Chapter Two – Emma
EMMA
NEW BEGINNINGS
My knee bounced as I sat in the waiting room of the small employment office. A younger girl took a seat opposite me and smiled warmly.
“Hi, I’m Eleanor.”
Returning her smile, I replied, “Hello, I’m Emma.”
“Beautiful name.”
“Thank you, it’s a family name. There’s been at least one woman in each generation named Emma and I guess I’m the honoree now.”
“Cool!” the girl said. She looked to be no older than seventeen, if that.
I glanced around the room and tried to keep my nerves at bay.
“Are you here for a job, I take it?”
I cleared my throat. “Yes, God willing.”
Her smile grew bigger. “Are you new in town?”
With a slight chuckle, I replied, “Yes, I am. I visited years ago when I was younger. The town has grown a lot since then, and there seems to be a larger number of tourists visiting now, which has to be great for everyone’s business.”
“True that! Well, my mom owns this agency, so she’ll be out to help you in a bit. I’m waiting for her to finish, then we’re going dress shopping for homecoming.”
Warmth filled my chest. “How exciting. What grade are you in?”
“I’m a junior. I need to get my grades up in math, though, or I won’t be able to go to the dance.”
I lifted a brow. “What are you taking?”
She reached into her backpack and pulled out a pre-calculus book. “This crap.”
Laughing, I moved to sit next to her. “You must be in advanced classes if you’re in pre-calc your junior year.”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“You’re looking at a woman who used to teach high school math. I love math.”
She groaned exaggeratedly. “You’re gross.”
I bumped her shoulder with a grin. “Why don’t you show me what you’re working on and maybe I can help.”
“Doubt it, not even my expensive tutor has been able to explain it to me.”
“Give me ten minutes, that’s all I ask.”
Eleanor opened her book, and we were soon spread out at the small table in the corner as I went over equations with her. She was a quick learner. I couldn’t imagine what in the world was wrong with her tutor. She simply needed a few things explained and she caught on.
“For the love of all… Why couldn’t Mrs. Balling or Mr. Henderson teach me like this? I totally get it!”
“Eleanor? What’s going on?”
We both looked over at the beautiful blonde standing before us. She was dressed to the nines in a business suit and stood with her hands on slim hips.
I quickly stood and straightened my own pencil skirt. “I’m so sorry, she mentioned having trouble in her math class, and I offered to help. I used to teach high school math.”
“Mom!” Eleanor cried, jumping up and dashing over to her. “Emma explained it to me in like less than ten minutes! I totally get what I was missing.”
The woman, whom I guessed was Mrs. Rose Piper, owner of the employment agency and mother of Eleanor, stared down at the papers, up at me, then back to the papers. She finally settled her gaze on me again.
“Emma Middleton?”
I nodded, reached my hand out and answered with a confident smile. “Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Mrs. Piper, I presume?”
“Yes. Eleanor, why don’t you finish your schoolwork while I speak with Ms. Middleton.”
“Right! Will do,” the young girl said before plopping back down at the table and picking up her textbook.
Following Mrs. Piper down the hallway, I let out a breath quietly and slowly. It had been some time since I’d last had an interview.
We stepped into a bright blue office with a view of the mountain range. I gasped when I saw it.
Mrs. Piper chuckled. “It’s something, isn’t it? I don’t think I’ll ever tire of the beauty.”
I nodded as I took a seat. “It almost doesn’t look real.”
She let her gaze search the mountains before she grinned slightly, then focused back on me. “So, Ms. Middleton, tell me what brings you to Estes Park and what type of work you’re looking for? Teaching positions?”
With a polite smile, I sat up straight and decided honesty was the best policy.
“Well, if I’m being honest, I’m here for a fresh start. I used to live outside of Dallas, Texas, and I taught high school math right out of college, before my ex-husband insisted I stay at home. I haven’t worked in over eight years, unfortunately. And truthfully, I’m not looking to get back into teaching. I was hoping for something lower-key, but I’d still love to work with children. I volunteered at our church and worked in the children’s Bible school over the summers.”
She nodded. “But not in a teaching position?”
“Correct.”
She studied me for a few moments. “May I ask a personal question?”
I swallowed hard. “I suppose, especially if it’s relevant to a position.”
Leaning back, she lifted a brow. “You stated your ex-husband insisted you be at home. Do you have kids?”
I got the same feeling that I’d had with the lady on the plane. Like we had some shared experience, and this woman could look into my soul and see all of my secrets. I cleared my throat, knowing I was probably going to regret being so blunt, but the part of my life that had me being the dutiful and obedient woman was over.
“Mrs. Piper, forgive me, but I need to be frank with you. I left Dallas—and a life I would rather forget—behind me. If you need to ask questions that have to do with a job, then by all means, I’m an open book. If you are asking me about my personal life, I’m afraid you’ll be wasting your time.”
A smile grew on her flawless face. She was truly beautiful. “I already have a position in mind for you, and it would be better if you were single with no kids. Not that it would take you out of the running, but it certainly makes things easier for both of us.”
With a nod, I replied, “Then we’re both in luck. No husband. No kids.”
She smiled. “How about a nanny position?”
I tilted my head and let that idea settle for a bit. “For how many kids? What age?”
“One child, age five, single parent. It would be a live-in position. He has a carriage house that’s been converted to a garage with a darling one-bedroom, one-bath apartment upstairs. It connects to the house by a connecting balcony. It’s outside of Estes Park, off of MacGregor Avenue, and is tucked in the valley with a three-sixty view of the mountains.”
My heart started to beat a bit faster at what she was saying. That would take care of a job and a place to stay all in one. The owner of the cabin where I was staying was charging me by the week and it wasn’t cheap.
“That sounds like something I’d very much be interested in.”
“I suggested it to you because Aiden—I mean, Mr. Bishop—was also looking for someone who might be qualified at schooling his daughter.”
“Is she not going to school?” I asked.
“Yes, she just started kindergarten, but he’d still like for her to be challenged at home as well.”
I wrung my hands in my lap. The last thing I wanted was to be thrown into a family where the father had no time for his child and wanted to leave it up to a stranger to raise his kid.
“Mrs. Piper, do you mind if I ask more about Mr. Bishop? Why is he in need of a full-time, live-in nanny?”
Her eyes softened as she cleared her throat. “The information I’m about to share you with stays in this office.”
“Of course,” I replied.
“Mr. Bishop’s wife died of cancer.”
My heart sank.
“He’s done his best to be there for his daughter, Hadley, but with her starting school and him working full time, he’s struggling to do it all on his own. He’s very much a hands-on parent, but he’s slowly realizing his daughter needs a woman figure in her life as well. Someone to teach her things that Aiden—I mean, Mr. Bishop—cannot. He’s in desperate need of someone to help him.”
I nodded. “I see. I’m sorry to hear about his wife. What do you mean when you say he’s in desperate need of help?”
She folded her hands and leaned over her desk. “Emma—may I call you Emma?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I know Mr. Bishop personally. He’s my cousin, and he’s been through one heck of a year. He’s a man of faith, but those who are closest to him have seen that faith shaken. He took a few months off of work to be with Hadley after his wife passed away, but the park really needed him back. By park I mean the Rocky Mountain National Park. Mr. Bishop is a law enforcement ranger. He’s been back to work full time for a while now, with his parents taking care of Hadley, but it’s been hard on all of them. Mr. and Mrs. Bishop love their granddaughter, but they own their own business in town and really need to get back to focusing on it. Hadley’s other grandparents…well, they’re not in the picture. So really, Mr. Bishop only has his family to help.
“As you can imagine, he’s dealing with his own grief and trying to adapt to being a single parent raising a daughter. I was the one who suggested a nanny. When I saw how you were with my daughter in just the brief moments I watched, I had a feeling about you.”
A strange warmth ran through my body as I looked at Mrs. Piper. There was something about the woman that made me feel at ease. I felt a connection with her, and I had the feeling she felt the same, especially given her comment.
“Where are you staying?” she asked me.
“At a cabin on the river. It was where I stayed a few times as a child, when I came to Estes Park with my parents.”
“Well, let me tell you more about the job. Your monthly salary would be three-thousand dollars flat. You’ll be responsible for the electricity and water in your apartment. Do you have a car?”
“Yes, I have a Honda Pilot.”
She smiled. “Perfect! You already have a mom car!”
I chuckled. “Yes, I guess I do.”
“You’ll have Friday afternoons, Saturdays, and Sundays off, unless Aiden needs help with anything. He’d also like for you to go to church with him and Hadley, but of course, he would never force that on you.”
“I have no issues with attending church.”
I didn’t want to tell Mrs. Piper I hadn’t been to church in the last few months. I’d felt like a hypocrite walking in and putting on a show for everyone. I was tired of pretending I had the perfect life. The perfect husband. He’d been far from it.
“Good!” she replied, then went on. “Any trips you take with Hadley, such as carnivals, museums, things like that, Mr. Bishop will supply you with a credit card to pay for his daughter’s way and your way as well.”
My brows rose. “He’s a generous man.”
“Yes, he is. Now, about dating—”
I held up my hand. “You don’t have to even worry about that, I’m not the least bit interested. I recently came out of a very…difficult relationship. I have no desire to jump back into the dating pool.”
Her smile and eyes were very kind, as if she knew exactly what I was talking about.
“Well, just in case you do decide to date, Mr. Bishop simply asks that you not bring anyone to the house, and if you have anyone at the apartment, be mindful of little eyes and ears.”
“Understood, but like I said, I have no plans to even look at men for a very, very long time.”
Mrs. Piper winked. “I have a feeling you and I have more in common than we think.”
I wanted to ask why she thought that, curious about her own relationship status, but I decided it was best to let it go.
“Okay, so let me look over your application. From Dallas, moved here a week ago, thirty-two, thirty-three in a few days, no children.” Her eyes lifted to me. “Since this is a position with a young child, will your ex-husband be…a problem? You understand why I ask.”
Swallowing hard, I looked down at my hands and replied, “No, Ben will not be a problem.” I lifted my gaze to hers and continued, “I’ll be honest and let you know I had a restraining order against him while we were going through the divorce process, but Ben is no longer an issue. He won’t try to find me or reach out.”
Crap. Crap. Crap. Why did I give her so much information?
“Is the, um, restraining order still in place? Now that you’re divorced?”
I nodded. “It is. He doesn’t know where I am, and I honestly don’t think he cares now that we’re done.”
Her eyes looked glassy, as if they were beginning to pool with tears. She quickly blinked them away. “G-good.” She cleared her throat. “Well, then, I don’t really see why I can’t refer you to Mr. Bishop. He’ll want to meet you first, of course, and then introduce you to Hadley. If they both like you, then you’ll be able to move in and get started right away. Do you have many things in storage?”
This time it was me who was blinking back tears. “No, just a suitcase of clothes and a few personal items I brought with me.”
Mrs. Piper stared at me for the longest time before nodding. Again, I felt the same way I had with the woman on the plane. I let myself wonder if the two women did indeed have something in common with me. Their own monster they had walked away from, possibly.
“Wonderful. Then I’ll call Aiden…um, Mr. Bishop,” she said with a chuckle. “Once we speak, I’ll get the meeting scheduled.”
I laughed at her repeated blunders with saying her cousin’s first name. We shook hands. “I look forward to meeting him and Hadley.”
“Let me walk you out.”
As we walked through the waiting area, Eleanor jumped up. “Emma! If I need your help again, may I call you? We’ll pay you for your time.”
With a wide smile, I nodded. “Of course you can and no need to pay. I’d love to help out.” I gave her my cell phone number and wished both Eleanor and her mother a good day.
As I walked down the sidewalk to my car, I felt a lightness in my step I hadn’t experienced in years.
I had a job, possibly. I had a car. I had a place to live, if I got the job.
Slipping into the front seat, I started the car and let out a breath.
“To new beginnings…and wherever they take me.”