11. Aiden
Ihadn’t planned on kissing Anna when I saw her in the kitchen, but a profound sense of gratitude overwhelmed any reasonable thoughts that I had. When I tucked Penny into bed, she told me what had happened from the moment I left them in the tunnels.
I pushed a strand of Penny’s hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead before snuggling the covers around her. “I’m so glad nothing happened to you. I’m sorry that you were scared, Honey.”
“I was only scared at first when Anna pushed my head between my legs and yelled for Jack to drive! But then she leaned over me and hugged me tight, all while praying for Jesus to keep you safe. I knew then that everything would be all right. You should have seen Anna, Dad! She was amazing! I want to be just like her when I grow up!”
My daughter’s toothy grin was not what I had expected to see after such a traumatic event. Smiling down on her, I asked, “You want to be a nanny when you grow up?”
“No, Dad. Don’t be silly. I still want to be the President.”
“Then what do you mean, Pumpkin?” I asked her, utterly confused.
“I want to be a mom!”
I leaned back, stunned by my daughter’s words. “Penny, I don’t think Anna has any kids of her own. She isn’t a mother.”
My mom’s hand gently touched my shoulder to get my attention. “I think what Penny is trying to say is that Anna protected her without a moment of hesitation. Anna didn’t stop to think about herself, only making sure Penny was safe. It’s something a mother would do, not a nanny. Anna prayed for your safety, too, going as far as to make a deal with God. If I had to guess, it’s probably the first time she’s talked to Him in a long time, if ever. That’s how much she cares about this family even though she’s only been here for two days.”
“Yeah, what Nana said!” Penny exclaimed. “You should ask Anna to marry you so she can become my mom!”
I coughed and sputtered, unable to respond. “Penny, getting married requires two people to be in love, and Anna hasn’t been here for very long. Falling in love takes time.”
“Then make her fall in love with you and then ask her to stay forever! It’s easy. I love her already! If I can do it, so can you!”
Ah, the innocence of a child. I leaned over and kissed her one more time. “I’ll think about it, but I’m not making any promises. Goodnight, my precocious daughter. I love you.”
“I love you too, Dad.”
My dad grabbed a book from the shelf and sat in the rocking chair to read to Penny while my mom took the spot on the bed that I had just vacated. Before I left, I turned to them both and let them know that I’d like to talk to them when they’re done.
I walked slowly down the hall, digesting Penny and my mom’s words about how selfless Anna had been. I couldn’t comprehend why none of the bodyguards nor Anna had mentioned her actions when I had been thanking the men for their dedicated service.
Penny was right about one thing. Anna’s actions weren’t typical of a nanny, but more in line with what a mother would do to protect her child. Unbidden images of Anna flooded my mind; thoughts like Anna teaching Penny to wear make-up or her holding our little boy with my dark hair and her gorgeous green eyes. I tried to shake them off, but they kept coming like a freight train; one after the other. The last one of Anna sitting in the front row of the church as I walk Penny down the aisle is the one that sent me over the edge into temporary insanity. At least, that’s the story I planned to go with and why I do the unthinkable.
I intend to simply thank Anna for what she has done and offer her a bonus, but when I notice her on the phone and making tea, all rational thoughts disappear. She may be beautiful on the outside, but that’s not what I see at that moment. Nope. Her inner beauty shines like a beacon, drawing me to her.
Unable to express my gratitude in words, I kiss her like she is the air I need to breathe. What astonishes me even more is that she returns the kiss for a brief moment. Overwhelmed, it takes me a second to feel the push instead of the pull of her hands against my chest.
“Aiden, stop!” she says loudly, waking me out of my Anna-induced haze. “What are you doing?”
Before I can answer, I hear a tinny voice emanating from the phone on the floor, “Savannah, what’s going on? Are you all right? Talk to me!”
I give her the space to talk to some guy named Ethan—according to the name on the screen—and get lost in my thoughts. I flashback to the conversation with Deacon in the locker room when he mentioned that Anna looked like Savannah Jones and now, I have to wonder if there was any validity to his statement. I wait patiently for Anna to finish up her call.
She turns away from me and speaks in low tones, but I can still understand snippets of the conversation. “I’m fine…nothing I can’t handle…I’ll explain later…Ethan, I have to go…mess I need to clean up.” I can’t say I appreciate being called a “mess,” but I’ve clearly created one with my actions and deserve it.
As soon as she’s off the phone and faces me to tell me how badly I screwed up, I open my big mouth and go on the offensive. “I’m sorry for kissing you. I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t know you had a boyfriend, Anna. Or is it really Savannah?”
The kettle whistling interrupts us and gives her a bit of reprieve. She makes four mugs of tea and sets them on the table. “Have a seat, Aiden.” Her ominous tone does nothing to calm the doubt and questions swirling around in my brain. I sit in the closest chair but don’t reach for the tea she has set in front of me. I watch her like a hawk as she goes to the opposite side of the table, putting as much distance between us as possible.
“Do you plan to answer my question?” I ask, my tone defensive.
“I do, but after your parents come down. They should be here for this conversation.”
Crossing my arms, I lean back as far as I can in my chair. “Are you implying that my mom and dad are involved in whatever scheme you’ve cooked up? They would never do something like that!”
“Actually, we would,” my mom says as she and my dad come down the stairs. “You left us with no choice when you refused to listen to our concerns about having around-the-clock protection for Penny.”
I take a few seconds to formulate my words to respond to my mom’s declaration, but she isn’t done yet. “It’s a good thing we hired Anna because she was the one who sent David and Jeremy to watch over you. If Anna hadn’t done that, then who knows if you would even be here right now to condemn us for our actions. That’s what you’re about to do, isn’t it? Condemn us for caring about you and Penny?”
Mom’s statement gives me pause, and the guilt trip works as she had anticipated. I shake out my hands and legs, trying to get the frustration and angst out of my body so that I can calm down enough to speak respectfully. After a few raised eyebrows, and once I feel I’ve achieved a more relaxed state, I take a deep breath and address my parents.
“I wish you had told me the truth, and I’m hurt that you felt the need to go behind my back to get your way. Ultimately, Penny is my daughter, and what goes on in this house is up to me. Moving forward, I need to know what is going on and will have the final say. I”m partly to blame, and I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you or take your concerns to heart. If I had, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.”
Turning to face Anna, who has remained quiet until now, I ask, “Is Anna your real name?”
I expect Anna to hem and haw, sputtering out an excuse. Instead, she looks to my mom for permission to answer me, and her shoulders sag in relief when it’s granted. “No, my name is not Anna Blackwood. It’s Savannah Jones. It’s the only lie I have told you, but that was more for my protection than yours, Aiden.”
“What do you mean ‘for your protection?’ Are you in some kind of danger?” I ask her, concerned not only for her well-being but also for that of my daughter.
“The only danger is getting caught up in my past. I grew up here in Savannah and there are people I would like to keep my presence hidden from. No one is after me or poses a threat to your family, but that’s all you need to know for now. I assure you, there is no added danger because I’m here.”
“Savannah…”
“Anna, please. For now, I would like to keep my identity a secret,” she says to us all.
I laugh mirthlessly, “It might be a little late for that. One of my teammates already recognized you, and Swank looked you up on his phone.”
She gives me a lop-sided smile. “Until there is confirmation, it’s only speculation. Just continue to deny that my name is Savannah to anyone who asks, Aiden. All people need to know is that I’m Anna Blackwood and Penny’s new nanny.”
“Are you really a nanny?” I ask.
“Yes and no. I’ll continue to care for Penny just as any nanny would. It might be my cover, but I truly do enjoy spending time with her, Aiden. No one will be the wiser. I also happen to be equipped with skills honed by eight years of working in the FBI as a federal agent and the last few years as a protection specialist for Shining Knight Protective Services. I’m more than just a nanny or bodyguard. I’m also an investigator. Part of my job here is to find out who is behind the threats to your family and give you your life back.”
I should be relieved by her words, but then it hits me that we are nothing more than a job to her and that once this is over, she’ll leave. My plan to get her to open up is now null and void since she’s come clean, which means I need to go back to keeping my distance. Now that I’ve had a taste of her cherry lips, I don’t know how easy that will be.
“Anna, I need a word with my parents alone,” I tell her.
“Sure. Do I get a goodnight kiss first?” she asks playfully before taking her mug and placing it in the dishwasher. Before she heads upstairs, she winks at me and blows me a kiss. I’m used to catching kisses from Penny, and I instinctually catch Anna’s and place it on my lips. My parents’ eyes widen and so do mine when I realize what I just did. Savannah’s cackle can be heard as she continues up the stairs.
I wait until she’s gone before I face off with my parents. “What am I going to tell Penny? She adores Anna and will be heartbroken when this is all over. How do I tell her that we’re just a job to Anna?”
Mom shrugs, but it’s my dad who makes the unlikeliest of suggestions. “Maybe you’re not ‘just a job’ to her. I’ve seen the way you look at Savannah and the way she looks at you. There’s a chemistry between you. Maybe see what develops and if there’s anything worth pursuing. Remember that in a few months, there will be nothing tying you to this city.”
“You mean other than the two of you?” I ask.
My mom stands up and hugs me from behind, then kisses me on the cheek. “Aiden, your dad and I are more than ready to retire and do some traveling. If that happens to include monthly visits to wherever you end up, then so be it. Moving away isn’t going to be the end of the world. In fact, it might be a chance for a new beginning. Savannah mentioned a school up in New York City that is for bright and gifted children. Penny might enjoy something like that. Just a little food for thought.”
“I don’t know if I can trust her, Mom. Savannah is hiding something, and I think it’s more than her job and her name.”
“Aiden, I learn new things about your father every day. Relationships are about growing together, developing trust, and learning to communicate. Savannah doesn’t know you and has no reason to divulge anything about herself that she isn’t willing to share. The same goes for you. You can’t expect to learn a lifetime of history in a day, and she obviously has reasons to keep her identity a secret. And for the record, Savannah never wanted to keep anything from you and only did so because I asked her to.”
I huff with disbelief, “Really?”
My dad stands up and takes Mom’s hand, “It’s true. We think whoever is behind the threats is close to you in some way. We didn’t think that you would want to know that a person living under your roof would be watching everyone and scrutinizing every detail. We wanted you to feel comfortable in your home. That being said, and now that you know, it’s important to continue to act normal around your friends and family who visit.”
“I got it,” I tell them reassuringly. “Are you planning on staying here tonight or going home?”
“If it’s all the same to you, we’ll stay here. Goodnight, Aiden. Try to get some rest. We love you.”
“I love you, too. And thank you for everything. You may not have gone about it the right way, but I appreciate the gesture and am very appreciative of all you do.” They both nod and head toward the room in the west wing that I keep stocked just for them, even though they live less than a mile down the road.
I sit alone at the kitchen table for another minute before going to bed, pondering my parents’ words of wisdom. Now that I know Savannah didn’t want to hide anything from me, it changes my perspective. I still want her to trust me enough to open up and share her secrets, but this time, it’s because I want to share mine with her.
After Patricia left, I didn’t ever believe I would be willing to open up my heart again. But like Penny said, if she can do it, then so can I.