“Sorry I’m late,” a woman wearing a bright yellow sundress steers into the playroom. “Luca, were you good for the new nanny?” the woman asks as she saunters right over to the little boy. “I’m Nikki,” she introduces.
“Hi, I’m Paige,” I say and hold out my hand to introduce myself properly. She seems warm, friendly, and completely out of place after meeting Moreno and Dante. “You must be Luca’s mom,” I guess.
Nikki smiles and nods. “That I am. Are you ready to hit the trails, Luca? Sorry, you got stuck watching this little tiger. I promise it won’t be a regular occurrence.”
“It was no problem at all,” I say. I don’t elaborate that I haven’t even been here an hour, and Dante had been watching him before I showed up.
“Let me know if you need anything, have any questions, or whatever,” Nikki says. “I’ve got a pretty packed schedule, but I’m happy to help when I have a free minute.”
“Thanks.”
Nikki escorts Luca out of the playroom. “Come on, Luca. Let’s get you washed up. You have paint on your cheek and in your hair. Then we’ll go hiking on the trails.”
“Okay, Mama.” He latches onto her hand and follows her out of the playroom.
It’s just Nova and me. I smile warmly and point at her tea party. “Can I play with you and your friends?”
My cell phone buzzes, and I pull it out of my purse to glance at the text message. It’s from Moreno.
I glance back at the empty doorframe. He’s nowhere in sight. Why didn’t he just come talk to me instead of texting me?
The job is yours. Don’t screw this up. Nova is counting on you. We both are.