Marred

by Tess Thompson

  “Yes. Pancakes and bacon and twelve cups of coffee,” Kyle said.

  “I want bacon too,” Dakota said.

  Kyle moved over to the small desk and picked up the phone. “I’ll order extra bacon.”

  Mollie arched her back and jerked her mouth from the bottle. Violet raised the baby to her shoulder and patted her back. While Kyle ordered, Mollie let out a rather large burp for such a small person.

  “Good girl.” Violet brought her back to her chest and placed the bottle in Mollie’s mouth once again. Dakota had moved to a spot of sunshine near the window to play with his toy truck.

  She listened to Kyle ordering a ridiculous amount of food for three people, including a vegetarian omelet. Thoughtful. She put that thought aside for now. No reason to soften toward the enemy.

  After he hung up, he wandered across the room like a man after a battle.

  “Uncle. I need a night nanny.”

  “There’s no shame in it.” One night and he’d already given in? Men were the weaker sex. Truthfully, she couldn’t blame him. If she’d been able to afford help, she would have done it too. Plus, he had a company to run.

  “Can you call Nora for me today?” he asked. “I’m going to be in this meeting all day.”

  “Consider it done,” she said.

  He sank onto the couch. “I have to find a house, don’t I?”

  “That would be best.”

  “I’ll have my assistant put her feelers out in the community for a rental.” He rubbed his eyes. “There’s got to be a temporary situation for us while I get my house built.”

  For us? Did that include her and Dakota? “Will you start building from the plans?”

  “I haven’t got much choice,” he said. “Mollie needs a nursery.” His gaze darted to Dakota and back to her. “I’m going to lay all my cards on the table here. I need you. Is there any way you can commit to a year with us? I need stability and so does Mollie.”

  A year? It would give her enough time to get her life back on track.

  “I’ll find a big enough rental for all of us,” he said.

  “Why me? You could find anyone else.”

  “I trust you,” he said. “This is my baby girl we’re talking about. It can’t just be anyone.”

  Welcome to parenthood.

  “I can give you a year,” she said. God help me.

  After Kyle left for his meeting, Violet called Nora, the town’s one-woman employment agency for Cliffside Bay. Mollie was down for her morning nap. Dakota sat cross-legged in front of the television in the living room, thrilled to be allowed to watch a show during the day. Usually he was allowed only a half hour after dinner, but these were desperate times.

  She and Nora exchanged pleasantries, including confirmation of the demise of her shop. “I’m so sorry to hear it didn’t work out,” Nora said with a sympathetic cluck of her tongue. “But you know what they say. When one door closes, another opens.”

  Violet was glad they were on the phone. She could roll her eyes without fear of hurting the older woman’s feelings. If Violet could choose a grandmother for Dakota it would be Nora. She was kind and plump with white hair and pink cheeks and smelled like cookies. Yet, her general optimism and assurance of a happy ending grated on Violet’s nerves these days. Nothing like utter failure to turn a person into a hater of encouraging platitudes.

  “What can I do for you, dear?” Nora asked.

  Violet was about to launch right into the description of what they needed. However, she realized Nora would need context. “You know Kyle Hicks, right?”

  “Do I ever. What a dashing young man he is. You know I do a little matchmaking on the side, and goodness knows he’s exactly who I would choose for you. Please tell me you two have mended your disagreements and fallen madly in love.”

  “In love with Kyle Hicks? Never in a million years. Nora, you know what he did to this town with his monstrosity of a resort. How can you even suggest I have a relationship with him?”

  Silence greeted her from the other end of the phone. She could practically feel the waves of disapproval coming through the cell phone tower and into her phone.

  “Dear, I’ve known you a long time,” Nora said.

  “Yes.” Great. Here comes the lecture on how she needed to find a nice young man and a father for Dakota.

  “I know life hasn’t been easy for you. Not just raising Dakota alone, but your parents…well, I believe I have some insight into the challenges of your childhood. You’re a clever girl, and I admire your sense of conviction and your ability to stand up for what you believe in.”

  “Which is this town.” Violet moved from the desk to pace in front of the window.

  “Righto. However, convictions don’t keep you warm at night.”

  “We won’t need warmth at night if we keep destroying the planet. Global climate change will keep us darn warm at night.”

  “Yes dear, all true. But love is our only chance of saving the planet.”

  “All due respect, Nora, love has nothing to do with protecting our environment. Large, greedy countries of the world need to stop emitting dangerous fossil fuels into the environment.” Violet glanced over at her son happily grinning back at Elmo. Her precious boy. What kind of world would they leave him?

  “Your parents convictions made them unyielding and without compassion. They hurt you. Perhaps your own convictions are just as damaging. Don’t be so sure of your beliefs that they blind you to something wonderful.” Another silence. “Now, enough of the lecture. Let’s get back to what Kyle needs.”

  She’d almost forgotten the whole reason for her call. How did she explain? Maybe she shouldn’t. Perhaps the old busybody deserves to be in the dark, given the juiciness of this gossip. Not nice. Nora means well. Don’t be mean. “Kyle has unexpectedly become a father.” She explained about the mother’s death and subsequent arrival of baby Mollie Blue.

  “I’ll be,” Nora said.

  “He’s asked me to become her nanny for a year, which as you know, comes at a good time given my personal circumstance.”

  “It does appear to be perfect timing. Almost meant to be.” Already Nora had recovered sufficiently to return to her previous theme of Kyle and Violet sitting in a tree.

  Violet suppressed a sigh but went ahead with another giant eye roll. “After only one night with a week-old baby, he’s decided he needs a night nurse.”

  “It makes perfect sense. He can’t possibly work without decent sleep.”

  I did it.

  Out loud, Violet murmured a polite agreement.

  “As luck would have it, I might have the perfect candidate. Melissa Tipton is her name. She just moved to town from the city after working for a family there. Shall I send her over this evening for an interview?”

  Without a doubt, Nora had the perfect candidate. Everything was just meant to be and fell right into place in the world according to Nora. It must be nice.

  “That would be great,” Violet said.

  That evening, Violet and Kyle ushered Melissa Tipton into the living room of the suite. Since arriving home promptly at 5 p.m., Kyle hadn’t abandoned the baby other than to gobble a quick dinner. If her mother were here, which thankfully she wasn’t, she would have told Kyle that he was spoiling the baby. Mollie would expect to be held all the time if he didn’t set her down for one blessed minute. Violet disagreed. A baby this young couldn’t be spoiled. If anything, bonding with her father was just what she needed.

  There was a further problem. Violet was falling in love with baby Mollie too. She must remember that she was the nanny, not the mother. Given the jealous way Dakota was acting, this fact seemed to be eluding them both. When Honor had called to offer to pick him up for dinner with her family, Violet gratefully accepted. He’d been clingy and whiney, neither of which were like him. Honor’s arrival cheered him considerably. He took her hand and followed her out the door without a backward glance at his mother. Typical.

  Now, as they gathered in
the sitting area for the interview, Violet took a moment to observe Miss Tipton without drawing attention to herself, since the candidate seemed fixated on Kyle the moment she walked in the door. Melissa Tipton couldn’t be over twenty-five but was probably closer to twenty. She had a sleek mane of black hair and exotic, almond shaped eyes that reminded Violet of a Siamese cat. Her interview outfit was a slim, fitted peach suit and four-inch black pumps that showed both her curvy body and shapely legs to utter perfection. Her full lips and wide mouth combined with high cheekbones bordered on the ridiculous. Who looked like this outside of Hollywood?

  Violet hated her immediately.

  As she leaned closer to peer at the baby in Kyle’s arms, a velvety, almost lyrical sound rose from Melissa Tipton’s ample and almost certainly cosmetically enhanced chest. “She’s adorable. May I hold her?”

  Kyle, without taking his eyes from the small-waisted Miss Tipton, handed the baby over like a man in a trance.

  “What a doll,” Melissa said. “Has there ever been a prettier baby?”

  Kyle beamed. “Thank you, Melissa. I couldn’t agree more.”

  “Call me Mel. All my friends do.”

  “Thanks, Mel. Will do.” Kyle grinned. There he was. Wolfish Kyle. All thoughts of his baby forgotten the moment a sexy girl walked in the door.

  “I’ll take her back now, if you don’t mind,” Kyle said.

  “Must I?” Melissa asked.

  “You’ll have plenty of time with her later if we agree on employment,” Violet said drily.

  “Yes, I suppose so,” Melissa said as she placed Mollie back in Kyle’s arms.

  Mollie stiffened for a second but then settled back to sleep.

  Violet slid back into her manager skin. Her business may have failed, but she knew how to interview and hire staff. “Melissa, your resume indicates you’ve been with two families as a night nurse.”

  “Please, call me Mel. Melissa reminds me of the nuns.” She looked over at Kyle and smiled. “I went to Catholic school and suffer from PTSD.”

  Kyle raised an eyebrow and grimaced. “I’m sure.” God, was he this much of a sucker for a pretty woman? I wish he thought I was pretty. Her stomach turned over the moment that thought slipped into her mind. I can’t stand this man, remember. I don’t care if he thinks I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. What’s it to me? This is a job. Nothing more, nothing less.

  Get your head in the game.

  “Mel, what do you like about this kind of work?” Violet asked.

  Melissa smiled and tucked her chin in an expression of reticence and self-effacement. She purred her answer in a tone worthy of a heroine in a classic film from the forties. “My story’s simple, like me. I’m new to town. I’m an artist in need of a day job. Or, night, as the case may be.” She smiled. The tips of her canine teeth were a smidge too sharp. “And, I’m craving time with a baby.” She clutched her chest as she emphasized the word craving, like it was life-giving. “I adore newborns. Until I have my own children, this is the best work ever.”

  “Super cool,” Kyle said. “The world needs more people like you.”

  If she were in a cartoon, Violet would have done one of those abrupt double takes. What had baby Mollie done to Kyle Hicks? The world needs more people like you? Was he really taken in by this Mel’s act? Violet was not. She could see right through Mel, formerly known as Melissa. This woman was a fake, like a mean girl in high school with her shiny hair and gleaming eyes. She was the kind that acted nice around parents, but the moment they left the room, her panther claws whipped from her paws and slashed anything in her path.

  Why had Nora sent this woman? It wasn’t like her not to see through to the essence of a person. That said, Nora had Kyle pegged wrong too. This whole town had lost its bearings and any sense of heritage.

  Kyle and Mel continued chatting. She told him of her travels to Europe and how she truly got in touch with her inner soul on the shores of Lake Como. All that clear air and pasta and wine had acted like a crystal ball. “I suddenly knew what to do. I needed to live in a beautiful place—my muse, if you will.”

  If you will?

  Mel continued. “In art school, I’d lost part of myself because of the competition. Who had more talent? Who had the drive to carry one forward to the next level? These things ate away at me until I was an empty shell going through the motions. When I left my environment, it was as if everything were suddenly clear.” Mel tossed her hair behind one shoulder and crossed her legs. “Now I know that to really connect with my art and the universe, I need to be in a quiet place.” Mel was obviously the type of woman who enjoyed a man’s attention. The type who focused only on the men in the room. She instinctually knew how to play to a man’s weakness and how to exploit it.

  Violet slid her gaze to Kyle. He was nodding like a fool, obviously taken with her. I give it two weeks and he’ll be sleeping with her. Disgusted, she turned away and examined her nails. Why had she committed to a year with this ridiculous man?

  Because you’re a loser.

  She pushed aside her father’s voice and focused on the conversation at hand, asking several questions about Mel’s ideas and experience with newborns. Despite looking like a debutante, she appeared to have a good sense about feedings, swaddling, and strategies for sleep training.

  “The ultimate goal is for her to sleep through the night sooner rather than later, correct?” Violet asked.

  “As much as it will pain me to leave her, yes.” Mel flashed a dazzling smile.

  “When can you start?” Kyle asked.

  “Tonight, if you need me,” Mel said. “I’m renting a room from an elderly lady just up the street from here. I can come at ten each evening and stay through until the morning, if that works for you guys.” For the first time, Mel’s gaze turned to Violet. “Look at the two of you. Wow, such a beautiful couple. Violet, you look amazing for just having a baby. Did you do the Kardashian cleanse?”

  “What? No, we’re not…I’m not Mollie’s mother,” Violet said.

  Kyle, to her irritation, had the gall to look amused. “We’re not together. She’s my day nanny.”

  “Oh, my bad. I assumed you were married,” Mel said.

  Had she just sat up straighter and stuck her chest out another inch?

  “Didn’t Nora tell you about Mr. Hicks’ situation?” Violet asked.

  “Not really. She said you were a couple in need of a night nurse,” Mel said.

  Damn Nora and her meddling ways. Violet shifted in the chair. Why was it so hot in here? She played with the collar of her blouse to cool her overheated skin.

  “I’m a single father,” Kyle said.

  His voice hitched, but he offered no further explanation. How was he supposed to explain it? I had a one-night stand with a vulnerable young woman and she died. A sliver of sympathy inched its way into Violet’s consciousness. He was trying to do the right thing. Given the circumstances, he deserved a little grace, even though she hated to admit it.

  “I’m sorry to have presumed,” Mel said.

  “We’re friends,” Kyle said. “Violet’s doing me a favor.”

  “I have a little boy,” Violet said. “Like you, I needed a job, so it’s not really a favor.”

  Kyle smiled at her, his eyes like dark blue silk, and for a split second they were on the same team—the two of them in it together.

  “How old is your little guy?” Mel asked.

  “Dakota’s three,” Violet said.

  “And you’re all living here together?” Mel asked.

  “For now. Until I find a house,” Kyle said. “I’m a real estate developer, so it shouldn’t take long. I have a piece of property I’m going to build on, but for now I need a rental. Something big enough for all of us.” Kyle went on to explain that the crib would remain in the living room and that Violet and Dakota were in one room while he was in the other.

  “Baby Mollie’s arrival was a surprise, then?” The way Mel’s eyes calculated and evaluated e
verything at once sent a shiver down Violet’s spine. She could almost hear Mel’s mind working. Rich, gorgeous single father available for the catch.

  “You could say that, yes,” Kyle said. Again, he didn’t elaborate.

  “May I ask about her mother?” Mel leaned forward slightly and widened her eyes as if so very sensitive and compassionate.

  I can’t stand her.

  “She passed away. So, it’s just Mollie and me.” Kyle cleared his throat.

  “How tragic,” Mel said. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “Yes, it is.” Kyle’s tone and expression converted to an unemotional professionalism. “Let’s talk details. I’ll offer you the going rate for night nannies and will expect you every night of the week from ten p.m. until six a.m. We’ll only need you until Mollie begins to sleep through the night.”

  “Excellent,” Mel said.

  “Now, I’ll let you go home and do whatever you need to do. We’ll see you around ten tonight.” Kyle stood, still holding Mollie, who slumbered in obvious contentment. She was a good baby, despite last night’s frequent feedings. If Violet guessed correctly, she would sleep through the night in just a few months. Keep eating, baby girl, so we can get rid of Mel.

  Kyle looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms, then back up at Mel. “When you arrive tonight, I’ll have a keycard waiting at the front desk. If you ladies will excuse me, I have some business to take care of.” Kyle left the room with Mollie.

  Violet stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jeans.

  “I shouldn’t have asked about his wife,” Mel said. “But I like to understand the dynamics in a family. I have a holistic approach, if you will.”

  Again, with the if you will.

  “I think he took it as merely curious,” Violet said.

  “I can see that now. It was insensitive of me. The poor man just lost his wife.”

  “She wasn’t his wife.”

  “Girlfriend then?”

  “Something like that. Anyway, your job is to take care of Mollie, not worry about her father.” Even to her own ears she sounded like a scolding school teacher with her naughty pupil. Or a jealous girlfriend. She couldn’t decide which was worse.