4. Get Knocked Down
GET KNOCKED DOWN
“ S orry about the noise,” Poppy said when Daphne showed up two days later at seven in the morning. “They are trying to get an early start because of the rain coming in tomorrow. I don’t want holes and mud in the yard.”
“It’s fine,” she said. “They aren’t doing anything by my place yet.”
It felt funny calling it her place. It’s not like she owned it.
She wasn’t paying rent either.
But all her possessions were there. No decor, she didn’t need to bring in any. Not even furniture.
Poppy did it all and it was too beautiful for Daphne to make a change.
“No,” Poppy said. “They are going to be here starting at seven most mornings. They are going to finish the path from the house to the barn today and then mow the lawn and take care of their normal property stuff. They probably won’t be here Thursday or Friday with the weather looking bad.”
“It’s all good,” Daphne said. “It’s going to look beautiful.”
She’d walked along the side of the house where it led to the barn to just check out what was being done. They’d started closer to the house and had to finish by the barn. It was far enough away that it wasn’t bothering her in the least.
If anything, it was kind of exciting and she and Holly had a picnic outside watching the action. The little girl talked about wanting trucks to do the same work. She’d found shovels and pails and they got to it manually.
Maybe not the same thing, but Holly had fun digging and that was all that counted.
“It is,” Poppy said. “And Holly won’t stop talking about wanting a digger truck.”
She laughed. “I told her a shovel and pail work just as well.”
“I appreciate that,” Poppy said. “That is how we did it. I’m sure Reese is going to get her a few things. He’s eating this up. I think he wants to go out and help Abe.”
She paused and looked at Poppy who was finishing her coffee and putting the cup in the sink. Neither of the kids was around yet and that told her they were both most likely sleeping or Reese had them.
“Abe?” she asked.
It wasn’t a common name to her. She’d only heard it once.
Her one-night stand that she couldn’t get out of her head.
“Abe Cooke,” Poppy said. “It’s his company.
He’s from the area. We were in school together.
Nice guy. Hot, if you’re interested.” Her boss was wiggling her eyebrows.
“I can introduce the two of you. I’m pretty sure he’s single.
I love to gossip, and I’ve got a few minutes.
His cousin Easton is dating Laurel who works with your brother. ”
She’d met Laurel once when Aster brought her around the building. Laurel was the plant manager or something. Aster liked the woman, but Aster liked just about anyone.
“What a small world,” she said. “I’m not used to those things.”
“You better get used to them around here. Everyone knows everyone else’s business.”
“That’s annoying,” she said, frowning.
The last thing she would have wanted was anyone to know that she and Aster grew up with parents who spent more time partying than parenting.
Or that she was paying half of her parents' bills and working two jobs because her other choice was to move out and pay even more on her own.
Best thing that happened to her was Aster convincing her to come for a visit and then meeting Poppy and her sisters.
Her years in childcare had them making up their minds right away to offer her this nanny job.
Since she needed to find a place to live with her parents selling their house, she figured it was best to just start over where she knew she’d get the love and support from the only person who’d been in her corner. Her brother.
“You don’t know the half of it,” Poppy said. “Or maybe you do. Aster has said he left to come here because he got sick of the talk about what happened to him. Zane’s call almost saved him in a way. Or I like to think that because I believe in fate.”
Poppy was giggling and wiggling her shoulders.
She laughed.
Her brother had been home on leave and saved a teenager from an attempted abduction. He got shot in the chest and could have died. He hadn’t.
But he lost his military career that he loved. He was paid a huge reward for his heroism and needed to leave the area before he strangled their parents for trying to get money out of him.
Poppy was right: her brother-in-law, Zane Wolfe, who was married to Lily Bloom-Wolfe, all but saved her brother.
In turn, it probably saved her too.
“I think you’re right,” she said. “I still can’t thank you enough for this opportunity. I feel like I’m taking advantage of things. Something like this is a dream. Not just where I’m living now, but I almost don’t know what to do with myself. I’ve never had this much time on my hands.”
Poppy laughed. “Take advantage of it for having worked so hard in your young life. I know, I’ve been there. I’ll be going back to work full time in a few weeks and you’ll be busier.”
“I know. I will during the days for sure. But I’m used to a full-time day job, then working nights or weekends. If you need me for anything, please ask. Even if you want a date night with Reese.”
“Shhhh,” Poppy said. “Don’t say that too loudly, or Reese will be making plans every Friday night. Then the next thing I know, I’ll have baby number three in me. Two is enough, but my husband loves me pregnant.” Poppy leaned down and lowered her voice. “It’s the hormones. Makes me super horny.”
She laughed. “Do it,” she said. “The date nights. Maybe not baby number three yet, but I could handle it if you did. You deserve it and it gives me something to do.”
“How about you go out and find a guy,” Poppy said, twirling her hips some. “That’s something for you to do.”
She’d heard all about this sister’s crazy antics. She’d met all the Bloom sisters when they hit her with a surprise interview back in March on her visit.
Poppy’s younger sister, Rose, was pregnant at the same time. They had a shared a nanny for Holly and Rose’s son, Colin.
Julie, the previous nanny, wasn’t keen on watching four kids and they realized they needed another. They said Daphne all but fell into their lap.
It was nice to hear that. She wasn’t sure anything good in her life came in the form of a surprise.
“Maybe I’ll think about it at some point. I need to get into a routine. I’m not big on going out alone.”
No way she was admitting that she did that less than two weeks ago.
And look what she did?!
“It’s hard,” Poppy said. “And you never know in this day and age. There are dating apps if you’re into those things.”
“Been there and done that,” she said. “No, thank you. Do you know the creeps on those things? Maybe one out of twenty is someone somewhat normal and you have to be lucky to hit it off with that one person.”
“I’ve never been a fan of them either,” Poppy said. “Guess having some history with Reese helped me.”
“I could never get her out of my mind,” Reese said, walking into the room with Tatum in his arms. “I came back for her, and boy, did she make me work at it.”
Poppy grinned and reached for her son. “You needed to work for it. You broke my heart. It’s hard to come back from that.”
Reese pulled his wife closer and gave her a big kiss on the lips, his hand on her lower back, almost Poppy’s ass.
“But I did,” Reese said. “Best day of my life when you agreed to be my wife.”
“Has anyone told you two that you’re kind of gross? In a lovely way, but still gross.”
“I tell Poppy that all the time, but my wife likes the romance of it. Keeps her happy.”
“Happy wife, happy life,” Poppy said. “Hey there, little man. You slept late.”
Tatum was wiggling around as if he was ready for his breakfast.
“I changed his diaper, but he wants food,” Reese said.
“I’ll do it,” Daphne said, reaching for the baby. “I know you’ve got to get to work, Poppy.”
“If you don’t mind,” Poppy said. “I appreciate it.”
“That is what you pay me for,” she said. “Finish getting ready and I’ll take care of Tatum. Is Holly still sleeping?”
Reese put the monitor on the table. “She is. You wore her out yesterday. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you letting her get that energy out. It’s good for her and she’s having a blast. I just couldn’t do it while I was working.”
“No problem,” she said. “I’m glad it’s working out so well. I’ve got a day planned with Holly outside too.”
The praise felt like a warm weighted blanket on an ice-cold rainy day and she wanted to snuggle into some more of it.
But she wouldn’t let them know that she was so eager for nice words in her life.
That sounded too pathetic even to her ears.
What was more pathetic was the fact that she’d been living in this area for two months and hadn’t had one negative thing said to her or about her when back home it was multiple times a day. If not at work, then at home.
Regardless of what anyone said, you don’t always get thick skin, just a ton of bruises.
“She’ll be thrilled,” Reese said, moving to Poppy again. “I’m going to work.” He kissed his wife and walked out of the kitchen.
“You need to find that,” Poppy said. “I want to say it’s not easy, but man, when you do, everything in life just falls in place.”
Daphne nodded and looked down at Tatum in his navy one-piece pajamas. His blue eyes stared up at her, pleading, and his body wiggling while she waited for the bottle to warm in the machine.
When it dinged, he knew he was getting what he wanted and kicked his legs in excitement.
“I’m good with the way life is falling right now,” she said.
The more she told herself that, the easier it was to believe.