Oliver pushed his chair back and came around the table.
Victor looked genuinely lost.
“Five minutes ago you were trying to get her fired.”
“That was before,” Oliver said.
“Before what?”
Theo answered.
“Before she stayed.”
Mason’s face reddened.
He clearly hated what he was about to say.
“You have to tell her she can stay even if we have a bad dinner tomorrow.”
Victor’s expression softened.
Hannah did not speak.
Noah came around the other side of the table.
“And Ethan too.”
Oliver grabbed the sleeve of Hannah’s cardigan.
“He can have my old room.”
“You do not have an old room,” Noah said.
“Then he can have a different room.”
Theo remained seated, looking up at her.
“Please stay.”
Two simple words.
Mason stared at the table.
Then, so quietly Hannah almost missed it, he added, “Please.”
The boys who had turned nineteen professional nannies into retreating casualties were asking the broke stranger with the cracked purse not to walk out the door.
Hannah swallowed.
“I’ll stay,” she said, “if we understand something.”
Four faces immediately grew suspicious again.
“No locking people in pantries.”
Oliver sighed dramatically.
“No throwing suitcases in pools.”
Noah looked at Mason.
“That was mostly him.”
“It was a team decision.”
“No destroying photographs.
No sabotaging chairs.
And when you’re angry, you tell me you’re angry.”
Mason folded his arms.
“What if we hate you?”
“Then you can say, ‘Hannah, I hate you.’”
He considered this.
“That’s allowed?”
“Yes.”
“What if we say it really loud?”
“As long as nobody is sleeping.”
Victor laughed.
The sound startled everyone, including him.
Hannah turned toward Victor.
“I have a condition for you too.”
His eyebrows rose.
“You said room and board for Ethan.
School transportation.
The salary and benefits from the listing.”
“Yes.”
“And dinner.”
Victor glanced at the boys.
“Dinner?”
