Page 20 of Nanny for the SEAL

“Eh, no worries. I’m happy to help.” Sam’s all smiles, her warm tan skin practically glowing, and she rakes her brown eyes over me. “So, not to sound like a pick-up line, but you aren’t from around here, are you?”

I can’t help the giggle, and I nod. “No, I’m not. I just moved into the old Miller house on the edge of town.”

“Oh, damn. I thought that place would never sell.”

“Yeah, I hear that a lot actually. Apparently, it was just waiting for a broke ex-city girl to come a-knocking.”

Sam laughs this time, and she eases back into the stool, getting more comfortable.

“Ex-city girl, huh? Which city we talking here?”

My pulse ticks up slightly. I’m not sure how many details I should give out since I’m technically here to be on the “down low.” Still, Sam’s charming, and even having known her for only a few minutes, it’s surprisingly easy to talk to her.

“New York. I’ve been in town for a few days now. Oh damn, almost a week of actually being settled in. Well, mostly. I still have several boxes to unpack.”

The metal rings as Sam puts her booted feet up on the bar beneath the window’s counter height table, and she grins.

For a split second, I take in her overall aesthetic, and I can’t help but smile.

She’s about five-foot-three, so even shorter than I am. Sam is curvy and bright, her loose, wavy brown curls tumbling over her shoulders as the top half is pinned back by one of those clips I can never figure out.

You’re supposed to gather your hair and then spear through it with the stick part but also put the stick through the two holes on either side of the main piece.

It’s beyond me.

She’s also wearing a warm cream shirt with tiny black dots all over it under a pair of distressed, faded black overalls, which are more gray than black.

Over the top, Sam’s wearing a deep, burnt orange cardigan that looks hand-knit and incredibly cozy. It’s beautiful against her tan skin, too. She’s got a septum ring, several ear piercings, a simple layer of what I’m guessing is chapstick on, and glasses with a thick black frame.

I like her.

“Ha, that’s a mood. It took me forever to actually unpack everything once I moved out of my mom’s place. Not that I went far, across Red Lodge is hardly halfway across the country. Did you like really want to be close to the mountains or something?”

I shrug, turning down the corners of my mouth as I sip at my coffee. “Oh, well, kind of. I wanted a change of pace. I’ve never really loved the big city. I loved my job and the kids there, but it was time for a change.”

Sam cocks a brow. “The kids? Are you a teacher?”

“No, not like at a school or anything. I worked for an inclusive daycare place. But it was very in-depth with the children, all about preschool and kindergarten preparedness.”

“Oh, sweet.” She nods. “I have three younger siblings, so I’m all good with hanging out with kids. I’ve done my time.”

I can’t help but laugh. I haven’t seen my sister, Jasmine, in a long while, and the thought stiffens me a bit as I try to push it aside.

“That’s a lot of kids, for sure. Are you guys still close?”

Scoffing, Sam nods with a grin. I can see her trying to play it off like she’s the cool big sister, but there’s a fondness behind her eyes that betrays how much she actually cares for her siblings.

“Well, considering that two of them live with me, yeah.” She chuckles. “My two sisters are my roommates, and my brother still lives at home.”

“Aww, that’s nice though. You have family who’s close. I envy that.”

Tilting her head at me, I take a moment to gulp down more of the cold brew as Sam’s eyes narrow.

“All on your own out here, huh? Yeah, that’s a bummer. I’ll admit that it’s nice to have a built-in support system ready to go.”

“See.” I take one more sip before setting down the cup. “And yeah, it’s just me. But at least I’ve got Daisy to brighten up the day.”

“Daisy?”

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