Chapter 4 Nina #2
I turned to frown directly at Logan. “I am? Like…that’s what I’m doing on this boat?”
He shook his head impatiently. “No, I’m making you a better offer. Come work for me directly, as Noah’s nanny.”
“But I’m already…I have a contract…” I sputtered. “You expect me just to quit mid-voyage? That’s a terrible idea! My colleagues will have to pick up my slack and work overtime, and there’s no way I want to do that to them. Sorry, not happening.”
“No,” he grumbled. “That isn’t what I meant. You could keep working during your regular hours, then work with Noah after hours. Now, I understand that would double your on-the-clock time, and I’d take that into consideration salary-wise. I could offer you…”
He paused to think, then rattled off a number that destroyed my poker face. My eyes actually bugged out cartoon-style.
“Noah needs more supervision than I expected during this trip, and now with the kitten…” he trailed off.
“Yeah, I was pretty curious why a workaholic like yourself wouldn’t have a full-time nanny on staff.”
His expression went tight. “I thought I had that taken care of. We went through an extensive vetting process, hired someone who had impeccable qualifications, but then she and Noah didn’t gel.”
It was a vague answer that demanded explanation. “What does that mean?”
“Noah, uh, he absolutely hated her. He said she was bossy and mean and didn’t listen to him.
I had to fire her right before we left, which is why we’ve been trying to manage on our own.
That means I also need someone to take care of him once we’re home.
I have a list of potential nannies waiting for me, but after seeing how he’s bonded with you, I’d rather you take that role.
I can email you the job description, benefits, and salary, but it’s basically triple what I offered to tap in during the trip. ”
I cleared my throat to cover the shocked choking noise I made.
“Pretty presumptuous to think that I have the bandwidth to completely turn my life upside down for you when you snap your fingers,” I replied.
While the high salary had definitely startled me, now that I’d had a minute to process it, I was a little offended that he thought he could dangle a number in front of me and I’d jump at it.
Even if it was enough for me to get my shit figured out and have some breathing room in my finances for a change.
The big question was could I work for someone so…asshole-ish?
“This isn’t about me and my presumption,” Logan said, more earnest than I ever would have expected from him. “Noah likes you. He’s brought you up half a dozen times since we left port. That’s unusual these days.”
I softened a little. I had a feeling that I was getting through to Noah, and Logan just confirmed it. Could I make the leap?
But then I remembered what he’d said about Noah’s super-strict schedule. I wasn’t down with military-style discipline. Would he be willing to let me drive the behavioral bus while I worked with Noah?
But that boy. I loved all of the children I came in contact with, but there was something special about the wounded little soul. We’d formed a quick bond. Our connection could be the key to something bigger.
Yeah, I wanted to help him, but only if I’d be able to set some boundaries with his ogre of a father.
I turned to stare at Logan before I answered. “I’m an elementary education specialist with a focus on childhood development.”
He shook his head, wearing a confused expression, like my words weren’t processing. In his defense, it wasn’t exactly the background you’d expect from someone herding kids on a big boat.
“I was involved in a special teaching initiative that lost funding, which is why I’m here.”
“Okay…” Logan said slowly. “Is this relevant? You don’t have to prove your credentials to me—I already want you to take the job.”
“I’m proving my credentials because I want you to hear me when I say that this schedule stuff you insist on? That’s not healthy. You said the therapist told you to be so strict about it?”
Logan jumped at the chance to explain how the therapist suggested that a schedule helped create normalcy when a child was feeling uprooted.
“Can you tell me what the therapist said exactly?” I asked.
Logan’s eyebrows furrowed. “Just what I told you: Noah needs an everyday schedule that he can rely on. He’s had a lot of change in a short amount of time, so now, we need to focus on creating a life that is reliable.”
Okay, so he totally misinterpreted that. “I can absolutely guarantee you that acting like he’s in boot camp isn’t what the therapist wanted,” I said without any of the gentleness I’d normally use to correct a parent. “You’re taking it to an extreme.”
“No, I’m not,” Logan insisted. “I’m doing exactly what he said to do.”
I held my hand up to silence him. “I’m not the kind of person to go around and tell someone how to parent their kid,” I said, “but if you want me to take care of Noah, day in and day out, in your home, then I need to know you’re going to respect that I actually do know what I’m talking about.”
“Obviously, I know that,” he grumbled, but I could tell he didn’t believe himself.
“You made me an offer because you seem to appreciate the way I work with your son. If that’s really the case, then you need to step back and let me do my job.”
His jaw tightened. “I’m his parent. I will make all of the decisions when it comes to my son.” Logan took a long breath, looking at me with so much suspicion that it made me pull up short. This wasn’t just micromanaging: this reluctance came from something deeper.
“Of course, I’ll follow your household rules. You’re his primary caregiver,” I promised. After a tense moment of silence, I pushed a little: “Did you and your ex-wife have…issues with that?”
Logan shook his head, jaw still clenched. “Noah’s mother was the primary caregiver when she was alive, but she did a good job communicating with me.”
So not her then. There had to be someone else in the picture who had scared Logan into such an extreme reaction. “So…was it—?”
“How is that any of your business?” he snapped.
I put my hands up, showing him I was unarmed. “I’m just trying to understand. I know you want what’s best for Noah. If you think that I could be a part of that, then you have to respect the level of training and knowledge I have.”
“To what end?”
“You make all the decisions, yes, but I’m going to have opinions about the day-to-day. If you’re not on board with working together on that, then there’s no point even talking about me becoming Noah’s nanny.”
Logan paced the area next to the prep table like I was asking him to do the impossible. But then again, for Logan Ashford, trusting someone else might be just that.
“But the therapist said…” He trailed off and looked shockingly worn out, like he’d been close to drowning and was fighting to stay above water. It was a deeply human look, and it made me feel a burst of sympathy for him in spite of myself.
“I can talk to the therapist to make sure we’re on the same page, okay? But as far as the day-to-day goes, my rules win,” I said.
“I still think there’s value in—”
“Take it or leave it.”
I’d always been pretty good at negotiating, but I surprised even myself with my hard line. Then again, I trusted my gut, and I knew that sweet Noah needed a calm, stabilizing presence in his life, not a drill sergeant.
Logan stared at me for a long time, considering, before he extended his hand. “Okay, then. Welcome to the team.”