Page 27 of The Nanny

“I actually want to come visit soon, if that’s okay. I’d love for you to meet Sophie. Aiden already cleared it, if you’re up for it.”

“Well of course I want to meet the little hellion. I have to make sure she’s making you earn that big fat salary they lured you away from me with.”

I flip the grilled cheese, laughing again. “Of course.”

“Bring her over for dinner, and I’ll make my meatballs.”

“You know the way to my heart.”

“I tried to talk you out of leaving me, but youhadto go...”

“I know, I know. I’ll pick a day soon and let you know. Sophie’s dinner is almost done. I better get her fed before she starts biting my ankles.”

“I heard that,” Sophie’s voice calls across the room.

“Well, all right,” Wanda says. “I’ll let you go. Just make sure you come by. I sort of miss your face.”

“I love you too,” I chuckle.

“See you soon.”

“Right.”

Sophie has wandered into the kitchen by the time I hang up the phone, peeking at the grilled cheese I’m sliding onto a plate. “Can you cut mine into triangles?”

“Well, obviously,” I snort. “The triangles make it taste better.”

I’m rewarded with a toothy grin. “Yeah.”

“Do you want milk or juice?”

“Um.” Sophie considers, weighing her options. “Milk. No, juice. Yeah. I want juice.”

“I think we have some apple juice left,” I tell her. “Go check.”

“Okay.”

I finish up the second grilled cheese I’ve made for myself as she paces over to the fridge, pulling open the doors to peek inside as I turn off the stove. It’s not the fanciest meal anyone has ever made, but thankfully, it doesn’t take much to impress a nine-year-old. I can hear her half climbing up onto the countertop to grab her own glass, which is pretty par for the course for my independent little charge, and I am just getting ready to scold her when I am distracted by the sound of the doorbell. I look back at Sophie with a curious expression; I don’t know who could be coming by this late since Aiden has already left for work.

Then it dawns on me. “Oh. That’s probably your aunt. Your dad said she was coming by.”

Sophie’s eyes light up. “Aunt Iris!”

She bounds off even as I’m calling after her, wiping my hands on a kitchen towel before I start down the stairs to follow her. Sophie already has the door open, hugging a tall, thin woman with soft blond hair falling around her shoulders. Her face is lit up in a bright smile as she clings to Sophie, and it’s only when she peeks up at me that her expression changes, her delicate brow that is the same shade as her hair turning down and her smile faltering.

I decide not to let it bother me. “Hi,” I greet cheerily. “You must be Iris. Aiden said you were coming by.”

“Right,” she answers flatly, and I don’t miss the way her eyes dip down and back up again, like she’s sizing me up. “You must be the new nanny.”

Oh boy.

“That’s me,” I say, keeping my cheery tone. “We were just making dinner... Do you want to come up and join us?”

Iris looks around. “Aiden isn’t here?”

“He’s at work,” I answer, noticing the tense nature of her tone.

“Hmm.”

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