Never Say Never

by Rachael Sommers

  “Yeah. We’re real fun at parties.” Then nodding at Jaime, she said, “I think someone’s tired.” Camila looked down. Jaime’s eyes were drifting closed.

  “I think it’s bedtime for you, young man.” Camila said. Jaime didn’t protest.

  Emily glanced at her watch. “I should probably be heading home. It’s getting late.”

  “Of course.”

  “Here, I’ll help you get him inside.”

  Emily lifted Jaime easily and carried him to his bedroom. He was small for his age, but he was heavy. She must be strong to make carrying him look so effortless.

  “You gonna wake up, buddy?” Emily asked as she gently set him down on his bed. He blinked his eyes open long enough for Camila to help him into his pajamas and tuck him in.

  “I’ll be back to read your bedtime story after I show Emily out.”

  “Okay,” he replied, yawning. “Bye, Emily.”

  “Goodnight, buddy. I’ll see you in the morning.” Emily ruffled his hair gently before following Camila to the door. “Same time tomorrow?”

  “Of course.” She handed Emily her coat. “Hopefully he’ll be dressed by the time you get here. Oh, and before I forget—there’s a gala dinner I have to go to on the fifteenth.” She hated the damn things but she had to show her face and rub shoulders with others in the industry. “Can you stay late that night? I’ll pay you double.”

  “Yeah, sure. No problem.”

  “You’re a godsend. I know you’ll say no, but do you want me to call my driver for you?”

  Emily shook her head. “It’s fine. Goodnight, Camila.”

  “Night, Emily.” Camila shut the door behind her and went to read Jaime his bedtime story, although he was asleep before she read the first sentence.

  She returned to the kitchen for a glass of wine and retired to her study. The apartment seemed too quiet and empty, intensifying her loneliness. She shook it off. She needed to get some work done before she went to sleep.

  * * *

  The rest of Emily’s first week with Jaime was uneventful. They played in the apartment or went out to explore the city. Sometimes they dropped by Camila’s office at lunchtime so that she could have a few minutes with her son.

  Camila didn’t ask her to stay for dinner again, and Emily tried not to be disappointed—she loved spending time with Jaime, but she also loved any time she got to spend with Camila. She was a fascinating woman, and Emily’s crush wasn’t fading.

  If anything, it was only growing in volume. The more she got to know Camila, the more she saw the real person, the woman behind the persona she showed the world. Camila was soft and warm with her son (she looked at him like he was her whole world, and Emily nearly melted every time she saw it); she was kind and funny and all kinds of beautiful—and Emily was definitely screwed.

  Because it was Camila Evans that she was thinking of like that, her boss, she needed to stop before she got fired, but she just… She didn’t know how to look away when Camila stood in front of her and asked Emily about her day.

  Friday afternoon, as she and Jaime were on the floor drawing at the coffee table, Emily’s phone buzzed with a message. She set down her pencil and reached for it, careful not to bump Jaime’s hand as he frowned with concentration, orange crayon held tightly.

  My ex-husband is coming around to pick up some mail from the apartment. Usually he gives me a bit more warning, but I’m sure he wants to check out the new nanny without me there. If he’s there too long, feel free to kick him out.

  Emily grinned as she read the text. She could hear the words in Camila’s voice, imagined her exasperation, and even saw the eye rolling behind the message.

  Emily had barely sent a reply when the front door clicked. Jaime looked up at the noise expecting to see his mom, but his face fell when he saw it wasn’t her, and he turned his attention back to coloring.

  Chris Wright was exactly the kind of man that Emily expected someone like Camila to marry. He was tall and handsome with impressive cheekbones, blue eyes that sparkled a little too much, and brown hair just starting to gray. Camila had told her he was a lawyer with a well-known firm, and she thought from his pressed Armani suit that he wanted the rest of the world to know who he was.

  “Hi.” He stepped into the room. “I’m Chris, Jaime’s dad. You must be the new nanny.”

  “Emily Walker.” She stood up to shake his outstretched hand.

  “Hi, Daddy.” Jaime tore his attention away from his drawing long enough to glance up at his dad.

  “Hey, big guy.” Chris ruffled Jaime’s hair affectionately. “You having fun? What are you working on there?”

  “It’s a picture of me and Mama and Emily.”

  Emily felt awkward about being in the family drawing when Chris was not, and she could tell from the set of Chris’s jaw that he wasn’t pleased.

  “You gonna make me one too?”

  “Do you want one?” Jaime peered up at his father curiously.

  Chris swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

  “Of course I do, Jaime.”

  “But you’re never here anymore,” Jaime said softly.

  “I know, big guy.” Chris sighed and moved around the coffee table to sit on the couch behind where Jaime worked.

  Emily felt like she was intruding. She retreated into the kitchen to give them some semblance of privacy in the open-plan apartment and busied herself with cleaning up the dishes she and Jaime had used for lunch, though she could still hear every word Chris and Jaime said.

  “You remember why I left, right? Because your mom and I weren’t getting along anymore.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I might not come over here as much anymore, but once I’ve got your bedroom set up in my new place, you can come over whenever you want, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Emily was surprised at the affectionate tone Chris had with Jaime, and she wondered if she had judged him too harshly—but then she remembered the affair that had led to Camila divorcing him and the way he had not-so-subtly checked her out earlier. She decided he could still be an asshole.

  “I have to get back to work now, but I’ll come and see you again soon, okay?”

  “Bye, Daddy.”

  Chris ruffled Jaime’s hair one last time before standing up to leave. “It was nice to meet you,” he called out to Emily. She waited until the door closed before padding back into the living room and sitting on the floor across from Jaime again.

  They finished drawing and then Emily made him dinner. When Camila called to say she wouldn’t be home until late, she gave him a bath, and afterwards, when he was in his pajamas, they curled up together on the couch for a movie.

  Jaime was asleep with his head on Emily’s lap when Camila finally arrived home. The stress and exhaustion of her busy day melted away when she looked down at her son.

  “Was your day okay?” she asked Emily, settling down on the couch by Jaime’s feet.

  “Better than yours, judging by the time,” Emily replied. “I, uh, I already ate, but I heated up something for you too. It’s still in the oven.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know, but it was no trouble.”

  Camila smiled, and Emily’s heart skipped a beat.

  “Did Chris come by?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did he hit on you?” Camila asked. Emily shook her head. “Huh. That’s a surprise.”

  “He checked me out at some point, but that was all. He sat with Jaime for a little while. I…I think he misses him.”

  “He is easy to miss,” Camila conceded, glancing down at her sleeping son. “Chris never wanted kids, but he is good with Jaime. Sometimes…sometimes I worry that our strained relationship will have a negative effect on him. I never wanted him to grow up in a broken home.”

 
“It might have done him more damage if you’d stayed together.” Emily was a little amazed that Camila was talking about something so personal.

  “Oh, there was no way we were staying together after I caught him with his secretary,” Camila replied, her eyes darkening. “He was lucky I didn’t throw the pair of them over the balcony railing.”

  “Wow.” Emily couldn’t comprehend why someone would cheat on a woman like Camila. “You deserve better than that.”

  “Yes, well, I can’t say I was entirely blameless.” Camila gazed off into the distance, a million miles away. “When we got together, CEBC was just getting started, but as it grew, I focused more on that than my marriage.”

  “Still no excuse for what he did,” Emily said a little uncertainly. “He’s an idiot.”

  Jaime stirred on Emily’s lap, interrupting the conversation.

  “I think it’s time we got you to bed, buddy.” Emily gently nudged him awake. Jaime blinked sleepily for a minute before he realized that he and Emily weren’t alone on the couch.

  “Mama!”

  “Hi, sweetheart.” Camila chuckled as Jaime roused himself to wrap her in a hug. “Had a good day?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Ready for bed?” she asked him, and he nodded, rubbing his eyes. “Say goodbye to Emily, then.”

  “Bye, Emily.”

  “Bye, Jaime. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  Emily gathered up her things, smiling at the sight of Jaime already falling asleep again on Camila’s shoulder.

  “Have a good weekend, Emily,” Camila called out as Emily made her way to the front door.

  “You too, Camila. Goodnight.”

  Chapter 6

  “I know I’m a poor substitute for Cassie,” Maia told Emily as they mounted the steps of the American Museum of Natural History. “She told me she’s been promising you this outing since her college days.”

  “Don’t be silly.” Emily was only too happy to spend time with Maia. “Crime scenes don’t run on a nine-to-five schedule. Besides, she’s going to join us later.”

  “So how have your first couple of weeks been, Em? Are you enjoying it?”

  “Yeah, it’s really great.” Whenever she thought about her job—and Jaime—she smiled, barely believing how lucky she was to have a job that made her so happy and one that paid so well. “It doesn’t even feel like work most of the time. Jaime’s a great kid, and spending my days in that apartment isn’t exactly a hardship.”

  She loved the view from the balcony most of all—it was her favorite place to sit. She and Jaime spent much of their time out there, Emily sketching the city skyline while Jaime tried his best to imitate her. And at night the view of the stars was breathtaking.

  “I would kill to see the inside of that place.” Maia sighed wistfully. “I’d love to see how the other half lives.”

  “If I could sneak you in without Camila finding out, I would.”

  Maia grinned. “I’d be scared to touch anything.”

  “So was I, for the first few days,” Emily admitted. “And then I broke a vase. Camila was actually pretty cool about it—didn’t seem to care at all, even though it probably cost a lot.”

  “And how’s your hopeless crush?” Maia asked, though her face suggested she already knew the answer.

  “Getting more hopeless by the day.” Emily sighed. “But at least Camila hasn’t figured it out yet”—she paused—“I don’t think. If she has, she hasn’t mentioned it.”

  “Well, I envy you—your boss is smoking hot, you get to play all day, and your office is a fancy apartment. It beats the bullpen at the precinct.” Maia wrinkled her nose. “I swear half of the cops I work with don’t own deodorant.”

  “At least if you get one of them for Secret Santa, you’ll know what to buy.”

  “I like the way you think, Em. So where to first?” Maia asked as they stepped into the entrance hall. “I’ve never actually been here before.”

  “As my tour guide, you probably shouldn’t admit that.”

  “Hey, I got us here, didn’t I?” Maia shoulder checked her, and Emily grinned.

  “That’s true. Dinosaurs first?” Emily suggested when she saw the sign pointing toward the exhibit. “I have to warn you: I’m a giant nerd.”

  “Cassie already briefed me. She—”

  “Emily!”

  The screech from behind startled them both, and Emily turned to see a familiar mop of blond curls sprinting toward her. Jaime collided with her legs, nearly bowling her over.

  “Hi!” He gazed up at her adoringly, and Emily’s heart melted.

  “Hey, buddy. Where’s your mom?”

  “Jaime!”

  Camila materialized in front of them a moment later, her mouth in a thin line.

  “I said you could go and say hello, not tackle her to the ground.”

  “Sorry,” Jaime mumbled against Emily’s knee. “Got excited. I missed you.”

  “You saw me yesterday!”

  “Long time ago,” Jaime replied solemnly. “Did you miss me too?”

  “Of course I did, bud. You here for the dinosaurs?”

  He nodded, and she leaned down to whisper “Me too!” like it was a secret. He giggled.

  “Come with us?” he asked. Emily looked at Camila, not wanting say no but sure Camila would prefer to spend some quality time alone with her son.

  “Sweetheart, maybe Emily wants to spend her day off with her…friend.” The pause was noticeable, and Emily wondered if Camila thought this was a date. She almost laughed out loud at the thought.

  “She can come too!” Jaime declared. Emily glanced at Maia, who was stifling a smile.

  “Jaime…” Camila’s voice sounded a warning, which made Jaime clutch Emily tighter. If there was a tantrum coming, she really did not want to be at the center of it.

  The building tension was diffused when Emily’s and Maia’s phones chimed in unison. Emily glanced at the group message. It was Cassie. She was outside and wanted to know where to meet them.

  Babe, get in here now – Camila Evans is here and you’re missing the show!!!!

  Emily closed her eyes. She would kill both Maia and Cassie if they embarrassed her in front of her new boss.

  “Hey.” Cassie’s voice echoed loudly in the antechamber of the museum. Emily wondered if she had run, but her sister casually approached Maia not even remotely out of breath, slung an arm around her shoulder, and kissed her cheek. Camila watched them closely. “How’s it going?”

  “Camila, this is my sister, Cassie.” Emily ignored Cassie’s elbow digging into her side. “And this is her girlfriend, Maia. Guys, this is Camila, and this”—she squeezed one of Jaime’s shoulders—“is Jaime.”

  He looked up at them shyly, and when Cassie waved at him, he hid his face in Emily’s legs.

  “Nice to meet you,” Cassie said. “We’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Emily glared at her sister.

  “I was talking about Jaime, obviously.”

  Emily narrowed her eyes, a look that said “I am going to kill you.”

  “I’m sure.” Camila smiled, amused. “Anyway, we won’t take up any more of your day. Come on, Jaime.” She held out her hand. “Let’s go.”

  “But I want Emily to come too!”

  “Emily can bring you back another day.” Camila told him, which seemed a fair compromise, considering how much time they spent together.

  “No! I want both of you to come!”

  “You know, Emily, you can go, if you want to.” Cassie’s shit-eating grin told Emily she was very proud of herself. “It’d actually be nice for Maia and me to spend some time together.” She pulled Maia closer. “Work’s been so busy lately.”

  Except that Emily knew for a fact that Cassie and Maia had both taken the entire previous week off to sort out
their new apartment.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Emily said to Camila, still glaring at her sister.

  “You wouldn’t be intruding,” Camila said. “It would actually be nice to walk through a museum with someone who isn’t under the age of six. You don’t have to, though.”

  “I…” She hesitated. Camila’s offer seemed sincere, and Emily really didn’t want to turn down the offer. “I’d love to.”

  “Yay!” Jaime yelled before taking Emily’s hand and trying to drag her away.

  “Hang on a sec, buddy.” She laughed, pulling him back and handing him over to Camila so she could step away to say goodbye to Cassie and Maia.

  “You’re welcome,” Cassie said after Camila had moved out of earshot.

  “I hate you. I’m not coming over for dinner later.”

  “Yes, you are,” Cassie admonished her. “You’re coming so you can give us every detail of your date.”

  “This is not a date!” Emily hissed, trying to keep her voice low.

  Maia laughed, tugging at Cassie’s arm. “Stop teasing her or she’s going to explode.”

  “You are just as bad,” Emily rounded on her, hands on her hips in mock effrontery. “If you hadn’t sent that text, none of this would have happened.”

  “Oh please, stop acting like you’re not delighted to spend more time with Camila,” Cassie said. “Now go, enjoy yourself. And be at our place by seven.”

  “I’m not coming!”

  “Yeah, you are. Maia’s making quesadillas, your favorite. And there’s a chocolate cheesecake in the fridge with your name on it.”

  Emily huffed. She couldn’t say no to either of those things.

  “We’ll see you later. Love you!”

  Emily was still muttering as she made her way back to Camila and Jaime. She couldn’t stay mad when she thought of stealing a few hours with Camila, especially in her well-fit black jeans. The undone buttons at the collar of her white blouse revealed the pale skin of Camila’s collarbones, and Emily worked hard to avert her eyes.

  “You ready to check out some dinosaurs, Jaime?”

  “Yeah!” He reached for her hand again and took Camila’s at the same time, pulling them both toward the exhibit.