"Once you're through worrying about our asses."
He did not want to think about her ass. "Right." Daniel scrubbed a hand over his bristly chin. "I have leave time built up. I'll take it now until the boys and I can work out a plan. But I sure would appreciate your help for the next few days. Since you're an American Express card short of being able to check into a Motel 6, I'm thinking we can make a trade."
She shot him a disapproving look that had likely commanded boardrooms, then later classrooms. "Or you could do the gentlemanly thing and loan me a couple hundred bucks."
Already he could feel her slipping away. Damn it, the boys needed her. And while he might not be Captain Communication, he wasn't walking away without finding out what had her forehead trenched deeper than a fresh-plowed field. "Sure, I could loan you the money."
"But you don't want to." Mary Elise willed away the rogue twinge of excitement. She wanted to say her good-byes. Right? Danny had been a generous friend. An exciting lover.
And a lousy boyfriend.
Once that boyfriend/lover line had been crossed, recapturing the friendship became impossible. She knew keeping her distance now lent more credence to her feelings all those years ago. But her heart bore too many scars to risk opening it again.
All the same, guilt nudged her to say, "The boys do need me."
"Yes, ma'am, they do," he continued with a sincerity too reminiscent of past times conning his way out of trouble. "This is about more than asthma and EpiPens. Trey and Austin are alone and scared. They don't know me from Adam."
She didn't buy into the Danny-perfected con tones for even a minute, but his logic had merit. Turning away from Austin crying in the crate hadn't been an option. Why did she think now would he any different?
Scar tissue also made a person tough. She would hang on to that for the next few days with Danny and the boys. "Okay, okay! I actually agreed two arguments ago. You always were persistent."
"And you were always too nice."
Watching the dimples creep into Daniel's cheeks and past her defenses, Mary Elise decided "nice" didn't factor anywhere into her swirl of emotions. "Nice? Careful, Danny, or I'll change my mind."
"So you'll help me for a couple of weeks?"
"A couple of days." Hopefully enough time to formulate a new plan.
"Until I find another nanny."
Which would take at least a week. "For the boys."
"I never thought otherwise."
He ducked back into the crew compartment, leaving her alone with her thoughts and two sleeping children. The cubicle echoed without him, the repercussions of her decision crowding the confined space. Since Kent didn't know her location, a week should be safe before she risked alerting him by withdrawing money from her account. She could use the time to decide where to go and what to do with her life.
A week to stay with those two boys who'd first tugged her heart because of Daniel and then stolen her heart by being themselves. She wouldn't even let herself think about being a surrogate-mother figure to them. Her dreams of family were dead, thanks to Kent.
Mary Elise leaned forward and tucked the sailboat blanket around Austin, his puffy breaths whispering over her wrist. She started to pull away, but he grappled for her hand without waking.
Stroking a thumb over butter-soft skin, she studied the miracle of five tiny fingers and couldn't stem memories of all the babies she'd miscarried. She'd wanted to adopt, but Kent had insisted they keep trying for a biological child. She'd gone on the pill, anyway. For all the good it had done her. Then the surprise pregnancy had lasted longer than any of her other four first-trimester miscarriages.
She'd finally dared to hope.
Losing her son at twenty-four weeks had almost destroyed her. Discovering Kent had replaced her birth control pills with placebos months earlier finished the job.
Weariness swamped her along with the memories. She surrendered to the need for sleep and the tug of a chubby little hand. Mary Elise slid into the bottom bunk, curving herself protectively around Austin.
No, Kent had never raised a hand to her, which somehow made his menacing plans after she left all the more chilling. Hindsight told her she should have seen the warning signs. He'd been abusing her and controlling her in other ways for years, culminating in that final violation of her body and trust.
Now she had one week to find a new safe haven. And pray seven days of playing house with Danny and two precious boys wouldn't slice past her scar tissue into what little soul she had left.
One booted foot resting on the bottom crew bunk across from him, Daniel sprawled in the unrelenting seat. Well, as much as a guy could sprawl in the tight space. Another half hour and he would take over flying while Wren sacked out.
He should he sleeping, but couldn't. Too wired. Seeing Mary Elise now when he was still reeling from his father's death rattled him. No question.Daniel studied the three sleeping figures that had thrown his life into chaos. Sure he didn't give a damn about ironing his uniform or eating on a schedule, but he was in charge of his world and his emotions.
Or he had been until Mary Elise and the boys.