“What’s that?” I asked, trying to contain my glee and surprise.
“I’m going with you,” he stated. “I don’t want you two going anywhere without me right now, even if you have the bodyguards.”
I hadn’t expected that. It was a reasonable enough request, and honestly, I was okay with it. After what had happened with Megan’s father, a little bit of backup didn’t sound like such a bad idea. Still, I didn’t want him to know that having him with us would be a relief. There was still that little tension between us, and I didn’t want him thinking that I was incapable of caring for Megan myself. It was a little contradictory, I know, but my pride was on the line. That wasn’t something I was willing to just sacrifice, so I had to put up a little bit of a front.
“Are you sure?” I questioned. “That’s probably not necessary. You probably have a lot of work to do, right?”
He shrugged. “It’s all right. It can wait.”
“You really want to spend the day chasing a seven-year-old girl through a crowded zoo?” He honestly didn’t seem like that type of guy, but I bet there was a lot of uncharacteristic things he wouldn’t hesitate to do for Megan’s sake.
He met my gaze, as if in challenge. “Yes, I really do.”
I was stunned and stared at him for several long moments without saying a word. I wondered if I should put up more of a fight or just accept his offer, or rather, demand. In the end, however, what was really the point of resisting anymore? He wanted to come, I wouldn’t mind him tagging along, and so drawing this little charade out any longer was rather pointless.
Still, crossing my arms, I gave him an exasperated look, putting on a show of hesitation and frustration.
“Fine.” I sighed. “I think you’re being overprotective, but I’ll go along with it if it makes you feel better.”
He arched an eyebrow, as if I were being the ridiculous one.
“Thanks for being so flexible,” he drawled. “Appreciate it.”
“Yes, well…Megan deserves to have a little fun.” I shrugged. “And it wouldn’t be a bad thing for you two to spend more time with each other.”
He flinched at that remark, and I almost felt bad. Almost. I knew he adored her, but he was often so wrapped up in his work that he didn’t give her the attention she needed. Again, he wasn’t used to having a kid, so I could give him the benefit of the doubt…but I could also call him out on it in the hope that he’d adjust his schedule more to include her.
“I suppose I deserve that,” he muttered. “But regardless, you and I need to be on the same page about Megan and her safety, yeah?”
I nodded. Reasonable enough. “Yes, I agree. You’re right. I’m sure Megan will feel much better having you along.”
He looked almost surprised by that. Because I was giving in so easily? I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t so petty that I would put Megan’s safety at risk. Did he really think so little of me? I really didn’t know what to make of him. It was so hard to tell what he was thinking at any given time, and even if I could read his reactions, I could never really tell what thoughts might be behind them. He was like a book written in a language I only knew the basics of. I could pick out small things here and there, but the more complicated they became, the more difficult it was for me to work the out.
“All right, then,” he said at length. “I guess we’ll get ready to go then.”
“I guess we will,” I chirped, giving him a long look before turning on my heel and strutting out of the room. I put on an air of confidence, but I was still confused by his behavior. Not when it came to Megan, of course, but when it came to me. Did he have some begrudging respect for me, or did he think I was some sort of vindictive airhead he needed to keep an eye on?
I couldn’t decide, and I tried to convince myself I didn’t care. Whatever he thought of me, he listened to my request and had actually agreed to it. For some reason, that had felt like a win, and I was going to revel in it while I could.
Chapter 17
CYRUS
In all honesty, spending the day at the zoo sounded like torture. Not because I didn’t want to spend time with Megan, but because I was so stressed about Ralph showing up, I didn’t think I’d actually be able to relax and enjoy myself. Miss Bruns didn’t seem to have the same concern, though.
She was all smiles as we loaded up into the car to leave. Maybe it was for Megan’s benefit, as she appeared super excited to be going as well. I put on a smile and tried to act happy in front of my niece, but my mind just kept imagining all these terrible scenarios of things Ralph could do if he caught us out in public.
I knew my thoughts weren’t rational given that we would be surrounded by people, but I honestly didn’t know to what lengths Ralph would go to get to Megan.
“Hey, you need to relax,” Miss Bruns suddenly whispered to me. She sat next to me in the car. Megan was in the seat behind us, distracted by a book about monkeys that Miss Bruns had brought along.
“What do you mean?” I hissed back. “I am relaxed.”
She rolled her eyes. I hated when she did that. It made me want to spank her.
“You are so not,” she countered. “You look like you’re on your way to get your teeth pulled or something. Megan’s going to notice. She’s a lot more observant than you might think.”
I glanced over my shoulder at the little girl. She didn’t appear to be paying any attention to us, but Miss Bruns’s warning made me suspicious. How often did Megan overhear things I didn’t want her to know about?
Shaking my head, I pushed the thought aside. I’d have to be more careful. Having a little kid around was a lot trickier than I’d anticipated.
“Noted,” I grumbled, sitting back in my seat.
Miss Bruns chuckled and shook her head. “We could turn around and take you back to the house. There’s still time.”
I shot her a side-eyed look, and she gave me a cheeky grin that made my hand twitch again. I needed to get it together. If I was going to survive the day, I had to stop picturing her in compromising positions.
“Not necessary,” I told her with a snort. “I’m going to the zoo, whether you like it or not.”
She chuckled at that, and my ears perked at the sound. I think it was the first time she’d laughed around me like that. Something inside me seemed to lighten, and I couldn’t help the grin that tugged at the corner of my mouth. I turned my face away from her, so she couldn’t see it.
***
The zoo was busy, which wasn’t a surprise, but I was annoyed having to be around so many people. Still, the day wasn’t as aggravating as I thought it was going to be. I rather enjoyed watching Miss Bruns and Megan interacting with each other. It was nice to see Megan having fun, and Miss Bruns was so good with her. We saw the big cats and exotic birds. The elephants and giraffes. But it was the monkeys that Megan was the most excited to see.
“Monkey!” she squealed with delight as we walked into the monkey house, filled with glass enclosures that we could see the animals through.