Page 17 of The Forbidden Sitter
The chef, Consuela, was the first to greet our employer, “Good morning, Mr. Forester. Will you be having breakfast here this morning,sir?”
Without looking back at him, I tried my best to act as if I was still taking stock of the food, but my ears were keened, waiting to hear what I hoped Iwould.
The legs of the chair scraped the floor—a good sign he was taking a seat at the table where Braiden was sitting in his high chair. “I will be having breakfast here this morning.” He chuckled. “Good morning to you too,son.”
The tenderness in his voice melted me completely. God. He really did mean well, in spite of his arroganttendencies.
“And I’ll be eating breakfast here every morning, Consuela. How about some eggs? I don’t care how you make them. Surpriseme.”
Making her way to the fridge that blended into the darkly-paneled wall, she got out a carton of eggs and got to work. I put my clipboard down and finally turned to greet my boss. “Morning.”
Looking over his shoulder at me, he pointed at the chair across from him. “Tell our chef what you would like to eat this morning and join us over here, Brooke. I want this little bonding time to have you in ittoo.”
“Oh, I don’t …” I couldn’t get it all out before one of his dark brows raised, and I went to him without saying anything further. “You can make me the same as what he’s having, Consuela. Thankyou.”
Smoothing out my knee-length skirt, I took the seat opposite him at the small breakfast table. Braiden took a fresh strawberry out of his bowl and held it out to his father. “How thoughtful, son. Thank you.” He took the fruit and ate it in one bite. Then his eyes turned to me. “Coffee?”
I went to get back up to get him some, as that’s what I assumed he meant. “How do you takeit?”
“Sit down,” he said with a chuckle. “I meant, do you want some coffee? Not that I wanted you to get up and get mesome.”
“Oh.” I felt stupid, but shook that off. “Yes, I think I’d like onecup.”
Overhearing us, Consuela was already sending one of her kitchen helpers to us with cups and the pot of freshly brewed coffee. Placing the cups in front of us, she filled them, then left usalone.
Looking at the steaming cup, I thought about the fact I liked sugar in mine and some cream too. Gannon took a sip of his, then he looked at my untouched cup. “Sarah, cream and sugar please.” He looked up from my cup to me. “You know you’re allowed to ask for things you want here,right?”
Letting out a breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding, I nodded. “I’m just a little out of sorts this morning. Our exchange last night has left me a bit shaken. I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds. “Gannon … I have no idea where my lines are with you. Could you please help me understand thembetter?”
Sarah placed the cream and sugar on the table and a small spoon on a white linen napkin next to my cup of untouched coffee. “Here you are,ma’am.”
“Thank you, Sarah.” It was only then that I realized how the rest of the staff was regarding me. Not like one of their own. No, not at all. I was treated the same way Gannon was.Only Iwas allowed to call him by his first name.Only Iwas sitting down to eat with him.Only me,and they all saw it. But why onlyme?
Gannon took another sip of his coffee as I fixed mine up and Braiden offered his father a fat blueberry. “How about you eat that one, Braiden? Daddy wants you to be nice and healthy.” I caught Braiden’s wide smile as he popped the fruit into his mouth, chewing ithappily.
The kid was happy almost all the time. He wasn’t whiny or moody or demanding. It didn’t make any sense why his mother wanted to be rid of him. He was a joy to bearound.
Gannon turned his attention back to me. “Brooke, I don’t know how to do this father thing, and I’m looking to you for guidance. When you came into my bedroom last night,” I caught the kitchen staff stopping to look at us, “and told me I was neglecting my son,” Consuela’s face contorted as if she had a stomach cramp, “I wasn’t toopleased.”
Sarah nodded. I knew what they had to be thinking--this girl is anidiot.
Trying my best to ignore our small audience, I tried to speak as if no one was listening. “Yet, here you are at the breakfast table as I asked you to be.” I tapped the silver spoon on the inside of my cup to rid it of the drop of coffee that had settled into the scooped bottom before placing it back on the white napkin. Pulling the cup to my lips, I blew the steam off the surface and took a sip.Muchbetter.
Gannon’s eyes danced as he grinned sexily at me. “Yet here I am.” One large hand rubbed his dark beard that he kept neatly trimmed. “You made me think. I’m really not used to being told off that way, youknow.”
“I did it for the sake of your son.” I leveled my eyes on his before I turned them to his son. “I’d do anything forhim.”
“I can see that.” Trickles of electricity moved through my hand as I had laid it on the table. When I looked to see just why that was, I saw his hand on top ofmine.
I looked up to find his eyes filled with emotion. “Brooke, I know you’d do anything for him. And that’s why I listened. I’m not used to admitting that I can be stubborn. And I hate being told what to do. But what you told me last night changed me a tinybit.”
I was mesmerized by the man. His soft, smooth, deep voice. His handsome face. The way he looked at me. I was lost in him. “Oh,yeah?”
“Yeah.” He smiled, making soft lines crease around his mouth and eyes. “Women don’t talk to me the way you did last night. And not many men have dared toeither.”
I must’ve been insane to have spoken to him in a way others didn’t dare to. But I’d had to do it, and I’d do it again if necessary. For Braiden, I’d do whatever I had to, to give him the father hedeserved.
Gulping back some highly-charged emotions, I pulled my hand out from under his, as his touch was freaking me out a bit. “I hope I didn’t offend you with anything I said lastnight.”
