Page 3 of The Manny

Scowling, I leaned back in my chair. I wasn’t looking forward to having a stranger living in my house. Two strangers, I guess, if you counted Mia. I liked my privacy. But the idea of trying to take care of Mia alone was far more terrifying. I worked long hours and knew literally zero about raising a child.

Hopefully, this Thomas guy would just do his job and keep his distance from me. After all, I hadn’t hired him to take care of me, just Mia.

Chapter Two

Thomas

I eyed the modest two-story home of my prospective employer, taking in the tidy lawn and neatly trimmed lilac bushes. The immaculate yard hinted at the personality of Jack Wayan. I suspected he liked control. Judging from the uniformity of his yard, I wouldn’t have been surprised if each blade of grass was exactly the same height.

Strolling up the brick walkway, I skipped up the steps and pressed the brass doorbell. Glancing up at the eaves, I wasn’t surprised to see there were no cobwebs under the porch. That went along with my suspicions about Jack. He’d probably be uptight. I predicted pocket protectors and his library card to be among his most valuable possessions. That could make working for him difficult, but at least it also probably meant he wouldn’t try and hit on me. Jack was most likely more on the prudish side, which would be a refreshing change from my last posting.

I heard movement inside and then the door opened abruptly. I caught my breath at the sight of the man standing before me. He looked nothing like I’d pictured. He was gorgeous; tall and lean, with defined biceps bulging from the short sleeves of his shirt. It wasn’t often I had such a visceral reaction to another man, but taking in his silky dark hair and sea green eyes, I felt oddly breathless.

It occurred to me I was staring at him like an idiot. I forced a smile and held out my hand. “Hello, Mr. Wayan. I’m Thomas from VIP Nanny Services.”

He hesitated, but then took my hand in a firm, albeit brief, clasp. “Thanks for dropping by on such short notice.”

“Of course.” My fingers tingled from his touch, but I did my best to ignore my peculiar response to him. “I always prefer to meet my prospective clients ahead of time. If we don’t mesh well that’s hard on the child.”

“Makes sense.” He nodded, stepping aside. “Come in.”

I moved into the house, pleased to see the inside was much cozier than expected. In a small alcove to the right was a mahogany dining set, and ahead of me a living room with tan leather couches and a woven tapestry rug. The walls were painted a Tuscany yellow, and paintings of the ocean adorned them.

“Let’s go in the family room,” he said brusquely. “Would you like some iced tea?”

“Oh, no thank you.” I followed him and we ended up in another cozy room. Again there were tan couches, suede instead of leather this time, a coffee table, and lamps with shades sporting a colorful peacock pattern.

He sat down on one of the couches, clasping his hands. He seemed uneasy. Maybe he was stressed because he’d had to switch childcare workers so suddenly?

He cleared his throat. “How much did the agency tell you about my situation?”

“Not a lot actually. Usually I’d get a file with all the details, but I just got back into town last night. I haven’t had a chance to do much of anything. All I really know is the age and gender of the child.”

“I see.” He frowned. “Shall I fill you in?”

“Please do.”

He met my curious gaze. “Okay, well, my sister died a few weeks ago—”

“Oh my God,” I rasped. “I’m… I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks.” He lowered his head. “We weren’t close, but it was still a shock.”

“Of course.”

He sighed. “Anyway, our parents are gone and we had no relatives we were aware of. Since I’m Mia’s only known living relative, I’m her guardian now.”

I was struck by how emotionless his voice was. “That poor kid.”

“Yeah.” He glanced up. “Poor me, too.”

At first, I thought maybe he was joking, then realized he wasn’t. Pushing my irritation at his callous tone aside, I asked, “What about Mia’s father?”

“From what I’ve been told, the kid is the result of a one-night stand. My sister had no idea who the guy was, nor did she have any interest in having an actual relationship with him.

“I see.”

“But she really wanted to keep the baby, so she did. That was how Jules was. She did what she wanted.”

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