“But Thea, I don’t want to!” Mackenzie whined.

“Hmm. I think we’ve already been over that one. I love that you want to spend the day with me—and I would love nothing more—but I promised your dad I’d take you to school each day that he’s away and keep your normal schedule. Do you think I should break a promise?”

“No, I suppose not.”

“Okay then, how about you get ready for school? I’ll make your bed for you and have a surprise ready by the time you’re downstairs. Deal?”

“Deal,” she agreed quietly.

“Ready… set… go!” I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster, turning to jog out of Mackenzie’s room toward the kitchen. It worked. I heard little steps pattering from her bed toward the bathroom.

Phew, I averted that one, but how many more will there be and when will he be home? Dr. Mills was already a day later than he expected and managed to avoid the question of what he was doing or when exactly he’d return during his daily call. He masterfully managed Mackenzie’s questions about it, as well, and there was no point in pushing the topic further.

I resolved to find some fun activities to fill our weekend with, in the event he didn’t return. It was supposed to be my weekend off, but I couldn’t complain. How many women were paid for a full-time job that in reality required very few hours during the day? My time was my own during the six hours Mackenzie was at school. And Dr. Mills had a housekeeper, so apart from fixing meals, cleanup, and making my own bed, everything else was taken care of by outside staff.

I spent my days at a local café or at the library—although I realized I may be slightly paranoid—I didn’t want to chance that Dr. Mills may be tracking the search activity on the home Wi-Fi.

I wasn’t exactly sure what he did when he traveled, but from what I had gleaned on the Internet, he worked part-time for the government in some capacity. What if he was a spy? Or a consultant with the FBI—or CIA? He certainly had the intensity for it, and if I didn’t know better, I’d have thought he also had the ability to read minds. When he nodded at me—it wasn’t as though he was agreeing with me—but rather that he acknowledged I was telling the truth.

Add to that, eyes that seemed to reach into my soul, and other parts of me that had remained dormant for a very long time, and you had a rare situation where I felt like I was out of my league.

It didn’t happen often, but it was happening right now.

I bit my upper lip, I didn’t like it.

Gabriel clicked on the app and waited for the connection.

“Is that a nanny app?” his colleague, Hugh Diaz asked, looking over Gabriel’s shoulder.

“I swear, Hugh, would you let me know when you’re in the room, rather than stalking up behind me?”

“You’re losing your edge, my friend. Fatherhood has changed you.”

“Indeed it has.”

“So—is it a nanny app?”

“If you must know, it’s a home technology system connected to a variety of devices—the door locks, security cameras, lights, Wi-Fi, and a few other things.”

Hugh whistled. “Is she a runner? She looks good, and those freckles. Jeez, Gabriel, your nanny is pretty.”

“She’s not my nanny, and yes, she is pretty. Most importantly, Mackenzie likes her, and she’s a good judge of character. They connected right away.”

“That must be a huge relief for you. So the move is going well?”

“As well as can be expected. I think it was the right decision.”

“For whom?”

“For both of us—we’re a package deal.”

“Do you still have a security team?”

“I do, although it’s more of a skeleton crew now.”

“Do they tail the nanny?”

“Initially they did, yes. It appears she mostly goes to the library or a café when she’s not home or with Mackenzie.”

“Avoiding the home Wi-Fi, huh?”

“Do you think so?”

“Not sure. What’s her background?”

“She’s a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a master’s degree in communications and government relations. Her mother and father are dead, and her sisters live in the same general vicinity in Massachusetts. Beyond that, her history seems unremarkable.”

“Then why would a beautiful young woman with a master’s degree from an Ivy League school want to nanny in Yarmouth, Maine?”

“Hey, Mackenzie, over here!” I yelled to get Mackenzie’s attention. School buses were everywhere, and my nose wrinkled at the diesel fumes and noise.

Something else was off, too, but I couldn’t quite place it. I bit my lower lip, something I always did when I was worried.

When I saw Mackenzie skipping down the stairs, relief flooded my twisted stomach. I stretched out my arms and knelt down for the hug that had become part of our daily school pickup routine, breathing in her sweet, innocent smell and strawberry-scented hair. Guilt singed my thoughts; it was going to be incredibly difficult to leave Mackenzie one day. Darn Dr. Mills for being away longer than expected. It was Friday, and I still hadn’t heard whether he would be home tonight.

A prickling sensation coursed up my spine for the second time; I glanced around but couldn’t see anything unusual. I quickly locked Mackenzie’s seat belt into place and scurried around the car. I’d promised Mackenzie we would get an ice cream after school today. Maybe not a wise choice for a Friday afternoon—but a necessary one for both of us.

I’d called two of the moms I had met during ballet practice to arrange for an impromptu gathering with some of Mackenzie’s friends. Fortunately, they were women I actually enjoyed being with, so it was something to look forward to and would be a bonus for both of us.

We reached the ice cream parlor within five minutes. The others had already arrived, and Mackenzie raced with glee toward her friends. My new friends had pulled two tables together, so there was plenty of room for everyone.

No sooner had I sat down than a thin woman with blonde hair piled high walked into the parlor, looked around, and immediately headed toward Mackenzie and her friends, seated at the table next to ours.

“Oh, Mackenzie my dear! How wonderful to see you! I’ve missed you!” she gushed.

“Oh. Hi, Miss Daisy,” came the flat reply.

Ahh, so this must be the Daisy Dr. Mills was talking to.

“Do you all mind if I join you?” she asked without bothering to wait for a response and snapping her fingers for the attendant behind the counter to grab the nearby chair for her.

I groaned inside. Some things you just knew without knowing why.

“So, Mackenzie, how are you? And how’s your dad?”

“We’re good. I’m here with Thea,” she added with a worried glance in my direction.

“Where is your dad? Oh! You must be the new nanny! How nice,” she said in that condescending I-don’t-really-mean-what-I’m-saying kind of way.

I had to save Mackenzie, so I decided to engage with the woman, even though I didn’t want to. “Yes, I am the new nanny—and you are…?”

“I’m Daisy Chandler, one of Yarmouth’s newest and best luxury real estate agents. I helped the Mills’s find their new home and… well, get settled, if you know what I mean.”

I refused to take the bait. “It’s great to meet you, Daisy. I’m Athena Brady—the nanny.”

“Yes, well I figured that much. Oh, hello Shay and Margot, how are you?” Daisy asked, looking at my friends without waiting for a reply. “Sooo, Mackenzie, how is school?”

Mackenzie tore her eyes away from her friends. “It’s fine, Miss Daisy. Hey Abby and Jayleen, let’s go check out the arcade machine.”

I couldn’t help but admire the skill with which Mackenzie managed the situation with Daisy. She is her father’s daughter.

“Oh, well I just thought I’d stop by to see how Mackenzie is doing. I’m sure I’ll hear from her dad as soon as he’s back in town,” she stated to no one in particular as she rose from the table.