12. Cal
Chapter twelve
Cal
Day eleven of no promising nanny prospects, and now I had to leave town.
No, I wasn’t running away from my ex. The Chargers had back-to-back games in Nashville. But I’d be lying if I wasn’t glad of the opportunity to clear my head. It also put me in a completely different time zone from Ruby and her schemes.
The girl was too romantically optimistic for her own good.
Exactly how I used to be, and look where it got me.
Khia bounced excitedly at my side as I rapped on Greyson and Paisley’s yellow front door. They had offered to watch her while I was away, and I was hoping the extra time with Rosie Cotton would put a damper on the “can we get a dog?” conversation.
The cheery door swung open.
“Hey, munchkin!” Paisley pushed her glasses farther up her nose, beaming at Khia. “Hello to you, too, Cal.”
“Auntie Paisley!” Khia flung herself into the waiting arms, nearly bowling the willowy woman over.
“Welcome back,” I said, grinning. “How was the land of the halflings?”
Paisley sighed dreamily. “Absolute perfection.”
She and Greyson had taken a trip to New Zealand as an early birthday present and a second honeymoon of sorts after their fourth anniversary last month, and even though they’d gotten home two weeks ago, I hadn’t seen much of them thanks to my schedule.
“Hey, Princess,” Greyson called, joining us in the hallway.
Khia launched herself at him like a human missile. His lightning reflexes caught her and Paisley, who lost her footing with the momentum.
“Two of my favourite girls at once,” he said, winking at Paisley, his hand hovering on her lower back even after she was steady.
“Daddy made pancakes with chocolate chips!” Khia prattled, arms around Greyson’s neck. “But they aren’t as good as yours.”
“Of course they aren’t. My pancakes are the best.” Greyson tweaked her nose, making her giggle.
“Can we make sourdough with bis-ghetti?” Khia asked.
Sometimes I wasn’t sure if I was raising a four-year-old, a wild Chincoteague pony, or a miniature meemaw.
“I think we can manage that,” Paisley promised with a smile.
“Rosie!” Khia shrieked and wiggled out of Greyson’s arms to hug her golden retriever bestie, patiently awaiting her pets.
“Thanks for this,” I breathed out once Khia was distracted.
Greyson draped his arm around Paisley’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “Happy to do it. You know that.”
And I did, but I wasn’t ready to get sentimental about it this morning. So I slipped into my teasing role. Ever the family showman. Ready for a laugh. The goof to keep things light. “I meant for having a canine fur baby. We’re back on the puppy conversation.”
And the new mom conversation, but I wasn’t admitting to that with Khia in earshot.
Paisley scrunched her nose. “Do you need to borrow Rosie for a few days once you get back from Nashville?”
“Maybe.” I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. “But seriously, thanks. For everything.” I wasn’t sure where I’d be without them. So much for not getting sentimental.
“No luck with a nanny?” Greyson asked.
“Nope. None of them have passed Juliet’s gauntlet.” I checked my watch. Shoot. The hunt for the missing Mr. Snuggle the Shark had put us further behind than I thought. “Sorry, but I gotta dash. Bye, sweetie.”
Khia hugged me and promptly went back to Rosie. Tough competition.
“I’ll walk you out,” Greyson said, adding to Paisley, “See you at lunch.”
She smiled up at him adoringly, and my uptight twin melted into a puddle of marshmallow fluff as he kissed her goodbye.
Twice this week I’d gotten a front-row cinematic view of my closest siblings and friends being mushy and ridiculously in love. I was happy for them. But I really hated it for me. Maybe it was a sign.
Ironically, I’d known Paisley long before she met Greyson, and while I wish I could take credit for matchmaking them, that was all Juliet. Our love-cynic sister had a secret Cupid—if only she’d put that to work on me.
Actually, that might be terrifying. Considering she said my first blind date was happening this weekend in Nashville.
Could we start with the nanny first, Lord? Then figure the rest out?
Sighing inwardly, I headed for my truck. Noelle. She’d asked me to forgive her. Little did she know I already had. Heck, I wasn’t even exactly angry at her. More shocked than anything.
Okay, maybe a little angry, too. I could be emotionally mature and admit it.
Mostly I wanted to know why? Every line of her goodbye note was etched into my brain.
We’d had something special. And from the ember burning in my chest, I knew that spark hadn’t gone away.
The pull between fanning the flame or keeping my distance was exhausting.
“Travel safe.” Greyson paused next to the truck as I hopped inside.
I hesitated before closing the door. “Just say it.”
“What?” he asked too innocently. He had the best poker face out of all of us thanks to his time in the Marines, but I knew him too well to be fooled.
Greyson was seven minutes my senior, and those minutes made all the difference.
It gave him the lion’s share of the responsibility and maturity genes, while I was the fun-loving younger twin with a flair for the dramatic.
He was an adrenaline junkie at one point—he had to be to handle the military—but even then, he was as steady as they came.
Grey kept me level, and I kept him from stagnating into a mosquito-infested pond.
He was Gandalf; I was Pippin. Teamwork at its finest.
He grunted. “You doing okay? With Noelle?”
“Honestly? I’m not sure.” I drummed my fingers against the wheel. Getting my brother’s opinion on my love life might not be a terrible idea. At least I could test the waters. “I think I might need to date again.”
“Noelle?” Greyson’s stormy eyes flashed in clear disapproval.
Okay, don’t step on that land mine. “No. Maybe.” I shook my head. “It’s stupid, right?”
He shot me a look that clearly said, You said it not me.
I could make an impressive pros-and-cons list for all the reasons why dating Noelle Shepherd was my most harebrained idea yet.
But that didn’t stop me from actually thinking about the possibilities.
Seriously, why was I cursed with so much optimism?
I needed a dose of Greyson’s or Juliet’s sensible kill-joy attitude.
Greyson was quiet for a moment, weighing his words. I was used to it. Where I talked through things, Greyson processed internally before opening his mouth. “I think you’ve punished yourself long enough for what happened with her and Izzy. You deserve real love, Cal. It’s okay to move on.”
“I have Khia to think about.”
He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. “And the right woman will know you’re a packaged deal.”
I adjusted my ball cap. “I’m rusty. I haven’t been on a first date in, well, years.”
Greyson snorted. “You’ll figure it out.” With a wry look, he added, “Attracting a woman’s notice has never been your problem.”
I grinned. “We share a face, my guy, but Pais fell in love with your grumpy self, not me.”
“Get out of here.”
“Love you too, bro.”
He tossed a wave as I pulled out of the driveway. Once I left the Old Orchard neighbourhood, my phone pinged with a text and automatically connected to my speaker, reading it aloud.
JULIET:
Code red.
ME:
is something on fire cuz im the wrong brother for that. call shane
JULIET:
Worse. We have a nanny application.
ME:
remind me why thats a bad thing
JULIET:
It’s from Mrs. Gulliver.
ME:
no absolutely not what is she thinking please if you love me do not do this to me
JULIET:
Dude, would it kill you to use a comma or capitalization once in a while?
ME:
im a desperate man
JULIET:
What was your excuse yesterday when you asked me to pick up Khia?
ME:
we were out of cookies-and-cream ice cream thats the definition of desperate
JULIET:
You need professional help. Maybe date an English teacher.
ME:
why dont you get on that then
JULIET:
Are you on your way?
ME:
be at the airport in 20
JULIET:
Are you driving right now??? Cal!
ME:
chill im using voice text and thats another reason for the no punctuation
JULIET:
You’re hopeless. Be safe.
ME:
youre cute to worry
always am
JULIET:
Call me cute again, and Mrs. Gulliver WILL be your new nanny.
ME:
Noted.