Page 37 of This Heart
I suddenly was annoyed with Harper. Who was she to pass judgment on me?
Before I could ask, she smiled. “No judgment here, I just thought you’d want to keep that relationship professional.”
I was about to reply when Aurora finally found her voice.
“Hey, Winnie!” Aurora stated as she quickly made her way over to her.
“I invited Kim yesterday during the playdate with Winnie. I thought it would be a good place to introduce her to everyone. I decided to hire her to be Winnie’s nanny.”
Harper nodded. “That’s what Aurora said. That was a fast decision.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I think she’s the perfect fit. I know her, trust her, and she’ll do a great job with Winnie.”
Harper cleared her throat. “Okay, but why is she here tonight? To take care of Winnie?”
I cleared my throat. “Well, no, I thought it would be nice to have her meet everyone.”
Harper’s gaze went from Kim and Aurora to me. She lowered her voice even more. “Liam, do you think that’s a good idea? I mean, she’s going to be your employee, and you invited her to hang out with your friends. You don’t think that might blur the lines for her?”
“Blur the lines? What do you mean?”
Harper motioned for us to step away from the small group to speak more privately.
“I’m just saying,” Harper stated. “You once dated this woman. Now she’s your nanny.”
Annoyed, I asked, “Yes? Your point is?”
“She hasn’t even started her position, and you invited her to have dinner with you and to a movie night with your friends. If she isn’t here to take care of Winnie, then she thinks she’s here on a personal level.”
“That’s nonsense. She is going to be Winnie’s nanny, and that is all. I invited her since she’ll be interacting with each of you. I’m sure she understands that.”
When I looked back at Kim, she smiled and did a small wave.Shit. Shit. Shit. Did Kim think I invited her here because I was interested in her on a more personal level?
Harper leaned in. “I don’t think she got that memo, Liam.”
“No, she can’t think that.” I faced Harper. “Do you think she thinks that?”
Harper nodded. “Well, since I’ve already met her, I’ll go re-introduce myself.”
She headed toward Kim and extended her hand. “Hi! I’m Harper Gallagher, we met the other day during your interview.”
Kim gave Harper a pleasant smile. “It’s so nice to see you again, Harper.”
“Same. My husband Declan will be here soon.”
“Is Winnie finished eating?” Aurora asked me.
“I believe she is,” I replied.
Aurora bounced Winnie in her arms as she spoke to her. “Should we go play for a bit, then take a bath?”
Winnie cupped Aurora’s face and replied, “Yes, pwease.”
Kim quickly took Winnie from Aurora’s arms, leaving the latter surprised, and if I was being honest, myself as well.
“I’ll take her to give her a bath and get her ready for bed.”
Harper cleared her throat, then looked at Aurora, who was staring at Kim with daggers.
