Page 99 of Maple Mountain
I glanced at Lenni who was watching us with intensity.“Why don’t you go upstairs and change into those new ski pants we bought.”
“But I want to sit and hear your conversation,” Lenni said.
“Upstairs,” Archer said in a no-nonsense tone that I found completely hot.
Damn it.
Lenni sighed and took Mildred with her.
Archer opened his mouth to speak to me, but I pressed a finger to his mouth, signaling that he should wait.
“I know you’re still within earshot!”I called out.
A moment later, a bedroom door opened and closed.
My finger slipped from Archer’s mouth.
His eyes were liquid pools of heat.
I swallowed.“Sorry.I just had a feeling she was attempting to eavesdrop.”
He cleared his throat.“Smart.So, you don’t think it was a good idea to get her a cell phone?”
“I think it doesn’t matter what I think.”
“Come on, Wyn.I’m asking for your input here.You’re still her nanny for twelve more days.”
I hated the reminder.
“We need to tell Lenni I’m leaving.”
“I already told her,” he said.“When we were out yesterday.”
“Oh.”I frowned.
“She’s not happy about it.But she said she’ll try to bematureabout the situation.There was no meltdown, thankfully.”He rolled his eyes.“Now tell me what you think about her having a cell phone.”
“I didn’t get a cell phone until I was sixteen and finally started driving alone.”
“Things are different now,” he said as he continued to bandage my hand.“The world is different.I know it’s Huckleberry Hill and the chances of something happening are slim, but still.There’s no games, no social media, no internet.Literally just a phone where she can call and text a few pre-programmed numbers.And there’s no passcode, so I can see what she’s up to.”
“Did you give her any rules with the phone?Or did you just hand it to her and sayhere you go.”
“Of course we had a talk,” he said, his dark brows slashing together.“When we’re home, the phone is never in her room.She can take it to school, but it stays turned off in her backpack unless it’s an emergency, and she’s not allowed to text or call any boys.”
I nibbled my lip.“Can’t really argue with that.”
“You want to argue.”His smile was slow.“I think youlikearguing.”
I shook my head and gently tugged my bandaged hand from his grasp after he finished wrapping it.“No.I think you’ve thought it through and like I said, you’re the dad.You get to decide these kinds of things.”
He looked at me for a long moment and then got to his feet.“We don’t have a sled.So I texted Muddy and asked if they had one they could spare.She said yes, so we have to stop off at the Ridge.”
Nodding, I said, “I still need caffeine.”
“Get dressed,” he said.“And I’ll make you another tea and put it into a thermos.”
Thirty minutes later, with Mildred and Lenni in the back seat, Archer drove us to Elk Ridge.I sat in the warmth of the truck while he got out and met Muddy on the porch.She had the sled ready and waiting.She waved at us and then headed back inside.
