Page 18 of Bad Nanny

“Oh, sweet summer child! All you have to do is lie perfectly still on your back and shut your eyes. No peeking!”

As soon as Delaney was lying down with her eyes closed, I quietly dug through the tote of art supplies I’d brought into the living room from my studio. Finding what I was looking for, I moved closer to her.

“Did you peek? If you peeked, we have to start all over.” I was still speaking in Penelope’s voice but took her off my hand, so I could open the cylindrical container.

“No! Can I open them yet?”

“Not yet. Take a deep breath in...and now out.” I smiled as she did what I asked. I repeated the relaxing breaths while I sprinkled glitter over her clothes and hair.

Was I going to regret bringing out the bane of parents across the globe? Probably. But I found I didn’t care if Gabriel lost his shit over a little sparkle in his beige kingdom.

“One more deep breath in and out, and then you can open your eyes.” I dropped the glitter container into the box and moved back to the stage.

Delaney’s eyes popped open, and when she sat up, she gasped. “It’s glitter!”

Penelope gasped in shock. “They’re afternoon sparkles! Go outside and see for yourself!”

Jumping up, she sent the fine glitter everywhere.She ran out into the backyard to the middle of the lawn where the sun was shining. I walked out onto the patio, laughing as she twirled around, squealing in delight.

I sat down on the outdoor couch as Delaney skipped to her play set and jumped onto a swing. She was singing a made-up song about sparkling and magic and seemed to forget everything that had been going on in her head before I’d distracted her.

It reminded me of when I was younger, and my dad would take Nora and me for an impromptu adventure. The spontaneity would pull us out of our grief, even if just for a few hours. Sometimes we’d go to the park, to see a movie, or on a search for shells along the beach.

I wondered if Gabriel’s insistence on scheduling every minute of her day was trapping her thoughts, instead of freeing them. Maybe she needed unexpected moments like this afternoon’s glitter surprise. Routines were great, but they didn’t take much mental space, which left a lot of room for thinking.

How would I bring this up to Gabriel? The thought alone knotted my stomach. He ran their lives like clockwork, every tick and tock planned and accounted for. It wasn’t my place—especially with it only being my first day—to make suggestions, but seeing how easily Delaney forgot about her worries made me want to deal with the fallout that opening my mouth would bring.

Delaney let out a half squeal, half sob that cut through my thoughts and made me jump to my feet. She skidded to a stop as she abandoned the swing and ran straight toward me.

“Daddy!” Her sights were set just past me.

I turned to find Gabriel standing outside the sliding glass door I hadn’t bothered shutting. I couldn’t quite tell from the look on his face if he was pleased or simply tolerating the world around him.

His face softened, and he smiled as he bent down and scooped Delaney into his arms. “Shh. I decided to come home a little early today. I couldn’t wait any longer for a hug.”

I bit my lip, the scene before me making my heart break and mend back together at the same time. Delaney was crying and blubbering about missing him.

Gabriel gave me a brief chin raise in greeting before turning to go inside, Delaney still nestled in his arms. I trailed behind them, slowly shutting the door and hovering at the threshold. I didn’t know whether I should escape to my studio or pick up the disaster in the living room. If I wanted to keep my job, the better option was obvious—clean up.

I set Penelope on the coffee table and closed the crayon box. Glitter sparkled on the rug and the wood floor, but Gabriel hadn’t seemed to notice. Maybe he’d go upstairs to change, and that would give me enough time to track down the vacuum.

Delaney giggled, and I looked over to find Gabriel had put her down, but she was pointing at his chest. “Daddy, you have to go out in the sun if you want to sparkle.”

Gabriel looked down at his suit jacket and shirt, then at his daughter, before his eyes cut to me. “Josie, what is this?” His voice was tight with irritation, and his eyes narrowed as he surveyed the shimmering mess on his pristine floor.

I swear I heard a low growl emanate from his chest. Why did irritated Gabriel look and sound so sexy? “It’s just a bit ofglitter, Mr. Badden. Delaney needed some magic this afternoon.”

“Are you mad, Daddy?” Delaney grabbed Penelope off the table and hugged the puppet to her. “It was Penelope’s magic.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly struggling to keep his composure. “Magic,” he muttered under his breath. “Looks more like a unicorn sneezed in my living room.”

“Daddy!” Delaney covered her mouth to hide her giggle.

“It cleans up,” I reassured him, my voice steady, despite the nervous fluttering in my stomach. “I need the vacuum.”

“It’s all over her...and now me.” He sighed heavily and held out his hand. “Come on, Laney, let’s de-glitter you while Ms. Hastings cleans up.”

Delaney paused beside me, her blue eyes wide with concern. “But it’s magic. We can’t clean it off.”

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