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“I get it. The dad in my house is a raging ass. He’s always working or going out to play golf.”
I laughed and nodded. “My dads don’t golf, but that’s only because they don’t have the time after all the hours they work. It’s so infuriating. The kids need more time with their fathers. They’re making massive amounts of money, but what’s it all worth if the kids aren’t happy?”
“I mean, it’s worth that giant mansion you’re living in.” She smirked at my shocked face. “I’m kidding, of course.”
“Are you from around here? I just realized I know next to nothing about you and I don’t think I ever asked. I’m so sorry!” I wanted to get into safer topics. It didn’t feel good to bash the guys in front of someone who didn’t know them. I wanted to rant but I didn’t know Jules well enough to trust her yet.
“I grew up here, on Lake Dun.” She shrugged like it was nothing. “I went away to college, came back, and became a nanny. That’s pretty much it.”
“Way to condense it down.” I laughed. “How long have you been with the family you’re nannying for now?”
“Six years.” Nodding, she glanced back at Milo and smiled. “Mine have all outgrown that phase.”
Looking back at Milo, I felt my heart swell. I’d spent almost every waking minute with him since arriving and I was already so in love with him. “I don’t think I’d hate lingering in this stage. He’s so sweet and cuddly.”
“Yeah. Sweet.” Jules paused and then we both burst out laughing. “I think I still have cheese in my hair.”
“I really am so sorry about that. He’s definitely like his uncles in how headstrong he is. Once he makes up his mind about something, that’s it.”
“What about his dad?”
I saw that we were passing through the open gate and made a note to mess with Joe about his lacking security system. The gate was always open. “You know? I don’t really know. He’s in his studio most of the time. Even more than the other two are in their offices.”
“Well, that must be nice, right? You don’t have to deal with them constantly.”
I snorted. “They work from home.”
Jules’ eyes widened. “They’re always home? Even right now?”
I nodded. “Sometimes they leave but mostly they’re just here. Why? I’m sure it’s okay if I have a guest over, if that’s what you’re worried about. You look like you just saw a ghost.”
“I have to be honest. There’s something about the possibility of running into those three that makes me feel very underprepared and underdressed.” She motioned towards her outfit like it was something she’d pulled out of the garbage. “Raincheck? Or maybe you can come over to my place? We could make this a normal thing we do. I’d really like that.”
“Me too. Once you’re working in the real world, it’s so hard to meet and make friends. This is great.” I hesitated when the driver pulled to a stop. “Thank you for giving me a lift back here. I hated using their driver this morning but Joe doesn’t trust me to drive, just because my car looks like it’s been in a few accidents.”
The driver made a sound that might’ve been a chuckle. Jules rolled her eyes at him and caught my hand. “Next time we’ll actually get to chat more and we can spill all the juicy details.”
I gathered Milo and our things. “Sounds good. I just hope there aren’t any juicy details by then. Any more and I’m definitely going to be fired.”
24
***Ada***
Thatweekend,afterthekids had gone to camp every day and come home so tired that they couldn’t do anything but eat and fall asleep, I decided we needed some family time. I set up everything in the theater with David’s help and set about wrangling the dads before I brought the kids together. I didn’t want to disappoint them if the dads wouldn’t join in. It was seven o’clock on a Saturday night, though. They had to stop working at some point.
I went to Jud first. He’d mostly retreated back into his studio and I hadn’t had any real interactions with him so I was nervous when I knocked on his studio door. There was something about him that set my nerves on edge and made the outer borders of my brain itch. He gave me intense deja vu and it drove me a little crazy.
He opened the door, hair and beard still wild, a paint brush captured between his lips. When he saw it was me, he dropped the brush and his lips turned up in what might’ve been a smile if a smile forgot how to be a smile. “Hi.”
I gave him a real smile, one with lots of teeth, and gripped my hands together behind my back. “We’re having a family movie night. You have to come.”
His mouth lifted higher on one side. “I have to come?”
I nodded. “Please?”
He looked down at his bare feet, covered in paint, and cleared his throat. “Okay.”
I barely stopped myself from fist-pumping. “Yes! Thanks, Jud. Milo probably won’t make it through the first half of the movie, but he’ll be so happy to see you there. There are snacks and drinks down there. Adult beverages are available upon request, via David.” I slowly backed away and lifted my hand in a wave goodbye. “See you down there in just a few minutes. I’m going to gather everyone else.”
