“Yes!” Jasmine exclaimed jumping up and down.
“Who’s your new friend?” she asked, smiling at Phoebe.
“Her new nanny, Phoebe,” Peanut said from behind her. “How are you, beautiful? I haven’t seen you since last month when Hammer brought you to the bonfire party.” Peanut moved past her, giving the woman a one-armed hug. She laughed and kissed his cheek. Phoebe felt the stirrings of jealousy rip through her. She didn’t have any claim on either Jasmine or Peanut, but she didn’t like this woman fawning over them.
“You missed me. I told you that you would,” she teased, her eyes sparkling.
“I always miss you, Lisa,” Peanut said, a big grin on his face.
“I missed you too!” Jasmine said jumping up and down
“Huh, yeah right. You forget me the second I’m out of sight. You know where I am anytime you want to see me, darling,” Lisa said to Peanut before turning to Jasmine. “And you saw me a week ago at the Super Walmart with your Aunt Kate. How could you miss me already, button?”
“I missed you lots and lots,” Jasmine promised, her grin bright.
Phoebe felt like she was interrupting their moment. She didn’t like the feeling and found herself edging out of the salon. She had just stepped out the door and was looking around when a hand fell on her shoulder startling her.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you but I just wanted to tell you not to go far,” Peanut said, his hand lingering on her shoulder. She stepped away and he let her go but she was still shaky from the shock. Her heart was still pounding in her ears as she nodded.
“I wasn’t planning on it. I was just going to go into the bookstore to pass the time,” she lied. Really, she hadn’t had any plan, she’d just been trying to escape the uncomfortable feelings she’d been dealing with. Peanut frowned as he looked over at the bookstore that was across from the salon. He eyed the mall’s corridor with a watchful eye like he was looking for a murderer lurking in the crowds of people. It was kind of funny how he seemed to debate on whether or not to allow it. Not in the way Johnny had, but in a protective way. She could see that from the way he glanced again at the bookstore before sweeping his eyes across the people mulling about again.
“Alright, but when you’re done come back here before going anywhere else, yeah?” Peanut finally said after what looked like a long internal debate.
“Okay,” Phoebe said, wondering why the thought that he wanted to know where she was at all times wasn’t frightening. If it had been Johnny saying that to her, she would have felt sick to her stomach and a little bit freaked out but with Peanut she just felt amused. It wasn’t like there were ninjas waiting in the shadows to take her out if she got too far away from him. Her smile at that thought was hidden as she started walking towards the bookstore, remembering that she’d lost her book on what to expect while pregnant.
“Phoebe,” Peanut called, making her glance behind her. “Put whatever you want on the card I gave you. It doesn’t matter the cost. Even if you want one of those e-reader things, just buy it. There isn’t a limit on the card,” Peanut said.
She nodded as she turned and headed to the store, a little surprised that he’d told her that. She couldn’t seem to wrap her head around his open and giving nature. It was a complete contradiction. Johnny was a straight-laced business man who seemed like the perfect husband, and yet she’d seen more kindness from a man who society said was garbage in twenty-four hours than she had in five years from her husband.
Entering the store, she headed over to the shelves. Finding a display of books on pregnancy, she browsed through them before picking out the one she’d already started reading. She then wandered over to the children’s section, finding a book in the series she’d noted in Jasmine’s room that had just been released. She then went to the cookbook section and found two that she wanted to buy and then headed to the register. Despite the little twinge of worry as the cashier swiped the card, she took her bag and headed back over to the salon. She decided to wait out in the main mall near the entrance to the salon where some chairs were set up. She knew that Peanut would see her sitting there and come over when they were done with Jasmine’s haircut.
She’d been sitting there reading recipes for a little over ten minutes when she noted that a man was watching her from nearby. She shifted slightly in her seat and glanced at him wondering why he was watching her like that. She didn’t like the vibe she was getting from him and found herself shifting in the soft sofa seat she was sitting in. He continued glaring at her and she pushed the book back into the bag of books she’d bought, readying herself to go back into the salon to get away from the man. She looked up at him again, frowning as she noticed he was wearing a leather vest like the one Peanut wore. She was just getting to her feet when the man stomped over, glaring at her.
“What’s your game? Are you scamming him? Is that what you’re up to because if it is I will end you, little girl,” the man snarled.
Phoebe shrank down into the seat and cried out, her arms automatically going to cover her face, unsure why the man was yelling at her. He jerked her arms away from her face, but he didn’t hurt her. He just held her arm and scowled
