Chapter 6 Evan #3
I find myself slowing my pace just to watch her in her element for a few extra seconds.
Flo spots me, and she sits upright in the beach chair. Her slightly worn denim shorts ride up her sun-warmed thighs, drawing my attention, and she sweeps her long hair off her neck.
“Well, don’t you look in an even worse mood than usual,” she teases, placing the lacy white fabric on the grass by her feet. “Anything I can help with, boss?”
Ignoring the nickname, I clear my throat. “Have you eaten?”
Flo shakes her head, her lips tilting as she catches my drift. “I was just about to fix myself a sandwich.”
“Well, would you like to come over for dinner? We’ve got homemade veggie burgers.”
The question is foreign to me. I can’t remember the last time I invited a woman into my home for anything other than caring for Leo, especially for something as casual as dinner.
As if contemplating, Flo taps her chin with her forefinger, her metallic-coloured nails hitting the sunrays. “I’d love to come over for dinner.” She stands, and her midriff looks warm, flushed from the rays. Once she catches me looking, a smile flickers across her face.
A knowing smile.
“Are you always this thorough with your nanny inspection? I can do a twirl if it’ll help?”
My eyes narrow into slits. “I’m not inspecting you.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
Except nothing helps me sleep at night. I’m lucky if I get four or five hours a night. My mind is constantly spinning.
“Were you invited to Mae’s birthday party this weekend?” Flo questions as we stroll towards the main house.
“Yes.”
She rolls her eyes. “Let me rephrase the question. Are you going to Mae’s birthday party this weekend?”
I waste no time in my response. “No.”
“Why not? It’s fancy dress.”
“Even more reason to say no. Besides”—my hand sweeps in the direction of the house—“Leo.”
Coach Darrell already volunteered to take care of him for a few hours in case I wanted to go to the party—he knows I don’t socialise much with my team—but I don’t want to put Leo on him again, even if he says he loves it when he visits.
Plus, parties just aren’t my speed. I’m not stress-free enough to enjoy them.
I know I’m a grump. I don’t try to deny the fact, and sure, maybe I’d like to relax once in a while and grab a beer with the guys, but with me having Leo full-time, it’s hard.
The guys say they don’t mind when he tags along, but I’m constantly distracted, and it’s hard to remember the person I was before I had my son.
Before the media tried to paint me as a bad father for being a single dad and still playing football.
Still, when I’m given the opportunity to attend things like parties and forget about everything, I can’t let myself enjoy them.
Probably a mix of guilt that I feel like a shit parent for not providing Leo with a stable nanny for when I’m gone, and shame that I need a nanny in the first place because his mother—if you could even call her that—and I didn’t work out.
I don’t believe I was ever even in love with the woman, but I was willing to put that aside to provide Leo with a good upbringing.
“Well, if you change your mind and want to come and enjoy yourself, I’ll be the one in the nurse’s costume.”
Fuck my life.
That’s an image I certainly did not need running through my mind. Flo—in a nurse’s costume, her lips probably painted a shade of cranberry red to match the fabric of the silky smooth dress I know she probably made herself. Her hips, hugged just right. Long legs on display.
I’ve always been a sucker for a tall woman. Being six feet two, it’s nice to look at someone in the eyes without having to give myself a crick in my neck, and long legs have always been my kryptonite.
Not allowing my mind to go there with Flo already feels like a full-time job, but with that one sentence, my nanny’s just made it a million times harder.
My mind wanders to what she’d look like beaming up at me with those cranberry lips spread in a wide grin, maybe a little smudged, hair tousled and eyes gleaming with desire for me.
It makes my dick twitch. My body doesn’t seem to understand that this woman is very much off-limits, and I really have no idea how I’m supposed to survive.
It doesn’t help that, since it’s so hot, she dresses in tempting home-sewn flowy sundresses or ripped denim shorts that she’s attached flower patches to.
I’ve been counting the individual petals of the roses and daisies to stop myself from letting them drift down to her legs.
Admittedly, it hasn’t been working that well.
God, what would it feel like to give myself over to a woman like her for just one night?
“Over my dead body,” I say, but I’m unsure whether I’m referring to what Flo just said or my own inner monologue.
She opens the front door, releasing that husky laugh that cuts through me in the best way.
Gracie has set the table, and I slip into my chair in silence, gaze focused on my food as I eat.
“Daddy, can we get a pet?” Leo asks me as he chows down on his crispy kale—purchased from Bennett’s Uncle’s ranch and farm—sounding like a broken record. I must get that question at least once per day.
“What kind of pet, bud?”
“A dog!” he exclaims once he swallows his food, and my hope that he was finally going to change his mind and ask for a stick insect instead crumbles to the floor.
“We don’t have time for a dog, kiddo. Who would feed it? Walk it? Take it to the vet when it’s sick?”
“Me.” My son smiles angelically.
“Dog’s crap, Leo. A lot. Do you really think you’d be willing to pick up dog poop every day? It would mean no running around barefoot outside. Not to mention, when they’re young and haven’t been potty trained, they crap in the house,” Flo chimes in, and my son blinks.
“I don’t want dog crap on my—”
“Poop,” I correct him, shooting Flo an unimpressed look, and she stifles a laugh as Gracie titters beside her. “Maybe we can think about getting a dog when you’re a little older. But for now, show me you can take good care of Donkey, and I’ll consider it for the future.”
Leo releases a small sigh, but nods in understanding, continuing to shovel the homemade coleslaw I whipped up into his mouth.
I’d love to get him a pet, and maybe I will when I retire from the Storks, but I want him to be old enough to understand that animals are a lot of responsibility, especially dogs. Children tend to lose interest in things when the novelty wears off.
Perhaps we could start small, like with a fish.
“So, what’s the plan, Flo?” my sister asks after a conversation I’ve been tuning in and out of, sending me a questionable look, which I ignore.
“When it comes to what?”
“You know… staying here. Have you enjoyed it?”
Flo responds with a slow, thoughtful nod, eyes flitting in my direction. “I have. I really like this part of the city. It’s quiet.”
“And you like me!” Leo bellows.
“And I like you, Leo, yes.” She’s grinning now, blues so bright they look like they belong on an artist’s palette.
Gracie laughs, which isn’t something she does overly often.
My sister is a strong and guarded person, and it takes her a long time to warm up to new people, but I can already tell she likes Flo, which is frustrating as fuck because I don’t think there’s anyone on the planet who could meet Flo and decide they don’t like her.
Gracie glances back and forth between her and me, eyes slimming in suspicion. “Okay, judging by my brother’s face, you two haven’t spoken about how this has gone yet.”
I immediately stop chewing, setting my cutlery down. I turn to Leo, who’s kicking his legs with boredom, fork at rest. “You finished, buddy?”
He nods. “Want to play superheroes?”
A humoured grin spreads across my face, and even though my body is screaming at me to take an ice bath and not move for the next week because of the hits I’ve been taking during training, there’s no way I’m going to say no to my son, who I haven’t seen all day.
“Sure, go get your costume on. I’ll join you in a minute. ”
Once Leo bolts from the room, I clear my throat.
Coach will definitely put a personal bounty on me if I don’t hire Flo.
And my son likes her, so what kind of father would I be to take this opportunity from him, only to hire another uninterested nanny I’ll never call back and who Leo will never have a connection with?
Sure, Flo makes my dick twitch, but I can keep that under wraps for a couple of months, and then she can leave, and I can find someone else to care for Leo, who I won’t be attracted to in the slightest.
Gracie slips away, muttering something about letting us have this conversation alone, but I barely hear her, my eyes glued to Flo, who’s already collecting the plates and placing them into the dishwasher.
“You don’t have to do that. I’m here.”
“And so am I. It’s not a big deal, Evan. I’m just helping. Say what you want to say. Either you want me to take care of Leo for the summer, or you don’t. I’m a big girl, I can take it.”
My mind takes a very inappropriate detour, and it makes my nostrils flare as she breaks out into a smile, realising how what she just said sounded like the world’s fattest innuendo. A part of me wonders if she said it on purpose just to get under my skin.
I was hoping she’d do something to mess this up. You know, I’d come home to find my cabin trashed with a group of her wild and reckless friends all drinking and smoking. But she hasn’t shown me anything but what I want to see from a nanny.
I hear Leo’s squeal of excitement coming from the living room, and I sigh.
I don’t want to accept help. I want to prove to people I don’t need to hire anyone to get through this, but I’m drowning here. Being this protective of Leo isn’t going to help anyone, especially not him, and I need to understand that I can’t bubble-wrap the kid.
I have no other option.
Taking a deep, defeated sigh, I ask the question I’ve been dreading.
“Fine, as much as it kills me to ask you, how would you feel about being Leo’s nanny?
It’ll be temporary until you leave for this trip you think you’re doing, or we find someone permanent beforehand.
I assume this isn’t something you see yourself doing forever, nor is that something we both want.
You’ll be paid well, and I’ll make sure you get a decent amount of time off for hobbies and friends. ”
Getting the words out is tough. I’ve never had to say this before.
I’ve never actually offered anyone the job.
But soon enough, I’ll go through every nanny there is in the entire state of Montana, so I need to let go of my need for control for just a little bit to keep Coach Darrell and Peter happy.
Just one more season of this. Then, no more nannies.
Flo lets out a soft hum, jutting her hips out. “I assume you’re asking me because you’re excited about having me nanny Leo, not because you have nobody else?”
I don’t respond, allowing my silence to answer the question we both know the answer to. The truth is, she’s great with my kid, and I can’t fault her for it. But if I had my way right now, she’d leave my house and would never come back.
“I’d love to be his nanny, but I expect at least one hundred dollars an hour, plus a bonus at the end for putting up with you and your moods.”
“If that’s your rate.” There’s no ounce of hesitation in my voice, and I pull out my phone. “Give me your details so I can pay you. I need to give you some for the few days you’ve already done anyway.”
Flo holds out her hands in shock, shaking her head from side to side. “What? No, I was just kidding.”
“Leo’s happiness doesn’t have a price, Flo. If you want one hundred dollars an hour, I can make that happen, no problem.” I hold my palm out flat and curl my fingers upwards. “Details. Give them to me.”
She stares, but eventually sighs, pulling her phone out and placing it on the table after navigating to her payment details. “If you send me that much, I’ll give it right back. That’s scamming you out of money. It was a joke, Evan. A joke.”
“I get it.” I hold my finger up to stop her talking, disinterested, looking at the details on her screen.
My lip curls upwards as I read them, nodding, jotting them down in my notes for later.
And when I look up, I don’t let any humour flash on my face as I say, “Thanks, Florence. I appreciate it.” One brow lifts, waiting for her reaction, and judging by her thunderstorm-like eyes and ajar mouth, I’ve hit a nerve, which I like.
With a reddening face, Flo’s jaw pulses and her nose scrunches. “Call me that again, and I’ll shave your hair off while you’re sleeping. It’s Flo, not Florence.”
Not according to her payment details, but I like my hair the way it is.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Daddy! I’ve got your superhero costume!
Come on! Get dressed!” Leo rushes into the kitchen, and after hearing Flo’s uncontrollable laughter, I look up from my phone to see him gripping onto a pair of my red boxers, the Superman logo printed on the front—the ones I always wear whenever we play Superheroes.
The worst part—they’re full of holes, but Leo refuses to let me throw them out.
My eyes narrow in warning, immediately silencing Flo’s giggling. “Don’t tell a soul. It’s not too late to fire you.”
She crosses her arms over her chest before swiping her phone off the table, smirking at me as she strides past. “I’ll keep that in mind.”