by Rye Hart
“Oh?” Janie sat up straight, eager to hear. I smiled but didn’t say anything.
“That new guy?” Margie said. “Sean Evans? Word is, he moved out of San Diego to escape some lurid secret.”
“What?” I asked, suddenly interested.
“That’s what my dad heard,” Margie said, her eyes wide and her lips pursed. “Apparently, something sordid went down between him and his wife. That’s why he left town.”
“I thought his wife died,” Janie said with a frown.
“I think she did,” Margie said with a knowing nod. “But not before whatever happened between them happened.”
“That sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me,” I said boldly.
Margie and Janie both looked at me in surprise. It wasn’t often that I put my foot down about anything, but I couldn’t sit there and listen to Margie spread rumors about Sean. He didn’t deserve that. His kids didn’t deserve that.
“What makes you an expert?” Margie asked, annoyed.
“She knows them,” Janie said quickly. “She nannied for his kids for a couple days.”
“You did?” Margie’s annoyance suddenly vanished. She moved her chair closer to me. “What’s Sean like? How’s their house? Are the kids well behaved? Tell me everything.”
“They’re a perfectly normal family,” I said pointedly. “That’s all you need to know.”
“Oh, come on!” Margie complained. “I just know there’s something dark in Sean’s past. I can tell.”
“Leave that family alone,” I said. “I mean it, Margie.”
“I’m just saying.”
“Well, don’t.”
I glared at her openly, not bothering to hide my anger. Whatever Margie thought she knew about Sean’s past was none of her business. I refused to let her sit around and spread rumors about him, even though he’d been little more than a total jerk to me. Something inside me felt protective of him, as stupid as that sounded in my own head.
Margie raised her eyebrows and glanced at Janie. Janie just stared back at her, not saying a word. Finally, Margie got the hint and stood up to leave us alone. I was too irritated to eat so I just sat back in my chair and closed my eyes tightly.
“You okay?” Janie asked.
“I’m fine.” I sighed. My eyes opened. “She’s just an idiot.”
“Of course, she is,” Janie said. “But that’s never bothered you before.”
“I don’t want her saying things about Sean,” I said defensively. “That’s all.”
“Even though he fired you?”
Her words hit me hard, but I tried to ignore them. Nothing that I was feeling was making much sense right now. Grabbing a slice of pizza, I changed the subject to something less emotional. Talking about Sean was becoming too hard. Just thinking about him was enough to make my stomach fill with butterflies.
After a few minutes, Janie and I had yet another visitor. I didn’t see him coming, but from the look on Janie’s face, I knew who it would be.
“Hey, Emily,” Tanner said, sitting in the chair Margie left behind. “You got a second?”
“No,” Janie said.
Tanner shot her a look.
“I’m sorry about the other night,” he said softly. “I was drunk, but that’s not an excuse. I know I shouldn’t be that pushy.”
“It’s fine,” I said with a wave of my hand. “Don’t worry about it.”
“No,” Janie said again. “You should worry about it.”
“I’m sorry again,” Tanner said to me. “Although, I’m not quite ready to give up on that date yet.”
“Well, it’s not going to happen,” I said, keeping my voice polite but firm.
Tanner stood up to leave, leaning down to put his lips close to my ear before he did.
“We’ll see about that,” he whispered.
I shook my head while he walked away. My eyes followed him across the restaurant to see Sean walking through the door, Tommy and Sarah on either side of him. My heart stopped when I saw that Sean’s eyes were already fixed on my face.
Our eyes met for a fraction of a second before he turned and walked to the other side of the restaurant. The kids moved to follow him, but then Tommy saw me and changed direction.
“Emily!” he said, making Sarah turn around with a start.
They both ran over to us and threw their tiny arms around my neck. I laughed and hugged them tightly.
“Hey, guys!” I said. “Are you having fun with your dad today?”
“Yeah,” they said together.
“Why aren’t you with us today?” Tommy asked with a frown. “Dad didn’t say.”
“Well.” I cleared my throat. “It doesn’t look like I’m going to be your nanny after all.”
“Why not?” Sarah asked, her eyebrows pulling together.
“Your daddy wants to hang out with you more,” I said, smiling. “This way, you guys get to spend more time together before school starts. That sounds like fun, right?”
“Sure,” Tommy said. He nodded, but his frown never faded.
“Get back over there,” I said, nudging them both.
They waved goodbye and then ran over to join Sean at their table. I glanced over, trying to catch his eye, but he avoided my gaze. I shook my head and looked back at Janie. She was watching me closely.
“Obviously, it wasn’t something the kids said,” Janie said. “They both seem really disappointed that you aren’t going back.”
“I know.” I frowned. “I still don’t get it. If the kids didn’t say anything—”
I looked over at Sean, and again, he avoided my gaze. The kids were already diving into their pizza, but Sean wasn’t eating. Instead, he stared at the plate in front of him and fiddled with his slice. When he finally lifted it to his lips, I swore he sighed. Something was going on in that sexy head of his that I did not understand.
“I’m sure it’s nothing.” Janie shrugged. “Just let it go. You’ll get another job soon enough.”
“Yeah,” I said. “You’re right.”
I finished my pizza and kept my eyes focused forward, never once glancing at Sean again until Janie and I left the restaurant. On our way out, Tommy and Sarah waved their goodbyes, and I smiled back. My eyes flickered to Sean for a fraction of a second, and finally, he was looking back at me. Our eyes met, and he looked away quickly. But before he did, I saw the same look I’d seen in his eyes the day before.
Janie and I said goodbye. I made my way home, still thinking about Sean and that meaningful look. Maybe Janie was right. Maybe Sean just decided he wanted to spend more alone time with his children. Or maybe there was something more going on, something I was too naïve to see until now.
As I walked home, I remembered the way Sean looked at me in the kitchen. If I didn’t know any better, I would have said his look was one of longing. There was tension in the air between us whenever we were alone. I dismissed it as nothing more than my attraction to him, but now, I couldn’t help but wonder if it went deeper than that. Maybe Sean was as experiencing that same attraction.
Whatever it was, I was intrigued in every sense of the word by this man. He was a mystery and despite my reservations, I needed to find out more about him.
CHAPTER SEVEN - SEAN
After lunch, I took Tommy and Sarah home. They begged to go to the park, but I couldn’t bring myself to take them. My mind was still racing with everything I’d seen at the restaurant.
By the next morning, I was still thinking about it endlessly. All I could see was that guy leaning over, pressing his lips to Emily’s ear in an intimate gesture. The memory made my stomach tighten with jealousy.
Shaking my head, I pushed myself out of bed and hurried toward the bathroom. As I showered, I told myself I was being stupid. There had been so much tension between Emily and me that I used it an excuse to fire her, but now, I knew that wasn’t the case. Obviously, the tension was one-sided, just my imagination. There was obviously a guy in her life, and here I was, deluding myse
lf into thinking her interest in me was more than just professional. I realized now that I let my attraction to her get in the way of my common sense.
Still, I couldn’t change it now. I’d already set up three interviews with potential nannies for today. After breakfast, I would take the kids over to Mrs. Johnston and spend the day finding their new caretaker. Tommy and Sarah made it abundantly clear that they wanted Emily and no one else, but I couldn’t do that to myself. Despite the other guy, my feelings remained the same. Just seeing her at the pizza place was enough to make my dick twitch in my pants. I couldn’t look at her without my fantasies running wild.
“Breakfast?” I asked as I walked into the kitchen. Tommy and Sarah were already sitting at the kitchen table.
“Why can’t Emily come over?” Sarah asked.
I sighed and turned to face them. Sarah’s eyes were narrowed in the way they often did, challenging and demanding. Her expression wasn’t a surprise, but I was shocked to see it mirrored on Tommy’s face. His anger hit me harder than Sarah’s. It was unexpected, and it so rarely happened that I had to take a step back and recover before I spoke.
“Listen guys,” I said softly. “I’m interviewing a bunch of different nannies today, okay? I’ll find someone who’s just as great as Emily. Maybe even better.”
“That’s not possible,” Sarah said firmly. “Emily is the best.”
“I know you both liked Emily, but you’ll like the next person too,” I said. “I promise.”
Sarah rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. She turned around to face away from me and spent the rest of the morning pouting. Tommy just shrugged and accepted the bowl of cereal I placed in front of him. Sarah didn’t eat, but I wasn’t surprised. When she was angry, her favorite tactic was a hunger strike. I knew the second she got over to Mrs. Johnston’s, she would eat everything in sight, so I wasn’t worried.
“Come on,” I said, once Tommy was done eating. “Let’s head next door.”
“Why can’t we be here for the interviews?” Tommy asked. “Shouldn’t we meet the new nanny ourselves?”
“You will,” I said. “And if you don’t like whoever it is, then I’ll find someone new. Deal?”
Tommy nodded, but he still seemed upset. I sighed and followed the kids out of the house and across the yard. We stepped up to Mrs. Johnston’s door, and Sarah rang the bell.
“Hello there!” Mrs. Johnston said when she answered the door. “I’m so excited to hang out with you both today!”
“Do you have anything to eat?” Sarah asked.
“Sarah,” I said warningly.
“There’s muffins on the counter,” Mrs. Johnston said with a smile. “Go on in.”
Sarah and Tommy both ran into the house and disappeared into the kitchen. I just shook my head and smiled at Mrs. Johnston.
“Thank you for doing this,” I said. “They aren’t too happy with me for letting Emily go.”
“I can’t say I blame them,” she said severely. “Emily is a wonderful girl. I’m not too happy with you myself.”
“There were just some things that wouldn’t have worked,” I said, feeling suddenly defensive.
“It’s none of my business,” Mrs. Johnston said, holding her hand up to silence me. “That’s just my two cents.”
“Well, I really appreciate your help today,” I said.
“Anytime.”
I left and Mrs. Johnston slowly closed the door behind me. It was hard enough having my own kids hate me, but for Mrs. Johnston to disapprove of my decision? I suddenly felt a wave of regret wash over me, but I forced it away. There was nothing I could do about it now. Emily was gone.
As I walked back inside my house, I checked the time. I only had ten minutes before the first interview was scheduled so I brewed a pot of coffee and poured myself a mug. Just then the doorbell rang, and I hurried forward to answer it.
There was a tall, skinny woman on the front steps. She was wearing workout clothes, and her hair was pulled back in a wet bun. Her face was covered in sweat, and she was jogging in place, bouncing up and down on my front porch.
I was confused. “Can I help you?”
“I’m Tamara,” she said with a smile. “I’m here to interview for the nanny position.”
I was instantly annoyed by this bouncing woman on my porch, but since I’d let Emily go, I didn’t have much choice but to invite her in.
My thoughts were jumbled from her constant movement. “Can you stand still?” I said irritably. “You’re distracting me.”
She stopped jogging in place, but the air around her still seemed to vibrate with energy. I found it intensely irritating.
“How long have you been involved in child care?” I asked.
“Not long,” she said honestly. “Until lately, I’ve been a personal trainer.”
I frowned. “Why did you change careers?”
“I decided children needed my support more than adults,” she said. “Are you aware of the childhood obesity rate in the United States? It’s high. Too high. I aim to rectify that, one child at a time.”
I raised an eyebrow at her and she continued.
“I came up with a workout regimen that works great with kids,” she said. “I’ll have your kids whipped into shape in no time!”
“My kids don’t need to be ‘whipped into shape,’” I said.
“Oh, but they do!” she said with a little too much enthusiasm. “You don’t realize it, but this age is crucial for their development. If they don’t create healthy exercise habits now, they never will.”
“All right,” I said, standing. “I’ve heard all I need to.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yup.” I stood up and ushered her to the door.
“I look forward to hearing from you,” she said with confidence.
“Don’t wait by the phone,” I grumbled before slamming the door in her face. I glanced through the peephole and saw the befuddled look on her face before she turned and jogged back down my driveway.
What a fucking mess.
The next applicant to arrive was a fifteen-year-old girl who was accompanied by her dad. They walked inside and sat down side by side on the couch. I figured I should slow the roll on my dickish behavior with the dad here, and offered him a cup of coffee. He refused and held up a hand.
“Look,” he said. “Before we even get started, you need to know, I’ll kill you if you touch my little girl.”
That got my attention. “I’m sorry, what?” I blinked. “Are you kidding me?”
“I know all about what perverts do to their children’s babysitters and that will not happen to my Tiffany, are we clear?”
“I’m just looking for someone to take care of my kids this summer,” I said. “That’s it. And I don’t appreciate you coming in to my home with that demeanor.”
He sat back and continued to glare at me. I tried to engage Tiffany in the interview, but every time I asked a question, her father would answer for her. I cut the interview short and escorted them out. So far I was zero-for-two.
Where the hell did we move? The Twilight Zone?
Shaking my head, I sipped my coffee and waited for the final applicant to arrive. When she finally did, she was over an hour late and looked high. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her hair was a mess.
I promptly told her to get the fuck off my porch and slammed the door before she could respond. I rested my forehead against the door and took a deep breath. I knew what I had to do, though I really didn’t want to. I needed to swallow my pride and get Emily back. She was clearly the best person for the job and my kids absolutely loved her. I would just have to get used to cold showers and nightly jerk-off sessions. With a sigh, I picked up the phone and dialed Emily’s number.
“Hello?” Emily said.
“Emily,” I said. “It’s Sean.”
“Oh. Hi, Sean.”
“Hi.” I cleared my throat. “Listen, it seems there is not one acceptable candidate in this town to watch m
y kids. If you haven’t found something else, I would like to sit down and talk about the possibility of you coming back and working for us.”
There was silence on the other end, and I knew Emily was thinking about my offer. It was bold of me to call her up just two days after dismissing her, but I didn’t have a choice. This was the only way I could rectify my obvious mistake.
“Fine, but one condition. Emily finally said.
“What is it?”
“You’re paying.”
“Fine. Can you come in an hour?” I asked. “I’ll meet you at the diner in town”
“Okay,” Emily said. “I’ll see you there.”
I hung up the phone and let go of the breath I’d been holding. I still didn’t know if Emily would be interested in taking the job back, but at least she agreed to meet me. I couldn’t help but notice, yet again, how sexy her voice sounded. I shook myself. If this was going to work, I would have to get my lust under control.
I walked over to Mrs. Johnston’s and rang the bell. She answered with a smile, and I knew her anger with me over firing Emily was gone.
“Any luck?” she asked.
“No.” I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“Well, I’m sure you’ll find someone,” she said.
“Actually,” I said. “I came over to ask if you could watch Tommy and Sarah for a little longer? I’m meeting Emily for coffee. Hopefully we can work something out, and she’ll come back to work for us.”
“Really?’ Mrs. Johnston’s eyes lit up with excitement.
“Yeah,” I said. “I might hire her back.”
“You better,” she said sternly. “She’s the best person out there. Your kids have been talking about her all day. They love her.”
“I know they do.” I sighed. “We’ll see what happens.”
“Well go,” she said. “I’ll watch them. You go meet with Emily. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that everything works out.”
“You’re meeting Emily?” Sarah said, suddenly appearing behind Mrs. Johnston.
“You are?” Tommy asked, bounding up beside his sister.
I sighed. “Yes,” I said. “But this doesn’t mean she’s coming back. Don’t get your hopes up until we know for sure.”
