Code Name: Nanny (SEAL and Code Name #5)(52)

“Sorry,” Summer muttered. “I didn’t know that you—” Her breath caught as Gabe steadied her with one arm while he balanced two big geraniums with his other arm.

“Careful. You were about to fall into the spa.”

Summer ignored the brush of his thigh. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Gabe muttered.

Audra and Sophy studied them intently, and then Sophy kicked closer, scooping up a piece of dirt that had fallen into the pool. She frowned at Summer. “I still don’t understand, Ms. M. Why don’t you come in?”

“I can watch you better out here, honey.”

Sophy turned on her float. “What about you, Gabe?”

“Can’t. Soon as I drop off these flowers for Tracey’s mom, I’ve got four dozen more geraniums to get into the ground at your house.”

Pouting, Sophy rolled off the float, fast as a fish, and kicked away. In the process she doused Gabe, whose tee shirt darkened, clinging to his powerful torso.

Summer refused to look. She was already far too aware of the man.

Suddenly water pelted her, soaking her blouse and pants. Oblivious, Sophy continued to kick across the pool, singing happily. At the far end she climbed up the ladder and then saw Summer. “You’re all wet.”

“Thanks to you,” Audra hissed.

Sophy grabbed her towel and offered it to Summer. “I’m really sorry, honestly.”

Summer was about to answer when Tracey’s cat raced underneath the beach chairs, hotly pursued by Liberace, who yanked his leash free in his wild dash. When the cat turned, the ferret followed, looping back and catching Summer’s foot in the trailing leash.

“Be careful, Ms. M,” Sophy called. “Liberace’s right behind you.”

Summer grabbed vainly for the leash while the cat and ferret circled her in a manic dance. Then Liberace arched his back and jumped onto a pile of towels, the leash snapping taut against Summer’s ankles. Knocked off balance, she toppled sideways and landed in the deep end, with one ankle still wrapped in Liberace’s leash. When she finally managed to kick free, her hair was soaked and her blouse billowed out around her.

“Wow.” Sophy shot up in a storm of bubbles, grabbing Summer’s arm for balance. “Are you okay?” Anxiously, Sophy clutched at Summer. “You can swim. Why did you tell us you couldn’t?”

Then the little girl looked down. Her face went white beneath her freckles. “Why is your arm l-like that?”

Summer didn’t look. She knew exactly what Sophy saw, knew exactly what her scarred skin looked like.

The leash slid off Summer’s ankle. When she looked up, Gabe was holding Liberace. The pity she saw in his eyes was like an icy slap.

She yanked down her sleeve, a sick feeling in her chest. “Could you watch the girls for a few minutes, Gabe? I . . . need to change.”

She heard his gruff assent and Liberace’s nervous chattering, her whole body cold and numb. Too late to hide now. Too late to pretend.

She couldn’t forget Sophy’s look of horror.

Gabe’s look of pity.

“What happened to her?” Sophy’s tremulous voice echoed in the sudden silence.

“I doubt that’s any of our business,” Gabe answered quietly. “And I think swim time is over.”





[page]chapter 19

It was one thing to face the ugliness with her own eyes. It was another thing entirely to see the shock and horror on someone else’s face.

With shaky fingers Summer stripped off her wet blouse and slacks. If there had been time, she would have welcomed the oblivion of a long, steamy shower, but that was out of the question with the girls at Tracey’s.

Because the job always came first.

After drying off quickly, she slid on a robe and searched through her clothes, settling on a gray suit and a blue blouse. Last came a pair of plain black walking shoes. She caught herself with a frown when her hand lingered on the gift her sister had given her for Christmas two years before, but what was the point of wearing a delicate silver bracelet when your arm looked like something from a Frankenstein movie?

“Summer, can I come in?”

Not Gabe. Not now.

She tightened the belt of her robe. “No. I’m getting dressed.”

Behind her the door opened. “Too damned bad.”

She felt him behind her, felt the heat of his powerful body, but she didn’t turn around. “I need to dress.”

“Don’t stop on my account.”

“Very funny.” Her arms locked across her chest. “Where are the girls?”

“Next door at my place, watching TV. I can only stay a few seconds.” His fingers brushed her chin, tilted her face gently. “I just wanted to be sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine.” She waited for more of the pity she had seen back at the pool.

“Don’t brush me off,” Gabe said roughly.

No pity there, she thought. Impatience and irritation, but no pity.

She pulled the towel off her hair, tossing it onto the bed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Maybe you need to. Tell me what happened, Summer. Let me in.”

She closed her eyes, hit with the need to pour out memories that wouldn’t leave her alone.

Glass shattering. Voices screaming. The smell of gasoline, and then agony as flames swallowed her arm whole.