Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Kylie
“Help!” Wendy’s internet was laggy, but good enough.
There were rolling hills behind her, green and lush, with rows and rows of grapevines making Kylie jealous.
Her sister had been gone for three weeks now, and this was the first time the internet connection had been strong enough for a serious video call.
Everything else had been texts, pictures, and a few quick phone calls, but mostly silence.
Wendy was living her best life.
And Kylie couldn’t be happier for her.
“Are you under a pergola? And is that a stone fence behind you?”
“YES!” Wendy squealed into the camera, except the lag cut it in half, making her look like it was a bad edit.
“This place is magical. The parents are super chill. Not sure if they like me or not, but they give me lots of freedom as long as I keep Jean-Marc and Estelle happy. They love to ride bikes, so my quads are already getting bigger and stronger. I’ll have one fine ass by the time I come home. ”
Wendy’s chatter was so good to hear.
“Tell me more!”
“The food, Kylie–I had no idea fruits and vegetables could taste like this! I don’t know what they do that’s so different, but every bite is like eating the best food in a super-expensive restaurant. I’m eating way more fruit than I normally would because the berries are so delicious!”
“Go back to the flight. Tell me everything from the last time I saw you. I want to feel like I’m there, too.”
“You’ll come over in June, right? If we can get you a cheap enough ticket? I’m making enough money. I can help with it.”
“Yes! If we can swing it.” Kylie hated taking a paycheck from Luke every week, even if it was direct-deposited, without fanfare. It felt weird to get paid to play with Harriet and fall for him at the same time.
Hold up. Fall for him?
No.
No no no.
Number 14, Part A. New York. Job applications. Two and a half months left on her lease. She was absolutely, positively, not falling in love with Luke Luview.
Friends? Sure.
Falling for Harriet? Of course.
Kylie was bonding with her, and it broke her heart to know she’d be leaving soon, but that’s how working with children often rolled out.
You were a temporary person in their life.
Even when Kylie taught in the classroom, it worked that way.
The kids were hers for nine months, and then… they weren’t.
Nannying for Harriet was just a shorter version of being a classroom teacher.
At least, that’s what she told herself.
Wendy’s words were a welcome balm, rolling off her as her little sister excitedly described arriving at the Paris airport, how the Durands–Miriam and Jacques–had sent a driver to pick her up.
They were wealthy but not indulgent, and from Wendy’s description, Kylie could tell they might be hands off and not give Wendy quite as much guidance as she’d like, but her sister was in good hands.
There were worse things in life than being given a little too much freedom.
“–and they want to go to Berlin at Christmas, Kylie! Miriam has an aunt who lives there and the Christmas markets are one of her favorite holiday activities, so I’m getting paid and they’re covering all my travel expenses. This job is the best!”
“Your nanny job is way more exciting than mine. I just make peanut butter sandwiches with bananas, hemp seeds, and crushed sweet potato chips. You get Paris.”
“You make what?”
Kylie laughed. “Never mind.”
Wendy giggled. “I never would have guessed we’d have the same job!”
Ouch. Shouldn’t have smarted, but it did. Wendy was eight years younger and living in France.
Kylie was stuck in Maine with a lease, hadn’t heard back from any of the jobs she’d applied for in New York, and was an emotional mess about Luke.
“Kylie? I didn’t hurt your feelings, did I?”
“What?”
“It’s just–you know. You have a master’s degree and way more experience than me.
It’s not like I was comparing us and saying I’m your equal.
I just thought it was funny we’re both nannies at the same time!
” Wendy’s voice tended to go higher and higher when she was nervous, and at the rate she was going, Kylie would need a special noise detector to catch her decibel level.
“I’m not offended! Just thinking.”
“About Luke?”
Caught.
“Yes.”
“I knew it! Are you two shagging?”
“WHAT?”
“Shagging. It’s a British term for having sex.”
“You’re learning lots of new terms, aren’t you?”
“Yep! I can swear in French like you wouldn’t believe.”
“I’ll bet.”
“You didn’t answer my question, Ky.”
“No. We’re not sleeping together,” she said firmly. “There’s a clause in my employment contract that says we can’t.”
“Contracts can be renegotiated.”
“My heart isn’t a line item in a contract, Wendy.”
“Oof. Sorry. You’re right. It’s that bad?”
“YAAASSSSS,” Kylie groaned. “It is. I’m hopeless. He’s really, really hot when he’s wearing only a towel...”
“A towel!”
“...fresh out of the shower.”
“You’ve been holding out on me!”
“Nothing happened. We haven’t even kissed. But there’s definitely something there.”
“He was your first love.”
“I know. But what he did fifteen years ago still hurts. Ghosting on me like that.”
“You should ask him.”
“I’d rather catch a fainting giraffe’s head.”
“That’s a really weird thing to say.”
“Not in Love You, Maine.”
Tap tap tap
Kylie screamed, the sound of someone knocking on her front door so unexpected, she had an adrenaline surge of surprise.
“Kylie?”
That was Luke’s voice on the other side of the front door.
“Kylie?” Wendy asked, voice filled with concern. “What just happened?”
“Someone’s at my door.”
“Food?”
“No.”
“What kind of person just spontaneously appears at your door?”
“It's Maine, Wendy. That’s how it works here. It’s Luke.”
“Luke? He’s at your apartment? Now?”
“Yes! I don’t know why.”
“Brown chicken, brown cow is why.”
“Huh?”
“Say it fast a few times. Never mind. Go! Get your groove on!”
“I need to get a bra on before I do that!”
“Why bother? Sounds like he’ll be taking it off you soon.”
“HEY!”
“Love you,” Wendy said hurriedly. “Go get ’em.”
Call ended.
With no time to get dressed beyond her sweatpants, loose hoodie, and heart-shaped red slippers, Kylie grabbed the doorknob and pressed her palm against her chest, holding all the emotions behind her fingers.
Like that worked.
As she opened the door, the distinct scent of Korean food–spiced beef and yummy aromatic rice–scrambled her senses. Luke wore a cap, a thin down coat, jeans, and boots.
And he held a Mountain Dragon bag.
“Peace offering?” He held the bag aloft. It was printed with green dragons on the outside, all breathing–yep.
Hearts.
“For what?”
“For yelling at you.”
“You’re the first boss who’s ever apologized for that, much less brought me takeout!”
“I’m not your normal boss.”
“No kidding.”
“Can I come in and we can talk?” Pleading puppy dog eyes met hers, and she melted.
“Sure,” she agreed, desperate for more than just talk, but she’d take what she could get.
“Nice place,” he said as he entered and looked around.
“You’re a good liar.”
“Not lying! It’s nice.” Luke set the food on her tiny dining table and pulled off his hat, then coat, the stretch of his flannel-covered arms making her flush with the memory of his bare skin.
“It’s… a place.”
“Two more months, right?”
“Just about. A little more.”
She reached for his coat and his smile pulled the outer corners of his eyes down in that deep, compassionate way. He was so smart, but not showy about it. Luke was good to the core, honorable and true, and that made this all the more difficult.
Number 14, Part A.
Two and a half months.
“Any luck with your job search?” he asked as she went into the tiny kitchen and found plates, forks, and napkins.
“Not yet. Seventeen applications. I even applied for a coordinator’s job with a children’s programming channel.”
A low whistle was his reply. “Wow. That's the big leagues.”
“The job I’m trying for is a glorified gopher, but it’s the biggest kid’s programming channel in the world, so....”
“Is it what you really want?”
She was reaching for a small container of food. “I wouldn’t apply if it weren’t.”
“Can I be blunt?”
No conversation ever took a turn for the better when those words were spoken. Suddenly, her appetite disappeared.
“Of course.”
“I really wish you would stay here in Maine.”
Well, now.
The universe just proved her wrong.
“You do?”
“Harriet adores you.”
And you? she wanted to ask, but the words got stuck in her throat.
“I adore her right back,” Kylie finally managed, giving him a genuine smile. “You have raised a sweet, loving little girl who views the world with so much trust.”
He blinked, slow and steady, face immobile, and Kylie wondered if she’d said the wrong thing.
“That means a lot to me.” Luke’s words sounded like gravel. “I want her to trust. I want her not to be damaged by losing her mother like that.”
“You’ve succeeded.”
“Wasn’t all me. My mom, Dad, Colleen, and Kell all helped. Mrs. Petrinelli, too. Half the damn town came out to help me.”
“Love You, Maine, is special. A town full of nothing but love.”
“It is.” His stomach growled.
“Shall we eat and then talk?”
“Sounds good.”
The silence lasted two minutes, overshadowed by the extraordinary taste of the food. She was halfway through her bowl before she pulled back and gave him a quizzical look.
“Wait a minute. How did you know I like bi bim bap?”
“Colleen told me.”
“How did she know?”
“She was there when you picked your food up one day.”
“That was three weeks ago! Right when I started working for you.”
He shrugged, but there was something in his eyes that told her this drop-in visit wasn’t just an apology. More was brewing between them, and he was weakening her resolve.
Not that it was very strong to begin with.
“Please thank Colleen next time you see her.”
“I will when I get home.”
“Home? She’s there?”