet, but she’s battling a lot of different emotions when it comes to you. Adding a girlfriend to the mix just makes everything harder for her. But she’ll come around.”

“I hope so.” I look in the direction of Ally’s room, where we can hear rustling as she unpacks and—I probably shouldn’t assume this—puts away her new clothes.

“When do you need me here?” Stevie asks me.

“Oh. Uh, the team leaves Monday, but I decided I’ll leave Tuesday morning so I can take her to school the first day. It feels important.”

“I agree. It is.”

“You can sleep in my bed while I’m gone,” I say. “I’ll make sure my housekeeper comes on Tuesday afternoon to put on fresh sheets and everything.”

She smiles. “Deal.”

“Don’t forget to give me those receipts.”

“I won’t. And make sure you fill the fridge. I’m small but I eat a lot.”

I laugh. “Absolutely. Text me a grocery list. Do you plan to cook, or should I give you cash to eat out?”

“We’ll play it by ear. I have to work at the gallery all week, and Saylor and I will work out the hours so I can drop Ally off and pick her up. And then next week the art classes start. I think you should enroll Ally, even if she says she doesn’t want to. When we talked today, she sounded interested, she just doesn’t want to admit it because it means spending time with Saylor.”

“All right. I’ll take care of it.”

We discuss a few more details and then Stevie leaves.

And I’m alone with a sad, angry eleven-year-old I have no idea how to handle.

TWENTY-THREE

Saylor

Having a boyfriend I don’t get to see very often is the weirdest thing ever.

Having Canyon for a boyfriend is still a little strange to me too.

We’re together, committed, but still getting to know each other while simultaneously navigating a plethora of unfamiliar waters.

The biggest roadblock is Ally.

She essentially dictates not just how much time we can spend together, but when we can spend it. We both have responsibilities, so it’s not like we can sneak off for a quickie whenever we feel like it. My time is more flexible, obviously, since I work for myself, and I have Stevie helping at the gallery now.

It’s been great, though, because I’ve finished two paintings this week, and I’m at the gallery today hanging them. Canyon left on his road trip this morning, Stevie hasn’t yet arrived since she’s taking Ally to school, and I have a few moments to myself as I putter in the gallery.

I sit at my desk and click on the sign-up sheet for the adult class that’s starting tomorrow night. It looks like there’s a new request for information, and I open it excitedly.

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