Page 39 of A Little Crush
“Yeah, that’s something.” She looks down at her bare toes. “You don’t think…you don’t think it’s too late to back out?”
I scrub my hand over my face. “Not sure what my other options are.”
Her nod is slow as she lifts her hand, nibbling on the edge of her thumb before tapping it against her lips.
One, two, three.Pause.One, two, three.
“What is it, Rore?” I ask.
She shakes her head but doesn’t answer.
“Tell me,” I push.
“How…” A sigh slips out of her, and she lowers her hand. “How long have you been looking for a nanny?”
“A couple months now.”
“And no luck.” Her gaze meets mine. “Right?”
“Not yet.” I wipe at the corner of my eye, defeat settling over me. “I know it makes me look like an ass who dropped the ball, but it isn’t easy.”
“I’m not criticizing you. I’m just saying…” She sighs again, like this conversation is the last one she wants to have. “If you’ve been looking for a while now and haven’t had any luck, who’s to say the next few days will be any different?”
“Not sure I have much of a choice in the matter, Rore.”
“I know,” she says. “I just feel bad.”
“Not your problem,” I remind her. “Even if you were nice enough to stick your neck out for me this morning.”
“Anytime.” She forces a smile. “You know that.”
I do. I do know it. Rory’s the most selfless person I’ve ever met. Honestly, I shouldn’t have been surprised in the first place.
“Well, thank you,” I tell her. “I’m gonna head upstairs and see if I can get some more sleep.”
She nods but doesn’t say anything else.
I turn toward the elevator when she stops me.
“What if…what if I don’t back out?”
Convinced I misheard her, I face Rory again. “What?”
“I mean, I graduated with a psychology degree and a minor in child development. It’s not like I don’t know how totake care of a baby.” She twists her fingers in front of her. “At least, for the short term.”
I blink, trying to piece together what she’s talking about.
“What are you saying, Rore?”
“What if, for the short-term and until you find someone stable, I help out? Clearly, you need more time to find someone solid, especially if you’ve already been looking for a while.” She glances up at me, answering my unspoken question. “I know you. You aren’t someone to leave something like this to the last minute. How many people have you interviewed?”
“At least a dozen,” I mutter. “Maybe more.”
“Which is the right thing,” she says. “Finding someone you trust to watch over your baby isn’t the same as picking out a candy bar at the store.” She pauses. “If I help, you’ll have time to interview twice as many prospects until you find the perfect fit. Maybe I can even sort through some of the applications, since I’m sure you’ll be busy once training starts.” A crease forms between her brows. “Except I didn’t think about Hades.” She grimaces. “Do you think he can come?”
“Another German Shepherd on the Lions’ roster?” I offer, not missing a beat. “Pretty sure the fans would go wild.”
I’m right, too. The first year the Lions became a professional team, Henry bought Rory’s mom a puppy to be the mascot for the organization. She even had her own social media page Mia ran for her. Nala. The most chill German Shepherd I’ve ever met. I was old enough to remember her, though she died before Rory was born.
