Page 15 of Mistletoe Meet Cute
“Dude, she’s my new nanny.” I look at him and laugh. “And you’re married to my sister.”
“Exactly. Your sister, who wasmynanny. Just saying...” Coach calls him over, and he pops on his helmet. “Stranger things have happened.”
That may have happened for him, but it’s not happening to me.
I refuse to let it.
And not just because Holly Chase is fucking beautiful.
But because she also seems to be good with Sophie, at least, so far.
And that’s all she’s going to be.
Good with my daughter.
The last thing I need is another complication in my life.
Another person to let down.
Another person to fail.
Holly Chase and all her chipper Christmas-crazy deserves more than I have to give.
When I get home that night, the lights are low, and the house is quiet. A soft hum coming from the family room sounds like the TV, but I can’t make it out, and I’m not prepared for what I find when I walk into the room.Home Aloneis playing on the TV, and Holly is snuggled up on the couch, possibly sleeping, though I can’t tell from this angle. What I can tell is my baby is snuggled up on her chest, white-and-pink footie pajamas on, sound asleep, while Madden snores on Holly’s other side with his face resting on her leg and his tongue hanging out.
She’s charmed my kid and my dog, and she’s done it watching a movie that’s got to be older than she is.
The old wood floor, that’s been here since my grandparents owned this house, creaks as I step further into the room and watch Holly turn her head. “Hey, Grinch.”
Her soft smile is so pretty, it almost hurts to look at.
Grinch . . .my little vixen.
“Hey, vixen.” I move closer, enjoying the shocked glare she throws my way at the nickname, and run a hand over Sophie’s back, wondering if I’m already skating a fine line. “How was she?”
“Great,” Holly whispers. “She and I spent the day getting to know each other, and I’m pretty sure she’s my new favorite person in the world.” Her soft laughter somehow calms the tightness in my chest. “She passed out about twenty minutes ago, and I didn’t have the heart to put her to bed yet. Consider this bonding.”
“That’s all right. I’ve got her.” I gently lift Sophie off Holly’s chest and cradle her against mine. “Thanks.”
“Not a problem. I’m just going to watch the rest of this down here, okay?” she asks, and I nod, my voice suddenly stuck in my throat.
I’ve never come home to someone in my house before that wasn’t my septuagenarian former nanny. Never lived with a woman. Not since I left for college at eighteen. That was over a decade ago, and those women were my sisters.
Once Sophie is lying snug in her crib, I realize she doesn’t even have her binky in her mouth. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen this kid sleep without that little thing. “You must have really liked Holly, didn’t you, baby girl?” I whisper into the night and press a kiss to her soft head. “You must have had a good day with Holly, huh?” I drag my finger down along her chubby cheek. “Guess I better do whatever it takes to make this work then, huh?”
I zip her into her baby-in-a-bag sleep-sack thing and step back, just watching her sleep. It’s become one of my favorite things to do since she came into my life.
Let’s hope she’s a good judge of character and Holly works out for us better than my last nanny did.
HOLLY
You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy Christmas decorations.
And seriously, it’s the same thing.
—Holly’s Secret Thoughts
Rainey
