Page 60 of Minted
“What?” Nikki says. “You don’t want to be our daddy?” Her grin’s pure evil, and I love her for it.
“Stop,” Barbara hisses.
“I thought that would work better than punching him,” Ricki says. She’s not smiling. She looks dead serious.
“Can we talk for a minute?” James points at the office.
“What do you want to talk about?” Ricki asks.
I’m ready to adopt her.
“Adult stuff,” James says.
“If you want her to date you again. . .” Ricki shakes her head. “Just remember. She’s not that stupid.”
I can’t help laughing.
Barbara glares, but that just makes me laugh harder.
“Look, all I’m saying,” Nikki says, “is if I had to pick between that guy.” She points at me. “And you?” She shrugs. “Hands down, pick the rich guy who’s nice.”
I high five her.
“It’s fake,” Barbara says. “Bentley and I made a deal that he’d escort me to holiday parties to pay me back for helping him figure out online dating.”
Now every single person in the room is staring.
“You—it was—a deal?” James glares at me, like I’m the villain.
And I want to sink into the carpet.
After James goes into the study with Barbara on his heels, I look around the room for something to destroy. Luckily, Seren intercepts my rage-filled fuming by handing us all bowls of popcorn and cranberries. “Let’s make some garland, shall we?”
I’ve stabbed my finger three times with the blunt-tipped needle when Nikki takes it away from me. “There are some times when men shouldn’t be armed. I think this is one of them.”
“Yeah,” Ricki says. “You look a little stabby to be holding that.”
“I can’t believe she’s talking to that guy,” I mutter, realizing that I should not be talking to these little girls about this. “But let’s talk about Christmas, huh? Are you guys ready?”
“Do you like her?” Nikki asks. “Because it kind of looks like you do, and you did help her trick us that night.”
“Then you stuck around for a long time after,” Ricki says. “And you dug through trash and ignored a lot of rats.”
“I like you way better than that guy.” Nikki flings her thumb backward at the door. “Even if he does sound cooler than you.”
“Why does everyone love a British accent so much?” I ask. “Their drinks are always room temperature, and they spell everything wrong.”
“James Bond’s British,” Jake says as he walks in from the back room. “I think that’s why everyone likes the accent so much.”
Bea rolls her eyes.
“Oh good. Everyone’s in here now.” I am so glad this can be a family discussion.
“I’m not sure how Uncle Bentley feels is any of our business,” Seren says. “I think it’s between Bentley and Barbara.”
“We live with her, though,” Nikki says. “I think we deserve to know.”
“And I really want to know, too.” Elizabeth leans closer to the girls. “Keep asking questions. Barbara’s really tough, but Bentley’s a softie. I think we can crack him.”
