Code Name: Nanny (SEAL and Code Name #5)(27)
[page]chapter 9
Long curtains drifted at half-open windows. Summer would check each one later to be certain all were closed and locked, but for now it was pleasant to feel the sea wind on her face.
Sitting on Sophy’s bed, with a book opened on her lap, Cara read quietly.
“‘It was late one winter night, long past my bedtime . . .’”
Sophy gave a little sigh and closed her eyes. Stretched out beside her, Audra wiggled once, then relaxed, her feet hidden in pink bunny slippers. Liberace was curled on Audra’s lap, quiet for once.
“‘We walked on toward the woods, Pa and I.’”
Summer had vague memories of reading this same book long ago, but there had been no bedtime rituals such as this in her house. She had chosen her own books, alone at the public library, while her father had been off on some military posting too secret for details. And her mother?
She shook away cold memories and focused on the quiet bedtime scene before her, feeling like an intruder even though Cara had expressly requested her to stay.
As the words flowed, Audra closed her eyes, and even Summer felt the tug of sleep and peace.
What if there had been nights like this for her and her sister? How much better to grow up this way rather than within the tense silences of a household where people had forgotten how to communicate or even care?
There were no answers. No sense of resolution. But Summer hadn’t expected any. You could never go back.
Cara continued to read from Owl Moon, her voice soft with emotion, easy with long experience at the familiar lines. The girls joined in for train whistles and owl cries as the story unfolded, and the sense of family became poignant and tangible.
If Summer had been the emotional type, the scene might have pulled out a few tears. Because she wasn’t, she stood and slipped away. First she would check downstairs and make sure the cooking staff had locked up properly in the kitchen. With Cara’s wedding approaching, kitchen activity had moved into fast-forward, and two pastry chefs were expected soon, to supplement the preparations made by the family’s longtime chef. Cara had explained that Imelda and Patrick were excellent workers, but terrible about leaving windows open and doors unlocked, so Summer made a tour of the kitchen part of her security procedure.
On this trip she found a window cracked open off the pantry, wedged in position with a spoon. Annoyed beyond words, she planned a serious discussion of security with Cara as soon as the girls went to bed. Meanwhile, Summer continued around the house, jotting down problems in a little book. Finally satisfied that all doors and windows were secure and nothing looked out of place, she prepared to set the alarm.
A footstep in the hall stopped her.
“You left before we were done.” Cara’s face was calm but tired in the glow of the single overhead light. “I hope nothing was wrong.”
“I needed to finish checking the house and grounds. I was just about to set the alarm before I went outside.”
“Go ahead. Tate knows the code.”
“Who else knows it?” Summer asked quietly.
“Only myself. And the girls, of course.”
Warning bells clanged in Summer’s head. How much would it take for a school chum to weasel the password out of Sophy, who trusted everyone? “You might want to consider changing the code on a weekly basis, just for safety.”
“A sensible precaution.” Cara rubbed her neck, wincing. “Why don’t you set the alarm and finish your rounds while I make us some tea?”
Fifteen minutes later, Summer returned to find Cara curled in a window seat overlooking the rose garden, while tea steamed from the lip of a nearby kettle.
“I’m sorry about the tricks the girls played today. I’ve told them they’re both grounded for a week. I trust that will stop the problems.” Cara cut wedges of a frosted cake and shifted them onto plates of Royal Copenhagen china. “I thought you might like some of Patrick’s beyond-decadent white-chocolate frosted carrot cake. I warn you, it’s addictive.”
Summer slid into the opposite seat. “Bad idea. I could barely fit into your leotard for Sophy’s dance class today.”
“She said you were wonderful, by the way. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there. I’ve only made three classes this year.” Cara frowned down at her tea. “There have been so many things I’ve had to miss since I took this job.” When she looked up, her emotions were carefully tucked away. “You know, I haven’t really had a chance to thank you for taking this assignment. You came very highly recommended.”
“No need to thank me, ma’am. It was my chief’s call. I have to admit that this part of California is gorgeous. So is this amazing house of yours.”
“I’ve often thought we should sell it and move somewhere closer to the city, but the girls have spent most of their lives here and they would hate moving. Despite my long commute into San Francisco, so would I.”
Summer watched her draw slow lines in her whipped cream. “The file said your husband built the house when you were first married.”
“It was Howard’s special project. He chose the granite, the wood, even the tiles for the roof. The two of us actually laid the flagstones for the fireplace ourselves when I was pregnant with Audra. There are a lot of memories here.”
As she sat back, studying her teacup, something closed in her face, and Summer realized the personal details were over. Though Cara O’Connor looked delicate, Summer figured you didn’t get to be an assistant DA without being tough and able to box up your emotions.