Page 4 of My Orc Nanny

“Tova—” began Ms. Woods as the girl spun too close to a cabinet laden with books and bins.

Without thinking, I reached out and snagged the handle at the top of the backpack, causing her to spin to a stop a few inches from disaster. She didn’t realize how close she’d come to collision, of course, and merely blinked up at me.

Then she grinned as she recognized me. “Hi, Aswan. Did you bring Emmy? Can we play today?”

“You know him?” her mother barked, and I glanced over to see her hoisting the red-faced toddler higher as she chewed on her bottom lip. “Tova, this male?—”

The little girl rolled her eyes. “He’s Emmy’s uncle. Kinda-uncle.” She latched onto my hand, although I wasn’t sure ifit was in support or because she was still dizzy. “Aswan, we gotta go to the bakery because I forgot to tell Mom she had to make the brownies for the party today, and Ms. Meli’s brownies are almost as good as Mom’s. But my big brother is being a butthead and we gotta gonow.”

“I don’t think he’d appreciate being called that.”

Tova just shrugged. “And my little brother is sick.”

This time, I turned—turned usboth—to face her mother. Yes, the little one she heldwaslooking significantly droopy, wasn’t he? I winced in sympathy. “That explains the sneezes.”

“I have an important meeting today,” she whispered, the words almost drug from her, as if she didn’t want to admit the failing. “And Joshua has a fever…”

I grasped the situation immediately and pulled out my phone to call Sakkara.

No daycare would accept the little one with a fever, and she would miss her meeting, and the other two were already late.

“It’s Aswan,” I barked into the phone, even as I punched thespeakerbutton. “Ms. Woods didn’t realize I’d be starting today. Please vouch for me.”

The woman’s hazel eyes were locked on the phone, and Sakkara immediately did as I asked.

“Hannah? It’s Sakkara. Please forgive my oversight, I am so sorry.” I could hear him pacing. “I told Aswan I would reach out to you and arrange for him to start today, but in my calendar I wroteMonday, and I thought I had another few days to arrange everything.”

The toddler was beginning to slip down her hip, even as he clutched a ragged stuffed animal, but his mother was glancing frantically between the phone and me. “I—I—Really, Sakkara? You sent him?”

“I knew you needed help. Nikki told me you were looking for a nanny for the summer, which starts next week, and Aswan really is a perfect choice.”

“He’s nannied before?” she asked, eyes narrowing in disbelief as her gaze raked me.

I opened my mouth to defend myself—no, I haven’tnanniedbefore, I didn’t even know you couldverbthe word—but Sakkara beat me to it.

“He won’t let you down, Hannah, I swear it,” Eastshore’s mayor assured her smoothly. “I hope he can be of help to you today.”

I saw the moment she gave in. Her shoulders slumped, her chin dropped. “Yeah, thanks,” she mumbled, turning away. “Um…have a good day.Benny!” she called, dismissing the phone call.

I hung up. “Ms. Woods.”

When she swung her worried gaze back to mine, I held out my hands again. “Give me the child. Go change and wash up and fetch your son. Tova and I will keep Joshua safe.”

She hesitated, her palm spread across the toddler’s back. Well, who could blame her? I didn’t exactly inspiretrustworthy nannyvibes, did I? But maybe the fact I already knew everyone’s names proved that Iwastrustworthy? She glanced down at Tova, who was happily swinging on my hand, then back up to me.

With a mighty sigh, she held out the boy.

Without hesitation, I scooped him up and tucked him against my shoulder, grabbing the stuffed animal before it could fall from his limp hold. His mother watched in concern, chewing on her lower lip.

The lower lip I couldn’t seem to stop noticing. It was plump and far too interesting.

“Be careful,” she finally blurted. “He has a cold. If you got sick?—”

“Woman,” I said sternly, “I’m an orc. We don’t get thesniffles. Go. Care for yourself.”

She shuffled backward toward the stairs, as if unwilling to leave me alone with not one, but two of her children. I had enough time to see her grip the banister as if her life depended on it before Tova tugged on my hand.

“Guess what, Aswan? Today is the last day of school, and we’re having a party! Ms. Rios is the best teacher, although Benny likes his teacher too. Emmy is in my class, did you know that?”

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