She picked Nikki up and took her to her girlie bedroom.

"She's had a whippersnapper of a day," she said, pulling on a pretty pink nightgown over Nikki's head. There was a tense undertone beneath her steady stream of conversation that Theo found appealing. We went to the Duke Isle Museum today. She had fun, loved the exhibits on animals and birds. I had to attend to work in the office later so she spent some time with her day-care buddies before lunchtime. You got along fine with your pals, didn't you, Nikki?

" She nodded sleepily, and she smiled as she tucked her up onto the bed and pulled...