by J. P. Comeau
I blinked. “I don’t have Twitter.”
Sadie squealed. “I do! I do! I’m putting it up no--whoa.”
I leaned forward quickly. “Whoa? What, whoa?”
“Yeah,” Luna said.
“Hey! Guys! Tell me what the hell you’re looking at!” I exclaimed.
Sadie sighed. “You remember when he couldn't go out with you a couple of weeks ago because he was apparently sick with the flu?”
I nodded. “Yeah?”
Luna cleared her throat. “Well, there is a slew of pictures ranging from a week ago to two weeks ago with pictures of him in the Bahamas.”
I stood up. “What?”
Sadie interjected. “On a yacht.”
I blinked. “What!?”
Luna scoffed. “Cheering with champagne. And that other set of fingers is pretty dainty.”
My vision dripped with red. “What!?!”
I flopped back down onto the couch and picked up another slice of pizza. I practically sucked it down before picking up another one while Sadie and Luna electronically stalked my ex. I tuned them out, though. I was so hurt and so blindsided by all of this that all I wanted to do was stare at a wall and eat my weight in cheesy goodness.
I’d never had a man leave me like this, much less cheat on me in the process.
The woman must really be a looker, then.
Sadie’s voice ripped me from my trance. “All right, all right, I know this has been fun--.”
I scoffed. “Speak for yourself.”
Luna sighed. “We’re sorry, Willow. But, now, at least you’re seeing him for how we’ve always seen him. And maybe you’ll listen to us next time when we warn you about guys like him.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”
Sadie interjected. “And anyway, you need to focus on finding another job. Not wallowing in this self-pity, you’ve got going for yourself. Because on my end? It doesn’t look like the other vet in this town is hiring at the moment.”
I paused. “You’re now looking at jobs for me? What are you, the Wizard of the Internet?”
Luna jumped in. “She’s right. The only full-time work I’m finding is at grocery stores and things like that. There’s a lot of part-time work on the ranches around here and everything. But, still, nothing at the local vet clinics or even the ones in the surrounding towns.”
Sadie piped up. “Hey, hey, hey! An idea just hit me. Oh, a good--very, very good--idea.”
I took another bite of pizza. “What?”
“I ran into Will Remington at Beck’s Bar across town when I went to get dinner, and--.”
I grinned. “You sure you just willy-nilly ran into the man? Or, are you two finally talking again?”
The phone fell silent before Luna, and I started laughing. And Sadie wasn’t a fan of it.
“Shut up, both of you. You know I still hate him.”
I held my stomach as I leaned forward. “No you don’t. You still have a crush on him.”
Luna cackled with laughter. “Girl, he’s definitely moved on. You made sure of that when you broke up with him.”
Sadie murmured over the phone. “Why don’t you shut up so I can talk about what he told me? I mean, Willow might like working for his brother.”
My laughter stopped. “Wait, Bryce is looking for an employee?”
Luna settled her giggles. “Wow, you stopped laughing really quickly.”
I heard Sadie’s grin over the phone. “Any reason for that?”
My face fell. “The man’s married, assholes. That’s a really shitty thing to even consider. He’s my friend, and nothing more. Is he okay? What does he need help with?”
Sadie paused. “Wait, you haven’t heard?”
I slowly stood. “Heard what? Is Bryce all right?”
Sadie sighed. “I don’t know the details, but the job assumes a lot about the position Bryce might be in.”
Luna clicked her tongue. “Well? Spit it out, then.”
I stood there, holding my breath before Sadie finally spoke again.
“Bryce needs a nanny to help with his daughter.”
I let out the breath I’d been holding. “Where’s Patricia in all of this? Did something happen to her?”
“I don’t know. Will didn’t go into all of that. But, the sadness in his eyes told me that whatever it is? It isn’t good?”
Luna sighed. “Besides, word travels fast around this town. Everyone will know what happened by the weekend. So, we’ll have our answers eventually.”
I drew in a deep breath. “A nanny…”
The worst-case scenario ran through my mind, and I instantly wanted to give Bryce a massive hug. I mean, his wife always reminded me of some kind of gold digger, and it shocked the entire town when he proposed to that woman. They hadn’t dated for long, if at all before they decided to get married. And while I believed in love at first sight, those two seemed completely incompatible with one another. I always wondered why a guy like Bryce would decide to build his family with a woman like that. But, if she had left him, maybe it was a good thing for him along down the road. That meant he could find a nice girl who’d treat him like a man instead of like a damn paycheck.
“I’ve always liked being around kids,” I murmured.
“Exactly,” Sadie said, “and since you know Bryce already, he might be more inclined to hire someone he knows to look after that precious little daughter of his.”
Luna hopped in. “I say it’s definitely worth a shot.”
I weighed my options. “Think you girls can come up with his email for me?”
The phone call fell silent for less than thirty seconds before Sadie piped up.
“Got it!”
Luna cursed beneath her breath. “One click away.”
I shook my head. “You two are insane, you know that?”
Sadie cleared her throat. “Ready? You want to write this down or remember it?”
I settled back against the couch cushions. “Send it to me in a text. I’m going to start crafting my email and updating my resume.”
I heard clicking on the other end of the line before Sadie spoke up again. “Got it sent.”
My phone lit up in my hand. “Thanks, girl. I appreciate it.”
Luna giggled. “Let us know how it goes beautiful.”
I nodded. “Will do.”
“And if you need me to proofread anything, let me know, okay?” Sadie asked.
“Thanks. I love you guys.”
“Love you, too,” they said in unison.
Then, I started crafting my email and updating my resume, all on my phone. Hoping it would be enough to score a job I desperately needed, as well as fill a position that sounded almost like an emergency.
And who knows? Maybe Bryce would let me compete with the Remington’s prized quarter horses in barrel racing events under his name. Kind of like I did with Dr. Morris. My reputation as a champion barrel racer would help bring attention to his hobby as a horse breeder. And it would keep extra money flowing in on the weekends for me.
“A win-win for everyone involved,” I murmured to myself.
So, I included that little caveat in a ‘P.S.’ to the email. Just in case Bryce might be interested in that sort of a deal before I hit ‘send’.
6
Bryce
Hello there, Bryce! It’s Willow. Word around town says you’re looking for a nanny. And it turns out, I’m looking for a job. I’m great with kids, and I did work with them professionally before I worked as a vet tech. I’m attaching my resume with this email, and I would forever be grateful if I could have an opportunity to interview for the position if you think I’m a good fit after reviewing my resume.
Willow
P.S.: I don’t know if you’re looking for another barrel racer or anything, but if you want, we could work something out there, too. Possibly a lower overall pay rate from nannying in exchange for me racing one of your champion horses? Just think it over. It might be a win-win for both of us.
> As I sipped my morning coffee, I read over her email three or four different times. Not because I was shocked that word traveled beyond quickly in this insane little town, but because I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t considered Willow first. I mean, she’d be a perfect candidate for a nanny. She needed a job, I trusted her, I knew her--which was the best part of all this--and the idea of Willow with her championship title, racing our horses was tantalizing, to say the least.
Don’t get ahead of yourself. At least look at her resume.
I downloaded the file onto my phone and watched it pop up. And when it fully rendered on my phone screen, my eyes bulged. The woman didn’t just have experience with children, she had a degree in working in Early Childhood Education. I mean, this is what she went to school for!
I murmured to myself. “University of Houston graduated with a 3.4 GPA. Five certifications outside of school.”
My eyes continued scanning her resume, and it seemed as if the vet tech job was the job out in left field. All of her other working experience from the time she graduated up until that job was working with children.
So, I quickly shot her back a reply to the email.
Willow,
I’d love to sit down and speak with you about the job. I’m going to put my number at the bottom of this email. Let’s schedule a lunch meet-up so you can meet by daughter, Marie Lee, and we can see how you guys mesh.
B. Remington
I set my phone beside me and finished my second cup of coffee for the day. Then, my phone started ringing. I furrowed my brow as I looked down at the foreign number calling me, and it gave me pause.
It can’t be.
But, when I picked up the phone? It was.
“Bryce?” Willow asked.
I chuckled. “I take it you sit by your phone like I do.”
“When a job is on the line? Of course.”
“You have a great deal of experience working with children. It shocked me, actually.”
She giggled. “Yeah, well, the vet tech job with Dr. Morris was a great break away from the demand of those kinds of jobs. But I miss it. I miss kids running around. Animals just aren’t the same, you know?”
“I can only imagine.”
A pause fell over the phone before my mind jumpstarted itself again.
“All right. Well. Uh, what are you doing around twelve-thirty today? Do you have time to meet up for lunch?”
Willow snickered. “Got all the time in the world right now.”
I grinned. “Right, right. Well, I’m free if you’re free.”
“I’m free this afternoon, yes. Got any place in mind where you want to meet?”
“To be honest? I’m not sure what’s around here other than the barbecue place up the road from my house. I’m either there, or grilling out back.”
She groaned. “I haven’t had a grilled at home meal in months. That sounds amazing.”
“You want to just come here, then? I’ll whip us up some lunch, and you can get a feel for how you’ll interact with Marie Lee in a space she’s familiar with.”
“That sounds like it would be best for her, so I’m all for it.”
I stood. “Great! Good! Well, uh, you know where I live?”
She giggled. “Well, yes. I came out for Dr. Morris, remember?”
“Oh, yes. Yes, of course.”
“See you at twelve-thirty then, Bryce.”
After hanging up the phone with Willow, I got to work on what to grill. I started preparing some burgers with my infamous dry rub. I stacked cheese cubes in the middle to give it a nice burst of a surprise that my brother loved. Then, I put them in the fridge to marinate. While Marie Lee tore up the house to keep herself entertained, I tried my best not to keep track of the mess, because I knew the second I started worrying about it, I’d stop to clean it.
Which meant lunch wouldn't be ready by the time Willow got here.
If I was being honest with myself? I’d probably hire Willow whether or not she and my daughter got along in the beginning. I knew Marie Lee would warm up to her like everyone else had when Willow moved into town a few years back. And doing things this way meant I didn’t have to miss any more work. Even just taking off yesterday and today had already set me well behind schedule. I needed to get back into the office to play catch-up.
And especially with the business trip to Houston coming up soon.
Time flew by quickly, though, and just as I finished cleaning up, the doorbell rang. Marie Lee went rushing for the door, her unbalanced feet carrying her as quickly as she could. But, when she reached for the doorknob, I scolded her.
“Uh, uh, uh, Marie Lee.”
She slowly looked up at me. “Wha?”
“We don’t open doors without permission, right?”
Her eyes lit up. “Daddy! I open?”
I nodded. “Go ahead, princess.”
She beamed with pride as she opened the door, and there stood Willow. Just as beautiful as she always looked, and with a massive smile to boot. Her eyes didn’t bother clocking me, though. The second the door swung open, her eyes dropped to my daughter.
Before she crouched down to be eye level with Marie Lee.
“Hi there. I’m Willow. What’s your name?”
Marie Lee looked up at me, and I nodded. “It’s okay, princess. Go ahead.”
She looked down at her feet. “Hi. I’m, uh, Mawie Lee.”
Willow smiled. “It’s very nice to meet you. I like your socks.”
My daughter’s eyes whipped up. “You do?”
She nodded. “Yep. I really do. Rainbow is my favorite color.”
My daughter pouted. “Daddy say it lots o’cowors. Not one.”
Willow lowered her voice to a whisper. “Well, he’s wrong, but we won’t tell him that. Okay?”
My daughter giggled. “Okay.”
My heart beamed with hope. “Come on in. I’m just about to strike up the grill.”
Willow stood, but she still didn’t look at me. Instead, she held out her hand for my daughter, and I watched Marie Lee slip her tiny hand against Willow’s palm. The two of them walked into the house as if they both belonged there, and it was then I made the decision that I’d hire Willow.
But, why not make her sweat it out a bit?
“Can’t catch me!” Willow exclaimed.
I closed the front door and watched the girls dart out into the backyard. My daughter chased after Willow as the two of them ran through the kitchen and tore out towards the grass. I chuckled to myself as I gathered everything I needed to throw down a meal on the grill, and I let them have at it. They both stuck their feet in the gated pool and chased each other around the house. Willow picked up my daughter and swung her around before they sat down with colored stacking blocks. I slapped the burgers onto the grill, all the while listening to Willow work with my daughter on the lisp she was developing.
And I wondered how much luckier I’d get in my life after stumbling across something that seemed so perfect.
So meant to be.
“Lunch is ready!” I exclaimed.
Willow cupped her hands over her mouth. “Food time, Marie Lee!”
My daughter’s voice rose above the wind. “Lemonlade, pease!?”
Willow giggled with delight. “I can get you some lemonade, sure!”
A few minutes later, we were all sitting around the glass patio table, diving into our food. None of us talked for a few minutes, but the humming sounds Willow kept making pulled my eyes toward her. She groaned and gave me a thumbs up with every bite of the burger. She placed forkfuls of grilled vegetables into her mouth before promptly making herself another burger. Now, I didn’t know much about other men who cooked, but I loved it when someone appreciated my cooking. And Patricia? Well, all she did was nitpick what I cooked.
It was nice to be in the presence of someone who enjoyed it.
“My God, this is so good,” Willow said with a sigh.
I grinned. “Glad you like it.”
“Swim, Daddy?”
I looked over at my daughter. “You need your swimsuit and floaties. Can you get them out of your room?”
Her eyes lit up. “Yeah! Bye!”
Willow and I laughed together as she disappeared into the house. Then, Willow pointed her finger towards the door.
“Should I go help her?”
I shook my head. “She’ll get sidetracked with toys before she even gets to the stairs. It buys us time to work out logistics and stuff.”
She paused. “Logistics?”
I crossed my leg over my knee. “Figured you’d wanna talk money. You know, talk about how much the job pays and such.”
She nodded. “We can do that now, sure.”
I picked up my lemonade. “One of the things I need for Marie Lee right now is consistency and a routine.”
“I agree. Those are things any child needs at this age.”
“I’m glad we’re on the same page. My problem is, I’m worried that she won’t get that kind of consistency if the nanny I hire is driving back and forth. You know, rather than living here on the grounds.”
She blinked. “You want, I mean, you need a 24-hour nanny?”
“Yes, now that we are talking this through, I believe having someone here, you know, close by would be best for her.”
Willow cleared her throat. “Is that building by the pool a guesthouse?”
“It is. And it’s one the nanny I hire can occupy while she’s, well, nannying Marie Lee.”
She nodded slowly. “It’s just… It’s just something that I hadn’t really considered since it wasn’t part of the job description.” She waved her hand in the air. “But it’s all right. It’s best for your daughter. Do you plan on paying weekly? Every two weeks? Once a month?”
“I figured weekly would be fine. Every Monday, I pay for your services, and you enact them. Maybe start around $700 a week, see where we go from there?”
She leaned back in her seat. “Have you given any thought to the P.S. of that email I sent you?”
I tried not to jump out of my skin with excitement. “I have, yes.”
“Do you want to discuss that now? Or, is it going to be a hard pass?”
I sipped my lemonade. “I think we could work something out. So long as it doesn’t cut into the consistency and routine I want to keep for my daughter.”
