Yesterday, when she’d come home from babysitting, she found him working in the garden, shirtless. He’d stopped to smile and wave to her. She swore he must have grown almost a foot since he’d moved in with them, and he’d become more muscular, but still lean. His dark hair had some wave in it from the humidity. She couldn’t believe how handsome he was—and how wrong it was for her to even think of him like that. She looked at her reflection and thought of his golden-brown skin, and the trail of dark hair below his belly button that led—no, no, no!

She shook her head to clear away the thought the way she might shake an Etch A Sketch. He was her brother now, for real. The papers were signed.

The door swung open.

Mr. Shaw.

He wore an expensive-looking black suit that looked small on him, as though the seams were about to pop.

She was so surprised she couldn’t even scream. She reached for her T-shirt and held it against her naked torso.

“Well,” he said. His voice was so deep the walls practically shook when he spoke. “Hello there.” He sounded amused instead of angry. So much was happening she couldn’t think straight.

“So, you’re the new girl. Ann.”

Ann nodded. She could feel her face burn from embarrassment. Why was he speaking to her so casually?

“I hear you’re from the Midwest,” he said, looking her in the eyes, which made her feel even more naked. What was he talking about? Why was he engaging in a normal conversation with her?

“I’m—” She felt so stupid.

“I’ve been to Chicago a few times. Some great blues bars there. You like the blues?”

The blues? She did, actually. Her dad was a fan of the old stuff. Ma Rainey. Lightnin’ Hopkins. Curley Weaver. She couldn’t tell him this. She just nodded.

Anthony took his tie off.

“I know I shouldn’t be in here,” Ann said.

“Says who? This is my house. I say it’s just fine. More than fine.”

“But I—”

“My wife is right.”

“Right about what?”

“She says you are darling.” He said it like they were sharing an inside joke. “Although I might have chosen a different word.” He looked at her hip. “‘Darling’ doesn’t do you justice.”

“I’m sorry. I should—”

“Don’t be embarrassed. We’re both grown-ups.”