by Kris Bryant
I stood when she did. “Sounds good. What time does school start?”
“I get him there before eight. There’s a before-care where he gets half an hour to play with the other kids in his class. School doesn’t officially start until eight thirty.”
Why did I need to be at work at seven if school didn’t start until eight thirty? As if she could read my mind or my facial expressions, Brook answered my question.
“I need to start getting to work earlier than I have been. I’ll need you to make sure Noah gets up, eats breakfast, and either goes to school for before-care or hangs out here at the house until school starts. It all depends on your schedule and his mood.”
Brook slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and motioned for me to follow her. Noah was sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal and watching cartoons on his iPad. “Hey, kiddo. I want you to meet Cassie. She’s going to help us out around here like we talked about. Say hello.”
“Hi.” He went back to eating his cereal, his focus on whatever video he was watching on YouTube Kids. Brook reached out and gently pulled the iPad out of his grasp.
“I’m going to need you to do better, please.”
His brow furrowed in quick anger, but he didn’t say anything. He took another bite, and we waited until he swallowed. His voice was quiet, but each word was distinct. “Hi. I’m Noah. Nice to meet you.”
I crouched down to his level. “Hi, Noah. Nice to meet you, too. Looks like we’re going to be spending a lot of time together. I can already tell we have a lot in common.”
“What do you mean? We just met.” He gave me the same head tilt Brook did.
“I like Cheerios, too. And I like Peppa Pig. And I go to school, too.”
He looked at me and shook his head. “You’re too old to go to school.”
“Noah. Don’t be rude.” Brook raised a stern eyebrow at him. He looked at his bowl.
“It’s okay. I go to college in town. I like school a lot. I like to learn new things and talk to my friends there. Do you like going to school early?”
He shrugged. “Sometimes.”
“Okay, well, you let me know every morning if you want to go. We can make a sign, so when I get here in the morning, I can look at it and see if we’re going in early or hanging out together instead.”
“What do you mean sign?”
I hadn’t planned that far in advance. “We can make it out of construction paper, definitely glitter, maybe some colorful string to hang it up somewhere, and crayons. Do you have crayons?”
He nodded, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. He was still wary of me, but warming up quickly.
I pretended to be deep in thought, trying to think of things we needed, but I was really studying him and his body language. He leaned slightly away from me and more to the side where Brook stood, but he also leaned forward toward me as we spoke. “How about glue? Do you have glue?”
He nodded again, but this time with a smile.
“How about a hamster? Do you have a hamster or a lizard?”
He laughed that sweet-young-child giggle. “Why do we need a hamster or a lizard?”
“Well, who’s going to flip the sign every morning? I thought maybe your pet hamster or lizard could come down here while you got dressed and flip the sign to whatever you wanted. I would totally make him breakfast for being so helpful.”
Noah laughed harder. “I don’t have a pet. I’ll just do it.”
I shrugged. “I guess that would work, too.”
“Okay. We need to get moving. Noah, put your bowl in the sink and go brush your teeth. Two minutes. Let’s go.”
“Mom.” His voice held a note of embarrassment.
Brook ruffled his hair when he darted by. “You’re really good with him. He’s hard to crack because he’s so shy.” Brook smiled at me. Not a fake one, but a genuine smile that I felt deep inside. The kind that made my knees weak.
“He’s sweet. I’m looking forward to getting to know him.”
We stood in awkward silence until Brook’s phone rang. She excused herself and answered the call in the adjoining dining room. To give her privacy, I walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows and stared out at the backyard. It was magnificent. A flat stone patio gave way to a pool with a waterfall. A wrought-iron fence surrounded the pool for safety, but the rest of the yard was wide open and spacious. I was sad I wouldn’t get to use the pool. Even though school had just started, the season was changing rapidly from summer to fall.
“I just can’t bring myself to close down the pool.” Brook startled me with her nearness. I put my hand on my heart.
“It’s beautiful. Your house, this estate. Perfect for raising children.”
“A child. Only one. That’s it for me,” she said.
I was dying to know if she was married or dating someone. Her left hand was free of any jewelry. Her right hand sported a silver band on her middle finger, which meant absolutely nothing other than she liked simplicity. I knew in time I would find out about her, but I was curious.
“He’s okay being an only child? Has he ever talked about siblings?”
I barely heard the stifled sharp intake, but it was enough to know I’d crossed the line. “Or maybe a hamster or a lizard really is the best idea.” I backpedaled to not piss off my boss on what was technically my first day.
She forced a small laugh. “At some point I know we’re going to have to get a pet, but I’d like to wait a few more years.”
I waved both hands at her in complete surrender. “I totally understand. You’re a busy woman, and he’s a busy little man.”
Noah walked in with his backpack slung over his tiny shoulder. “I’m ready when you are.”
“I’m ready when you are,” Brook said.
They both turned to me. “I’m ready as well.” Apparently, that was their morning ritual that I was now a part of.
“Do you want to drive so you can get used to the car?” Brook dangled the fob in front of me on our way to the garage.
“Oh, no. It’s okay. I’m sure the school will be crazy. I’d rather see you drive us there and learn the rules first.”
Brook’s heels clicked loudly on the hardwood floors. My eyes traveled the length of her legs, down to the source of the repetitive tap tap that echoed around us. Her shoes were sexy as fuck and added three inches to her height, which now equaled my own. I was a sucker for a woman in high heels.
“I’ll never be able to sneak up on anyone in this house.”
Guilt washed over me when our eyes met. I knew she had busted me staring at her legs.
“The shoes. They are disturbingly loud.” She pointed to her feet as if my attention wasn’t already there.
“The high ceilings make all noises echo. I have a feeling I’m going to get lost here.” That gave me an excuse to break eye contact and pretend to look around. It was a large space for just two people. Well, the two I knew about.
“Oops. Careful there, buddy.” Brook reached down to steady Noah as he tripped up against her, pushing her into me for just a moment.
“Sorry, Mom.”
Brook adjusted his backpack for him, and I took a small step to my right to distance myself from her. She unnerved me. Rich, powerful, attractive, successful—the list went on and on. All the attributes I admired and also wanted for myself. When she opened the door to the garage, it took everything in me to not gape. She had a sleek two-seater sports car with a hard top, a luxury sedan, the SUV I remember seeing at soccer practice, a motorcycle, and the Range Rover she had mentioned. She indicated I should jump into the passenger seat. Noah opened the back door of the Rover and crawled into his booster.
“Do you have your seat belt on?” Brook asked. We both turned to look at him, our faces only inches apart. The spice of her cologne was a pleasant surprise. I expected Brook to smell like flowers and vanilla. The hint of sandalwood and cedar wasn’t overpowering, but it was enough to notice.
“I’m buckled.”
; “Okay, let’s head out. Cassie, it’s push-button start. I’ll give you a fob when we get back. The garage opener is here, and the code to get in is fourteen fourteen.”
“Fourteen fourteen. Got it.” I gave her the signature one-nod affirmation. A small smile appeared on the right side of her mouth. I think I amused her.
Chapter Three
Hessick Academy, less than ten minutes away, was tucked on acreage that couldn’t be seen from the street. I didn’t even know the school existed. The driveway was flanked by large sycamore trees and flowering shrubs. The school itself towered at the end of a circular drive. I imagined my new nanny salary rivaled Hessick’s tuition. Brook pulled into a parking lot beside the school’s main building.
“This looks like a private-college campus,” I said.
“It is large, but it’s kindergarten through middle school. Thankfully, Noah has to worry only about finding his homeroom class and the gym. His teacher, Ms. Trina, is very nice and is great with the kids.” Brook slipped out of the car and opened the back door for Noah to climb out.
I reached for his backpack, surprised at how heavy it was. “How many books do you have in here? This thing weighs a ton.” I made a production of trying to heave it over my shoulder and got a smile out of both of them.
“I’ll take it.” Noah reached out, and I helped him into it.
According to the plaque by the door, Hessick Academy was built in the 1880s and looked as charming as one would expect. The inside, however, was a completely different story. Security cameras and automatically locking doors prevented anyone from just barging right in. Brook walked to a window marked Administration and flashed her credentials.
“Good morning, Mary. I need to get my assistant registered here so she can pick up and drop off Noah. Also, I want to see Trina Moore for a moment, if you could call her.” Brook was direct, to the point, and gave off an aura that denying her wasn’t an option. Mary nodded and buzzed us in.
“And you are?” Mary looked at me expectantly.
“Cassandra Miller. I go by Cassie.” I smiled, hoping to get one in return, but dour Mary turned back to her computer screen and actually pressed her lips together in a frown.
“Look right here.” She pointed to a circle on the back of her monitor.
“Why?”
“I need to take your picture for your identification card.”
I flashed Mary a brilliant smile that was snarkier than I intended, but it got my point across. I heard a small laugh that morphed into a cough from Brook. Mary shook her head at me and busied herself getting my credentials in order.
A woman about my age with long brown hair opened the security door and smiled at us. “Ms. Wellington, Noah, good morning.”
It certainly was for me. She was super cute. Was this Noah’s teacher? Damn kid was surrounded by beautiful women. “Hi. I’m Cassie.”
“Cassie’s helping me with Noah, so she’ll be your point of contact if he gets sick or is behind in a subject.”
Trina nodded and reached out for my hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Cassie.”
She was so genuine and downright gorgeous that I almost forgot about Brook standing next to me.
“It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“Let’s head to the classroom, shall we?”
Noah led the way, and Trina filled me in on the school’s policies and classroom etiquette. Brook lagged a few paces behind us, scrolling on her phone. The tap tap of her heels weren’t as pronounced, but I was still aware of her. When we reached Noah’s homeroom and Trina gave us the tour, I was surprised the class had only ten students.
“Cassie, look at Leonardo.” Noah pointed to a large aquarium with a box turtle resting on a flat rock.
“Noah’s pretty animated today.” Trina looked at Brook. Brook gave her the single nod but offered no other information. Trina turned back to me. “Normally, Noah is pretty quiet. He must really like you.”
I stood a little taller with pride. “I’d better meet Leonardo.” I followed Noah and dramatically gasped.
“Oh my gosh, that’s Leonardo the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, right?”
“How did you know that? It’s supposed to be a secret. People aren’t supposed to know he’s here.” Noah looked up at me, wide-eyed.
“Oh, no. His secret is safe with me. I won’t say a word.” I pinched the air in front of my lips and twisted my hand, indicating they were locked.
“Here. Let me show you where I sit.” He hesitantly took my hand and walked me to a short but long desk that he shared with another classmate. A cubbyhole was attached on either side. He shoved his backpack into the space.
“Who sits next to you?”
“Tom.” His smile fell a little. “He’s not very nice.”
I felt protective of Noah already, even though we’d just met an hour ago. “Is he mean to you?”
“He’s just mean to all the kids in the class. His dad plays football, so he thinks he’s important.”
I snorted. The Wellington money was probably a lot more than an NFL player’s. “Don’t let him bother you. I’m sure he’s just doing it for attention. And besides, just because his dad is a football player doesn’t make him more important than anyone else in your class.”
Noah sighed and sat. He pulled out an iPad from his table. Wow, first grade really had changed since I was in school. We didn’t have tablets until high school, and even then we had to check them out of the library.
I squatted so I could look him square in the eye. “Do you want me to pick you up today, or do you want to play with your friends?”
“Can you pick me up right after school?”
“Definitely. I’m going to talk to your teacher now, but I will see you this afternoon.” I stood and tapped his shoulder playfully. “Have a good day.”
“Here’s my email address and my phone number if you have any questions. You can email me or text me any time. Noah’s such a great kid.” Trina handed me a business card that contained all her contact information. Her fingers brushed mine, and I smiled when a tiny flicker of desire warmed the pit of my stomach.
“Thank you so much. Noah wants to be picked up as soon as school’s out today. What time can I get him?”
“Three thirty. If you email me, I’ll send you the schedule and other important information.”
She had a tiny scar in the corner of her mouth that disappeared when she smiled. Her skin was smooth, and the hint of a tan line peeked out from the collar of her blouse. She was attractive in a girl-next-door way, from the sweet, simple style of her hair to her practical, yet fashionable shoes. She couldn’t have been a teacher for more than a few years.
“Definitely,” I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Brook glance at her watch. The kids were filing into the classroom, and I knew we had to go. “Thanks for your help. I’ll email you later.”
“I have a copy of everything you need as well,” Brook said.
“It was good that I met Noah’s teacher, though. I have a good feeling about her.”
That single nod again. “I want you to drive us home.” Brook slipped into the passenger side.
“So you can evaluate my driving?” I winked at her. What the hell was I doing? Brook was my boss. That meant she was off-limits. I scooted the seat back to fit my long legs and adjusted the mirrors. “What are the rules for dropping off and picking up kids? Are there rules?”
Brook flipped the mirror down to look at her makeup. I waited as she wiped a tiny fleck off of her cheek that probably wasn’t even there. She tucked a strand of hair that had fallen out of her twist. I was staring, but she clearly didn’t care. When she flipped the mirror back up, she turned to me, and those brilliant blue eyes were so piercing, I felt as if she could see right inside me and read my thoughts and feelings. I turned away and started the car.
“I’ll email you the school’s handbook. All the information can be found in it. You’ll have to drive slowly around here. And be careful. The accelerator a
nd the brakes are super sensitive.”
I eased into the line of traffic leaving the school. I barely heard or felt the smooth rev of the engine, but smiled at its quick pickup. I missed driving luxury. Twenty-five years ago, Nana’s Acura was probably a dream car, but time, a few fender benders, and poor upkeep made it iffy transportation.
“If you hit this button and say ‘home,’ the GPS will direct you back to the house.”
“Yes. I had a similar one in my Lexus.” A Lexus SUV that my parents repossessed. I cringed, realizing I’d given away too much information.
“Any time you’re on the clock. so to speak, you can drive this. Grocery shopping, chores, errands. I don’t drive it much.”
“I see that. It barely has any mileage on it.” The odometer read two thousand and thirty-four miles. This car was brand-new. We pulled up to the gate, and it opened automatically. “Wait a minute. I didn’t even punch in the code.” I looked at Brook in surprise.
“It’s programmed with the gate. All the cars are. I just wanted you to know the code in case you want to park inside instead of out on the street.”
“I’ll keep it across the street for now, but I’ll get a new car soon. Monster is really my grandma’s.” I needed to stop talking. I was telling Brook my sad story on the first day. My life was better told over the course of several months and a dozen bottles of wine. Plus, my problems were small in the scheme of things.
Brook showed me all the alarm systems, how to arm them, disarm them, and handed me all Noah’s schedules. “I have to get to the office, and you probably need to get to class, but call me if you have a problem.”
Even though I didn’t have to be at school for another hour and a half, I felt weird being there alone, so I headed across the street to my car. It finally started on the third try, after serious praying and gently stroking the dash. One of the first things I intended to do was buy reliable transportation.
* * *
“Excuse me, miss?” I yelped in surprise at the knock on the window by my head. I scowled at the security guard and lowered the window.
