“Fine.”
Wonder slurped up a spoonful of whatever soup he was having. “Your problem, Toleffson, is that you’re resisting the whole accountant thing. Why not revel in your predictability?”
“Because I’m not sure how much I enjoy being one of your walking punchlines.” Lars leaned back in his chair as the sunlight warmed his face. If this constituted winter, he figured he could give his earmuffs to Goodwill.
“So how goes the search for the babysitter? Anything new on the ankle-biter front?” Wonder took a large bite of his sandwich, using his napkin to wipe off a stray bit of mayonnaise at the corner of his mouth.
“Do not refer to my niece as an ankle-biter. She’s way beyond that.” Cal slid into a chair beside Wonder. “As I recall, she nibbled on at least three of your fingers the last time you looked at her teeth.”
“Don’t remind me,” Wonder grumbled. “I don’t usually do kids under five. My fingers still tingle when I hear her name.”
Lars shrugged. “I’ll feed her before I bring her in next time. Still, if somebody sticks their fingers in your mouth, there’s always this temptation to bite them.”
Wonder gazed at him through narrowed eyes. “You bite my fingers, and you’ll be doing my books for free for the next decade, so help me.”
Allie stepped through the door carrying a plate with a sandwich. “Getting back to the more interesting topic, how’s the babysitter search coming?” She set the plate in front of Lars, along with a glass of tea. “Here you go. I didn’t have time to come up with something more interesting for you to drink. Maybe next time.”
“Maybe.” Lars studied the chicken salad, checking for pineapple or grapes. He didn’t see any—so far, so good. “I may have found somebody. She’s a single mom with a baby, so she can take care of Daisy while she takes care of her son.”
“What’s her name?” Pete dropped into the chair beside him.
Lars had to think for a moment. He really needed more sleep. “Jessamyn Carroll.”
Three faces stared at him blankly. Four, if you counted Allie.
Wonder shook his head. “Never heard of her.”
“Me neither.” Allie’s forehead was furrowed. “Where does she live?”
“She manages the Lone Oak B and B.”
His brothers and Wonder still looked blank.
Allie’s forehead smoothed marginally. “Okay, I think I’ve seen a woman out there. I just didn’t know her name.”
Pete narrowed his eyes. “You get her references?”
“Yes. It’s fine.” Lars set his glass down with a click. Pete was only a couple of years older but he sometimes behaved as if they were dog years. “We’re going to give it a try for a month, see how it works out.”
Allie was smiling again. “It sounds win-win to me, Lars. She gets to stay home with her son and you get someone who’s got the time to look after Daisy.”
Right . Lars decided not to mention his own concerns about the amount of time Jessamyn Carroll would have to do that. For better or worse he was committed.
He took a bite of chicken salad. Not bad. Not bad at all. But he liked the turkey better.
Chapter Three
Daisy Toleffson didn’t strike Jess as a charming child. Nor, at this particular moment, was she a happy one. She stood in Jess’s living room, surveying the furniture with the look of an unimpressed customer. Her lower lip was pushed forward, and her arms were crossed over her chest. She glared up at her father.
He appeared not to notice. Or at least he pretended he didn’t. Jess could see a certain tension in Lars Toleffson’s jaw. His fine, squarish jaw.
“Daisy, this is Mrs. Carroll. You’ll be staying with her and her son Jack today.” Toleffson’s voice was firm, but not too cheery. He probably knew what was coming.
“No,” Daisy snapped. Her lower lip jutted forward even further.
Jess tried a smile in Daisy’s direction and was rewarded with a fierce scowl. “Have you had breakfast, Daisy? Want some oatmeal with
Wonder slurped up a spoonful of whatever soup he was having. “Your problem, Toleffson, is that you’re resisting the whole accountant thing. Why not revel in your predictability?”
“Because I’m not sure how much I enjoy being one of your walking punchlines.” Lars leaned back in his chair as the sunlight warmed his face. If this constituted winter, he figured he could give his earmuffs to Goodwill.
“So how goes the search for the babysitter? Anything new on the ankle-biter front?” Wonder took a large bite of his sandwich, using his napkin to wipe off a stray bit of mayonnaise at the corner of his mouth.
“Do not refer to my niece as an ankle-biter. She’s way beyond that.” Cal slid into a chair beside Wonder. “As I recall, she nibbled on at least three of your fingers the last time you looked at her teeth.”
“Don’t remind me,” Wonder grumbled. “I don’t usually do kids under five. My fingers still tingle when I hear her name.”
Lars shrugged. “I’ll feed her before I bring her in next time. Still, if somebody sticks their fingers in your mouth, there’s always this temptation to bite them.”
Wonder gazed at him through narrowed eyes. “You bite my fingers, and you’ll be doing my books for free for the next decade, so help me.”
Allie stepped through the door carrying a plate with a sandwich. “Getting back to the more interesting topic, how’s the babysitter search coming?” She set the plate in front of Lars, along with a glass of tea. “Here you go. I didn’t have time to come up with something more interesting for you to drink. Maybe next time.”
“Maybe.” Lars studied the chicken salad, checking for pineapple or grapes. He didn’t see any—so far, so good. “I may have found somebody. She’s a single mom with a baby, so she can take care of Daisy while she takes care of her son.”
“What’s her name?” Pete dropped into the chair beside him.
Lars had to think for a moment. He really needed more sleep. “Jessamyn Carroll.”
Three faces stared at him blankly. Four, if you counted Allie.
Wonder shook his head. “Never heard of her.”
“Me neither.” Allie’s forehead was furrowed. “Where does she live?”
“She manages the Lone Oak B and B.”
His brothers and Wonder still looked blank.
Allie’s forehead smoothed marginally. “Okay, I think I’ve seen a woman out there. I just didn’t know her name.”
Pete narrowed his eyes. “You get her references?”
“Yes. It’s fine.” Lars set his glass down with a click. Pete was only a couple of years older but he sometimes behaved as if they were dog years. “We’re going to give it a try for a month, see how it works out.”
Allie was smiling again. “It sounds win-win to me, Lars. She gets to stay home with her son and you get someone who’s got the time to look after Daisy.”
Right . Lars decided not to mention his own concerns about the amount of time Jessamyn Carroll would have to do that. For better or worse he was committed.
He took a bite of chicken salad. Not bad. Not bad at all. But he liked the turkey better.
Chapter Three
Daisy Toleffson didn’t strike Jess as a charming child. Nor, at this particular moment, was she a happy one. She stood in Jess’s living room, surveying the furniture with the look of an unimpressed customer. Her lower lip was pushed forward, and her arms were crossed over her chest. She glared up at her father.
He appeared not to notice. Or at least he pretended he didn’t. Jess could see a certain tension in Lars Toleffson’s jaw. His fine, squarish jaw.
“Daisy, this is Mrs. Carroll. You’ll be staying with her and her son Jack today.” Toleffson’s voice was firm, but not too cheery. He probably knew what was coming.
“No,” Daisy snapped. Her lower lip jutted forward even further.
Jess tried a smile in Daisy’s direction and was rewarded with a fierce scowl. “Have you had breakfast, Daisy? Want some oatmeal with
Similar Books
The Paris Enigma
Pablo De Santis
Savage Love
Douglas Glover
Seasons of Sorrow
C. C. Wood
The Jezebel Remedy
Martin Clark
The Bloodletter's Daughter
Linda Lafferty
Irish Meadows
Susan Anne Mason
The Seventh Candidate
Howard Waldman
The Aspen Account
Bryan Devore
Embroidered Truths
Monica Ferris
Forgiving Patience
Jennifer Simpkins