Chapter 4
4
LYLA
Nearly having a panic attack in front of your scary, really good-looking potential employer because their kid yelled and startled you. Great first impression, Ly.
Laughing nervously, I quickly move through the stunning foyer into what looks to be an adorable sun-soaked breakfast nook just off the massive kitchen. A round, stained-white table sits in front of a corner bench the same sage color as the island.
Beautiful cream-colored cushions have been placed on all the seats, and large arched windows take up the entire wall above the bench, letting in the early morning sunshine. Bouncing in one of the seats is a darling little boy with a full head of wavy, white-blond hair that matches his father’s.
Crew’s grin is toothy, and his face is covered in chocolate, pulling a surprised giggle out of me. I cover my mouth and glance behind me to Aidan, worried about how he’ll react to the noise, but he just has that same pensive look on his face as when he opened the door. Deciding to channel my focus on the reason I’m here, I walk straight up to the boy and crouch just a bit so I’m at his eye level.
“Hi!” I say brightly. “I’m Lyla. Your name is Crew, right? It’s nice to meet you!”
He looks more than a little wary, which sends a ping of sadness through me, but I keep my smile firmly in place while he shifts his attention to the man behind me. I’m guessing he’s looking to his dad for direction, so I wait patiently. Bringing his piercing blue gaze back to me, he grins shyly and holds a sticky hand out to shake.
“How do you know my name?”
I shake his small hand and marvel at how tall he seems to be at not even six years old, though Aidan is probably an entire foot taller than me, so maybe I shouldn’t be all that surprised that his son clearly seems to favor his genetics.
“Well, your dad just told me, but I’m also friends with your Auntie Wren! She told me all about you.”
Crew gasps, bouncing in his seat. “Auntie Wren is my bestest friend! I just see’d her yesterday!”
Fighting back a laugh, I grin at his excitement. “You saw her yesterday. And guess what? I did, too! Wren is my best friend and I see her all the time!”
I listen to him chatter excitedly about all the things he does with Wren with rapt attention while also cataloguing the striking resemblance he bears to his father. They both share golden locks with platinum highlights that are likely from frequently being in the sun, and the same light blue eyes.
The exact opposite of Sebastian’s.
“So,” I ask, getting Crew’s attention as Aidan quietly slides into the booth on the other side of his son. It puts him directly across from me, and I studiously avoid his intense gaze. “Do you like your breakfast?”
A fast nod is the only answer I get for a minute as he shoves a massive bite of pancakes in his mouth. My caregiver instincts go on high alert, and I slide his water cup within reach and watch him like a hawk until he chews and swallows.
I notice Aidan tracking my movements with his eyes, but he also slides a few inches closer with a hand out toward his son, ready to intervene if needed.
I let out a sigh of relief when he successfully swallows the bite and chases it with several gulps of water. “Chocolate chip hotcakes are my favorite!”
Aidan snickers quietly as he starts to wipe his son’s hands and face, causing me to raise a brow in question. “Wren’s dad calls ‘em hotcakes, and Crew has spent a lot of time over there the last few months, so he’s adopted the word and corrects anybody that says pancakes within his earshot.”
Crew rolls his eyes at his dad, sighing in exasperation. “They’re called hotcakes, Daddy. I’m just tellin’ ‘em so they know the right word.”
I laugh, but lean in conspiratorially. “You’re right, Crew. They’re definitely called hotcakes.”
He grins in triumph, sticking his tongue out at his father, and the amount of attitude packed into such a little human is hilarious. “I like you, Miss Lyla. Will you stay after breakfast and play?”
The quiet words have me straightening my shoulders with pride. I went to school for years to learn how best to interact with children of all ages, and the fact that Crew is accepting me so easily makes my heart swell. Aidan clears his throat gently before I can get too excited and say yes. “ Raptor, Miss Lyla and I need to talk for a bit first, okay? Do you wanna watch the fairy movie again while we do?”
He’s up and out of the kitchen in a flash, sprinting to the sunken living room that’s semi-visible from our position in the breakfast nook. I turn back to Aidan with wide eyes, and he belly-laughs, sending shivers down my spine.
His voice and laugh are deep and smooth, and the theater kid in me wonders briefly if he can sing. “You promise my kid Disney movies, and he’ll do just about anything you ask.”
Understanding dawns on me, and I grin. “Good thing I love Disney movies, then, huh?” He just chuckles quietly and finally serves himself from the platters of food on the table.
Now that I’m not so nervous, I notice more pancakes, bacon, eggs, and fruit than two people could reasonably eat, not to mention the large pitcher of orange juice. “You really weren’t kidding when you said you make too much!”
Aidan snorts. “I wish I was kidding. I’ve been cooking for two since Crew was a year old. You would think I could figure out how to make smaller portions. Please help yourself if you’re hungry. I figured we could talk about the job now, and then you’re more than welcome to hang out and get to know us if you want.”
Confusing butterflies take flight in my belly at the mere mention of casual hangouts with my handsome boss if I get the job, but I know it likely won’t be something I have to get used to since it sounds like he’s gone a lot during the season. Perusing the spread before me, I grab two pancakes, some fruit, and a few pieces of bacon, nearly moaning at the competing aromas of chocolate and bacon .
The man across from me keeps his gaze laser-focused on my face until I take my first bite, and only then does he dig into his own meal. We eat in comfortable silence for several minutes with only the sounds of Crew’s movie and commentary as background noise.
“So, I guess Wren already told you this would be a live-in position?” he asks, his voice guarded.
“She did, and she also said it would be a travel position as well?”
Aidan nods, his firm expression easing the slightest bit at my acknowledgment of the travel. Wren said that’s been the hardest part of finding a nanny for them.
“Obviously I travel for work quite a bit, and I don’t like being away from my son for days, sometimes weeks on end. It makes me feel a lot better when I can have him on the road with me for the longer stretches without the added stress of rotating babysitters.”
Nodding, I smile gently at him. “I completely understand. I can’t imagine how stressful your job is already as a professional athlete, but adding on to that being a single parent with unreliable childcare? The kind of pressure you’re under must feel crushing.”
I watch as his glittering eyes widen a fraction before he quickly schools his expression. “Exactly,” he says quietly. “That’s why I need somebody I can trust with Crew. Somebody reliable and good with kids and who won’t need to call me during a game for every sliver or scrape. He’s my top priority, so while I would hate to break my contract and quit the team if I can’t find somebody, I’d give it all up without question to keep him safe and happy.”
Can ovaries actually explode?
Rather than voice the incredibly inappropriate thought, I thread my hands together and rest them on the table. “You don’t know me and have no reason to trust me. What I can tell you is that even though I’m only twenty-two, I just graduated with a double Bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education and Psychology. I have some great references from my professors and the teachers I worked with during my five years in school that I can provide as well. I also have up-to-date certifications in CPR and water safety.”
“You said Crew is your top priority? If you give me a chance, he will be my only priority. His safety, his education, his comfort, and happiness. I’ll treat your son exactly like I would treat my own child because I know all too well what it’s like to be just another job to a rotating roster of nannies and sitters.”
I don’t even realize I’m breathing heavily until I finish my unplanned speech and see Aidan’s wide eyes locked on mine. My cheeks heat with embarrassment. Slumping down in my seat, I struggle to meet his eyes. “Sorry.”
He shakes his head, a lock of wavy blond hair falling across his forehead. Brushing it back, he graces me with a small but genuine smile. “You’re easily the most passionate person I’ve ever hired.”
The quiet words make me choke on my juice. Coughing, I stare at him with eyes wide as saucers. “ Hired? You mean you’re giving me the job?”
“I honestly can’t think of a single person, let alone a nanny that’s ever offered to treat my son like their own. If I’m being completely transparent, you’re way overqualified, but if you want the job, there’s no way in hell I’m going to say no,” he says with a laugh. “When can you move in?”
My mind is already racing with ideas for a curriculum and activities I can plan to keep Crew entertained on the road, so I know I’m beaming when I respond.
“Does today work for you?”
“Good morning, sleepyhead!” I sing as I walk into Crew’s dimly-lit bedroom. The smallest sliver of light gives me just enough visibility to see that his floor is still clean after we picked up yesterday afternoon, making me smile.
Aidan only hired me a few days ago, and already, I don’t think I’ve ever loved a job more than this one. Crew is the sweetest kid ever, and his dad has gone out of his way to make me comfortable in their house.
Muffled grumbles are my only response, so I give him another minute of quiet, open the curtains, and then the window, letting in the warm salty breeze.
Crew’s bedroom is on the left at of the stairs, so it faces the back of the house, meaning there’s an amazing view of the water from the large window above an adorable window seat.
“Miss Lyla?”
I turn to the sleepy boy behind me with a soft smile and move to crouch next to his oversized bed. His platinum blond hair is all I can see over the comforter, and it’s sticking up at all angles. The sight has me rolling my lips together to stifle a laugh. “Yes, Crew-bug?”
“Did Daddy go to work already?” he asks, sniffling.
My stomach drops. Crew has one of the most severe cases of separation anxiety I’ve personally seen, which means the last few mornings have been especially hard since Aidan has to leave before the sun comes up. He let me know right away his days are pretty much all the same during training camp: lots of workouts, practice, and games, so he would likely get home around the same time most days.
Thankfully, getting Crew into a routine has been easy so far, but the devastation on his sweet face every time he wakes up and finds his dad gone is heartbreaking. Every day gets a little bit easier, but I know all too well how hard it is to wake up to a nanny when all you want is your dad.
I clear my throat and place a gentle hand on his back. “Yeah, he did. But today is the last day before he has the weekend off! So you’ll get two whole days to hang out with him.” An idea dawns on me when I remember the note Aidan left on the kitchen island this morning.
Lyla,
I know Crew’s been having a hard time with me being gone this week, so I was thinking maybe some time at the stadium would cheer him up. If you don’t have any other plans, I would love for y’all to come hang out for a bit. I won’t have my phone on me, so if you do decide to come just show this badge and your ID to security, and they’ll bring you out to the field.
Thank you for making this transition so easy, Lyla. You have no idea how grateful I am.
Aidan
My heart speeds up thinking about my gorgeous boss, but I lock those feelings down fast . The last thing I need is to lose a perfect job because of my inconvenient attraction to an incredibly off-limits man.
Plus, it’s one thing to be attracted to someone after healing from an abusive relationship, but actually making that leap is a whole other qualifier I’m not sure I’m ready to tackle yet.
“Hey, what do you say we take a little field trip today?”
Crew’s screech of excitement nearly pierces my eardrums, but the tears have thankfully abated with the distraction of getting out of the house. “Can we go now, Miss Lyla? I wanna go now! Where are we going? Will there be food? Can I wear my dinosaur costume?”
Laughing, I watch as he fights the sheets and tumbles out of bed. “No costume, but let's get you dressed in something you can get dirty. Maybe some shorts and a T-shirt and your sneakers?”
He nods frantically, skipping to his dresser in search of an acceptable outfit. It seems like he forgot about the rest of the questions, so rather than remind him, I make sure to grab everything I think we might need at the field today. A change of clothes, sunscreen, and baby wipes all go in a small backpack I’ll load with snacks and water when we make it downstairs.
“Crew, come in here and brush your teeth, please!”
“Yes, Miss Lyla!”
Heavy footsteps reach my ears, and I’m surprised to find that he already has his shoes on. “Do you know how to tie your shoes, Crew-bug?”
He offers me a proud grin and nods. “My daddy just teached me how!”
I smile at him, matching his excitement with my own. “Your daddy taught you how, and that is so cool, dude! I don’t know very many five-year-olds who can tie their own shoes, so you must be really smart.”
Crew beams at me, and within ten minutes, we’re in the SUV and headed to the stadium. I listen to his animated stories the whole way there and fiercely try to ignore the butterflies that erupt the closer we get to seeing my boss.