I stepped inside the house behind my father-in-law, expecting to find Charlotte and Candice settling into the living room. But instead of finding them in there, I heard female voices coming from the kitchen.
Candice and Nora’s voices.
Which meant that Charlotte’s inability to sit still had apparently carried her and her sometimes persnickety grandmother through the house and straight to the kitchen island.
Right to where Nora was.
A small pit formed in my stomach.
Because I had a feeling this was about to lead me into answering questions I wasn’t quite sure how to answer.
35
NORA
“Nora!”Charlotte said, running into the kitchen shortly after Theo answered the door, spotting me immediately.
I bent down just in time to catch her as she barreled toward me, wrapping her arms around my neck with all the enthusiasm only a three-year-old could muster.
“Hey there!” I laughed, pulling her up onto my lap as I sat back down on the stool.
“I missed you!”
“I missed you, too,” I said, giving her a squeeze.
As Charlotte settled against me, I heard the sound of heels clicking on the wooden floor. And when I looked up, my heart jumped into my throat because I was suddenly face to face with Charlotte’s grandmother.
“Oh,” Mrs. Vanderbilt said, stopping a couple of feet from me. “I didn’t realize Theo had company.”
“Uh, yeah,” I said, swallowing. “We were just hanging out.”
The middle-aged woman’s gaze moved slowly over my face, taking in my hair before drifting down the rest of me. As she took in my purple tank top, jean shorts, and very non-designersandals, it felt less like being looked at and more like being inspected.
Assessed.
And while I’d been around plenty of wealthy and well-connected people through the years, thanks to my brother Ky’s career, I’d never quite felt as small as I did under this intimidating woman’s quiet scrutiny.
“I don’t think we’ve officially met,” Mrs. Vanderbilt said finally, “but aren’t you the girl we saw leaving here when we picked up Charlotte?”
“Yes, that’s me,” I said, though my voice came out a little less confident than I would’ve liked. “I’m Nora. Charlotte’s nanny.”
“Oh, that’s right,” she said. “Theo did mention that…” But instead of finishing the thought, her attention shifted toward the island.
More specifically, to the takeout containers sitting on the counter between us.
Her eyes lingered there for a moment, and I could practically see the gears turning in her head. Which meant she was probably doing the same mental math I would’ve been doing in her place.
She knew Charlotte hadn’t been home all weekend so she was probably wondering why I—a woman whose job description revolved around the cute three-year-old—would be here on a Sunday evening, eating dinner with her granddaughter’s single father?
“You’re probably wondering why I’m here, aren’t you?” I said, a faint sheen of nervous sweat prickling along the back of my neck.
“Just slightly curious,” Mrs. Vanderbilt replied, her brown eyes judging. “I recall Theo mentioned you being friends with his sister, but I didn’t realize the two of you were so close.”
“Oh, we’re not,” I said quickly. “I mean, we’re friends, but we don’t hang out a ton.” I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and took a breath. “I mean, I don’t usually hang out here on Sundays.” I cleared my throat. “This is probably the first Sunday I’ve ever been here.”
Mrs. Vanderbilt said nothing. She just waited.
“But, um… my house caught fire on Friday,” I continued, my heart racing faster with each sentence I spit out. “And I ended up losing everything. But Theo was really kind and offered to let me stay here while I figure things out.” I gestured vaguely down the hallway toward the stairs. “Just in his guest room, of course.”