“But you don’t mind putting me out?” she asked with a chuckle, not giving him a chance to answer. “That’s a joke, by the way. And don’t worry about Merry. She and Alex are headed here anyway to help with the festival tree. I’ll text her while you call the daycare center and let them know. Does that work?”
“It’s brilliant. Thank you for your flexibility.”
“Not to worry. Alex will be thrilled. All he talks about is Grace, so getting to spend a little extra time with her this evening will make his day.”
“Thank you again, Mrs. Jackson.”
“Call me Linda. Mrs. Jackson sounds so old.”
“Linda then. And you must call me Carlisle.”
“Sounds good. Get good work done.”
5
“Play that for me again,” her mother said as they made dinner together.
Merry touched the screen on her phone. As she’d entered the daycare center to pick up the children, she’d anticipated Alex’s excitement at finding out Grace would be coming with them. Knowing his grandmother would want to see, Merry had surreptitiously set her phone to record. Her son hadn’t disappointed.
“You know, I feel bad I never noticed Alex didn’t have a best bud at the daycare,” she said, leaning over to make sure the children hadn’t opened the Lego box. She’d given them stern instructions not to since there were younger children there.
“Well,” her mother said, “he’s met his kindred spirit now. I’ve never seen that boy go so crazy about another child. They never run out of things to talk about.”
“I hope by the time she and her father go back to England, he’ll have reached the age where it’s not cool to be friends with a girl anymore,” Merry said as she finished chopping carrots for the salad.
“They’re not staying in Huckleberry Falls then?” her mother asked. “Can you grab the Parmesan cheese from the fridge?”
“That’s what Carlisle said when he and Grace came with us to the scarecrow making event.” Merry handed her mother the container.
“You never mentioned that you’d gone somewhere with him.”
Her mother was eyeing Merry in a way that made her feel like a high schooler who’d been caught sneaking out. The scrutiny made her cheeks warm, which was absolutely ridiculous.
“I didn’t go with him. Alex invited Grace, and she invited her father.” Merry picked up the plastic plates for the children. “At first, he wouldn’t go because he had a meeting. That little girl really has some power over him, though. It’s a good thing, too, because he’s obsessed with this project he’s working on.”
“And what’s that?”
While they set the table together, Merry explained what Carlisle had told her about the avalanche beacon.
“Did you ever meet the old nanny?” her mother asked.
“Not the original one Grace liked, but I saw the new one once. She wasn’t as mean as Miss Trunchbull inMatildabut nearly as grim.”
“Oh, dear. I’m glad she’s gone then. Grace has a joy about her I’d hate to see squashed. I hope her father can find something to brighten up his life too.” Merry’s mother shot her a sly glance, way too interested. “Let’s get these little ones fed and to bed, so we can get to work on the tree.”
They found that the two younger children had gotten into the toy box in the corner. They’d managed to pull out everything and strewn it around the large living room. It was a good thing her mother had kept her large home from when she was raising a family. Merry couldn’t imagine trying to keep up with these two children in the apartment she’d once suggested her mother get instead.
Once they’d cleaned up the mess and everyone had eaten, her mother put the younger kids in the guest bed. Even in the living room, where Merry was helping Grace and Alex begin the assembly of the cityscape, she could hear the younger children complaining that they wanted to stay up too.
“They’re not normally so crazy,” her mother said when she returned. “They just get excited about having other children around.”
“Why do they sleep here if they’re not your kids?” Grace asked.
“Their mother is a nurse, and she works nights at the hospital.”
“But when does she sleep?” Alex asked as he picked up a Lego piece and handed it to Grace.
“Oh! It looks like the picture now.” The little girl gave him a dazzling smile. Carlisle was going to have his hands full with her when she got older. She was already a charmer.
