She laughed softly. “No problem.” Then her eyes glinted mischievously. “But I am curious. Exactly how many people did you call before you asked me? Was I your last resort?”
“Umm… Well…” I cleared my throat, wondering how I was going to get out of this without mud on my face.
“I’m joking!” She chuckled, shaking her head. “I know you’ve got a lot of people in your corner. Even if I was clearly the best choice after Charlotte and I became best buddies on that flight home from Texas.”
The corners of my lips lifted as I thought back to that flight six weeks ago. The two of them giggling over a game on Nora’s phone before Charlotte passed out on Nora’s lap. How Nora had fallen asleep shortly after that, her head resting against my shoulder.
The way I’d held my breath as I realized just how beautiful my sister’s best friend was.
Yeah, plane rides always put me in a different headspace—more appreciative, maybe even a little sentimental toward the human race. Probably had something to do with putting my life in the hands of a stranger thirty-five-thousand feet above the ground.
But really, Nora was beautiful. Her auburn curls always looked a little wild, like they refused to be tamed. Her skin held a warm, sun-kissed glow, and her brown eyes—threaded with gold—caught the light whenever she smiled.
Even now, in that over-the-top yellow ballgown, she somehow made it look elegant instead of gaudy. My gaze drifted along the curve of her collarbones before I realized what I was doing and forced it away.
And this is exactly why you didn’t offer her the nanny job six weeks ago,I reminded myself.
Because even though I’d been wading through applications while we were on the plane, I’d heard enough cautionary tales about men falling for their nannies that I didn’t need that kind of complication in my life.
Still, having her help this week would be a lifesaver.
“You’re really okay to help us out?” I asked again.
“Of course.” She hesitated, like she wanted to ask something but wasn’t sure how.
“And of course, I’ll pay you for your time,” I added quickly, thinking her hesitancy might be about the pay. “The same rate I was paying my last nanny—and a little extra, since you’re saving me in a pinch.”
Her lips curved into a smile. “That’s very generous of you.”
“It’s the least I can do,” I said. “If you hadn’t said yes, I might’ve been forced to bring Charlotte to court with me. And I’m guessing the judge wouldn’t appreciate that.”
“I bet,” she said with a soft laugh.
“Well,” I said, sliding my hands into my pockets. “I guess I’ll see you Monday morning, then?”
“You will.” Her smile was genuine, like she might actually be looking forward to the job. “Bright and early.”
“Great.” I nodded, backing up a step, already hearing Charlotte’s giggles from the direction of the bouncy castle. “Now ifyou’ll excuse me, I should probably go grab my kid before she stages a coup in there.”
“Good luck,” Nora said, laughter in her voice.
And as I turned toward the backyard, I huffed out a quiet breath of relief because for the first time all day, things felt like they might actually be under control.
4
NORA
Theo,wearing a crisp blue suit, opened his front door on Monday morning to let me in just a few minutes before six. “Hey,” he said, running a hand through his neatly combed hair, looking far too awake for this hour. “You have no idea how relieved I am to see you. Thanks again for helping me out.”
“Of course,” I said, stepping inside and glancing around the quiet entryway. The faint scent of coffee lingered in the air, and golden morning light filtered through the front windows, casting everything in a calm, peaceful glow that made the house feel instantly welcoming.
“Charlotte usually sleeps until around seven,” he said, closing the door behind me. “Sometimes seven-thirty if I’m lucky, so you can just hang out until then. Take a nap if you want.” His gaze flicked briefly to my curled hair and mascaraed lashes. “I’m guessing you’ve been up for a while already.”
“Only since five,” I said with a small smile.
“That’s when my alarm went off, too,” he said, an amused smile lifting the corner of his lips. “But if you want to sleep inlater tomorrow, feel free to just get ready here. Seriously. I know it’s early.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”