SADIE
By the third week, I was feeling comfortable with my job as it pertained to Megan, but things between Mr. Grave and me only seemed to be getting worse. He continued to avoid me as much as possible, even going so far as to walk out of the room when I entered it. It was infuriating and insulting, but what was worse was how disappointed I found myself to be whenever it happened.
For some ridiculous reason, I didn’t want him to ignore me. I’m not sure exactly when that idea changed for me, but I suspected it was that night we’d run into each other in the hallway. He’d looked sexy and disheveled with the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms and the top buttons of his shirt undone. His hair had been mussed and wild, completely different from how sleek and perfect it always appeared.
The way he’d looked at me, though, was what had really shaken me to my core. His eyes had practically devoured me, and I’d been all too aware of the fact that I’d been wearing nothing but a skimpy nightgown that he might have been able to see-through. The encounter had left me hot and bothered, and even when he’d called me a viper, I hadn’t been offended as I usually would have been.
I’d smirked. I’d flirted.
I’d lost my damn mind.
Since that night, I really didn’t know what to think about Mr. Grave. He was still a condescending ass, but that didn’t seem to bother my long-unfulfilled libido.
I decided just to do my best to ignore my confusing feelings toward him and focus on Megan. The girl was an absolute gem, and I loved spending time with her. I actually found myself missing her throughout the day while she was at school, and so, I was always eager to go and pick her up at the end of her day.
Thursday afternoon, I rode with Mr. Grave’s driver, Bill, to get Megan, just like I had every other school day since I’d gotten the job. He parked by the sidewalk in front of the school, and I got out to greet her. It was a little ritual we’d fallen into. She’d spot me and coming running. I’d get a tight hug and hello, and she’d start chatting about her day as we both climbed into the car.
Except, that day, Megan wasn’t waiting to run up and hug me. At first, I didn’t see her at all, which sent panic coursing through me. I swept my gaze over the schoolyard and was relieved when I spotted her on the playground…but she wasn’t alone. There was a man standing with her, and they appeared to be talking. I’d never seen him before, and I immediately made my way over to them.
“Megan!” I called out.
They both looked my way, and the man appeared startled. He was tall and lanky, with dull, brown hair and eyes. His face was gaunt, and his clothes were clearly too big for him and hung off his slender frame. He met my gaze and immediately turned and took off.
“Hey!” I cried, though I wasn’t sure what my intention was. Did I really want him to stop and come back? No…no, that probably wasn’t a good idea.
Chapter 11
Megan looked up at me as I reached her, and I was startled to see that blank expression on her face once again.
“Megan?” I said in a gentle voice. “Who was that man? What did he want?”
She stared at me for a few moments, and I could discern nothing from her gaze. She didn’t appear to be physically hurt in anyway, but that didn’t mean the creep hadn’t said something awful to her.
“Megan?” I softly urged.
Blinking, she finally answered, “That was my daddy. He wanted to talk to me.”
It felt like my heart stopped. For a moment, I was completely frozen before panic set in and began pumping adrenaline through my veins.
Grabbing Megan’s hand, I said, “Come on, honey. We’ve got to get you home.”
I tried not to make my panic obvious to her, but I don’t think I did a great job of hiding it. We hurried to the car and climbed into the backseat, and I told Bill to get us home as quickly as he could. Only once the car was in motion did I manage to relax somewhat, but I was still startled by the sudden appearance of Megan’s father. Mr. Grave had made it seem as though the man wouldn’t be making an appearance in Megan’s life again, so for him to suddenly show up at her school had me reeling.
Megan was quiet the whole drive home, and I tried to calm my raging nerves enough to figure out how to get her out of the strange funk that had settled over her again.
“Are you all right, Megan?” I asked, reaching over to take her hand. “Did he say anything to upset you?”
She didn’t look at me as she slowly shook her head.
“No,” she answered in a monotone. “He just wanted to see me. He wants me to go home.”
“You don’t have to go anywhere with him, I promise,” I told her.
“I know,” she murmured. “Uncle Cyrus said that already.”
I squeezed her hand and didn’t let go until we got back to the townhouse. Megan and I made our way inside, and I got her a snack, just like I usually did. Mrs. Plumb was in the kitchen working on dinner and glanced up at me with a smile when I walked in. That smile quickly disappeared when she took in my expression.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, glancing between me and Megan.
I gave a subtle shake of my head and got Megan settled on a stool at the kitchen island with a plate of animal crackers and grapes. She began to eat, and I turned back to Mrs. Plumb, who was watching us intently.
“Is Mr. Grave home?” I asked quietly, so Megan couldn’t hear me.
Mrs. Plumb shook her head. “No, he had to go into the office today. Sadie, what happened?”
Swallowing, I peeked over my shoulder at Megan, but she appeared focused on her snack.
“When Bill and I got to the school, there was a man talking to her on the playground,” I whispered. “She said it was her dad.”
Mrs. Plumb’s eyes went wide, and she paled. “Her father was there? Oh, no, that’s not good. Mr. Grave will be furious to hear that. Did he do anything to harm the child?”
I shook my head. “Not as far as I can tell, but I think seeing him spooked her. She’s barely said a word since we left the school.”
Mrs. Plumb nodded, her brow furrowing in concern. “Yes, he has that effect on her.”
It occurred to me then that Mrs. Plumb likely knew more about Megan’s parents and everything that had happened to them. I was tempted to question her but decided against it for the time being. I didn’t want to risk Megan overhearing something that would upset her.
“Do you know when Mr. Grave is expected to be home?” I asked instead.
Mrs. Plumb shook her head. “I’m not sure. He said he wouldn’t be late today, but that doesn’t really mean much most days.”
I released a long sigh. “I see. Well, I’ll have to tell him what happened, but in the meantime, we should do what we can to distract Megan and cheer her up. I don’t like it when she’s like this.”
Mrs. Plumb nodded. “I agree. I hate to see the poor thing so quiet and contained. It’s so unlike her. I’m making lasagna for dinner, which is one of her favorites. It’ll be done in about an hour, so why don’t you take her and play a game or something? Something exciting that requires her to focus?”
“Good idea,” I murmured, looking back at the little girl.
When she finished her snack, I took her up to her room, so Mrs. Plumb could finish dinner. I convinced her to play Candyland with me. It was one of her favorite games. It took a little bit, but her cool outer-shell slowly melted away as we played, and the bubbly, little girl I knew and loved returned. By the time Mrs. Plumb called us down for dinner, Megan was grinning and giggling as though nothing strange had happened that day.
I, on the other hand, was still a wreck.