Shotgun Nanny (17 page)

Annie sank down beside her and wrapped her arms around Emily, who hugged her right back.

“I was so scared.”

Annie squeezed harder. “So were we.” Her hands were shaking, and she fought a strange desire to cry, just like Emily. She was so glad to have her back.

“Kitsu dragged me here after a squirrel so I finally let go of the leash, but I was so hot and dirty, I thought I’d rinse my hands and face in the ocean. But I guess my shoe got untied. I don’t know. Anyhow, I tripped. And then I couldn’t get up. And then the water started coming in.”

“You did fine, Em. Just fine.” Mark soothed her with his matter-of-fact tone. “I don’t think it’s broken, probably just sprained, but we’ll get it looked at to make sure.”

“Kitsu stayed right with me. He must have heard me scream. Then I told him to go find you. And he went.” She sniffed. The dog, hearing his name, had come forward to put his wet nose to her cheek. She giggled and hugged the dog to her. “He’s a great watchdog, isn’t he, Uncle Mark?”

There was a pause. “The best. But, Em, where’s your tracking device?”

“In my pocket. I think I fell on it.”

Mark glanced up and caught Annie’s gaze. She thought he was going to say something, maybe admit for once that she was right and he was wrong. But when he did speak, it was to issue orders.

“Annie, here’s my key. You can bring the vehicle up that road there, and we’ll meet you.” Rapidly, he described where he’d parked. “Em, I’m going to carry you up to the grassy area. It might hurt a bit, but I’ll try not to go too fast. Okay?”

“I’m

ready.”

Annie waited until he’d scooped up his niece in his powerful arms and started walking toward the closest set of cement steps that provided beach access. With utmost care, Mark picked his way over the rocks while Emily clung to his neck, her lips compressed. Kitsu stayed at Mark’s side.

Annie scrambled up to the path and half-sprinted, half-jogged to where he’d left the car.

By the time she’d negotiated her way through the crowded streets, detouring around those that were blocked off for pedestrians only, she was thankful to find the trio of man, dog and injured child just where they’d said they’d be. Even her fear that Kitsu would embarrass himself in front of his master was apparently groundless. Two squirrels wandered the grass, tails twitching, noses to the ground, seemingly oblivious to the squirrel-annihilation machine at Mark’s feet.

The dog’s eyes were fixed on his quarry, and even as she approached, a small begging whine came from his direction. “Don’t even think about it,” Mark warned in a voice that brooked no disobedience.

Impressed in spite of herself at Mark’s control over the uncontrollable beast, Annie took a good look at Emily. Her color was a lot better, and she was chatting away to Mark with all the semblance of a girl who wasn’t in a lot of pain.

“Thanks, Annie,” Mark said, “I’m going to drive Em to the hospital and get that ankle X-rayed, just to be safe.” He mussed his niece’s hair. “I don’t think it’s very serious, but you’ll probably get to lay around for a couple of weeks with your feet up and ignore all your chores.”

The girl grinned at him impishly.

He glanced at Annie. “Do you mind getting your own car? I’d like to take Em right to the hospital.”

“Of course. I’ll meet you there.”

He shook his head. Anger boiled up in her chest. If he thought he was going to shut her out now, he could forget it. But it wasn’t that. “I need you to take Kitsu home. I can’t leave him in the hospital car park. Who knows how long we’ll be?”

She really wanted to go with them, just to make certain Em was all right, but obviously Mark was right. Swallowing her disappointment, she nodded. “I’ll make dinner.” She glanced at Em with a teasing grin. “Something with extra tofu in it.”

After the girl had finished with the yucks and gagging motions, she leaned down to kiss her soft cheek. “See you at home.”

She helped Mark get Annie settled across the back seat then grabbed Kitsu’s leash. She waved until they’d pulled away from the curb, then she glanced at the dog, knowing they were heading through squirrel territory. “Do I need to put a paper bag over your head?”

A soft whine greeted her. The panting jaws opened in a big doggy grin, and the tail started wagging.

“Trying to butter me up won’t work,” she warned the dog as they started walking.

“I’m not the woman I was a few weeks ago. I could flatten you with a well-aimed karate chop.” She paused to inspect the muscled flanks and powerful throat. “Well, maybe.”

They walked on companionably.

“I’ll tell you one thing, for sure, without Emily here, I’m not chasing you to hell and back. You go tearing off, you’re on your own. And I gotta tell you, squirrel as a steady diet gets old real fast.”

She wasn’t certain if her threats had sunk in or if they were just lucky enough not to pass any of the bushy-tailed creatures, or whether the dog had just tired himself out. But amazingly, she made it to her car with only one small incident.

She’d stopped to pick up her clown gear in the trailer, and as she wended her way to her vehicle a guy with a huge belly drooping over his jeans and one too many tattoos lurched across the parking lot in her direction. He gestured with the open beer in his hand. “Hey, babe” he leered. “Wanna come to a party?”

“It’s a tempting offer, but no, thanks.”

With a fatuous grin on his face, he kept coming until he was close enough to get a look at Kitsu, who could appear amazingly ferocious when he chose. Teeth bared, hackles up, a low growl took care of the drunken partyer in no time.

“You know, you’re a good dog to have around.”

She opened the rear car door, and he balked. “I know, it hasn’t got the headroom you’re used to. You’ll have to slum it till we get home.”

With a big, huffy pant, he scrambled into the back.

She walked to the driver’s side and opened the door. “I don’t believe it!” He was sitting in the passenger seat grinning at her.

“I guess you earned the privilege. You did good today.” She leaned over and patted him, getting a big tongue slurp for her trouble.

“Okay, Kitsu. Let’s go home.”

But she made a couple of stops on the way.

“HOW DO I STOP her from leaving?” Mark wondered for the thousandth time.

“What are you mumbling about, Uncle Mark?” Em asked from the back seat. Her voice was a little slurred, probably from the painkillers the doctor had given her. As he’d hoped, it was just a sprain. Her ankle, swathed in an elastic bandage, looked huge. Tomorrow he’d have to get her some crutches.

He sighed. Aloud he said, “How do we stop Annie from leaving us?”

In the rearview mirror he caught her puzzled frown. “But you said we have to let her go.”

“I

changed

my

mind.”

She was silent for a moment or two. “Maybe we could phone the plane and tell them Annie’s a criminal and they should kick her off. I saw that on a movie me and Annie watched.”

“Not bad, kid. Apart from the breaking-the-law aspect, it’s a pretty good plan.”

“We could steal her passport.”

“You really are headed for a life of crime, aren’t you?”

“Well, let’s hear your ideas, Mr. Smarty!”

“We could set Kitsu to guard her. Which would be fine until a squirrel came along.”

“I know, I know! We could give away all her clothes.”

“Now you’re talking.”

By the time they pulled into his gate, they’d pretty much figured out a million ways to make Annie’s life hell. Neither of them seemed to care, so long as they could keep her with them. As he turned off the engine, they both fell silent. It had been fun to fantasize that they could make Annie stay, but real life had once again intruded.

Or had it?

He hauled Em in his arms. Just as he got to the front door, it opened. He damn near dropped her. She gasped in his ear, then started to giggle.

Everywhere he looked were balloons.

Not just any balloons. His crazy clown had fashioned balloons into dogs and squirrels. Shiny red dogs, blue dogs, yellow dogs chasing bright balloon squirrels in orange, pink and purple that hung always just out of reach. They chased each other across the hallway floor, hung from the ceiling in a moving tableau.

And there was Annie, a huge smile on her face, holding a balloon doll with yards of toilet paper wrapped around its left ankle. And finally, Kitsu, a big helium balloon that said Get Well Soon attached to his collar.

“How are you feeling, Em?” she asked, handing her the balloon doll.

“Okay. Kind of tired. The doctor gave me some pills.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Yeah.”

Annie then turned her attention to Mark, and he noticed she’d put on some makeup and brushed her hair. Her clothes were different, too. She wore a tight-fitting long skirt in a kind of leaf pattern and a green top that lifted whenever she moved, just enough to give him a glimpse of the faux diamond glinting from her navel.

If he didn’t get that thing between his teeth before the night was through, it wouldn’t be for want of throwing everything he had at her.

He must have been staring. She tugged the top down, as if it would stay there, and said, “Thanks for phoning from the hospital. Dinner’s almost ready.”

“What’s for dinner?” Em asked.

“A special surprise.”

“If it’s green, I’m not eating it.”

“Emily, mind your manners,” Mark chided.

Annie preceded them into the kitchen, and his eyes widened. The table was set with the usual green china and linen napkins, but in the middle were ketchup, mustard and relish, a big plate of pickles and a bowl of potato chips.

He glanced over to where Annie was busy slipping wieners in buns.

“Hot dogs?” Emily exclaimed in awe.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. “This isn’t some New Age bean-sprout wiener, is it?”

Her eyes danced. “No. It’s a real old-fashioned hot dog.”

“Wow,” Emily said. “The bun isn’t even whole wheat.”

“Come on. I’m not that bad.”

Mark shifted his gaze to Em, who was nodding. “Yes, you are,” they chorused.

“I even got some soda for you, Em. Do you want some, Mark?”

“After the day I’ve had, I need a beer. How about you, do you want some wine or something?”

“A beer would be great. Thanks.”

“Come on, Em, we’ll go wash up, then I’ll carry you to the table.”

IT WAS LIKE so many meals they’d had, and yet so different. For one thing, Em didn’t usually need a second chair with a pillow on it to prop up her leg. For another, Annie was in love. She had to admit it to herself. Not just with Mark, but with Em, as well. She even loved the overgrown squirrel terrorizer who gazed with rapt attention at the hot dogs, though he’d already wolfed down the two she’d slipped him for a reward, plus the jujubes Mark had slipped him when he thought no one was looking.

Maybe it was her new appreciation of her feelings, but the atmosphere around the table was subtly different. They still told stupid knock-knock jokes in between Emily and Mark telling her about the hospital visit. But she found herself superaware of the man across the table. She kept sneaking little glances his way simply for the pleasure of seeing the man she loved.

She hoped he’d like her surprise.

Emily made it halfway through her ice cream before her eyes started drifting shut. Annie and Mark shared the kind of conspiratorial smile she’d seen parents exchange countless times.

He stood and reached to lift Em into his arms while Annie picked up the pillow and supported the foot all the way up the stairs. Once in the child’s room, Em’s eyes half opened as her uncle lay her on the bed. “Don’t forget to phone the plane,” she mumbled to him.

He smiled and kissed her cheek. “Good night, Em.”

“I’ll get her into her nightclothes and then come down to help with the dishes. And, uh, we have to talk.”

“The four most terrifying words in the English language.” He shook his head with a grimace that made her grin. “See you downstairs.”

“No. It’s good—” She started to explain, but he was already gone. “At least, I hope it’s good.”

When she emerged downstairs, butterflies were doing the Watusi in her belly. What if he said no? She bit her lip, knowing she deserved his rejection and deciding she’d have to be forceful about what she wanted.

With his usual efficiency, he was wiping the counters when she got to the kitchen.

“Come on into the living room,” he said.

“The living room?” She’d never seen a soul in there.

“It’s a good place for serious discussions, don’t you think? All that leather.”

As long as she lived, she’d never understand men. What was serious about leather furniture? “You didn’t think my leather skirt was serious?”

“Honey, nothing that small could ever be taken seriously.” Then he grinned at her, and she started to feel woozy. He’d called her honey.

He flicked on a couple of lamps, and soft pools of light appeared. Headed for some kind of mission control panel, he stopped and turned to her. “Is this discussion too serious for music?”

“Uh, no. Not at all.”

“Good.” Methodically, with the same care and precision he did just about everything, he chose a CD. Soon soft jazz filled the air. He pushed another button, and a gas fireplace added a pool of flickering light.

“How about a cool drink?”

For some reason, she was getting more nervous. It was becoming clear that he had a hidden agenda. Or a secret joke, probably at her expense. She cleared her throat. “A drink would be great. I think I have some beer left.”

He returned in a few moments with a bottle that most definitely did not contain beer. Her eyes widened. “Champagne?”

“This is a celebration, isn’t it?”

“Is it?” Her voice was squeaky all of a sudden. Maybe she was coming down with some kind of laryngitis. She cleared her throat again.

“We found Emily. And Kitsu finally did something useful.” A slow, thumping noise came from behind the couch.

“Did that dog follow us in here?”

“I asked him to. He’s a chaperon.”

A soft pop, and the wonderful fizz of champagne pouring came to her ears. He handed her a glass that felt cool against her skin. Unable to help herself, she gazed into his eyes, and the butterfly Watusi turned into an acrobatics competition. He touched his glass to hers. “To us.”