Code Name: Nanny (SEAL and Code Name #5)(24)

“Be quiet, Sophy.” Audra kicked a pebble with her toe. “It was a mistake, okay? And I don’t bat anymore. That’s dumb kid stuff.”

“I guess you’ve forgotten how,” Summer said casually. It was primitive reverse psychology, but she was ready to try anything to keep the surly teenager from leaving the grounds.

Too bad handcuffing her to the front door was out of the question.

“I can still hit,” Audra snapped. “And I happen to recognize reverse psychology when I hear it.” Her eyes narrowed. “Do you play?”

“Not much. I think we should have our walk near the house, then go back inside to wait for your mother.”

“You don’t play?” Audra tossed the ball up and down, studying Summer. “Why not try a few? Toss her the bat, Sophy. I’ll pitch.”

“All right.” Oblivious to the undercurrents, Sophy raced toward Summer, bat in hand as the sun sank crimson into the ocean behind them. “We used to play ball for hours. It was so cool.”

It had been fifteen years since Summer had held a bat, but some things you never forgot. The wood was smooth beneath her hands, and the curved end fit snuggly against her fingers. The air was clean, the wind still, a perfect time to feel the jolt of wood on leather.

Audra fired off the first pitch before Summer was in position, snickering when the swing caught dead air.

“She’s a really good pitcher, too,” Sophy whispered as she bent down to catch. “Watch out for her insiders.”

Another pitch fired through the slanting copper sunlight. Summer tipped it and the ball flew right into Audra’s glove.

“Throw another one,” Sophy ordered. “She wasn’t ready.”

“Okay, fine.” Audra leaned back. “Try this one on for size.” A pitch fired past Summer’s chest, but this one met the driving force of the bat and sailed high, a dark circle as it flew into the sunlight, over the redwood gazebo, over the pool and the lush tea roses, finally landing in a huge bougainvillaea.

“Hell!”

The plant shook wildly. Angry muttering drifted in the quiet air.

Summer’s body tensed. “Sophy, stay behind me.”

“But why—”

“Audra, come here, please.”

“Would you look at that?” Grinning, the teenager watched the leaves shake. “You beaned him but good.”

“Audra, now.”

“What’s wrong?” She gazed back at Summer, her face tight with defiance.

“Please come over here.” As she spoke, Summer gripped the bat and walked over the cool grass, putting her body between the girls and the unknown figure in the plants at the edge of the lawn.

A head appeared, silhouetted against the setting sun. Dark hair, broad shoulders, black shirt.

“Damned thorns.” Gabe Morgan struggled out of the bougainvillaeas, rubbing his shoulders. Flower petals covered his hair and shoulders like red snow. “How about some warning next time?”

Summer didn’t move. Had he been out here watching them?

Sophy started to run forward, but Summer caught her hand, holding her still. “What were you doing in the bushes, Mr. Morgan?”

Sophy moved restlessly from foot to foot. “But it’s just Gabe. He works here.”

Summer kept her body in front of the girls, bat held loosely at her side. “I’d like to hear your answer, Mr. Morgan.”

“Hell, I’m bleeding here and the woman wants a job description.” Metal rattled as the gardener hauled a roll of electrical wire out from beneath the bougainvillaeas. “For your information, I was replacing the lights back there. This whole row blew out last night and I just got around to fixing them. After this, I’ve got new path lights to install.” He balanced a toolbox on one hip, looking sweaty, cranky, and dangerous. “In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a wedding reception being planned, along with three parties here, two of them to be held outdoors at night.” He waved a broken piece of wire in the air. “No lights, no party.”

Sophy pulled free and charged over the grass. “She didn’t mean to hit you, Gabe. We didn’t even know you were there, did we, Ms. Mulvaney?” She peered up at his arm. “Is it bleeding?”

“Nah. Just hurts like—” He cleared his throat. “The dickens. You hit that one out of the park, Audra?”

“She did.” There was unwilling respect in the teenager’s voice. “No one ever gets a hit off my insiders, either.”

“Looks like your new nanny did.” Gabe studied the two girls. “Kinda late for baseball practice. Aren’t you two supposed to be eating dinner?”

“We’re waiting for Mom,” Sophy said cheerfully. “Audra wanted to walk to town, only Ms. Mulvaney told her no on account of—well, I don’t exactly remember why. But then I saw the bat and said we ought to play, then Audra threw one of her low insiders and Ms. Mulvaney still smashed the living bejeezus out of it.”

Gabe’s lips twitched. “The what?”

“The bejeezus. Tiffany Hammersmith says that all the time.”

“Well, I don’t think you should, honey.”

“Oh.” Sophy’s eyes widened. “Is it rude?”

“Afraid so.”