Page 20 of Rejected Nanny Mate
Now that everything had been written down, I'd been able to settle into a routine. I had a lot fewer hours at the cafe than I would have liked, but something told me that Joe and Scott conspired to make it that way. At first, I thought it was because Joe wanted me to be with Rose more, but when he made an offhand comment about how he was a more generous employer than Scott, I realized he'd manipulated things that way so I could make more money while still staying a waitress. It had made something warm bloom inside me, a welcome replacement for the anxiety that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in my chest.
It had started the night Joe confronted me on the porch, and no matter how much I went through the breathing steps and relaxation techniques I'd learned, the feeling wouldn't go away. It felt like a looming anxiety attack...but then again, not really. It was a tension, sure, but it wasn't overwhelming. It was just different, and for me, different is scary. It rarely led to anything good.
So, I pushed the weird feeling out of my mind and got on with my life. Rose grew more and more every day, it seemed like, and my affection grew right alongside her. I loved Joe's daughter; that much was clear. But I was starting to feel, for lack of a better word, maternal towards her, which was totally out of line. I'd never speak a world of that truth to Joe or anyone else, but it was true.
When I looked into her eyes and saw the adoration I felt for her reflected back at me, I melted. Rose felt like she belonged to me in all sorts of ways that were totally overstepping for a nanny, but I couldn't help it.
Rose was on my mind a lot during my shift at the cafe. It was a slow day, and I was musing on what kinds of new baby food I could make for her, and the sounds she was starting to string together during her babbles. She would be saying 'da-da' soon enough, and I couldn't wait to see Joe's face when she did.
I was still thinking about the baby when the bell over the cafe door rang, and three women walked in. My mood immediately lifted—it was Kiera, Nayeli, and, surprisingly, Rhie. The newer Shadowbay she-wolf had a murky past that I knew very little about, considering she wasn't in my pack, but the shy Omega had been having a hard time until Nayeli swept in and took her under her wing. Nayeli had an odd sort of superpower, where she was awkward on her own, but when someone was threatened or needed help, she transformed into a tornado of anger that made even high-ranking wolves stand down.
I barely knew Rhie, but if my two best friends wanted her around, then I'd gladly welcome her into our little friend group. It had done wonders for my self-esteem; maybe it would do the same for her.
“Hi, girls!” I chirped, going to hug them, careful not to bump into Nayeli's pregnant belly. “This is a surprise! What are you doing here?”
“We've heard that there's a certain Alpha in town who's been giving you trouble, and we came to check it out,” Kiera said, leading the other two to a table. I looked around to make sure there were no other guests at the moment and joined them.
Rhie giggled, and I shot her a friendly smile. I knew how intimidating it could be to hang around the big wolves, but now that she'd settled in a bit, I hoped she felt more at ease.
“Joe's not giving me trouble,” I protested, waving my hand. “We've worked things out.”
Nayeli arched a brow, and it was clear she didn't believe a word I was saying.
“Oh, come on,” Kiera groaned. “You've been keeping secrets. We want details.”
“You can't hide anything from me,” Nayeli added. “I'll find out eventually. This is the safest option.”
“It really was nothing,” I insisted. “We just got into a little...spat downtown over a week ago, and I wasn't really speaking to him for a while. But we talked things out.”
“What did you argue about?”
“Just, um, a misunderstanding.”
Nayeli and Kiera exchanged a look, and I knew what they were thinking.
“Joe's not the flirt with me that he is with everyone else,” I told them quietly. “I know you guys probably think he's just trying to get in my pants or whatever, but I'm not naive, and he's not interested in me. Besides, he has a baby, and I'm her nanny. He has a lot more important things on his mind.”
Nayeli rubbed her belly thoughtfully. “You know, I've been trying to do a little research on Rose's mom, but nothing's turning up. No missing wolves, no female rogues, no sign of her.”
I shrugged. “I haven't really thought much about it. Maybe her mom left her with Joe for a reason, and it's none of my business.”
“Or maybe she was killed,” Rhie interjected, and the rest of us gaped at her. She smiled. “Just a possibility. It's happened before.”
“True,” Kiera nodded, but she looked uncomfortable. Rhie's smile faltered, as if she realized she'd said something strange, so I took up the conversation thread before things could get awkward.
“Either way, Rose's mother will come forward eventually,” I told them, a bit defensively. “No need to look into it now.”
“Well, anyway,” Nayeli cleared her throat. “I know you say that, Mr. Charmer, Joe Longwood isn't into you, but how is he as a housemate?”
“Perfect, actually. Zero complaints in that department. He's great with Rose, and the house is big and beautiful. Plus, he has a cleaning service that comes twice a week, and he's given me a little corner of his greenhouse to grow some herbs and vegetables. He's a good cook, too. It's been...” I trailed off, realizing that I was smiling.
Kiera and Nayeli both wore matching grins, and even Rhie was smiling, hiding it behind her hands.
“What?” I demanded.
“Oh, nothing.” Nayeli leaned her cheek on her fist. “Nothing at all.”
“He's an annoying ass,” I snapped.
