Page 20 of This Heart
My mouth fell open. “What?”
He nodded.
“Okay. Does he need help finding a nanny?”
He shrugged. “I think he does. He said he doesn’t, but will he really know what questions to ask? I know this is so sexist of me to say, but you’re a woman, and you’ve been with Winnie a while. I feel like you know what to look for.”
I sunk further into my seat. “Does he want my help?”
“He wants to make amends with you, that much I know. Do you think you can stop by tonight and talk to him? Offer to help in the search for a nanny.”
My first instinct was to say yes, for the sake of Winnie. Right before I answered, I remembered my date with Gary.
“I can’t tonight. I have a date.”
My brother’s eyes went wide. “You have a date? With who? James?”
“James? No, we’re just friends. I’ve told you that, Nate.”
He leaned forward. “I also know you left with him the same night Liam said all that shit to you. Plus, he was seen leaving the back alley behind the bookstore that next morning.”
If I thought it possible to do, my mouth would have fallen open onto my desk. “Do you have people spying on me?”
He laughed. “No! It’s a small town, Aurora. People see things and it happened to be Pete who was running that morning.”
“Pete!” I hissed. “I should have known!”
Nathan rolled his eyes. “If it’s not James, who is it?”
“Gary Harris. He’s the new finance director for the city. Cadie introduced us, and he stopped by right before you did and asked me out to dinner.”
For a moment, my brother looked disappointed. He quickly changed his expression and smiled. “I think that’s great; you’re going out on a date. Is he a nice guy?”
“I think so. I don’t know him that well.”
“Well,” he said, while he moved in his seat and cleared his throat. “Is there any way you can swing by and talk to Liam before your date?”
“Again, does he want me to?”
“He mentioned you haven’t called or stopped by, so I think he would really like for you to.”
I sighed. “I’ll text him and see if he is available for me to visit Winnie this afternoon. If he wants to discuss my help with finding a nanny, then that’s fine. But I’m going to leave it in his court.”
A wide smile broke out across my brother’s face. “Thank you, Aurora. I know he feels like an ass about what he said to you.”
“As he should.”
“Agreed. Give him a chance to make things right.”
I stood. “I will. I’d better get back out there.”
Nathan stood, and when I walked around the desk, he pulled me in for a hug. “I love you, sis.”
Hugging him tightly, I replied, “I love you, too.”
I walked with Nathan to the door and hugged him one last time. When I turned and headed back to the checkout counter, I pulled out my phone and texted Liam.
Me: Hi, Liam. I’m getting off early this afternoon and wondered if you and Winnie would be home around 3:15 for a visit.
