Chapter 16: The Carousel

Rochelle's POV

The new nanny was twenty-three and terrified, and she had written to the boatyard's address in a single long breath.

I saw the video. I'm so sorry. She cries at night.

I can bring her to the carousel at the pier on Friday at four.

I have twenty minutes before Mrs. Sanborn's driver checks.

I stood at the rail with my hands in my sleeves, watching painted horses go around.

I had promised myself I wouldn't run.

I lasted until I saw a small figure in a yellow raincoat come across the grass at a dead sprint.

She had a rabbit by one ear.

"Rochelle!"

She hit me at the knees, and I went down on them in the wet grass and held her.

She smelled of the Sanborn house, of lemon polish and her grandmother's lavender soap.

Under it she smelled like herself.

"You got tall," I said into her hair.

"It's been six days."

"That's a lot of tall."

"Grandma says you went away for good."

"I didn't."

"I know you didn't." She pulled back and looked at me with both green eyes, the plain one and the one with the brown fleck.

"I told her you didn't. She put me in the quiet chair."

"I'm so sorry, baby."

"I'm not sorry." She wiped her nose on the raincoat. "I drew you a picture."

"I got it. It's on my wall."

"The gray one in my picture is Grandma," Poppy said at once, very low. "She has the key. Daddy cries in the hall and she says be quiet, Rhett."

The nanny, ten feet away, pretended to study a map of the park.

"Do you want to ride?" I asked.

"Yes. With you."

We rode a blue horse with a chipped ear.

I held her around the middle with one arm and the pole with the other.

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