Page 107 of Worst Nanny Ever
“You didn’t answer earlier. Do you have practice later?”
I shake my head. “I want to spend the day with him. It’s past time I explained some things to him. People will be talking. He needs to know what to expect.”
I was about to saybefore Lilah comes back, but I can’t bring myself to acknowledge it. Still, I’ll be on the phone with my lawyer first thing on Monday to prepare for a potential custody battle.
“Good,” she says with a nod. “Do you want me to stay? Off the clock, I mean.”
Yes.
Right now, I feel like I need her to stay forever, but I don’t want to be one more person who needs her, like Eugene. Like Liam, even.
I want to support her the same way she supports me.
“I have to do this part alone,” I say. “But I would appreciate it if you could stay late on Wednesday. I have a meeting with the guys.”
“Of course,” she says, way too polite for my taste. “Is this about that producer?”
“Yeah,” I reply with a sigh. “We’ve got to form a united front. One way or another.”
She grips my arm, surprising me. “You’re not going to say yes to be agreeable.”
“Yeah, that’s me,” I joke, “Mr. Agreeable.”
“You can’t say yes, Travis.”
“I’m not going to.” Glancing at the door, I lower my voice. “I wouldn’t agree even if I wasn’t worried about Lilah finding out. I’d quit the band first.”
I open the bedroom door, then nod for her to precede me through it.
“You don’t have to treat me like I’m a queen,” she says with an amused smile.
“You’re the queen of this household. It’s time I started treating you that way.”
She plucks the polo shirt up off the floor and runs out like she thinks she’s gotten away with something. Fine by me. I like the thought of her wearing it, not that she ever would.
I follow her out, and a couple of seconds later, I find Ollie sitting at the kitchen table. There’s a soggy bowl of cereal at one place setting, and the rest of the table is occupied by the packages we picked up at the toy store, minus the art supplies he and Hannah used yesterday.
He found all of them.
Hannah and I exchange a look, and we both start laughing, sharing our appreciation for my son’s hustle.
“What if I bought all of that for myself?” I ask.
“You didn’t.” Ollie pauses, a worried look filling his eyes. “You didn’t, did you?”
“Heisa child deep down.” Hannah gives me a weighing glance. “Deep, deep, deep down. But no, that’s all for you.”
“When can I open them?” he asks, bouncing a little from foot to foot.
“Go for it, kid,” I tell him, walking over and ruffling his hair. “I figured we could get a better handle on what you’re interested in. Maybe we can find something we both like to do.”
Hannah gives me a pointed look that reminds me ofsomething I hadn’t forgotten.Show him what you love, and teach him to play.
“Okay, but eat your cereal,” he says. “Hannah told me it was important to eat a complete breakfast.”
I glance at the soggy mess in the bowl, raise my eyebrows at Hannah, then sit and scoop up a disgusting spoonful.
“That’s love,” she says, grinning at me. Then her eyes widen, and she snaps her fingers. “Oh, before I forget. I promised Alice I’d get you to sign some headshots of yourself that I could send to her and the other Ships Junior bodyguards.”
