Page 3 of One Night

“Perfect.” I pull a credit card from my back pocket. “You can use this for incidentals. Anything you need for Ellie, the house, or your room. I tried to get it set up for you, but I’m sure it’s missing things. Feel free to put what you need on the card.” I nod up the stairs. “Yours is the last room on the right side of the hallway.”

“My room.I hadn’t thought about how I’ll have a room here.”

“Is that okay? You could always—”

“No, that’s perfect. I’m excited to see it!” She twists her golden hair to one shoulder before glancing toward me. “I guess that’s all I need. Except, oh, most importantly, is there anything specific I should know about Ellie right now? It’s been a while since I’ve babysat.”

I drag in a deep breath, transitioning my thoughts to my little ninja princess. “Well, she’s nearly five now and about to start kindergarten in the fall. She’s real imaginative. Much more creative than any kid I know. The horse barn is her personal kingdom. She’s been decorating for months. Cardboard turrets, a crown, a throne, you name it, that girl’s thought of it. Let’s see, what else… her best friend is our border collie, Blue Bell, and her favorite food is blueberry pancakes. I’m telling ya, you toss some extra syrup on a stack of those, you’ve got a friend for life.”

“Noted,” Nora says, typing down notes into her phone. “Anything else I should know?”

“Oh, bedtime is at eight. I think that’s all. I’m sure we’ll have things come up along the way. You’re more than welcome to call and ask questions. If I don’t answer, you can come find me.”

“Sounds good!” She stretches up from the chair and pushes it in behind her, accidentally lifting the corner of her dress as she moves, showing off much more thigh than she should be. “I’ll take inventory here and get started on a few lists before Ellie gets home. Oh, and dinner… what time is that?”

“Six most days, if that works for you.”

She smiles wide and bright, bouncing up onto the tips of her toes, her breasts jiggling again. “Of course. I’ll have everything ready for you. Don’t worry about a thing.”

I need to get the hell out of here before I have any other impure thoughts and accidentally do or say something I’ll regret.

“Thanks.” I stand and step back into the kitchen, away from the sin that’s calling me, and toward the escape hatch. “I appreciate you bein’ here. It’s really good to have someone caring for Ellie that I trust.” With that, I wink and step outside, sucking in fresh air as though I haven’t been breathing right for the last hour.

What the fuck am I doing, studying my best friend’s daughter so perversely? I’m a fucking mess, and I need to get it together.

Chapter Three

Nora

Stay calm. Breathe. In and out. Out and in.

He winked. It could’ve been a reflex. It could’ve meant a million different things. Not everyone winks because they’re into someone. Some people wink playfully or… I don’t actually know why people wink.

I pull out my phone and ask Google.

‘Why did my father’s best friend just wink at me?’

She comes up with as little as I do, going on and on about the context of the situation. I consider writing lady Google an essay and asking for her advice, but I’ve only got an hour to get the house in order before Ellie gets home, and I don’t want to fail at my first day on the job—even if it is late notice to start.

It would be far too embarrassing to fail in front of Colton. I need him to know how capable I am at taking care of his daughter and his home. I need him to know what a good partner I’d make, how good I’d be at making him a warm meal, and—

No!My internal voice gets louder.Why, Nora? Why do you need him to know you’re capable? It’s not because you’re looking for a promotion. Well, technically it is because you’d like a promotion. Promotion to his wife. It’s because you want him to dick you down.

Stop! I need to stop!

I open the fridge door and take note of how little is inside. Aside from condiments, a few drinks, and a bag of apples, there’s nothing of much use. The freezer and the pantry are the same way.

What the heck have these two been eating? I add making a menu for tonight’s dinner to the list of things I need to accomplish as I make my way through the old farmhouse to check for things that need to be done. After seeing the state of the food, I expect the rest of the house to be neglected as well, but it’s pretty clean. Toys are put away in a box next to the fireplace, and pillows are neatly set on the couch. There are even photos on the mantle of Ellie and Colton at the beach with wide smiles and bright eyes as they throw a stick for Blue Bell.

I’m desperate to ask him what happened between him and Ellie’s mom, but I don’t want to pry. My parents never talked about it, and I’m sure if my sister knew, she’d have told me. Maybe his wife died.

Probably not. If she’d have died, he’d have pictures of her everywhere. There’s no sign of a woman in this house at all, not even a girlfriend. Then again, maybe he’s seeing someone who doesn’t feel the need to redecorate his home.

I need to get these questions and that wink out of my head. It’s none of my business. Not now, not ever.

The floors creak as I step onto the first step of the staircase and follow my way up, holding the wooden banister. It’s here that the old farmhouse begins to show its age with worn, floral wallpaper and dust settled onto the frames. The pictures are of people I don’t recognize. Still no women that would fit the description of a woman Colton would’ve been married to. The one woman on the wall is short with dark gray hair spun in tight curls and the picture is in black and white. I’m guessing it’s his grandmother, or maybe his mom. It’s hard to say.

Upstairs, there are four bedrooms sprawled down a long hallway with tall white doors. I only open the doors I was told about, though I’d love to go through each room and find as much information as I can. To the left is Ellie’s space. She’s decorated with unicorns and rainbows, and aside from the stuffed animals strewn everywhere, the place is clean. Truthfully, aside from caring for Ellie and cooking meals, I’m not sure what this place really needs. For a single father running a farm, this guy is doing well for himself. I expected a train wreck.

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