Kids Is A 4-Letter Word by Stephanie Bond

put yourself in?”
    His chin went up. “I wasn’t afraid.”
    “Out of the car, right now! ”
    Jamie quickly obliged, his towel-cape swirling around him as he jerked to a halt before Jo, his green eyes wide.
    Jo took a deep breath and knelt in front of the little boy, her hand on his shoulder. “If the car had gone out into the road, you eould have been killed, Jamie.” Her voice was shaking. “Do you know what that means?”
    “Yeah,” he said. “Like my mom was killed by a car.”
    Jo hesitated, then said, “That’s right. And you know how sad your daddy was when that happened?”
    He nodded solemnly. “Daddy cried.”
    Her heart was getting an aerobic workout this morning, she thought as it squeezed tighter. “I’m sure he did. But if something happened to you or Claire or Billy, your daddy would never stop crying. Do you understand?”
    Jamie nodded, tears welling in his eyes. “Don’t tell Daddy, okay, Jo?”
    She sighed, then pulled the little boy to her for a hug.“Okay, but if you ever do this again, I’m going to give you time-off for a jillion years, got it?”
    He sniffed, then giggled against her neck. “It’s time- out , Jo.”
    His small body melted into hers, his arms going around her neck like a vise. “Whatever,” she mumbled, her insides turning over at his touch. When he loosened his grip, Jo glanced at her watch and gasped. “We’re late!” She dashed back into the house to rustle up light jackets for everyone and to grab her purse from the hall table. Mrs. Harris was pulling in when she came out carrying Billy’s car seat. The kids ran to the buxom gray-haired woman and received hugs and kisses in return. Jo introduced herself and chatted for a few minutes before hurrying the kids into the car. This time she instructed Jamie to sit up front, and put Billy in the back where Claire could tend to his needs if necessary.
    Jamie turned around and stuck his tongue out at Claire. “I get to sit up front!”
    “And Claire gets to on the way home,” Jo interjected smoothly, sticking her tongue out at Jamie. In the back seat, Claire giggled.
    Aside from stopping to make Jamie apologize for throwing a wad of bubblegum onto the windshield of the police car behind them, the trip to the day care was relatively uneventful.
    A row of four-foot-tall red lockers lined the walls of the entryway for the day care, colorful coat sleeves hanging out here and there. A big-boned brunette woman dressed in chinos and a sweatshirt greeted Jo. She looked to be in her mid-forties. At first, she presented a wide smile to the group, then her eyes swept the children and the smile froze beneath her bulging eyes.
    Jamie lifted his hand in a wave. “Hi ya, Cap’n Hook.”
    Already nervous, Jo’s stomach dived and her eyes darted to his impish grin. “Jamie, do you know this nice lady?”
    “He should,” the woman said sourly. “He did everything short of cutting off my hand the week he was here.” She looked at Jo, then straightened, as if suddenly rememberingher place. “I’m Carolyn Hook,” she said, “the director here at KidScape. As I explained to Mr. Sterling and to his last nanny, the boys are too disruptive to attend our day care.” She smiled tightly and angled her head in a sympathetic gesture. “I’m sure you understand, Ms…”
    “Jo Montgomery.” Jo extended her hand, fighting a frown. Some bedside manner for a day-care director. She didn’t love kids herself, but at least she hadn’t made it her career. “But I’m not Mr. Sterling’s nanny.” She paused for a few seconds to let the woman ponder her role in the Sterling household. “My design firm is going to bid on redecorating all the area KidScape day cares. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson said it would be all right if I stopped by to have a look around.” She hesitated, but the woman’s bearing bit into her, so she delivered the kicker. “And they asked me to bring the children along for feedback on how things are run.” A