“Amelia,” the little girl says, pointing at herself.
Levi’s phone buzzes. “What is it, Nancy?”
The fact that he’s talking to a woman has me eavesdropping. Though it’s not like there’s an inch of privacy in the vehicle.
Is Nancy his girlfriend?
Wife?
I didn’t look at his finger to see if he’s married, but if he’s in a committed relationship, wouldn’t she have at least shown up at the airport to welcome the two of them home?
I hope, for his sake, he’s not that serious about Nancy.
“I know I’m late, and I haven’t checked my voicemails. There was an issue at the airport.” He pauses, and I wait for him to elaborate to the caller. “I found someone temporarily to help with Amelia. No thanks to you.”
Ouch. He’s in a pissy mood, although I’m sure I didn’t help. Am I to blame? Probably. Too bad. I’ve already made a mess of things; it can’t get much worse.
While I can’t hear Nancy’s side of the conversation, I get an earful from Levi. “I can’t make it into the office tomorrow or this week. I need to keep an eye on Amelia and get her settled. Email me the details, and when my lawyer contacts you, let him know that he can reach me on my cell phone.”
Lawyer?
Is he planning on suing me for what happened at the airport?
I’m sure we can work out some type of arrangement. I could watch Amelia to make up for the embarrassment and humiliation I caused him. However, I’ve already offered to do that for room and board.
He hangs up testily.
“You’re in a mood,” Douglas says. He’s not afraid to speak his mind. I like that.
“Sheput me in one,” he says, jabbing his thumb in our direction. I can only assume that he’s referring to me, not his little princess. Amelia is seriously perfect. Adorable. Sweet. The girl, it seems, has been through an ordeal from what I’ve overheard, but she’s resilient.
“Then why are you bringing her home?” Douglas asks. While he tries to keep his voice low, it’s not quiet enough for me not to overhear their conversation. If they were smart, they’d turn up the radio.
“I need a nanny, and it’s clear that Airplane Girl is good with Amelia. Turns out she was a preschool teacher or something. She knows how to deal with kids.”
“Give yourself more credit,” Douglas says. “It’s barely been twenty-four hours with the child. You two will bond. She just needs some time adjusting to her new situation.”
He grumbles and reaches for the radio, masking the rest of their conversation.
“I don’t think your daddy likes me very much,” I say, tapping the sparkly horn on the unicorn.
“He’s not my daddy,” Amelia says. She exhales a loud sigh, her lips vibrating together. The motion causes her to giggle, and she does it again.
Levi’s phone rings again, and while I can’t hear who he’s talking to this time, it’s clear that he’s important and busy. He hasn’t even made it home, and he’s had two phone calls. How many other people will be reaching out to him tonight?
“You look like a princess,” I say, smiling warmly at Amelia and tugging on her hot pink tutu.
Her eyes widen, and with one hand, her fingernails dig into the sparkly unicorn. With the other, she clutches my hand.
I don’t know what to make of her expression. She recently lost her mother. Does the little girl understand that she’s not coming back?
“You know what would go great with that tutu?”
Amelia stares at me blankly, waiting for me to answer.
“A crown.”
Levi hangs up his call. “Princess and Airplane Girl,” he chimes, glancing over his shoulder at us. “First order of business is getting my little princess into pajamas.”