Alien Pilot Needs a Nanny (Alien Nanny Agency 2)

“Great idea,” April told her. “Should we fix her a plate of samples so she can tell you which one she likes best?”

But Bo was already darting into the kitchen and snatching the loaf of bread from the counter.

April followed her, feeling happy to see Bo so focused on doing something nice for her sister.

“I’ll fix her the starflower and the ashaberry, and some of your apple butter, but not the pumpkin,” Bo said wrinkling her nose.

Bo had loved the bright yellow starflower and sky blue ashaberry jams. But the intense orange pumpkin had been savory instead of sweet.

“She should try it, just like you did,” April said. “Maybe she’ll love it. Do you want to fix some for yourself, too? Remember what we said?”

“April,” Bo moaned, rolling her eyes.

“We have to try things seven times before we can know for certain that we don’t like them,” April reminded her. “Pumpkin was a new flavor for you. But if you try it a few times, you might realize you really like it. And it’s so good for you.”

Bo didn’t respond, but she did cut up enough bread for herself and her sister to each try one of every flavor.

“Do you want some, April?” she asked.

“I’m a grown-up, so I don’t need a snack,” April told her. “But thank you very much. It was so kind of you to ask.”

The truth was that she hadn’t had real exercise in two days, and she was feeling cagey. Being a nanny was full time in a way she had never experienced before. There was no lunch break.

Bo hummed to herself as she finished fixing the snack.

April realized suddenly that it was the jingle for the travel firm Khall flew for and smiled. This was one little girl who was proud of her daddy.

When a nice platter of bread and jam was put together, they made two mugs of hot chocolate and headed down the hall to Minerva’s room.

“Knock, knock,” April said, knocking lightly on the door.

“Uh, come in,” Minerva said.

Bo began to giggle.

“What?” April asked Bo as she opened the door.

“Why did you say knock knock?” Bo asked through her giggles.

Minerva smiled too, but was too polite to laugh.

“Is that not a thing here?” April demanded in mock surprise. “Surely everyone’s parents do that, right”

“Not our dad,” Minerva said.

“We brought you a snack,” Bo yelled to her sister, too excited to hold it in any longer.

Though Minerva had clearly already noticed the snack, April was happy to see her react anyway.

“Wow, Bo, that’s so awesome,” Minerva said. “I’m starving.”

“We got new jam at the store today,” Bo said, setting down the platter on her sister’s desk. “That one’s starflower, and that one’s ashaberry, and the brown one is apple. And that’s pumpkin.”

She wrinkled her little nose again at the sight of the pumpkin, but didn’t say anything bad out loud.

April nodded approvingly at her and Bo’s grassy green complexion deepened to the color of a lush forest.

“We were hoping you would sample them and let us know which one you like best,” April added.