Page 56 of Nine Week Nanny

I've also seen glimpses of who he could be. He's obviously very curious and smart.

Chris doesn't want Lennon. He wants whatever money comes with him, or he wants to hurt me, or both. What he'll do is crush that little boy's spirit just like he tried to crush mine without a second thought.

Not this time.

I'm not just holding Lennon for Camila anymore. I'm keeping him safe from Chris. And if my father wants a war, he'll get one.

No matter what it costs me.

FIFTEEN

Sloane

I pad downstairs, the cool wood welcoming my bare feet after a rushed shower.

Lennon usually sleeps late, especially after nightmares like last night's, which means I have time for coffee and maybe even a moment alone to?—

I freeze in the doorway when I hear voices. One of them is female with a lilting, Spanish inflection. Then I catch sight of Pope’s phone on the counter with FaceTime on.

Pope sits at the kitchen island, his broad back to me, gray sweatpants hanging low on his hips. Beside him, Lennon swings his legs, spoon midair over a bowl of Cheerios.

"You're a silly goose, Lennon. Go finish your breakfast, and I'll call you tonight."

"Te quiero, Tía."

"Te quiero, mijo."

Pope ends the call, and both he and Lennon turn to greet me.

My hand tugs at the hem of my tee. Perfectly decent, but suddenly too thin under Pope’s stare. Lennon’s usually still asleep at this hour, and Pope’s long gone by then. Not today.

I cross my arms over my chest.

"Morning," I manage.

Lennon's face lights up. "I had a dream about a sea turtle that could talk! He told me the secret password to get into his underwater castle."

"You must have snuck past me while I was in the shower, Buddy." I direct this to Pope, even though I'm talking to Lennon. Then, I look at Lennon. "Why are you up so early?"

"I was hungry."

"Figured I'd better find him something to eat before he started raiding the pantry and had Oreos for breakfast." Pope's voice is morning-rough.

Lennon nods solemnly. "I wanted to make pancakes, but he said no fire stuff."

I ruffle his dark curls and drop a kiss on his head. "That was probably the right move."

"Can we pretty please go walk on the beach? Micah says you can find the best shells early."

That must be the motivation here. Early shell-hunting.

"Let me get some coffee in me, and then we can go."

"I don't have a meeting until 8:30. I could take you, Len. Want to go now?"

"Yeah!" He's out of his seat faster than I can react. Pope is offering to take Lennon on a walk? Okay. I can't keep up with all of these changes.

I laugh, the sound bursting out unexpectedly. Pope looks up, coffee mug halfway to his mouth, and something electric passes between us.