Page 23 of Nanny Crush
The corners on his mouth tip upward. “Are you good at putting a spin to everything?”
“All it takes is the right perspective to see things clearly.”
“Daddy?” Maddy calls out from the top of the stairs.
The two of us look up at her.
“Can I sleep wif you?”
Liam chuckles and stands up. “Duty calls.”
Without another word, he heads up the stairs. He takes her hand and the two of them walk into his bedroom and the door closes, leaving me alone. I let out a long breath and blow out the anxiousness I was feeling sitting in here alone with him. Things with us feel like they’re changing. He’s becoming more friendly, more open, and that physical attraction I felt before is growing. Not only do I like the way he looks, but now I’m starting to like the whole package. I’m in big trouble.
Acouple of weeks fly by, and I manage to keep things casual and friendly between us. It’s easy when the kids are around. It’s when they’re at school or in bed that things get challenging, but I’ve managed to do it so far. I’m a little nervous now, though, because it’s spring break and the kids are all set to spend the week with their grandma and grandpa on vacation, meaning I’ll be off-duty all week long.
The kids leave late Sunday night with plans of sleeping on the flight to Disney World. It’s so late that by the time they leave, I go right to bed while Liam goes back to his office. Monday morning, I do some laundry and keep up with the housework before going and having coffee with Kinsley like I used to. After mentioning my week off, we plan a huge shopping trip that takes us the whole day. This entails a three-hour drive, shopping, having dinner, and driving back. When I arrive, Liam is holed up in his office again. Today, I run some errands. I go to the grocery store and get food for the next couple weeks. I stock up on cleaning supplies, and even find the kids some sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and water guns so we can play outside now that the weather is getting warmer.
I’ve caught up on all the laundry, cleaned the house, and have nothing else to do since Kinsley is pulling the evening shift at the coffee shop. I decide to grab a bottle of wine and a glass and head out to the hot tub I’ve been meaning to use for far too long now. I bring a towel down with me and grab the bottle from the fridge. I take a glass out of the cabinet and walk out the back door. I toss the towel down on the patio table and pull back the cover on the hot tub. Pouring a glass of wine, I slip down into the hot bubbly water, keeping the bottle within arm’s reach in case I need to pour another.
I feel more relaxed than I’ve ever been as I look out over the yard, seeing all of the kids’ toys. I actually miss them more than I thought I would. I guess I didn’t realize how attached I’m getting. I love that we almost feel like a family, but on the other hand, that worries me because we’renota family. What happens when Liam no longer finds me useful? I’ll feel like I’ve been kicked out of the family and I’ll miss the kids like they’re my own.
The backdoor opens, and I turn my head out of reflex. Liam walks out holding a towel, dressed only in a pair of black swim trunks. When he sees me, he freezes.
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you were out here. I thought you were gone.”
“I just got back a little bit ago.”
He nods and goes to turn around.
“I don’t bite, you know? There’s more than enough room for you to join.”
He looks a little iffy, but then turns and climbs into the hot tub.
I hand over my glass of wine with a smile. He takes it, and I lift the bottle to my lips instead.
He relaxes as he sinks down into the hot water, looking out over the yard. “It’s too quiet without them.”
“I know. I miss them,” I tell him.
He looks at me a little confused. “Really? I thought you’d love your free time back.”
I shrug one shoulder. “A day off would be nice, but not a whole week. I’m bored,” I laugh out. “I’m so used to always having something to do, some mess to clean, or one of the kids to play with. It’s like I don’t know what to do with myself now that they’re gone.”
He laughs. “Yeah, I get that. When you first started, I almost didn’t know how to work without stopping every twenty minutes.”
“How’s work going?” I ask.
He nods. “Good. I’m staying on top of everything, and that’s something I haven’t done in months. I’m really glad you took the job. Now not only am I getting all my work done, but the kids are thriving. You are a perfect fit for this family.”
I smile, feeling my heart warm from his words. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
He offers up a smile and his eyes go back to the yard.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened with the kids’ mom, your ex-wife?”
He takes a drink of wine. “We were young.” He shrugs. “We got together too young and neither one of us were ready for what we were committing to. We got pregnant unexpectedly with Xander a few years later and it changed our lives drastically. We’d always gone out and partied, and when she got pregnant, she couldn’t do that anymore. We managed to hold it together, though. There were some fights and disagreements, but we were the first of our friends to get married and have kids. Our fights were always about getting a babysitter for him and going out with our friends. And we did that a few times. Even though we had a kid, I thought that we deserved a night out here and there. However the more we did it, the more she wanted to do it, and it got to the point that between working and going out, I never saw Xander. He was in daycare all day because we both worked and then at night, she’d find babysitters so we could go out.”
Sasha nods sympathetically.
