Chapter Five
TALLY
I had never arrived to work at a nanny job with two suitcases, a massive tote bag, and a large plastic tub before. It surprised me how many of my belongings fit into those. But there I was, walking up to Jake’s gorgeous home the next evening, pulling both suitcases with the tote hanging over my shoulder.
I had yet to see where I’d be staying, which made me nervous. What if my room was next to his? My sisters always teased that I made a snorting sound in my sleep. Would he be able to hear me through our shared wall? Would I have my own bathroom or have to share with him? These should’ve been questions for the day of the interview, but I’d been too surprised he’d asked me to live there and just flustered around him in general. I hoped I could get past that quickly and be professional so I could do my job. My focus and priority were the girls and their happiness. That was what he had hired me for .
The door opened before I reached the bottom step of their porch.
“Hi.” Jake’s handsome, smiling face greeted me, and my stomach suddenly fluttered faster than a hummingbird’s wings in our garden back home.
Ava and Piper raced around their dad and came to help me with my suitcases, pulling them along on their wheels. At least they tried to.
Jake came down the front steps, took both suitcases from the girls, and carried them into the house.
“I have one more thing in the car.” I set my tote at the base of the front steps and turned to go get it.
“Let me.” Jake was down the steps and on his way to my car before I could respond.
“It’s kind of heav—” My brain failed to complete the word as I watched the muscles in Jake’s arms bulge when he lifted the tub as if it was weightless. The same tub I struggled to carry to the car because it held a bunch of my favorite books. The one I ended up pushing a few inches at a time with my foot.
Jake entered the house and grabbed the handle of one of the suitcases while continuing to hold the apparently feather-light tub in his other arm. “I’ll come back for the rest.”
“I can get it.” I lifted the tote again and grabbed the suitcase handle.
“Right this way.” He walked further into the house.
We passed the living room, and I glanced in there, wondering where Nora was. It was empty, except for some toys littered about on the floor.
Jake and the girls led me down the hallway, past the playroom and dining room, through the kitchen to a door that led into the backyard. Just across the lawn was the most idyllic little guest house. It was sage green and tan with coral accents and trim like the main house. Even the dark wood entry door matched. And in the front was the cutest little patio, perfect for sitting outside, reading a book on a warm summer day. Too bad it was almost winter.
Jake looked back at me as he walked. “That’s where you’ll be stay—”
It happened in a heartbeat. His foot caught on a scooter partly laying on the sidewalk, and he flew forward. The tub catapulted from his arm and tumbled onto the ground, losing its lid in the process, and Jake landed face first onto a pile of my stuff.
My gaze locked on what his cheek was resting on—the most recent entry in my journal. His nose was pressed against the words, “How can I work for someone I can’t stop daydreaming about?”
I immediately let go of my suitcase and dropped my tote. “Are you all right?”
He rolled a little to his side and grinned up at me. “Well, that was graceful.”
I scrambled to pick up a few books with the intention of snatching the journal the moment his head lifted.
The girls were suddenly on top of him, hugging him, kissing his cheek.
“Daddy, are you okay?”
“Do you have a booboo?”
“Kiss it better?”
They tugged on his arm, and he finally sat up.
I snatched the journal forcefully and shoved it into my tote.
“Glad that wasn’t your first impression of me.” He stood and brushed dried leaves and dirt off his pants and shirt .
“That was much better than the first,” I said with a chuckle.
He smirked.
I held in a smile as we worked together to load the books into my tub, then Jake lifted it with both arms this time and checked that his path was clear before leading me the rest of the way to the guest house. Ava opened the door for me, and Jake followed me inside and stacked my things next to a chair in the living room.
“I thought the guest cottage would be a little more private for you than staying in the house with us.”
I took a look around. It was tiny but perfect for me. A small kitchen and table to the left, a living area with a comfy-looking chair to the right, and a hallway ahead that I assumed led to the bedroom and bathroom.
“It’s lovely.” I walked deeper into the space, relieved that this would be my home for the foreseeable future. I appreciated the privacy immensely and was excited about having a place of my own.
“We’ll give you some time to get settled in. Then maybe you’d like to join us for dinner.”
I wasn’t sure what was customary in situations like this.
“It’s not a big deal.” He seemed to sense my unease. “It’s pizza night. Do you like sausage and pepperoni?”
I gave him a nod.
“It’ll be here in an hour.”
“Okay.”
“Come on, girls.” He walked over and grabbed Piper from the chair in the living room. “Let’s leave Miss Tally to unpack her suitcases and go order some pizza.”
Both girls screeched “Pizza!” and raced out the door, their brown hair flying behind them .
I couldn’t help but laugh, and Jake looked over at me and smiled.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a keychain, and held it out to me. “Keys to the cottage, the main house, and the minivan.”
“Thanks.” Our fingers brushed as I took them, sending tingles up my arm, and I fought to keep from blushing but failed.
“Welcome home.” He winked and headed toward the main house.
I shouldn’t have watched him walk all the way to the house, but I did. He could’ve turned around at any moment and found me staring at him, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I’d never nannied for a single dad before, especially not one who looked like that .
“She got more pepperonis than me,” Ava whined as she pointed at Nora’s slice of pizza.
“Stop being a baby,” Nora snapped.
“Nora.” Jake gave her a look.
“What? She is.”
Jake peeled a pepperoni off of his slice and dropped it onto Ava’s, and she grinned and took a bite.
Nora rolled her eyes.
Seeing Jake interact with his daughters made my longing for a family of my own more intense than ever. I wondered what my life would be like if I’d met someone years ago and had children. The older I got, the more it was on my mind, but I had no real possibilities in that department. All the single guys I knew weren’t the greatest options for a lifelong partner, and except for the families I nannied for, I hadn’t met many new people since high school. The people I’d spent the most time with were below the age of five.
Looking back, I think I used the marriage pact with my friends as an excuse. It gave me permission to stay in my safe, introverted bubble and not step out of my comfort zone to meet anyone new. And now that we’d dissolved the pact, I no longer had that crutch. I couldn’t tell myself I didn’t need to meet anyone until I was thirty. I couldn’t blame my fear of putting myself out there on that little piece of paper we’d signed our names to because we’d ripped it up and burned it in a fire. And that made me anxious.
I longed to have someone who knew me, really knew me, better than anyone else in the world. A best friend I could be completely myself with. Sometimes, I wondered if maybe that person had come and gone, and I’d been too shy to notice. And I worried that if I did meet someone, I wouldn’t be able to open up to them like I wanted to. Maybe I was better off single. I knew how to do that. Very well.
I turned my thoughts away from my non-existent future husband and back to Jake and his girls. That’s what I needed to focus on right now. My new job.
I ate in silence, Ava chewed happily, and Piper played with her pizza more than ate it. I wondered if I would ever be able to handle Nora’s attitude. I was used to whining and tantrums from toddlers, but I’d never been the nanny of a nine-year-old before.
“Did you finish your homework?” Jake asked her.
“It’s too confusing. ”
“What is?”
“Story problems,” she replied.
“I can help you if you want,” he said.
“You hate story problems.”
“But I love you.”
And then I saw it for the first time. A hint of a smile on her face. It disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived, but the adoration she had for her dad was plain as day.
“Are you good at math?” Jake asked me.
“I do okay.” I didn’t tell him I got straight As and scored in the high 700s in Math on the SAT.
“Maybe Tally can help you,” Jake suggested.
Nora glanced at me then stared at him. “I can do it.”
“I know you can,” he said, “but maybe she could help you understand it better so it’s not so confusing.”
“I’d be happy to help,” I told her. “I helped my brothers and sisters all the time.”
“You have brothers and sisters?” Ava asked.
“Mm-hmm.”
“How many?”
“Seven.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s a lot.”
I chuckled. “Yes, it is.”
“I want a baby bwuther,” Piper said.
“Brother,” Nora corrected her.
“Mommy and Darryl are having a baby,” Ava stated.
Jake froze with a slice of pizza hovering at his mouth. “Where did you hear that?”
“At Grandma and Grandpa’s, when Mommy called. She was on the speaker.”
Nora dropped her pizza, the chair squeaking against the tile floor as she got up and ran from the table .
Jake stared after her then looked at me. “I should …” He nodded toward Nora.
“Go ahead. We’ll be fine.” I felt for him. It had to be difficult to raise these girls after having gone through a divorce. I’d never nannied for divorced parents before. And I’d never gone through that situation in my own life, so I had nothing to compare it to. I wasn’t sure I could relate, but I hoped I could be understanding so I could help these girls.
“Nora hates Darryl. She’s mad at Mommy, too.” Ava had the saddest look on her face.
“How do you feel?”
She shrugged her little shoulders. “I miss Mommy. She lives in Montana now. That’s far away.”
“Do you get to visit her?”
“She came to Grandma’s with us two times.”
“I bet that was nice.”
Ava nodded and went back to eating her pizza.
Young kids were so resilient. I couldn’t imagine not seeing my mom more than twice a year. It was unfathomable. I didn’t blame Nora at all for being upset with her mom. I didn’t know the whole story, but I couldn’t understand how someone could up and leave their family like that and move across the country. And I was feeling a little angry at their mother too.
When the girls had finished, I had them help take care of their plates and wash their hands. They showed me the stool for Piper so she could reach the sink in the bathroom. They showed me the contents of the bathroom cupboards and drawers. Then, we went to the playroom for a while. Who knew how long Jake would be upstairs with Nora, and though it was nearing the girls’ bedtime, I wanted to give him the time he needed with her .
I sat down on the floor by the kid-sized couch, and the girls took turns showing me their favorite toys.
“How cute.” I kissed Piper’s stuffed kangaroo on the head. “How about we surprise your daddy and clean up in here before he comes down.”
Piper stuck her lip out. “I want my kangamoo.”
“You can keep your kangaroo, but the dolls need to go to sleep for the night.”
“Dolls don’t sleep,” Ava said.
“Sure they do. They need rest just like you.” I made a yawn sound and moved the doll’s hand over its mouth as if it was yawning.
They giggled.
“I have a sleeping bag for my doll.” Ava raced over to the toy box and yanked toys out, looking for the bag.
I sighed and went to help her.
“Is this it?” I asked when I came across a purple and pink doll-sized sleeping bag.
Ava took it from me and grabbed the doll, tucking her in nicely next to the toy box on the floor.
“Joe wants a sweeping bag.”
“Is that your kangaroo’s name?” I asked.
“Mm-hmm.”
“How about I make one for you later?”
She bounced up and down on her little feet.
“But right now, let’s see who can put the toys away the fastest.”
That was apparently enough to get the job done. As soon as I started putting things away, they raced around the room and did the same.
“Time for bed, girls.” Jake suddenly stood in the doorway. “Thanks for keeping an eye on them.” He gave me an appreciative smile .
“That’s my job,” I replied as I closed the toy box lid. “Do you need me to help with anything else tonight? I could do the dishes while you put the girls to bed.”
“Nah, you can go. First full day tomorrow. You’ll need your rest.”
“Alright. Good night, girls.”
They hugged my legs and said good night, and my heart squeezed in my chest.
I moved toward Jake in the doorway. My gaze met his warm brown eyes as I walked past, and I caught a whiff of whatever cologne or soap he used, all fresh and ocean-y.
“Good night, Natalia.” My full name coming off of his lips warmed my body and caused a pleasant flutter in my stomach.
I glanced back over my shoulder. “Good night, Mr. Mills.”
The corner of his mouth lifted, and I headed out.
The evening air was chilly against my skin, but it did nothing to cool my reaction to Jake. What in the world was wrong with me? I really was at the point in my life where I needed to meet someone. I needed to turn my attention to someone other than my employer, that was for sure.
But where would I even start?