Page 21 of Hello Doctor

“It’s been rough on her,” Rhett said.

My eyebrows drew together. Was Liv complaining to him about nannying for me? Was that how he heard about Maya being difficult? “What do you mean?”

He shook his head angrily, looking like he could spit. “That fucking feedlot. Liv’s been assistant manager there for the last six years, and you know what they did when the manager spot came open? Gave it to some dumbass out of Fort Worth who doesn’t know his head from his ass.”

I groaned for Liv. She always held her own on the farm growing up, probably more so than half of us guys.

“And this idiot,” Rhett continued. “He treated her like she was there to do paperwork and clean the office and get coffee.”

“She didn’t report him for being sexist?” I asked.

Rhett shook his head. “She tried, but the person over his head accused her of being jealous of his promotion. So one day Liv had enough.”

“She put in her two weeks?” I asked.

“You could say that.” He chuckled. “She took the tractor and loaded the guy’s pickup with cow shit, then left her note on top.” He held out his hand like describing a banner. “’You’re a piece of shit. I quit.’”

I laughed so hard at the image of this guy walking out to his truck piled high with shit, just to find her note. I was fucking crying. “Good for her. Guess I better not piss her off.”

“Better not,” Rhett agreed with a grin. “She knows I’d go to battle for her, but she can definitely hold her own.”

“Good thing Maya’s learning from her,” I said.

Rhett nodded. “She’ll be a great nanny ’til she settles down with kids of her own.”

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. But I wasn’t sure why.

* * *

Rhett droppedme back at my place sometime around midnight last night, and I woke up to my alarm, deciding to go for a run instead of a stationary bike ride, since all the lights were still off in the guesthouse.

I put on my digital watch that would track my distance and heartrate, then put in my ear buds and started jogging down the gravel road. There were hills by my house, and the morning sun was already heating up, so I had a pretty good sweat going just half a mile in. A few trucks drove by, and I waved at each one.

In the country, things were organized in square-shaped sections, and each section was four miles around. So I jogged around one section, then got back to the house, doing stretches in the front yard to cool down.

When I reached the front door, I could hear upbeat music blaring from inside. I smiled to myself. Maya and Liv must be awake.

I pushed the door open, but they didn’t notice me. Maya sat on the island, a mixing bowl between her legs and flour brushed on her forehead. Liv stood with her back to me, her hands on her knees and her hips swinging to the beat while Maya giggled at her.

I leaned against the wall, grinning way too big at the two of them.

Liv punched her fists in the air, spinning with her long brown hair whipping around her, and then froze at the sight of me.

Her eyes went wide and her lips parted, and she covered her mouth like she wished she could disappear into the floor.

“DADDY!” Maya put her bowl aside and jumped down from the island, running and hugging me.

She hit me with such force I almost fell backward. I wrapped my arms around her and picked her up. “What did I do to get such a warm welcome?”

The volume on the music lowered as Maya said, “I had so much fun with Livvy! And we made coffee for you!” She giggled, and then Liv chuckled as well.

“What?” I asked with a nervous laugh. “Did you pee in it or something?”

“No!” Maya laughed. “Gross.”

I shook my head at them and went to pour myself a cup. I took a cautious sip, but it tasted like regular coffee, so I doctored it up like usual with milk and sugar.

When I took another sip, it tasted so bad I had to spit it in the sink.

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