Page 46 of Catching Trouble

Fifi straightened up, eyeing me steadily. “You’ve noticed, have you?”

Under her stare and upturned eyebrow, my skin prickled. “We live under the same roof.”

“Not technically. She sleeps in the garden… unless there’s something you’re not telling me.” Her grin made my belly shift. Mercifully, the coffee machine saw fit to interrupt our tête-à-tête, releasing a plume of steam from one of its pipes.

“Merde,” she cried, flapping her arms like a baby sparrow. I nudged her out of the way, bringing my fingers to the taps on the front of the machine.

“The left,” I ground out, turning the wheel with force. “Chloe said to turn off the left tap if this ever happened.”

As I followed my nanny’s advice, the steam lessened to a mild cloud of vapour.

Fifi stepped back, eyeing me slyly. “So, you’vediscussed unexpected explosions and steam, have you? I always wondered what the two of you did in the villa after dark.”

At her insinuation, I backed up against the bar, sending a stack of coffee cups to the floor with a clatter. A few heads turned, including Sophie’s. She must’ve reached a lull in her “podcast”. She nudged up on her elbows, then sent a wave and a smile.

Her unprompted greeting lit something in me, warmth spreading through my chest. She’d been the same last night—beaming after I caught her and Chloe dancing like lunatics, right before I let them give me a full glitter glow-up.

I chuckled at the memory.

“Hold it,” said Fifi, her hand on my arm.

“What do you mean, hold it? I need to pick up the cups.”

She stared at me. “Who cares about the cups? Where’s my phone? I want this moment captured for posterity.”

I bent down, collecting the battered coffee mugs. “What moment?” When I returned to standing, she was grinning at me, hand on her hip.

“Oh, I don’t know. An unsolicited smile. A genuine laugh. And all out of nowhere. Have you been on the tequila this morning?”

I put down the cups with a scowl. “No. It’s just nice to see Sophie looking so…”

Fifi peered around me, checking on Sophie. She was sitting on a sunbed at the front of the club, tapping her fingers against her bent knee. “Relaxed? Happy? Normal?”

Dammit, but yes.

Fifi nudged me gently in the arm. “She gave me a hug this morning. A hug! I almost fell off my heels.”

I let out a slow breath. She’d been the same last night. Softer. Warmer. After she’d scrubbed at my mask a little harder than strictly necessary, we hung out in her room. We lay on her bed, watching the stars through the window, talking about school. She even read me some of her book. I dozed off. When I woke up, she was asleep. I turned to creep out, but a lump under my arm stopped me.

In the half-dark of her room, I pulled out her old teddy from underneath me. I bought the bear when she was born. He was worse for wear now, missing an eye, but my heart exploded at the sight.

Sophie must’ve brought him with her and tucked him under my arm as I slept. It was like I had a proper daughter again, not a distant relation who acted like she’d rather be anywhere else.

And I had Chloe to thank. Even a week ago, Sophie and I barely spoke to each other. Now we were doing normal daughter-dad things, like someone pressed a button to switch on our factory setting.

“Sophie’s a good kid,” I said.

“Oh, undoubtedly. She’s also a wily customer. She had me paying her for chores today, here at the club. I have a feeling she’ll bankrupt us.”

I smiled. “I only hope she has more business sense than her father.”

Fifi chuckled. “Don’t blame yourself. Blame your nanny. She’s corrupting everyone. I even caught the chef singing in the kitchen this morning. I only hopeyou’reimmune.”

She paused, raking her eyes over my face. “What’s the matter Maxi? Is that a blush?”

Her slightly mad, wide-eyed smile snapped me away from thoughts of Chloe.

“No,” but my denial had my cheeks heating even harder.