Chapter Two
TALLY
T hanksgiving was lovely, despite the lack of pumpkin pie, which I was honestly still bitter about. On my drive home from the store, I’d thought of a dozen better responses I could’ve given that guy. The nerve. And I was right … a gentleman would have offered the can to me right away. The one solace I had was knowing he didn’t get the pumpkin either. Serves him right.
I didn’t let that ruin the day with my family, though. When all of my siblings and their families were home, the house was very packed and noisy. I loved the laughter and stories and silliness, but I did have to escape into my room for a little quiet now and then.
Yes, I still lived at home with my parents. Someday, I wanted a place of my own, but for now, I was happy to be there with the people who loved and understood me best .
I woke on Friday morning with an underlying restlessness. Whenever I had something to do, especially if it had a set time, like a doctor or dentist appointment, I’d feel nervous for days. As of today, I’d been without a job for three months, and a potential employer was awaiting my call.
I opened my phone and entered the number no less than a dozen times, my finger hovering over send. Every time, I’d close the phone and pace my bedroom floor, going over what I’d say, what possible questions might be asked, and what answers I might give. I couldn’t handle being blindsided.
I never planned to be a nanny. After high school, acquaintances of my parents were looking for someone to care for their baby when the wife’s maternity leave was up. My parents suggested me for the job, and the rest was history. I owed my job skills to the fact that I’d helped take care of my younger siblings growing up. Good training for the career path that came into my life sort of serendipitously.
All of my previous nanny jobs had come about very naturally. One would end, and another family would find me through word of mouth. All were people I knew or knew of. But last week, my friend Ellie’s Grandma June had given my name to a man she knew from church, Jake Mills. I didn’t know this person, but he was the son of June’s dear friend, Hal, and she insisted he was a very nice man. She also told me he was a divorced single dad in need of some help with his three daughters.
After hours of agonizing over making the call, I finally got up the nerve to press send.
A man answered after four rings, and I could hear some commotion in the background .
“Hello?” His voice was deep and bassy.
“Uh, hi. This is Natalia Kerr. June from your church gave me your name about the nanny job.”
“Oh, right. Can you hold on for one second?” I could hear the noise in the background get quieter and a clicking sound, like maybe a door closing. “I’m back. Sorry about that. Hi, Natalia, I’m Jake.”
“Yeah, she told me your name.” I rolled my eyes at my ridiculous response.
“June said great things about you, and I’d like to set up an interview this week if possible.”
For some reason, I hadn’t been expecting that. I’d never had to jump through hoops to get a nanny job before. Everyone had already known me and my reputation as an exceptionally great nanny and hired me on the spot. I’d never had to deal with awkward interviews or worry about forming coherent sentences to sell myself and my skills to a stranger.
“An interview?”
“Yeah, I want to meet you in person, have you meet the girls, and see if you’re a good fit for us.”
“Right. Of course.”
“When would be a good time for you?”
“Now?” I wanted to get this over with ASAP and secure this job.
“I was thinking more like Saturday.” He whispered to someone in the background, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. “I’ve kind of got my hands full right now.”
I heard a little voice suddenly screech, “Daddy!” and I felt ridiculous. Of course he was taking care of his daughters.
“Sorry. Whenever is best for you. My schedule isn’t very busy. ”
“No?” he asked. “Mine’s overloaded. I can barely find time to feed the kids, give my three-year-old a bath, and wrangle them into bed at night. And don’t even mention feeding myself. I’m on a first-name basis with the pizza delivery guy these days.”
“It is a small town. Most people know each other.”
He chuckled. “True.”
A silence hung between us on the line, and I second-guessed my small town comment. My stomach began to hurt from nerves. There was no way I was getting this job if I couldn’t stop myself from saying one ridiculously stupid thing after another.
“Could you stop by Saturday morning at nine? I’m sorry to ask you to come on a holiday weekend, but I’m anxious to fill this position as soon as possible. If that doesn’t work for you, we can find a time next week.”
“That’s fine.”
“Great,” he said happily. “I’ll send you my address.”
“Thank you.”
We hung up, and I stared at the phone as my heart continued to race like it had been the entire time I was on the call with him.
The phone buzzed with a text.
Hi. It’s Jake Mills. My address is 303 Orchard Lane. See you Saturday at 9.
I wasn’t sure if I should text him back or not. Was it proper in this situation? I decided to send a short reply.
OK. Thanks.
Ask me how many times I almost texted to cancel. I probably could’ve come up with some kind of excuse to get out of it. But then I would’ve been in the same situation I was. Unemployed.
“Good luck today, sweetie.” Mom gave me a hug as I prepared to head out.
“You’ve got this, Natalia.” Dad’s bear hug gave me a boost of confidence, but nothing would take the anxiety away completely.
I drove slower than was necessary toward the home of Jake Mills, gripping the steering wheel as if my life depended on it. Knowing he lived on Orchard Lane made me even more nervous. The houses on that street were old Victorian and Italianate-style historical homes on a beautiful hill overlooking the town. People with a lot of money lived there. Coming from a family of ten, we lived frugally, and we never had much extra. People with a lot of money intimidated me.
When I neared his home, I realized it was one of my favorites on that block. I might have been intimidated by wealthy people, but that didn’t stop me from driving past their houses and dreaming of what it would be like to live there.
I drove past and circled the block a time or two, worried I was a little too early. I hated being late, so I always left earlier than was necessary. On the third pass, I finally made myself pull in. Then, I sat in the car for an excessive amount of time, pretending to look at something on my phone since I was still early. When I knew my procrastination had gotten out of hand, I took several deep, steadying breaths, said a little prayer for calm and the ability to put two sentences together, and got out of the car .
As I walked up the sidewalk, little faces peered out the window at me then hid when they realized I’d noticed them. Seeing the kids took away a layer of nervousness. I felt at home around children.
On the door was an old-fashioned-looking door knocker, but I noticed they had one of those camera doorbells as well. I wondered if it was recording me now or if it would start recording if I pressed the doorbell. I clacked the door knocker three times instead and stepped back to wait.
The sound of little feet scurrying about inside was followed by heavier footfalls. Then, the door opened, and I lost all thought and reason.
“You.” He stole the word straight out of my brain.
The man who’d cost me the precious canned pumpkin stood just inside the door with a look of surprise.
My gaze dropped to the adorable little girl with golden-brown curls, wrapped around her father’s leg, then traveled up over his muscular thighs to where another brunette with a short, straight bob stood at his opposite hip, then up over his broad chest to those warm brown eyes, rimmed by thick dark lashes. How guys had such gorgeous lashes without mascara was beyond me.
“Salted caramel.” The words popped out of my mouth as I thought about the colors of his hair, and my cheeks instantly burst into flames.
His eyebrow raised. “Excuse me?”
I ignored his question, hoping he’d forget my idiocy. “I’m Natalia. I’m here for the nanny job.”
“Of course you are.” He stepped back, dragging his daughter across the floor on his leg. “Come on in. ”
I hesitantly entered the house but tried to act confident, even though I considered making a run for it.
I paused in the foyer and took in the space. It was just as beautiful as I’d imagined. A wide staircase with a chunky banister, tall ceilings, original dark woodwork, gorgeous hardwood floors, and plenty of antique furniture greeted me. I could see down a hallway ahead to the kitchen. There was an office with French doors to the right, and to the left was the living room with a fireplace and the turret at the front corner of the house, which had a curved window seat along its tall windows—the perfect place to curl up with a good book.
Jake nudged the daughter beside him toward the living room and looked down at the other. “Sweetie, can you get off of Daddy’s leg and go sit on the couch with your sisters, please?”
She pouted but did as she was asked, staring at me the whole time she toddled her way into the other room.
He held his hand out to me. “I’m Jake. It’s nice to officially meet you.”
I shook it hesitantly, and goosebumps traveled up my arm. “You too.”
“Would you like anything to drink, Natalia?” he asked.
“Tally,” I replied.
His forehead scrunched up at me.
“Uh, everyone calls me Tally. And no, I’m fine.”
“Let’s go meet the girls, and then we can chat privately. Sound good?”
I nodded, and my nervousness kicked up a notch as I followed him. These were the little people I would be taking care of for God knew how long, and I really wanted them to like me .
I put on a smile as I sat down in the wingback chair next to the couch where the girls were seated. Jake sat in another wingback across the room from me and pulled out a legal pad and pen, which caused my stomach to churn nervously.
“I hope you don’t mind if I write things down. The girls take all of my attention these days, and if I don’t write it down, I will totally forget what you say.”
Jake slipped his glasses onto his face, and I wondered how old he was. Grandma June hadn’t said. I didn’t even know how old the girls were. Well, except the youngest. He’d mentioned on the phone that she was three. The one who had been standing beside him might have been five or six. But the one who now glared at me from her spot on the sofa was older, probably ten.
I realized Jake was awaiting my response. I had a habit of getting lost in my thoughts, and this was not an ideal time for that.
“That’s fine,” I said.
“These are my girls: Nora, Ava, and Piper.”
“Hello,” I said.
Ava instantly said “Hello” with a big smile on her face, and Piper started to climb off of the sofa, but Nora grabbed hold of her and pulled her back to sitting.
“Stay still,” she snapped at her little sister.
Piper whined and struggled away from Nora and tried again.
“It’s okay, Nora,” Jake said.
Piper hopped down and scurried over, immediately climbing up onto my lap, which made me smile.
“Hello,” I said as she got comfortable. “Are you Ava?” I poked her tummy teasingly, knowing that wasn’t her name .
“I’m Piper,” she said proudly. “Who are you?”
“I’m Tally.”
“Are you our new mommy?”
Jake coughed from across the room. “Nanny, Piper. Nanny.”
“Nanny,” she said with a giggle.
I nodded, even though I wasn’t through the interview yet.
“Will you come play with us?” Ava was suddenly standing in front of me with pleading eyes.
I looked up at Jake, and he shrugged his shoulders and nodded.
“Okay. What do you want to play?”
Piper hopped off of my lap, and both girls took my hands and pulled me up from the chair. I had to bend over a little so I was at their level as they dragged me across the house behind them. We entered a beautiful playroom with tons of toys and books and kid-sized couches and chairs, as well as a regular-size glider rocker in one corner. It was the dream playroom my siblings and I would have loved.
I sat on the floor next to the bookshelf and perused their gigantic collection of storybooks, running my fingertips along their spines. We had a lot of books growing up, and I saw so many familiar favorites on their shelves.
A shuffle in the doorway caught my attention, and I saw Jake give Nora a little nudge to enter the room. She did, but she watched from a distance with her arms crossed.
Piper yanked five books off the shelf onto the floor, then picked one up and stuck it in my face.
I smiled as I took the book. “Do you want me to read it to you? ”
She climbed onto my lap, which was answer enough for me, and I began to read. And it wasn’t long after that Ava snuggled up beside me and was listening intently, too.
These girls were sweet and lovable and obviously longed for attention from someone other than their dad.
When the story was over, Piper leaned over, almost falling off my lap, as she grabbed another book. “This one!”
“Oh, I don’t think—”
“That’s enough, Piper,” Jake said. “You girls play quietly so I can talk to Miss Natalia.”
“Are you coming to the park with us?” Ava asked as I stood up. “We would have so much fun. We could swing and go down the slide together, and there are monkey bars.”
I chuckled. “That sounds fun.” I looked to Jake, then back at Ava. “But maybe another time.”
Ava’s lip stuck out a little. “Okay.”
Jake motioned for me to follow. “Nora, you keep an eye on your sisters.”
She let out a groan, and I saw his eyes shoot to hers in a warning.
We walked down the hallway to his office, and he closed the French doors behind us.
“I’m sorry about Nora. She has an attitude today.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “Actually, she has an attitude most days. I hope that won’t make you run for the hills.”
I gave him a little smile. “Not at all.”
“Good.” He smiled back.
He had the most perfect smile, and it did more than make me nervous. It made my stomach flutter, which was unacceptable because he was my potential boss. I mentally swished the butterflies away and focused on nailing this interview.
“I’m surprised you didn’t run right back to your car when you saw it was me.”
“I thought about it.”
He laughed. “At least you’re honest.”
I could feel a blush coming on.
“Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?” he asked.
“Yes. We had apple pie instead.” I didn’t know why I told him that since he hadn’t asked.
“Apple’s good.”
“It wasn’t the same without the pumpkin.”
“I went back and bought a frozen pumpkin pie,” he said. “It wasn’t half bad. You should’ve let me buy you one.”
I gave him a shy smile, and neither of us said anything for several beats. All the while, my mind was racing and searching for something to say, but I came up empty.
“O-kay,” he finally said. “So, how many nanny jobs have you had?”
“Three.” I handed him a copy of my resumé.
“Were you there for very long?”
“My first job was four years, the second was three, and my most recent job was for two.”
He took a moment to read through the paper I’d given him. “Were any of those live-in nanny jobs?”
I swallowed hard. Live-in? Would he expect me to live here with them?
“No,” I replied.
“Oh.” He pursed his lips. “Is that something you’d be willing to do? ”
His eyes searched mine. All sorts of thoughts flew through my mind. I hadn’t considered I might have to live there. What would that be like? Would I have to spend much time with him? Because so far, I hadn’t strung together more than a handful of sentences with him, and I dreaded the thought of small talk.
“I commute an hour away for my job and sometimes travel. I also want to give the girls a little stability with their mom living so far away, so having someone here with them full time is what I’m looking for.”
I’d been staring blankly at him the whole time my mind was whirling.
“Natalia?”
My cheeks warmed. “Sorry. I … yes, I can do that.”
“You don’t seem so sure.”
“I am.” I lifted my chin to appear more confident than I really was.
He went over what would be expected—taking the girls to and from school, play dates, household tasks, meals, and the like. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t done before. Well, except for the school thing. But I’d figure that out. He needed some help with cleaning around the house, which also wasn’t anything new. And I learned that Nora was nine and Ava was six.
“Do you cook?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“And I don’t mean mac and cheese from a box.” He gave me a cute smirk.
“I’ll have you know I come from a very large family, and I used to help my mother make home-cooked meals for myself and my seven siblings. And if you hadn’t caused me to lose the pumpkin the other day, I would’ve made the most delicious pumpkin pie you ever tasted. So, yes, I know how to cook.” I didn’t know what came over me, but something about his mac and cheese comment came across as an insult to my cooking skills, even though I knew he was just making a silly joke.
His eyes widened. “That’s the most I’ve heard you speak.”
I was horrified that he’d noticed all of my brief answers.
“Tell me more.”
Now, my eyes were the wide ones. “Like what?”
“Seven siblings, huh? What was that like?”
“Wonderful, chaotic, loud.”
He laughed again, and it was such a pleasant sound. I wanted to hit record on my phone in case he did it again so I could listen to it over and over.
“How many brothers and sisters?”
“Four brothers, three sisters.”
“Where are you in the lineup?” he asked.
“Fourth. Nathaniel, Nolan, Rochelle, Natalia, Regan, Rylee, Reed, and Noelle.” My stomach churned and my palms began to sweat. Why had I told him that? He didn’t care what my siblings’ names were. Ugh.
His eyebrow raised. “I’m catching a pattern here.”
“Yeah, my parents, Neil and Rosanna, named us using their first initials.”
“Nice.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “Is that why you chose this line of work? Because of all your experience with your younger siblings?”
“Yes, it is.”
When I didn’t elaborate, his mouth turned up in a closed-mouth smile, and my cheeks were suddenly on fire .
He proceeded to talk about my salary, which I was pleased to hear was more than I had been making before. I was uncomfortable with money talk and was always nervous to discuss it, so I was relieved when he brought it up first.
“Do you have any questions for me?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“None?” His brow furrowed.
I did. I wanted to know how old he was. I wanted to know what happened with his wife. I wanted to know what the custody arrangement was like. But I couldn’t make myself ask any of those questions. I was sure I’d find out once I started working for them.
He stood, so I did, too. “I’m meeting one other person, but I will let you know either way.”
My stomach plummeted as he walked around the desk and held his hand out to me. He was interviewing someone else?
“Thank you for coming this weekend. I really appreciate it.”
I shook his hand quickly and followed him out into the foyer, where he opened the front door for me.
“It was very nice meeting you, Natalia.”
I locked eyes with him once more. I liked the way he said my name. The way it curled off of his tongue made me blush.
I made myself push past my nervousness and speak again. “You too. Thank you.”
I walked down the steps but didn’t hear a door close behind me. As I neared my car, I glanced back, and Jake was still standing in the doorway. He raised a hand in a wave to me, and I nervously waved back. But not a casual hand in the air as he’d given me. No, I waved back and forth like a little kid, which made me feel ridiculous again and flustered. And then I dropped my keys in a puddle. I don’t know if he saw me do it because when I stood up after retrieving them, the door was closed. I wiped them dry against my coat and prayed he hadn’t.
As I drove home, my stomach churned with nerves. I wondered if I hadn’t said enough, if I should’ve pushed through my timidity and sold my skills and experience more. What if the other person he was meeting with was more experienced? What if they spoke more confidently and answered his questions without hesitation? I thought things with the two younger girls had gone really well, but what if they liked the other person more? What if they won Nora over? If that happened, I definitely wasn’t getting the job.