Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
“Hi, Essie! You wanted to talk to me?” Ivan asked the next morning when he arrived.
“Oh, good. Sara caught you before you got too busy.”
His smile vanished as his hand tightened on the door frame. “Did you need me to take today off?”
Essie could have kicked herself. He was worried she was going to cut his hours. “Oh, no. I definitely need you working. Could you come in and sit down?”
“Sure. What did you need to discuss?”
“After our chat about projects, I worked on the books and crunched the numbers. I would like to offer you a full-time position here at Ferguson’s Folly as the caretaker.
Aunt Esther always had someone on staff to address things that cropped up.
When that man retired, I guess she never found someone to replace him. ”
“A full-time position?” he repeated.
“I came up with some pros and cons to the job, so hear me out. On the positive side, you and Tiffanie, if you wish, are welcome to move into the carriage house to live rent-free.”
“That is very generous, Essie.”
“Not generous at all. I would love to have you on-site. I promise not to take advantage of you, but I have to admit, I’d probably call you in an emergency even after hours.”
“Of course you would. Why would you let broken pipes fill the basement when I could come turn off the water until we get the parts needed to fix the problem?” Ivan looked appalled at the idea of more damage.
Essie didn’t allow herself to smile at his indignation. “Another pro: You wouldn’t have to check that phone of yours to see where you’re headed next. Ferguson’s Folly always has something for you to work on.”
“That’s true.”
He sat a bit taller in his chair. Essie suspected she’d already convinced him. She braced herself. Now for the tough part.
“Let’s talk cons. As a small business, I won’t be able to provide health coverage. At least, not at this time.”
“That’s okay. I already have Tiffanie and me on a joint policy. I can keep that. That’s better anyway. She likes her doctors. This would be a bad time to change.”
“And you’ll come eat dinner with us,” Sara insisted from the doorway as she brought in fresh coffee for them.
“Oh, no. I can’t do that,” Ivan protested.
“I’m making meals for the three of us. What’s two more? Perhaps you can help me figure out what Tiffanie would be interested in eating?” Sara asked, handing him a cup fixed the way he liked.
The relief on Ivan’s face almost made Essie cry. “That would be amazing. I don’t have time to fix nutritious meals for her. I make a couple of dishes on the weekend. During the week when I get home late, I’m fighting a battle to concoct something that will tempt her to eat but won’t make her sick.”
“Sounds like that’s another pro. So far, the pros are winning. Here’s the big con. I won’t be able to offer you the same hourly rate if I’m employing you full-time,” Essie confessed. She accepted the coffee mug from Sara, giving Ivan time to consider that.
“I’ll get out of here and let you talk money. I’m off to research nutrient-rich meals for people battling cancer,” Sara announced and disappeared with her empty tray.
“What are you comfortable with?” Ivan said.
Essie shared the number she’d come up with after several hours of financial planning. “Would that work for you to pay bills and survive?”
“As a steady paycheck, yes. Can I ask you to give me two weeks’ notice if you decide to end our arrangement? I’d need to find a place and stack up work.”
“Definitely. And we’ll revisit your pay in six months.”
“That sounds fair, Essie.”
“If you decide to leave, could you give me the same two weeks’ notice? And maybe the chance to counter any better offer that comes along?” she requested. A whisper of movement almost made Essie turn her head. She forced herself to focus on Ivan as Edmund emerged from one of the bookshelves.
“Yes, Essie. You have my word,” Ivan said.
“Do you have any other jobs to finish, or should we consider today your first day?”
“I’m free and clear to start now.”
“Perfect. Let’s walk to the carriage house to see what repairs we’ll need to make there before you move in,” Essie said, standing. She laughed before adding, “And by we, I mean you.”
“I could work on that after hours.”
“Not a chance. That’s part of the estate. I’m guessing a couple of weeks to whip that area into shape. We’ll see what you think. Hopefully, we won’t find anything structural or serious. If so, we’ll make other plans for you to stay in the manor while it’s being fixed.”
Ivan walked forward with his hand held out. “Thank you, Essie. I promise to work hard for you.”
“Welcome to Ferguson’s Folly, Ivan. I’m excited to have you here.”
“Why did you wash your hair five times?” Zander asked as he struggled to tame her tangled hair.
“A bat flew into my hair! The blasted creature got stuck and flapped around. Those icky, leathery wings touched me!”
“That had to be scary,” Zander said in a muffled tone that made her study him suspiciously. Was he laughing at her?
“Awful! The absolute worst thing ever! He could have had rabies. You better not laugh!”
“Did the bat bite you or scratch your skin?”
“No. He pulled my hair and flapped around to get free,” Essie admitted.
“Thank goodness Ivan had his leather gloves on. He grabbed him fast and freed his feet. When Ivan had him loose, he took the bat outside and released him.” She shuddered, remembering those red eyes like a vampire in the old horror movies.
“Sounds like Ivan has dealt with bats before,” Zander said. “Let’s grab some conditioner. I think your tresses need a mega-deep moisturizing treatment. A bat getting caught in your hair is a perfect excuse for a spa night.”
“That would be nice, Daddy. I have those funny masks people wear. You could use some help for your pores,” she said, eyeing his complexion.
Zander laughed. “Bring it on, Little girl.”
“I’ll go get them for both of us. Would you do my nails too?”
“And toes,” he promised.
Several minutes later, Essie giggled happily as Zander, in his pore-cleaning mask, combed conditioner through her hair. He looked hysterical as he struck a pose for her every time she peeked back at him.
When a knock sounded on the door, she offered, “I can go answer it.”
“No way. I want to see Sara’s reaction.” Zander winked at her before leaving the bedroom to open the suite door. Essie trailed after him. She wouldn’t miss this.
“Oh, Zander. An evening of personal care tonight, I see. Great idea. Those pores of yours could benefit some treatment,” Sara said as she rolled the cart holding a laden tray to the table. A delicious scent wafted from the covered dishes, making Essie’s mouth water.
“Would you like me to set everything out for you, or do you need to finish something before eating? The food will stay hot under the domed lids.”
“I’ll finish Essie’s hair first, Sara. Thank you for bringing a meal up for us.”
“Of course. And good luck!”
Zander turned to wink at Essie through the eyeholes of the tissue mask clinging to his skin. “We may have to do this regularly. I never knew so many people were concerned about my pores.”
Essie laughed hard, wrapping her arms around herself. She froze before running for the bathroom. She was going to wet her pants if she didn’t go now!
When she emerged from the bathroom, she ran to hug her Daddy’s waist. He was the absolute best. “Your pores aren’t so bad, Daddy. Even if they were awful, it’s okay to have a flaw or two.”
“Thank you, Little girl. Let’s get your hair finished and go have some dinner.”
She ate her dinner sitting on her Daddy’s lap at the table. He cut the delicious lasagna Sara had created for them into small bites for her. Feeding her as they chatted about the day’s events, Zander cared for her so tenderly and… normally. Their time together wasn’t awkward at all.
Essie allowed herself to relax and just be real.
She didn’t need to suck in her stomach or take three bites and say she was too full to eat anymore.
Zander didn’t pay attention to what she consumed other than to offer her another taste.
When she said she was full, he continued to feed himself, holding an extra forkful to her lips to see if she wanted more without pressure.
Hanging out with Zander made Essie happy. She supposed that was the biggest clue that he was what she needed. With him, everything seemed better, easier, and less stressful—even when things went wrong. His presence calmed her because she could rely on him to be in her corner.
The simmering heat that always connected them fascinated Essie. Who knew that she could be a femme fatale? Flirting with Zander had delicious consequences. She didn’t worry if she looked silly or if her butt was too big. Zander showed her every day how attractive he found her.
“Daddy? How did we get so lucky?”
“To find each other?” he asked. His eyebrows drew together slightly as he focused totally on her.
“Yes. And….” She waved a hand between herself and Zander. “You know the Daddy thing.”
Zander wiggled his eyebrows at her. “I’m a very blessed Daddy to have found my special Little girl. Many people search all their lives to meet the one person who checks their boxes.”
“Would you have settled for someone who didn’t enjoy being a Little girl?”
“Truthfully? Who knows, Essie? I can’t predict what I would have done if I’d totally lost hope. Thank goodness you kept searching as well.”
They stared at each other for a few long seconds, and she got lost in the thought of what could have been. Zander drew her forward to press a soft kiss on her lips. That gentle touch reverberated inside her. He absolutely meant the world to her.
When his lips lifted from hers, Essie relaxed with her head on his shoulder. She wanted to ask what he saw happening for them in the future, but that question seemed too much like she was hinting at an engagement. Was he considering marriage? Was that what she wanted?
Everything had happened so fast. She didn’t want to rush him or herself. Essie decided to wait until Zander brought up the topic of the future. Until then, she planned to enjoy being his Little girl.