Page 12 of The Wedding Planner's Manny
What if I wanted to hear it, though? The question sat on the tip of my tongue, but I didn't voice it. Over the years, I'd learned to read when someone didn't want to talk about a certain topic, and Ethan's body language right now very clearly said that he wanted to move on toanyother topic. If I wanted this job, it was better if I accommodated him. “It's fine,” I said, cautiously taking a small sip of my coffee.
It was still hot. “I guess we all had different ideas what our lives would look like when we were in high school.” Personally, I'd wanted to go on expeditions in the rain forest and find new, undiscovered bugs. “Trust me, I didn't think I'd get married straight out of college, then break up with my husband after a year and end up back in the town where I was born.”
“I'm sorry things didn't work out for you.” Ethan sounded genuinely sympathetic. “I'll be honest with you. Networking is a big part of my job. I maintain good relationships with every service provider in town to get the best deals for my clients. But that also means I hear all the rumors, whether I want to or not.”
Involuntarily, I cringed. I could only imagine what sort of rumors he had heard about me. I hadn't come straight back to Oceanport after I was beat up in the attempt to leave my husband, so no one here had seen my bruises when they were at their worst, but I was sure people had talked anyway.
“What are they saying?” I made myself ask.
“That your husband nearly beat you to death.” Ethan looked very serious as he said this, and almost angry?
“That's not what happened, and I really wish people would stop pretending it is.” I sat up straighter.
“My husband is Vinist, yes, but he never laid a hand on me.” I couldn't say why, but I still felt the strong need to make that clear. I didn't like to be viewed as an abuse victim. Like my entire marriage had been a mistake from start to finish. I’d loved my husband, which made everything more wonderful and more painful at once.
“I'm sorry. It's just the rumors. I'm glad to hear your husband didn't hurt you.”
“I left for other reasons.” I raised my coffee mug to my lips and drank.
“Good, okay. I’m sorry if it seemed like I was prying. That’s not what you came here to talk about.”
He ran a hand through his hair before getting back to the topic at hand. “You like working with children?”
“Yes. I’m taking care of my nephews now. They’re one and three years old. I enjoy the time I get to spend with them and since I’m an omega, you know I’ve had some child rearing classes at school.”
That wasn’t a universal thing at all schools these days, but it had been when we grew up. “I'm also an excellent cook, or that's what I've been told.” Another good omega quality. My husband always told me I made agreatomega. I probably shouldn't have taken so much pride in that, but I liked being good at things. I liked being recognized.
“My kids are pretty picky eaters,” Ethan said with a laugh. “If you can get them to eat anything that's green you deserve an award.”
Immediately I thought up a list of things I could cook that had green things in them that children might eat. Maybe broccoli tots, which were basically tater tots, but with broccoli. Or maybe I could blend something in a soup. “I'm sure I can think of ways to trick your kids into eating something healthy.”
“Great, you're hired.”
“Just like that?”
Ethan shrugged. “I've gone through a lot of nannies and I've got a good feeling about you. Also, I really need this position filled and I hate doing interviews.” He offered his hand to me. “The job is yours if you want it.”
He didn't have to ask me twice; we shook on it. Ethan's hand was warm and firm, and where he touched my skin, it tingled for a long time after we separated. I realized, suddenly, that I'd be seeingalotof him when I took this job, which meant that I really needed to get over this lingering childhood crush or whatever it was.
I also realized that I hadn't told him about my pregnancy yet. For some reason, though, the words wouldn't come.
Maybe it would be okay if I told him at a later time?
5
E T H A N
Leaving my kids with someone new for the first time was always a little bit nerve-wracking. When Rhys started working for me, he made that experience easier by showing up super early. The doorbell rang half an hour before I had to leave the house.Perfect,I thought, going to open the door. I liked when there was enough room in the schedule to go through everything with the manny one more time before I had to head out. My friends told me that I was too anal about too many things, but in my business, I'd learned that there was no such thing as too much planning. I had contingency plans for contingency plans, and I liked it that way.
And yet, when I answered the door and came face-to-face with the omega I'd hired, contingency plans weren't the first thing on my mind. In fact, there wasnothingon my mind. I drew a total blank.
Rhys had put on blue jeans and a teal shirt and the way his clothes went with his blue eyes made him look absolutely stunning. Rhys had always had nice, delicate features, but because he tended to hide his nose in a book, not many people noticed that. I got the feeling this led to him being completely oblivious about how handsome he was. I'd observed this the last time I'd talked to him too. There was just something in the way he held himself, the way he moved that let me know he had absolutely no idea what a fine omega he was.
It was refreshing, to be honest. My wife—or ex-wife, I should say—was always flaunting her goods no matter where she went. I still cursed myself for being stupid enough to fall for it in the first place.
“Is something wrong?” Rhys asked, taking his shoes off.
“No, not at all,” I said, chiding myself for staring at him like an idiot. He was my manny and I really shouldn't have looked at him the way I had. “Please come in. I have a few things I'd like to go through with you before I leave.”
