Page 11 of Sinful Santa
“You can call me Tahlia, you know. I’d actually prefer it.” Tahlia glanced at Nelson with a friendly smile. “I’m not terribly formal.”
He snorted in amusement. “I’ve noticed.” He paused. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea.”
“Your choice.” She shrugged. “But at this point you’re the only Nelson who calls me by my last name. Your parents aren’t big on formality, either.”
“No,” he sighed. “My mother was once. She’s mellowed in her old age.”
“I like her,” Tahlia murmured, already thinking fondly of Jed and Ophelia. “I like both of them.”
“They like you, too. I’ve never seen them take to one of the kids’ nannies like this.”
“Do you really think so?” she asked, despite overhearing Ophelia’s comment at the restaurant. It was nice to have itconfirmed by somebody else, especially Nelson. He had many faults, but he wasn’t a liar.
“Yes,” he replied. “Mind, so far it’s been a revolving door of nannies, so they didn’t really get a chance to know them.” He grunted low in his throat. “The kids made sure of that.”
Tahlia hid a smile. “Maddy’s said a few, um, boastful things about that. She’s very fond of practical jokes.”
Nelson huffed. “I’m not surprised. She and Kaiden have made their feelingsveryclear over the years.” He looked at her, curiosity lighting his eyes. “Which made their quick affection for you so…frustrating.”
“Frustrating?” Tahlia met his gaze with a frown. The wind picked up and she shivered before wrapping her arms around herself.
“The other nannies were good people,” Nelson explained. “I made sure of that. Everything about them was perfect. On paper. But they weren’t what my kids needed.” He stopped walking and Tahlia paused as well. Nelson fixed his eyes on his children, who were pointing excitedly down the row of trees. “I’m always wrong about what they need. I guess…I guess I’m not a very good dad.”
Tahlia, surprised by his candor, wasn’t sure how to respond or if she should. Nelson must have taken her silence for agreement because he laughed bitterly.
“It’s alright. I’m not looking for confirmation of the fact.”
“May I be blunt, Mr. Nelson?” Tahlia asked. He looked at her warily.
“Thatyouof all people is asking permission scares me.”
She gave him an embarrassed smile. “I promise you’ll survive.”
“Okay,” he said slowly then, with a grimace, “go ahead.”
“You’re not abadfather. You love your kids. It’s obvious you’d do anything for them.”
Nelson eyed her. “But?”
“What makes you think there’s a ‘but’?” She scowled, even though there very much was a ‘but’; she was just reluctant to voice it.
“There’s always a ‘but’.”
“Not always!” Tahlia protested stubbornly.
“Okay. Is there in this case?” Nelson blinked innocently at her, but Tahlia noticed a tug at the corners of his mouth. It was sort of cute. Annoying, but cute.
“Fine,” she huffed. “There’s a small ‘but’.”
“Which is?” he prodded.
Tahlia gazed appraisingly at him for a moment, wondering if she was again overstepping. However, she’d asked and he’d given permission.
“I think you forget how much they love you, too.”
A silence thicker than the snow at their feet fell between them. Nelson worked his jaw as if he were chewing through whatever he couldn’t say aloud.
“How the hell do you do that?” He didn’t sound angry. Honestly, Tahlia couldn’t tell what he was feeling.
