by Lulu Pratt
From the look on my mom’s face, it was too late. “Is that so? Ashley, huh? I’d like to meet this Ashley. I always envisioned you with someone younger,” she beamed.
“Oh, relax, Mom. It’s nothing like that. It’s strictly professional,” I said. But I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince her or remind myself.
Chapter 11
ASHLEY
NERVOUSNESS COURSED through every morsel of my body as I rang the doorbell. The main door was open, with only the glass screen door preventing me from entering, but I’d learned my lesson about walking into Jake’s house unannounced.
“Come in!” I heard.
After a deep breath, I stepped into the house and was greeted by the squealing laughter I loved so much. Following the sound of Jasper’s contagious laugh, I walked through the house until I found the two of them wrestling on the ground.
“You want a piece of me?” Jake asked before launching into an attack of tickles while Jasper shook with laughter.
“Daddy! Daddy!” He called out, his voice laced with endearment.
“Have you had enough?” Jake asked, his eyebrows scrunched together.
“No!” Jasper yelled rebelliously, welcoming another onslaught of tickles.
Settling onto the sofa, I watched them play for another few moments before tears streamed down Jasper face, evidence of too much fun. Jake, satisfied with his victory, rose to his feet holding his fists in the air.
“Sorry about that. How are you?” He turned his attention to me.
It was the first time I’d seen him out of non-work clothes. Dressed in a white tank top and camouflage cargo shorts, his muscular arms were on full display.
“Am I overdressed?” I asked, glancing down at my ankle-length maxi dress. It was the first time I’d be around real adults, rather than my friends who were still in college. I wasn’t sure how much older Jake was than me, but I knew twenty-one-year olds didn’t have houses like his.
“I think you look great. What do you think, Jasper? How does Ashley look?” He turned to his son.
I hadn’t noticed he was lying on his belly watching us as he cupped his chin in his palms. Children were so perceptive, and I could see from the smile on his face, he was happy I’d be joining them.
“Pwetty,” Jasper gushed.
“That’s it! The vote’s unanimous.” Jake shrugged as though that settled it. “Do you want a drink before we head out?”
After hearing Jake talk about the woman who asked him about his drinking policies during his interview, I didn’t want to chance the possibility of rubbing him the wrong way. I’d already decided I would not be partaking in any drinking, certain it would be unprofessional. Jake must have seen the concern on my face, because he broke into a grin that set me at ease.
“Consider today like a field trip in school. Technically, you’re still on the clock, but I want you to have fun. There’s no homework and you get to wear whatever you want.” He offered his hand and I accepted, rising to my feet before following him out the living room.
“Okay, maybe I’ll have a drink at the picnic. I need to see how formal things are first,” I reasoned.
“A woman with a plan, I like it. Come on Jasper! It’s time to go!”
Jasper ran behind us, darting for the door to the garage. I moved to open the door for him, but Jake casually placed his hand around my arm to stop me.
“Are you opening the door for the lady, buddy? What do we call that?” He smiled like a proud father.
“Being a gentleman!” Jasper yelled as he mustered all his strength to hold the heavy door open.
It was the first time I’d seen Jake interact with him so much. I felt a bit guilty for all my assumptions about his fathering skills. I’d judged him off how much he worked, but it was clear he had a close connection with his son despite his long hours at work.
We piled into Jake’s new pickup and made our way to the park hosting the company picnic. Traffic was a bit heavy for a Sunday afternoon, but the sun was shining bright and Jake didn’t seem to mind.
“This is quite an interesting car choice for a dad. I guess you’re not being shamed into a minivan, huh?” I asked as he pulled off the highway. It was clear the truck was a brand-new model, but no one in their right mind would believe he had a car seat strapped in the back.
“The day you see me driving a minivan, please slap the hell out of me,” he glanced over before returning his attention to the road. We both laughed before he continued. “No, I didn’t know I would be hauling precious cargo when I bought it. It was the first thing I got when I left the Marines. Fortunately, I had my job lined up before I left, so I had that worry out of the way. But you know what they say, ‘life comes at you fast’.” He smiled, but his eyes never left the road.
“You ready to party, buddy?” he called to the back seat.
“Yeah!” Jasper answered excitedly.
After a few minutes, Jake pulled into a parking lot on the east side of town. There were about twenty other cars, and you could smell the barbecue with the windows up.
“All right, let’s do this.” Jake turned the engine off before climbing out of his seat and going around to retrieve Jasper from his car seat.
The picnic was small and intimate. I’d been nervous thinking there would be too many people to meet, but Jake seemed to know everyone. A man at the first group of people we encountered greeted Jake. Stepping away from the group, he met us in the middle of the grassy field. The two men shook hands and then he turned to me.
“This is Ashley,” Jake gestured to me. “And Ashley, this is Donald. He’s the man who talked me into joining this pack of wildlings.”
The two men laughed before the rest of the crowd turned to us. Donald walked up to them, and we all followed behind. “Hey, this is Jake, the one I’ve been telling you about. And this beautiful young lady is his girlfriend.”
My heart almost stopped at the announcement. A mix of embarrassment and desire rushed through me as the group turned and smiled. Jake leaned close before whispering in my ear, “Sorry, if I’d known he would mix it up that bad, I would have just introduced you as my nanny, or rather, my son’s nanny.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I giggled.
“You said you were an actress, right? Well, you’ve just got your toughest role,” he joked, and we shared a laugh before walking to the jungle gym to let Jasper play with the other kids.
For the rest of the day, Jake introduced me as his girlfriend, and I fought to ignore the pride I felt. Ever since my breakup with Nathan, I tried to bury my dreams of having a family of my own one day. Spending the day with Jake and his son made it undeniable how deeply rooted that wish was.
I wanted a family of my own, even if it meant doing nothing more than watching my husband wrestle with our children on the living room floor. I wanted all the mundane tasks that people took for granted, like attending corporate picnics, folding laundry and taking my kids to the park.
Although it was work, it was one of my most fun afternoons in a while. After settling in, I decided to take Jake up on his offer and enjoyed a beer while keeping an eye on Jasper from afar. With so many families in attendance, he quickly made friends.
Whenever he found something interesting or troubling, he would dart across the park to share with me and Jake, before quickly returning to the fun. All of Jake’s co-workers were kind and welcoming. You’d never guess from the way they laughed and joked that they worked security. I figured it was a pretty serious job. Jake assured me he was mostly looking after old or young people, with very little danger to worry about.
It was a glimpse into his world, and I had to admit it was nothing like I’d assumed. He was much more layered and complex than I’d given him credit for. The more I got to know, the more interested I became. Just how much more was there to know about my new boss?
Chapter 12
JAKE
“IT WAS A pleasure to meet you, Ashley. Jake has told me how much of a Godsend you ar
e. I’m glad he’s got you to look after him. You do know you’re actually looking after two children, right?” Rick joked, sending Ashley into a fit of giggles.
“The pleasure is all mine. It was so nice to meet you too, Tina,” she smiled to Rick’s wife. The two women shared an exchange I couldn’t make out while Rick pulled me aside.
“She’s a keeper, Jake! Don’t you mess this up!” he whispered loudly in my ear before slapping my back harder than necessary.
I could tell he liked her when he offered her a drink of his private bottle of whiskey. Though she was younger, Ashley held her own amongst my old work buddy and his wife. She was wise beyond her years, with something to add to every conversation.
As the party began to die down, I was a bit disappointed my time with her was dwindling. Of course, she’d be back in the morning, but I’d be off to work and there was never time for much conversation before I left for work or when I made it in for the evening.
With Jasper in her arms, she made her way to me, and I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked. With one hand holding his bottom and the other resting on his back, I could tell how much she cared for him and it warmed my heart.
“I think someone is ready for a nap,” she mentioned as we met in the field.
“Not sleepy!” Jasper popped up, aware that he was who she was referring to. Taking him into my arms to relieve Ashley, I held him high in the air.
“Oh no? Maybe we should get ice cream. Does that sound good?”
“Yes!” he cheered.
“Is that okay with you?” I turned to Ashley. As much as I liked to bring a smile to my son’s face, she was the reason I wanted to extend the day.
“Hey, I’m on a field trip. I don’t care where we go!” she shrugged.
“Ice cream it is, then!”
Besides the radio, the ride to Dairy Queen was silent. I’d never had a glimpse of what it felt like to have my own family, but spending the day with Ashley and Jasper gave me just that. She was motherly without being matronly. Every guy at the picnic thought she was hot – I could see it from the way they looked at her. And my ego kept making me feel a bit territorial.
She didn’t seem to notice, or maybe she didn’t care, when I pulled her away from conversations when I spotted the fawning taking over. She was sexy in an effortless kind of way. Most women came across like they were trying too hard. Ashley didn’t even wear make-up, and halfway through the picnic, she pulled her long hair up into a ponytail. It was the way I was used to seeing her, but seeing the golden blonde curls fall down her back was a treat.
“I think Jasper tired himself out,” Ashley said after turning to look into the backseat.
Glancing into the rearview mirror, I realized she was right about him needing a nap. My boy was sleeping hard, snoring like a grown man.
“Welp, I guess that’s that for today,” I moved to put the truck in reverse. My little wingman had failed me. I couldn’t prolong the day out if he wasn’t up for ice cream.
“Oh no you don’t. I was promised ice cream, and I am not coming this close without getting it,” she turned to me with a sassiness I’d never seen from her.
“You still want to go in?”
Ashley glanced over her shoulder to Jasper before turning to me. “No, I don’t want to wake him. Let’s just go through the drive-through, then we can sit in the parking lot and eat it.”
I tried to contain the grin desperate to spread as I pulled around to the side of the building. Arriving at the large order menu, I turned to Ashley.
“Do you know what you want?”
Without hesitation, she shot her order to me. “A Turtle pecan cluster Blizzard.”
“A what?” I shot back. She giggled uncontrollably as a female voice boomed through the intercom requesting my order.
“A Turtle pecan cluster Blizzard,” she repeated. It was even harder to make out through her laughter.
“Uh,” I chuckled before attempting to repeat her order to the woman. “Yeah, uh, can I have a cluster pecan turtle?”
Ashley laughed louder as the voice on the intercom corrected me. “One Turtle pecan cluster Blizzard. Anything else?”
“Yeah, uh, I’ll take a banana split.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Please pull around to the second window.”
Following the directions, I pulled to the second window carefully, where an older woman greeted me. After settling the bill, she delivered our order and I pulled into an empty space at the front of the restaurant.
“A banana split is like the most dad dessert ever,” Ashley said as she handed me my dessert after I placed the car in park.
“There’s a such thing as a dad dessert?” I smirked, accepting the cold treat.
“The banana split is basically the minivan of desserts.”
“That physically hurt.” I placed my hand on my chest dramatically.
“I hate to break it to you, but better to hear it in private, ya know?”
“Well, I didn’t want to say anything, but my grandma ate Turtle clusters. I thought you had to show ID to buy those. They have to keep enough on hand for the senior citizens of Raleigh,” I joked.
“What can I say? I’m an old soul.” She smiled before placing a big spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.
Blood rushed as I watched her eat the ice cream. Never did I think I’d envy a red plastic spoon. Ashley danced in her seat as she scooped another spoonful.
“Is it good?”
“It is! I keep feeling guilty. What if Jasper just woke up to see us here eating ice cream without him?” She glanced over her shoulder.
“I’d just do the responsible thing and blame it on you,” I answered quickly.
“Oh really?”
“Hey, you’re the nanny. Remember what Rick said? You’re in charge of the both of us.” I shrugged before filling my mouth with banana split.
“You’re much funnier than you let on, you know that?” She smiled as she enjoyed the ice cream. It was a smile I’d never seen before, more relaxed.
“I try to keep a bit in the tank for the wow factor, you know?”
Although I was focused on my ice cream, I could feel her staring at me. After what felt like a long pause, she finally spoke. This time her voice was less playful than before.
“Tell me something about you I don’t already know.”
Her request, which sounded more like a demand, caught me off guard. Turning to face her, I could see she was serious. Somehow, she’d managed to drastically change the subject without making it weird.
“I’ll make you a deal. You tell me something I don’t know about you and I’ll follow up,” I reversed the request.
Ashley squinted as she glared at me. I could sense she was reading me and I was most curious to know what she saw. When she finished her silent analysis, she scooped another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.
“Fine,” she said once she’d finished. “This time last year, I was enrolled in college. I was scheduled to be the star in a new play, and my biggest concern was whether I was going to ace The Artist as Producer course.”
I nodded, scooping another spoonful of ice cream before asking, “And what happened?”
“Oh, we’re allowing follow-up questions?”
“I think it’s only right,” I reasoned.
“I couldn’t afford my tuition anymore. Long story, but I had to take a break. One day, I’ll go back. On my way off campus, I saw the flyer you posted about being a nanny. And now I’m here.”
Her smile made me feel better about what was otherwise a sad story. “So, you withdrew the day you called me?”
“Yup!” She replied, scooping more ice cream.
I nodded slowly, realizing how much change she had recently experienced. It was something we had in common, but I was unsure if that was too much to lay on her.
“Your turn!” She turned in her seat so that she was facing me. I took another spoonful of
banana split to buy time, but her eyes didn’t leave me.
“The time last year, I was in Iraq serving. I had no idea I had a son, and my biggest concern was not dying.” I smirked as I faced her, but her smile shrunk instantly.
“This is the latest model, isn’t it?” Her question confused me.
“What’s the latest model?”
“This pickup? This came out this year?”
“Yeah?” I answered with a question, unsure of her direction.
“I knew it! When you said you bought the car without knowing you’d have a car seat, I couldn’t wrap my mind around how you wouldn’t know, when this was clearly next year’s model.” She shook her head.
“That’s your response?” I raised my eyebrows, feeling the corners of my lips pull upwards.
“To be clear, that was not my follow-up question.”
“I don’t know,” I pierced my lips apologetically. “It seems like it was.”
“Oh come on! You can’t leave me with that little info! A girl’s got questions,” she pleaded.
“You get one.”
“What did you do that was so bad your ex didn’t want to tell you she was pregnant?”
“Really? You think it was me?” I heard the inflection in my voice, shocked she would assume I’d done something wrong.
“It was her?”
“For starters, Anna-Louise is not my ex. She’s actually the sister of my best friend. I guess she always had a crush on me,” I paused, recalling my mom’s comment the other day. “Anyway, my best friend and I had a pact when we started serving overseas. Anything happen to me, he’d look after my mom, anything to him, I’d look after his sister. He died over there and I got leave for the funeral. While back here I got super drunk one night with some friends and Anna-Louise was there. One thing led to another. I guess I was too ashamed to follow up with her seriously after what happened. I did reach out a couple of times, but she never responded, and there wasn’t much I could do half a world away. I guess I might have been going through my own stuff over Justin’s death. However, I promised to look after his baby sister, and I wanted to make good once I was back in town. I saw her within a week of returning and the first time I went to check in on her, I learned I had a two-year-old who was Justin’s nephew.”
