Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“No one is flying.” Holding up a hand, I made my voice stern. “Principal Alana would have a fit over the potential liability issues.”
“Really? It’s a simple pulley system.” Nolan furrowed his forehead in an elegant manner he likely practiced in front of a mirror. “I, myself, flew for a production of Pan.”
Of course. I blinked but didn’t allow myself to otherwise react. Instead, I drawled, “Well, if you’re willing to trust my rigging, I suppose you can do the flying.”
“I’d trust your rigging.” Nolan’s tone skirted dangerously close to playful flirting before turning more academic. “But this is about the students. Perhaps my fairies, which are really a nod toward pagan holiday spirits, can dance around instead.”
“Choreography would be a question for Mx. Lennox the dance instructor, but safer than rigging anyone.” I flipped through to a page with an alarming set of calculations. “Now, what’s this math?”
“The number of bulbs for the light extravaganza.” Swaying slightly for the baby, he threw his hands wide. “We’ll have lit-up animals, flowers, palm trees…”
“Uh-huh.” I narrowed my eyes, seeing dollar signs and hours of work. “We usually just outline the courtyard in some basic white lights.”
Nolan made a pouty, disappointed noise that sounded like something Ryder might try. “Think bigger! Better! Amazing!”
“Are you sure you’re an actor?” I tilted my head, considering him. He had the sort of earnest energy that could sell umbrellas to Arizonans. “Because you sound like a Broadway producer. Or a salesman.”
“I did do three different productions of The Music Man.” He preened, delivering this news like I should be very impressed.
“Of course you did.”
“Nolan! You let me sleep way too long.” Cara came out onto the patio, hands outstretched. She was tall with long, curly dark hair and pale, coppery tan skin. “And hi, Mr. Winters.”
Cara was wearing what appeared to be purple pajamas or a lounge set, but having had two newborns myself, I didn’t judge her for wearing pajamas in the middle of the afternoon. I stood to greet her.
“Please, call me Merry outside of school.”
“Will do.” She took the baby, carrier and all, from Nolan. “I’ve come to relieve you of your uncle duties, so you can discuss more of your fabulous plans.”
“Excellent.” Nolan rubbed his hands together as she retreated and proceeded to show me sketch after sketch of light ideas better suited to a city zoo project than a cash-strapped school production.
“We’re gonna need more lights.” I massaged my temples. “And decorating stuff.”
“Shopping.” Nolan continued to radiate glee. “Let’s make a list!”
“Mr. Bell, watch this!” Legend stood poised at the side of the deep end with Ryder next to him. Legend had long ago perfected the art of the front flip, even without a diving board, and did a nifty somersault into the water.
“Oh no!” Ryder did the fakest gasp in the world. “He’s not coming up!”
Legend had beaten me in many breath-holding contests in the pool at our apartment complex, and I had zero doubt this was another twin prank. Stella, for her part, let out a fake horrified shriek, and Nolan sprang into action.
“We need to do something!” Pen still in hand, Nolan raced to the pool.
“Wait—” I tried to stop him, but Nolan launched himself into the water, sunglasses, pricey shirt, and all.
And then, naturally, Legend surfaced, laughing uproariously, and Nolan didn’t, which meant I had no choice but to jump in since I had no idea how well Nolan could swim.
I hauled Nolan to the surface and dragged him to the side of the pool. Meanwhile, the three kids, undoubtedly sensing a lecture, raced back into the house.
“We’re getting snacks,” Stella yelled.
“It was a joke?” Nolan looked crushed that his superhero moment had been for nothing.
“Yup.” I nodded, painfully aware of how close our bodies were. Confident he wasn’t about to sink, I released him. Barney had long since abandoned the pool in favor of sunning himself near some low bushes.
“My sunglasses are gone.” He made a mournful noise that did something to my chest I didn’t like one bit.
“I’ll find them.” Why I volunteered, I had no clue, but I ducked under the water, combing the bottom of the pool until I found his pricey shades.
“Thank you.” Nolan fluttered his impossibly long eyelashes at me as I held out his sunglasses. I kept a respectable distance right up until Nolan let go of the pool side and sputtered under the water again.
“Can you seriously not swim?” I glowered at him.
“I can swim. I merely slipped.” Nolan’s tone was haughty, but his eyes were shifty. “I’ve been practicing since I arrived.”
“Yeah?” I had a feeling practicing involved a lot of using the raft and supervising from the side of the pool. “Let me see you float.”
Nolan carefully set his shades on the side of the pool and launched into the worst float in the history of swimming. “Maybe I don’t have enough body fat?”