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Caroline doesn’t give me a chance to answer. “Daddy made her quit.”
I give my daughter a scolding glare. “I didn’t make her quit, Caroline. She and I had a little misunderstanding.”
Ellie cups my cheek in her hand. “You poor, dear man. You have so much on your plate.”
“We’re fine,” I say, brushing her hand away. I drop the hairbrush in the trash can and open the pantry in search of Pop-Tarts. I tear open the silver package and hand strawberry Pop-Tarts to each of the girls. With a curled lip, Caroline bites off a corner while Sophie gobbles hers down, her hair seemingly forgotten.
Leaning back against the counter, I notice Ellie’s attire—a flowery summer frock with gold-heeled sandals and blonde hair piled high on top of her head. Tracy always wore yoga clothes when driving car pool. “Why are you so dressed up?”
The faint blush that creeps across her cheeks tells me her effort was for my benefit. “Is it a crime for a girl to wanna look pretty?” she asks, a seductive smile playing on her lips.
I shrug. “I thought maybe there was an opening ceremony at school I’m supposed to attend.”
Her smile disappears. “No, parents’ night is next week.”
The small town of Water’s Edge has a surprising number of divorcees, most of whom have shamelessly let me know they’re interested in dating me when the time comes. I’ve made myself clear that time is way off in the future. If ever.
I pop a pod into the coffeemaker. “Why are the kids starting school today anyway? Wouldn’t it make sense to wait until after Labor Day?”
“I agree.” Ellie giggles. “They should’ve asked us for our opinions.”
“I know why they didn’t ask me,” I grumbled. I’m not an authority on anything relating to kids. “Since I no longer have a nanny, I guess I’ll be picking them up. What time does school get out?”
“At noon. I have nothing urgent on my calendar today, and I’m happy to drive both ways. If you’d like, I can arrange an appointment for Sophie with my hairstylist.”
“That would be great. Better your hairstylist than my barber. Does the preschool have an after-school program?”
“They do. But space is limited, and demand is high. Although, in your case, they may make an exception. It’s worth giving them a call. Ask for the headmistress, Betty Bleaker.”
The name brings about a glimmer of hope. “I know Betty well. I’ve done work for her over the years, most recently a kitchen renovation several years back.”
Ellie winks at me. “Always helps to know someone in charge.” She shepherds the girls towards the door. “We need to get going. Poor Zoe is waiting in the car.” Over her shoulder, she calls to me, “Too-da-loo.”
I wait until I hear the front door close before dropping to a chair at the breakfast table. Setting my phone down in front of me, I call the nanny service on speaker and ask the operator to connect me to the director. When Susan Steele comes on the line, I can tell by her abrupt tone she’s not happy to hear from me.
I cut right to the chase. “I’m calling about a replacement. I assume you heard what happened with Kayla.”
Susan clears her throat. “I heard Kayla’s side of the story, Mr. Darby. I’d like to hear yours.”
“Of course.” I fall back in my chair with my coffee. “I came home late from work and found my girls watching television at nine o’clock.”
“And . . .”
“And that’s well past their bedtime. Their mother kept our girls on a strict schedule.”
“I agree schedules are important, Mr. Darby. But Kayla claims they were watching a special program, and the girls really wanted to finish it. She says you overreacted, that your anger scared her.”
“Humph. Maybe she shouldn’t be so sensitive.”
“You said the same about Kellie when you reprimanded her for making a mess in your kitchen.”
“A mess? A tornado would’ve caused less damage to my kitchen. My wife was a fanatic about cleanliness. I’m accustomed to having a tidy home.”
“They were making cookies, Mr. Darby. Baking creates messes. She cleaned up afterward, did she not?”
“That’s beside the point.” I draw circles on the table with my finger. “The girls are cranky during the day when they don’t get a proper night’s sleep. And today was the first day of school. Forgive me for wanting them to be well rested.”
“The crime isn’t the issue, Mr. Darby. Your response to the offense was inappropriate.”
