The Babysitter. Nancy Bush

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СКАЧАТЬ give you my cell number,” Jamie suddenly decided.

      “Oh? You got hooked up?”

      “Went to Verizon today,” she lied.

      Vicky whipped out her notebook and pen, and Jamie gave her the number. “We’ll get together soon and I’ll introduce you to some of the other moms,” she promised.

      “Thanks, Vicky.”

      “Victoria.” She gave her a quick smile, then hurried up the steps and into the school.

      “Who was that?” Harley asked. She’d hung back while witnessing her mother talking with Vicky.

      “A friend of Emma’s from high school.”

      “She looked like she was talking your ear off.”

      “She sort of was, but I’ll take any information I can get. How was school? Like any of your classes?”

      “No.”

      “That’s what I like about you, Harley. Consistency.”

      Her daughter rolled her eyes. “You’re just always so funny, aren’t you?”

      “Not always. Sometimes.”

      Harley almost smiled but stopped herself. She shrugged and said, “It was okay. Some of the kids are pretty nice.”

      “Like Marissa?”

      Harley turned swiftly her way. “You know Marissa? How do you know Marissa?”

      “I just heard about her from Ick . . . from someone I know.”

      “That lady?” She jerked her head in the direction Vicky had gone.

      Jamie nodded. “Her son’s named Tyler and on the football team, I believe. She said Marissa was a nice girl.”

      Harley squinted. “Tyler.”

      “Did you meet him?”

      “I met a lot of people.” She brushed it off, clearly done with the conversation. She hiked her backpack over her shoulder. “Are we going home or what?”

      The tone. It made Jamie want to scream at her, but she’d learned that approach did no good. Ignoring it wasn’t really an answer either, but she let it go for now because it was Harley’s first day. Tomorrow would be a different story.

      They were walking back toward Jamie’s car when they heard footsteps behind them and Marissa came flying up. “Hey, give me your phone number,” she said to Harley. “We could go tonight to the mixer? You want to?” She glanced up at Jamie and said, “Hi, I’m Marissa.”

      “I’m Jamie.”

      Harley looked at Jamie and said in an accusing voice, “I don’t have a phone.”

      “I could give you my number,” Jamie suggested.

      “Okay.” Marissa swept her phone from her back pocket.

      They exchanged numbers while Harley remained silent, maybe seething, as Jamie entered Marissa Haynes into her contact list, feeling slightly weird. You’re too old for this, she told herself.

      “Oh, there’s my dad.” Marissa waved, and Jamie turned her head as if pulled by a string.

      Cooper Haynes. Vicky was right. He was downright handsome. Looked even better than in high school. Broad shoulders. Fit. His dark hair, tossed a bit by the breeze, was a little longer than the clipped cut she remembered. He wore jeans and a white shirt and a black windbreaker. His eyes were blue, she knew from memory, and his long strides ate up the ground between them as he approached Marissa, who was waving madly.

      “That’s your dad?” Harley asked.

      “Well, my stepdad, but I call him my dad. I took his name.”

      “You can do that?” asked Harley.

      “I just use it. It’s not in my permanent record.”

      Jamie was only half-listening as she watched Cooper approach. She looked at him, and looked away, and looked at him again, feeling like she was the one in high school.

      “Hi,” Cooper said as he neared.

      “Hi,” Jamie said as recognition slipped across his expression.

      “Jessie . . . ?” he asked.

      “Jamie. Whelan.”

      “Sorry, yes. Emma’s sister, right?” He held out his hand.

      She offered hers and felt him squeeze her fingers. A surf roared in her ears.

      Jesus Christ, Jamie. Get a grip!

      “I’m Cooper Haynes. Don’t know if you remember me.” He smiled, and laugh lines formed at the corners of his eyes.

      “You know each other?” Marissa asked, delighted.

      “We went to school together,” Jamie said. Her voice sounded strange to her own ears.

      “You know Aunt Emma?” Harley asked him curiously.

      “We were classmates.” The smile slowly disappeared.

      “I’m Harley Woodward,” she said, thrusting out her hand. Cooper shook her hand, too.

      “My daughter,” said Jamie, desperately trying to act nonchalant. “Emma’s niece.”

      “Harley and I are going to the mixer together tonight, right?” Marissa turned to Harley, who nodded and shrugged, like, why not?

      “Want us to pick you up?” Marissa asked, and then the conversation went on around Jamie, plans being discussed, decisions made, a flurry of information that ended with Harley looking at Jamie for their address. Jamie gave it woodenly. She felt like she was having an out-of-body experience.

      Fifteen minutes later, they were pulling into the drive and Harley was suddenly bright-eyed and eager about the evening ahead. She chattered on about her day without being prompted. Clearly, Marissa had eased her fears about being the new girl by inviting her into their group of friends, who appeared to be welcoming. Harley mentioned a girl named Lena and another called Katie. “I don’t think it’s the most popular group,” Harley revealed. “For the seniors I think that’s Tyler and some other guys, and a girl named Dara and another, Michaela, and a few more.”

      “Oh, good.”

      “Marissa’s great.”

      “I’m glad. I hear Dara’s dating Tyler,” Jamie said.

      She got the reaction she’d expected when Harley whipped around in the passenger seat to gaze at her in surprise. “How do you know that?”

      “Oh, it’s all over the school.”

      “But СКАЧАТЬ