Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
TOBIAS BARRETT
I glance out the window and a movement catches my eye. Kiki is coming up the long driveway, dragging a suitcase that looks like it’s been through three world wars. She’s wearing cutoff jeans today and a plain black t-shirt that is so thin a stiff wind could rip it in half. I gape at her. Is that all she’s bringing? One suitcase small enough to be a carry-on?
I must be crazy. I know nothing about this woman. Why did I hire her? She literally looks like she’s coming here off the streets. I wouldn’t shock me if she were pushing a shopping cart instead of dragging that suitcase.
When she gets to the door, I swing it open. “Where’s the rest of your things?” I don’t mean it to sound as rude as it does when it comes out.
Kiki shrugs. “I don’t have much.”
“I thought you were staying here on the island. You don’t have anything else?” I stop myself from asking if she’s destitute.
She blushes. “I’ve been traveling a lot these last few months.”
“Traveling…” I say, trying to get a good read on the woman. She doesn’t look like she slept in the park. And doesn’t smell like it, either. She smells good. Like lilacs and sunshine. She stares at me, and I wonder if she caught me sniffing her.
“Can I come in?” she finally asks, shifting her weight.
I move out of the doorway. “Please.”
She drags her suitcase inside and takes in the large entryway. “Wow,” she says under her breath. “This place is amazing. When was it built?”
“1890.”
Kiki slowly walks into the living room area. I understand why she’s impressed. The original crown molding is intricately carved out of a deep mahogany. The fixtures are almost all original to the house. The high ceilings give the house a grand look.
I pick up her suitcase. “Your room is up the stairs to the left. I’ll take your bag.”
“Thank you.” She follows me up the staircase, running her hand along the smooth banister. “Where’s Skyler?”
“In the kitchen with Violet.”
“Who’s Violet? I thought you only had brothers.”
“She helps around the house. She cleans and cooks.” I enter the bedroom at the top of the stairs. It was my parents’ room. No one has stayed in it since they passed. I had Violet get it ready two months ago when I put an ad in the paper for a nanny. It feels weird to be in here. “This is it,” I say, setting down her suitcase.
Kiki looks around the room. “This is massive. Are all the bedrooms this large?”
“Old houses have large bedrooms,” I mumble, not wanting to tell her it’s the master bedroom. I don’t want to have to explain why none of us use it.
She walks over to the bathroom and flicks on the light. “I love the old black and white tile.”
“Thanks.”
She opens the curtains. “Wow, you have a great view of the ocean.”
I’m growing uncomfortable in the room, so I back out. “Yes. Skyler loves the ocean. You can get situated, then come down to the kitchen. I’m sure Violet will be happy you’re here. She loves Sky, but taking care of her isn’t her job.”
Kiki nods. “No problem. I’ll unpack later. I want to see Skyler.”
“See her?” I’m not sure what she means. She sounds like she’s Skyler’s aunt and hasn’t seen her in years.
Her face flushes, and she twists her fingers together. “I mean, I want to get to work.”
“That’s fine. Can I get a photo of your driver’s license?”
Kiki frowns. “I don’t have one.”
“You don’t?” Red flags fly in front of my face.
“Is driving a requirement for this job?”
I study her, trying to figure out if she’s lying to me, or if she really doesn’t drive. She stares at me with wide eyes, and I can’t tell.
“No,” I finally say. “You can fill out a W-9 for me. I’ll get one printed out for you.” I want her information so Noah to do a background check on the woman. I also resolve to have Noah install some wireless cameras throughout the house, just in case. I tell myself it’s a simple precaution. I don’t know the woman.
She slowly nods. “Sure.”
She brushes past me and heads down the stairs. My uneasy feeling grows, but I push it away. Getting a background check and installing cameras will be enough. Noah has to be right. I’m overprotective and I need to loosen up. Skyler isn’t made of glass. And I met this woman at church, for Pete’s sake. She can’t be that bad.
I sprint down the stairs and almost run into Micah, who’s on his way up. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be heading to school?”
He grunts at me like a typical teenager. I honestly feel more like his father than his older brother. He was only seven when our parents died. I grab his arm, stopping him. “You were late twice last week. I don’t want to see any more tardies.”
He huffs and brushes his hair back. “I just have to grab my backpack. Lighten up. I’m not late.”
I see our father in his grey eyes, and it knocks me back a step. “All right. Get going.”
I walk into my office and plop down on my chair, unbuttoning my top button so I can breathe better. I have eighteen proposals to read through, and I know it’s going to take all morning. As I scan through my emails, I hear Skyler giggling down the hallway.
“You can’t catch me!” she yells. Footsteps cascade over the flooring, and I catch a glimpse of her running past. Then Kiki follows suit.
The dad part of me wants to tell them not to run in the house, but I can’t do it. I love listening to the giggles and shrieks coming from the other room.
“We should go outside,” Kiki says a moment later, and the dad side of me is satisfied. “Let’s play in the backyard.”
I try to concentrate on my work, but the window faces the backyard, which gives me a great view of Kiki running in the grass with Skyler, and I have a hard time not watching. Kiki looks like a whole different person. Her eyes are bright, and her smile is wide, and she’s quick to laugh. After a few minutes, I give up on my work and go to the window.
Skyler shows off by climbing up the side of the fort I built for her. Kiki stands close, ready to catch her if she slips. As I watch them playing in the back yard together, my fears subside. Even though I don’t know the woman, she seems attentive to Skyler. I don’t know why I was so nervous. Everything is going to work out fine.
I push down the urge to join them. I need to get some work done. I close the curtains and go back to my laptop. I read through several of the business proposals in my inbox. Two are promising, and I flag them to go over in more detail later.
I work until one o’clock, and Violet comes in with a tray of sandwiches. “Thank you, ma’am,” I say as I grab one.
“Getting a lot done?” She wipes her hands on her floral apron. Violet has been with us for six years now. She’s a vibrant woman in her late 60’s. Her curly, silver hair is always impeccably styled. When she retired from teaching middle school, she decided she didn’t want to sit around her house, so she came to work for us.
“Surprisingly, yes.” I hadn’t realized how much I could get done with several uninterrupted hours.
Violet laughs. “So am I. I think I’m going to like that Kiki girl. Skyler sure has taken to her.”
“Oh?” I can’t help it. I want to know what they’ve been doing.
“Yes, she’s been talking Kiki’s ear off. They went down the hill to the beach and built a sandcastle. Then they set up a tea party in the sunroom, and I brought them crumpets.”
“Crumpets?” I raise my eyebrows.
“Vanilla cookies,” Violet whispers. “But don’t tell Sky. She insisted on crumpets.”
I laugh. “Thanks for playing along.”
“You get your work done. I’ll make sure Kiki takes good care of your little girl.”
My heart warms. “Thank you, Violet.”
She closes my door after leaving, and I get back to crunching numbers and sending emails. It feels good to get my work done, yet, I have to admit I miss the after-lunch snuggle and reading time with Skyler. I shove away the thought that she’ll be going into kindergarten in the fall, and our routine will once again change. It’s just a half day, but still. She’s growing up too fast.
At four o’clock my eyes are blurry from staring too long at my computer screen. I shut my laptop and leave my office. I hear music coming from Skyler’s bedroom, so I climb the stairs and walk down the hallway. When I enter her bedroom, I freeze.
Skyler’s wearing her princess Elsa Halloween costume from last fall, and dancing in front of her mirror. Kiki, on the other hand, is wearing Courtney’s wedding dress. The dress Courtney left behind along with me and Skyler. Kiki’s hair is pinned up with one of Skyler’s clips, and even though tendrils are spilling out of it, I can’t stop staring at her.
She doesn’t notice me. She’s dancing to Skyler’s radio, her cheeks flushed. She swishes the dress back and forth, and all I can think about is how wrong I was. Kiki doesn’t look homeless. She looks like an angel. I should be livid that she’s gone through my things and put on Courtney’s dress, but for some reason, I’m not. I’m shocked at her transformation.
“Daddy!” Skyler shouts when she sees me.
Kiki whips around, her eyes wide. Guilt colors her cheeks, and she folds her arms across her chest as if she could hide the fact that she’s wearing a wedding dress. “Tobias. We…uh…”
“We’re playing dress up!” Skyler says, jumping up and down. “We’re princesses!”
“I’m so sorry.” Kiki backs away from me. “Skyler insisted I put it on.”
I shake my head, still unable to take my eyes off her. “It’s all right.”
“I thought you’d be working until dinner. I didn’t mean to?—”
“Kiki,” I say softly. “It’s okay. It’s just a dress.”
“Come play with us, Daddy.” Skyler grabs my hand and tugs me into her room. “We’re playing dancing.”
I smile at her. “I can see that.”
“Play dancing with us.”
I can do many things well. Dancing isn’t one of them. I don’t want to disappoint her, though, so I move my hips and fling my hands around a bit.
Kiki presses her lips together to stop herself from laughing. Skyler giggles and pushes me. “No, Daddy. You dance with Kiki. Like this.” She shoves me forward and I grab hold of Kiki so I don’t fall on her.
“You’re the prince. And she’s the princess.” Skyler turns up her little radio. “Dance!” she commands.
I slide my arm around Kiki. “Sorry,” I whisper.
“It’s fine,” she says taking my hand in the traditional slow dance posture. “We are royalty, after all.”
At least I’m not inept at slow dancing, so I start to move with the music. Kiki glides effortlessly with me. My hand splays on her back and my thumb grazes her skin. Sparks of electricity shoot through me, and my breath hitches. I haven’t held a woman like this since Courtney left me four years ago. My heart pounds so loud I’m sure Kiki can hear it.
I stare into her deep, blue eyes. I still can’t believe one dress could change a person so completely. Maybe it’s the hair, too, pulled up and off her shoulders. Or the color in her cheeks. Or the way she’s hiding a smile, like she has some secret she can’t share. My body becomes aware of every point of contact with her and the warmth I feel from her touch.
Noah passes by the door, and I jump back from Kiki, fully aware how we must look. He slides to a stop, takes a step back, and enters the room, his eyebrows raised. Kiki looks even more startled than I feel.
“I don’t think we’ve met.” A grin forms on his face. He’s in his police attire, and I assume he’s about to head off to his shift. He sticks his hand out to her.
Heat rushes to my face. “Kiki, this is my brother, Noah. This is Kiki Anderson. She’s Skyler’s nanny.” Noah works nights, and I still hadn’t had the opportunity to tell him I’d hired the woman from church.
Noah shakes her hand as his gaze travels down the length of Kiki, and it raises my hackles. What right does he have to look at her that way? I want to punch him in the face.
“Nice to meet you,” he says in a smooth voice, and this, too, makes me angry. Why is he coming on to her like that?
“Don’t you have a shift to get to?” I don’t mean it to come out so growly.
“Yes.” He drops Kiki’s hand but doesn’t drop his smile. “I’d better get going.” He takes a step back. “See you around.”
Noah leaves and Skyler grabs my legs. “Now it’s your turn to be the princess.”
She giggles as I pick her up, swinging her over my head. “No way am I putting on a dress.”
Kiki grabs her skirts and rushes to the doorway. “I’ll change.”
“You’re the princess now!” Skyler shouts at me. I swing her around a few more times, then tickle her sides. I love her high-pitched giggles. I love everything about her. She’s truly the light of my life, and even though I probably should’ve never married Courtney, I’m so glad I did because I wouldn’t have Skyler in my life if I hadn’t.