Operation: Normal (6 page)

He looked up, grinning. "Only occasionally. I have two baby cous--" His grin vanished.
"What's wrong?"

Of course I choked up again, so all I could do was shake my head, turn on my heel and
walk back to the living area to plop down in the rocker. Zach followed, sitting on the couch and
balancing Kayly on his knee.

"Talk to me, Ally. Would you rather I stayed out of your lives? Is that it?"

I quickly shook my head.

"Then what?"

So I tried to answer, barely holding back tears while I explained that his wanting to have
a relationship with his little sister was just the sweetest thing ever. And once I got started talking,
I couldn't seem to stop. Luckily my eyes got dryer and, my voice, stronger as I confessed my
desire to give Kayly a normal life. I even asked if he wanted to hear my list of things that had to
happen to accomplish that.

He actually did.

I cleared my throat and began. "Item one: Mom has to find permanent work locally. No
more road trips."

"Is that where she is now? Working?"

I nodded.

"And you have someone staying with you?" He looked around as if he expected an adult
to suddenly appear.

"We had a nanny until a few hours ago, when I fired her." I told him everything that had
happened... Well, almost everything. "Do you think I did the right thing?"

"Definitely. When is this agency sending another nanny?"

That was the part I'd left out.

"They're not," I reluctantly answered, adding that I was perfectly capable of taking care
of Kayly for a couple of weeks. I don't think he believed me. In fact, he looked like he might
argue. I hurriedly moved on. "Ready for item two?"

He hesitated, then nodded.

"We need to buy a house in the suburbs. If Kayly lived in a real neighborhood, she could
ride her bike and make friends that she'd keep forever."

He nodded again. "I grew up in a suburb. I made friends."

"Exactly. Item three: Kayly needs a bedroom of her own."

"Where does she sleep now?"

"In Mom's room. Trust me when I say she'll want her own space very soon."

He grinned. "Go on."

"Item four: beef. If Mom wants to be a vegan, then fine, she can be one. I, on the other
hand, do not want to be a vegan, and would appreciate an occasional hot wing, pork chop or a
hamburger."

"I hear you. And speaking of food... Is she hungry or something?" He had his eye on
Kayly.

I saw that she was gnawing his fingers.

Oops. "Probably just teething, but I'll get her a snack. Do you want something to eat or
drink?"

"I could use a drink," he answered in a tone that made us both laugh and lightened the
mood a lot.

I got up and walked to the kitchen; Zach followed with Kayly on his hip. In the cabinet,
I found some peaches, which I opened. I heard Zach turn on the faucet. Glancing at him, I saw
he'd wet a paper towel and assumed that Kayly must be drooling. But instead of using it on her,
he walked over and touched it to my cheek.

"You're melting."

Thoroughly embarrassed, I set the peaches aside and headed to the nearest mirror,
mounted on a wall in the laundry room just off the kitchen.
Crap!
I quickly wiped my
black streaked face clean. Only waterproof mascara for me from now on, I decided, since I'd
apparently turned into a crybaby overnight.

When I stepped back into the kitchen, I found Zach putting Kayly into her high chair.
He sat on one of the nearby bar stools and began to feed her with a baby spoon he must've dug
out of the utensil drawer.

I sat on the other stool, propped my elbows on the bar, and watched, trying to hide my
smile. Kayly seemed hypnotized by Zach's eyes, and she liked his hair, too, tangling her fingers
in the layered strands more than once so she could give them a good tug. Zach just grinned and
let her do it.

Lucky girl. I realized what a strong male influence he could be in her life and wished I
could hug him for his willingness to be there. Somehow we'd make this work, I thought.

Feeling a little embarrassed about the whole list thing, I abruptly decided to change the
subject and find out a little more about Zach. I started with some of the questions I already knew
the answer to: Are you a university student? What year? That kind of stuff. Minka's sister proved
right. He told me his age, twenty-one; that he'd been living in the apartment since July of last
year; and that his roommate's name was Chase Winchell.

Zach, in turn, asked some questions of his own, but not about me. He asked more
questions about Mom and her work, then about my dad. I confessed that we didn't have a
relationship, but little else. I didn't want him to think any worse of my mom than he already
did.

When Kayly finished her snack, Zach got up and tossed the empty container in the trash
and the spoon in the sink.

"You never got your drink," I said. "Help yourself to something in the fridge." Suddenly
remembering his age, I added, "There may even be a cold beer in there." Mom didn't drink, but
kept beer around for her friends.

He turned, opened the stainless steel refrigerator, and chose a soda. Just as he popped
the top, he tensed. I followed his gaze to the piece of paper I'd earlier stuck to the door with
magnets. He frowned, set down his Coke, and got the letter so he could look closer at it.

"What's this?"

"Something that came in the mail today. Weird, huh?"

"Weird?" His gaze clashed with mine. "I think
scary
is a little better word.
Have you called the police?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I wasn't sure I should."

"Ally, your ex-nanny threatened you. Call the police."

What? It took me almost a minute to absorb what Zach just said. Then I laughed. "Sylvie
hasn't had time to write any threat letters," I told him. "I only fired her this morning. No, this one
is definitely for my mom."

Zach gave me the oddest look. "Why would someone send her a threat letter?"

"Let me think... Because she's currently touring with Blak Magyk?"

"Blak Magyk? Holy--" He caught himself. "Are you freakin' kidding me?"

I shook my head.

"That's insane!" He began to pace the kitchen. "Those women are nothing but rabble
rousers."

"Uh, Zach?"

"Radicals, I'm telling you, with a goal of pissing off every violence-prone crazy on the
planet."

"Zach?"

"Why, just this week I heard the lead singer admit she likes getting death threats. How
sick is that?"

"Zach!"

He finally stopped and looked at me. "What?"

"Could you please shut up? You're scaring Kayly."

With a guilty start, he looked at my sister, who squealed her delight and gave him a
sloppy grin. Zach looked back at me, one eyebrow arched.

"All right," I admitted. "You're scaring me."

"Sorry, but--" He glanced again at the letter he still held. "I'm guessing you haven't told
your mom about this."

"I won't be in contact with her until later tonight."

"Then call the police."

"I'm not sure that's the thing to do."

"Because?"

"Kayly and I are alone."

"That's exactly the reason you should call them."

"Maybe. I just don't want them to assume the worst about Mom for, you know, leaving
us here while she does her job."

I watched as my meaning slowly dawned on Zach. He pushed his hair back out of his
eyes again and nodded once.

"Okay. You've made your point." He thought for a minute. "You could always tell them
about firing the old nanny and say that her replacement hasn't arrived yet. You don't have to
mention that one never will." He suddenly looked at me. "Not that I condone lying to the police
or anything. I just don't want Children's Services or whoever to come around and take Kayly
away."

I burst out laughing. I mean, I couldn't help it. That was so not going to happen.

Zach glared at me.

"Okay. All right. 9-1-1 it is." I slid off the stool and began to look for my cell phone. It
wasn't on the bar, Mom's desk, or anywhere else in the living area, so I headed down the hall to
my room. When I didn't find it there, either, I checked Mom's room, all the while trying to
remember the last time I used it. Finally I walked back to the kitchen. "Call me."

Zach, who already had his own cell phone in his hand, probably to offer it to me, flipped
it open and punched a couple of buttons. My phone began ringing almost at once. I immediately
turned and dug it out from under the cushions on the couch.

"Thanks." I dialed 9-1-1 and explained the situation to a very nice lady, who promised to
send someone out. "Thanks," I said again, flipping the phone shut. I looked at Zach. "Okay. It's
done. Feel better?"

"Yeah, actually. Mind if I hang out until they get here?"

I couldn't keep from smiling. "Not at all. I guess I should take Kayly out of her
highchair," I said watching her slide down in the seat.

"I can do it." Zach stuck the letter back on the fridge with the magnet, then walked to
my sister's chair and removed the tray, handing it to me.

By then I stood at the sink. "Don't forget your drink."

"Oh, yeah."

I grabbed a paper towel and wet it down so I could wipe Kayly's sticky fingers and face
while Zach downed his Coke in one long, thirsty gulp.

"She's all yours."

Zach held up his empty can. "Trash or recycle?"

I took it and put it in the recycle bin. Zach unbuckled Kayly's safety belt and lifted her
out of the highchair. He settled her on his arm as he walked to the couch, where he paused as if
not sure what to do with her next.

"She's usually pretty content in her walker," I told him, joining them.

"Okay." Zach spotted it and walked over, dropping to one knee so he could seat Kayly.
But she suddenly had more legs than an octopus, none of which would go in the right holes.

I laughed as I walked over to kneel down and help him. In seconds, we had Kayly
situated. She immediately pushed off with her bare feet and sailed across the concrete floor,
which brought a huge grin to Zach's face.

"Cute," he said, standing to watch her progress around the huge room.

"Very." I stood, too, and moved toward the rocker; he followed, but he seemed a little
distracted. "What?"

"It's just...well...this time Sunday, I didn't know she existed. That's sort of mind
blowing."

"Yeah. I guess my showing up with your baby was a shocker, huh?"

He actually chuckled. "You got that right. And those dorks I was with have probably
told everyone they know and don't know."

I grimaced. "With luck, they haven't run into your girlfriend yet."

"I don't really have one at the moment," he replied without looking at me. He sat on the
end of the couch nearest the end table. I sat on the other side of it, in the rocker, so we were
about three feet apart.

I hoped he'd ask, "What about you?" But he didn't. So I mentally added yet another
question to my long list of personal ones he wasn't asking. Didn't he wonder about me at all?

To keep from pouting, I picked up the remote. "What do you want to watch? ESPN,
CNN, MTV?"

"Anything. Nothing."

I turned on the news. "Are you hungry? We've got snacks."

Zach just shook his head. "Did the dispatcher give you any idea how long it would take
for someone to get here?"

"Uh-uh," I answered, adding, "You know, you don't have to stay if you need to be
somewhere else. I'll be fine."

"I'm staying. That is... If you really don't mind."

"I don't." At a sudden loss for something else to say, I stared at the television. Zach,
however, looked around the room. I saw him notice the row of black and white celebrity shots on
the wall, so wasn't surprised when he got up to give them a closer look. I knew exactly who he'd
see: Matthew McConaughey, Lance Armstrong, and Sandra Bullock, to name three. All Austin
celebrities Mom had met at various functions she'd photographed.

"Your mom took these?"

I could tell he was impressed. Mom really was a first class photographer.

The doorbell rang, making me jump nervously. Surprised the police had gotten there so
quickly, I walked over and peered out the peep hole, which always necessitated my standing on
tiptoe. Whoever installed the thing must've been six-foot-five and clueless.

But it wasn't a policeman in the hall outside. It was Heath and Minka. I immediately
opened the door. "Hey, you two. Come on in."

"We can't stay but a minute. We're on our way to Dell Diamond."

Minka came inside first, stopping short when she saw Zach, which resulted in Heath's
rear-ending her. He immediately scowled...but not at Minka. He actually scowled at Zach for
some reason.

Seemingly oblivious to Heath's negative reaction to his presence in the apartment, Zach
greeted them both with a quick nod. I introduced them, something I hadn't done last night, then
we all sat.

"So you're going to the Express game?" I said. The "Express" was the Round Rock
Express team, AAA affiliate of the Houston Astros. Heath was a big fan, so I knew a little about
them even though I hadn't been to that many of their games. I wasn't really into sports.

"Who are they playing tonight?" Zach said, which sort of started a conversation between
the two guys and loosened them both up a little.

Thankful for the universal language of sports, I jumped up and motioned for Minka to
follow me into Mom's bedroom. "What's Heath's problem?" I asked her the second we were out
of earshot of the guys.

"You mean you don't know?"

"How could I? You two just got here."

Minka sighed. "He's jealous of Zach, of course."

Oh. "Because of what we said last night in the truck? That was kind of rude of us to go
on about how cute he was, I guess."
Especially since he's so nuts about you.

She looked at me as if I'd lost it. "No, silly. Because Zach is here."