"She's my nanny. She doesn't want to be. But she still is."
I felt my brow wrinkle in new confusion. "Oh yeah?" In my whole life, I'd never met anyone with an actual nanny, even here on this street, where the waterfront homes tended to be a lot pricier than average.
I was no expert on nannies, but evenIknew that Veronica had to be a pretty bad one if she'd lost track of her charge.And what was the deal about her not wanting to be this girl's nanny?
Had Veronica actually said that to her?
Even though I'd never met this Veronica person, I disliked her already.
Still, I smiled down at the little girl. "And what'syourname?"
"Willow."
"Willow what?"
"Willow Taylor."
Taylor. Taylor…
I tried to think.Wasn't there a Taylor family a few doors down?
No.They were theTylers.
I said, "By any chance, you don't mean Tyler, do you?"
Willow frowned up at me. "I know my own name, Silly."
"Oh. Of course you do. Sorry."
And just like that, she was smiling again. "That's okay. Veronica gets my name wrong, too."
I felt my jaw clench.Worst. Nanny. Ever.
Right then and there, I decided that when I tracked down this Veronica person, I'd tell her exactly what I thought of her nannyship. Or nannyhood. Or whatever it was called.
I asked Willow, "So, where do you live?"
Willow extended her arm and pointed somewhere off to the left.
I looked to where she pointed, but couldn’t be sure which house she meant. I pointed in the same direction. "So, that big blue house on the water?"
Willow shook her head. "Nope. Not that one."
I kept my smile plastered in place. "The yellow one next to it?"
Again, she shook her head. "Nope."
I hesitated. "But, um…I'm pretty sure that's where you pointed." Or at least, it wasoneof the two houses.
Willow gave a snort of laughter. "Yeah, but I livewaypast that."
"Oh." The longer this went on, the more concerned I was getting. It was barely seven o'clock in the morning, and she was out here on her own.
Surelysomeonewould be looking for her. With a smile, I said, "How about I'll grab my shoes and walk you home?"
Willow peered around me and gave a long, drawn-out sniff. Her eyes brightened. "Is that bacon?"
I knew I liked this kid.
