Page 31 of This Heart
“I, um, I guess. I’m not honestly sure how long I will need a nanny.”
Kim grinned. “Fair enough.”
“Okay. So, should we talk details, then?”
Kim motioned for me to go on. “I can’t wait to hear all about your precious daughter.”
Aurora
Harper and I sat quietly by as Liam explained what he was looking for in a nanny, the hours he would need, and how I, along with Harper and Cadie, would be helping to fill in so that whoever took the position would have weekends off.
Kim waved her hand. “I have no social life, so I don’t mind working weekends.”
Harper cleared her throat and shot me a worried look. Confused, I shook my head slightly, telling her I wasn’t sure what she was trying to say.
“Kim,” Harper stated. “I appreciate that you don’t mind working weekends, but Liam and Aurora have devised a good schedule to allow those of us who love and care for Winnie to be a part of her life. We’ve all watched her grow up, and it means a lot to have us be able to keep being a part of her world, so you won’t be needed for weekends.”
Kim smiled, but it looked forced. “Yes, of course. I was just letting Liam,the father,know I’m willing to work weekends.”
My brows shot up at the tone she used with Harper. The moment I saw this lady, I got a strange feeling about her, and the more she spoke, the less I liked her.
Liam stepped in. “Harper and Aurora have each played a significant role in Winnie’s life since Hope was first diagnosed. I don’t think it’s unfair of them to want to continue that role. You’ll have to feel comfortable with them having a say in Winnie’s care just as much as I do…the father.”
Bravo, Liam!
I was relieved to see that Liam had caught the little jab Kim had made. By Harper’s expression on her face, she was as well.
“Of course,” Kim said, sounding like someone poured honey into her mouth. “I meant no disrespect. This is quite unconventional, so I just need you to allow me some time to adjust. I’m not used to dealing with…friends…as well as a parent.”
Liam smiled. “No worries. I just needed you to know that before we moved forward in case you had any issues.”
I turned to look at Liam. He sounded like he had already made up his mind on who would be the nanny. I mean, honestly, Kim seemed like the best fit, but there was another agency in Lake Placid that I hoped Liam would contact. He needed choices.
“I have no problem with that at all.”
“Great. Are you free tomorrow? We could head to the park, and you could spend some time with Winnie.”
Harper and I exchanged looks. Maybe Liam felt desperate since the other nanny prospects were pretty bad. He knew Kim, had even dated her, so maybe that gave him a sense of trust in her. I glanced down at the references she had handed to Harper, who then passed them on to me, and they were stellar. High marks from everyone, including the last family who had apparently begged her to move to Italy with them.
Kim beamed. “I’m free tomorrow and would love to join you and Winnie at the park.”
Liam stood. “Great. We can exchange numbers and connect in the morning.”
Kim also stood. “Wonderful! When I saw it was you, I wasn’t sure how receptive you would be to me applying for the position.”
That got me curious. “Why is that?” I asked.
Turning to look at me, Kim stated, “Our history, of course.”
I nodded. “Of course.”
“I don’t see why it would be a factor,” Liam stated. “We broke up on friendly terms.”
Kim’s eye twitched, but she smiled and replied, “We did. My goal is to give you peace of mind that your daughter will be well taken care of. As you can see by my references, I come highly recommended by my last employer.”
Kim took the papers from my hand and handed them to Liam.
Liam smiled. “I’ll look over them and we’ll talk more tomorrow. I’m glad to see you again, Kim.”
